Look what I found at my front door
yellow and black "rat snake", non-venomous; at least 3 feet long I do not like snakes! Eeeek!
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Weekly update and new metal bracelets
I've been a bit hidden from the WWW this week. We had a death in the family. But I'm back in full force. Now, 3 new metal bracelets! I got to use a lot of metalsmithing skills in creating these bracelets. First of all, these are all hand cut or sawed from sheet metal. I used rivets in all of these. This one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/100190875/metal-bracelet-silver-ovals-and I used the techniques of soldering, sawing out the holes where the copper O rings are, stamping with design stamps and different texture hammers, and creating the balled sterling connector pieces. This one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/100192245/wide-metal-bracelet-silver-copper?ref=v1_other_1 is a wider bracelet with Mykonos Greek ceramic beads riveted to the front of some of the pieces. And, (I think this one's my favorite): https://www.etsy.com/listing/100193875/copper-and-brass-metal-bracelet-riveted?ref=v1_other_1 Copper and brass hand cut sheet, shaped into what I call ...
A very lazy Sunday
I can't believe that I did absolutely nothing yesterday! Since I am not a mother, and my own mother is out of town right now, I really did not have anywhere to go, or to see anyone for Mother's Day. So, I had a quite, peaceful day of rest! I spent the entire day, in a recliner, watching the "Science channel". It was a cloudy day outside, with the threat of rain. I found myself falling in and out of sleep. **************************************************************************************** I have not mentioned dieting lately, so I guess an update it about due. I have stalled in my weight loss journey. Really, I have not been that disciplined to stay on the "so called" Weight Watcher's eating plan. I miss too many foods that I enjoy. But it is o.k. to allow yourself treats every now and then. Total weight loss at this point is about 12-14 lbs. **************************************************************************************** ...
This week's treasury finds on Etsy
New treasuries on Etsy that I found myself in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This one was created by Judy of BayColonyDesigns Judy creates the most life like kitties made from wool. You can order a custom sculpture of your own cat too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CUSTOM DEPOSIT from photos for one Needle-Felted Sitting Kitty (112211) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And this team treasury, created by Cyndie of cyndiesmithdesigns . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cyndie is not only a fantastic metalsmith and jewelry artist, but she also lives here locally near me! This is my favorite piece from her designs: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.etsy.com/listing/77007563/s...
Experiments in jewelry design
Working on new designs this past week has been fun and frustrating. First, let me show you the frustrating. I was working on making metal beads which are hand stamped and riveted together. Not the easiest thing to do with 2 hands. I could have used a third hand. I took this idea from the book, "Stamped Metal Jewelry" by Lisa Niven Kelly . I found the difficulty in holding the pieces together (lined up correctly) while hammering to set the rivet. So I messed this one up. I'm mad at myself because I used sterling silver caps, when I should have used a cheaper metal on my first attempt. Now I have to heat the bead up and try to salvage the silver. I hate waste! Oh well, this is how we learn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And now, for my successful piece: This is a copper cuff, to which I set a stone to the front and embellished with sterling twisted wire. This is the first time I've used this technique. I just learned this from Rosamond Bain, in Ontario, Cana...