I've owned Bill Fretz's how-to video on hammering for a year now, and the whole back-to-school vibe in the air has inspired me to sit down and learn about hammering. Or in Fretz's words, "Learning to make metal move as you wish!"
Now Bill can move metal however he wants because he's Bill Fretz, a world-renown metalsmith, teacher, and toolmaker. That's right, he makes his own tools!
A few minutes into the video, I realized I need more hammers. Or at least that hammer Fretz uses that has NINE interchangable heads. And I need stakes, which help you bend the metal.
Adding cool hammer and stakes to the Christmas wish list. Then it's hammer time! (Sorry, I could not resist.)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Everything is coming up Cotton Blossom!
At RAW, I met Melanie, owner of the cute boutique Cotton Blossom. She asked if asked I would be interested in selling my jewelry at her shop.
That would be YES!
I am delivering some pendants to her this Thursday--we'll see how this goes.
That would be YES!
I am delivering some pendants to her this Thursday--we'll see how this goes.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Uhm, 35, you are not kind to me
At the start of the year, I decided I would do 35 things--learn new techniques, participate in five boutiques, double my business--to celebrate my 35th year.
Well, it's August, past the year's halfway point, and I have only completed FOUR things.
Yeah. Not good. Not good at all.
But I'm not giving up: I'm looking reality in the eye and I am denying it.
So here are 31 things I am going to do by December 31 (fingers crossed):
1. Participate in 4 more boutiques (Can RAW count as 3?).
2. Complete the riveted round link tutorial.
3. Make a fold form bracelet.
4. Learn how to make rings.
5. Start working in bronze (not copper, sigh, since I can't fire the stuff).
6. Complete my Bill Fretz tutorials that I bought 1.5 years ago.
7. Make a honing owl pendant, which will help me practice my riveting and sawing techniques.
8. Make a cold fusion necklace.
9. Make a hinged bracelet.
10. Make a book necklace for someone special who had her birthday a few months ago.
11. Make riveted flower ring (hopefully #4 goes well).
12. Learn how to etch in metal with a ballpoint pen.
13. Make a forged cuff bangle bracelet that Cleopatra would be proud of.
14. Reorganize my Etsy shop.
15. Solder a ring.
16. Make a silhouette mixed-metal pendant.
17. Work with faux concrete.
18. Contact a business or boutique to discuss the possibility of selling my jewelry there.
19. Learn how to make a hinge.
20. Learn how to successfully use glycerin to preserve my clay's flexibility.
21. Make a treasure bag (depends on #20).
22. Make a hollow bead for bead.
23. Set a stone in a bezel.
24. Make a pill box.
25. Make a hidden bale pendant.
26. Take photos for my Etsy shop.
27. Post a photo showing what I'm working on once a week on my Facebook page.
28. Make rubber band earrings (again this depends on the success of #20).
29. Make an open weave pendant--it looks so cool!
30. Mix silver and bronze clay to make a mixed-metal pendant.
31. Stay home AND work on my jewelry more often so I can get all of this done!
Well, it's August, past the year's halfway point, and I have only completed FOUR things.
Yeah. Not good. Not good at all.
But I'm not giving up: I'm looking reality in the eye and I am denying it.
So here are 31 things I am going to do by December 31 (fingers crossed):
1. Participate in 4 more boutiques (Can RAW count as 3?).
2. Complete the riveted round link tutorial.
3. Make a fold form bracelet.
4. Learn how to make rings.
5. Start working in bronze (not copper, sigh, since I can't fire the stuff).
6. Complete my Bill Fretz tutorials that I bought 1.5 years ago.
7. Make a honing owl pendant, which will help me practice my riveting and sawing techniques.
8. Make a cold fusion necklace.
9. Make a hinged bracelet.
10. Make a book necklace for someone special who had her birthday a few months ago.
11. Make riveted flower ring (hopefully #4 goes well).
12. Learn how to etch in metal with a ballpoint pen.
13. Make a forged cuff bangle bracelet that Cleopatra would be proud of.
14. Reorganize my Etsy shop.
15. Solder a ring.
16. Make a silhouette mixed-metal pendant.
17. Work with faux concrete.
18. Contact a business or boutique to discuss the possibility of selling my jewelry there.
19. Learn how to make a hinge.
20. Learn how to successfully use glycerin to preserve my clay's flexibility.
21. Make a treasure bag (depends on #20).
22. Make a hollow bead for bead.
23. Set a stone in a bezel.
24. Make a pill box.
25. Make a hidden bale pendant.
26. Take photos for my Etsy shop.
27. Post a photo showing what I'm working on once a week on my Facebook page.
28. Make rubber band earrings (again this depends on the success of #20).
29. Make an open weave pendant--it looks so cool!
30. Mix silver and bronze clay to make a mixed-metal pendant.
31. Stay home AND work on my jewelry more often so I can get all of this done!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
RAW Photos
IT'S OVER!! And I want to sleep for the next 3 days. RAW was a lot of fun. Met some people I would never have met any other way. And it made for some interesting people watching as well. Very entertaining evening all around! Thanks to everyone who came out to support me. Love you all! Here are some photos from the event.
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| Setting up the booth |
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| New necklace |
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| Another new necklace. Love the patina, which this photo doesn't capture. |
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| Another booth shot |
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| View from my chair |
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| Met lots of fun people |
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| another view from my chair |
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Getting Ready for RAW
When Heidi Luerra, founder and executive director of RAW, asked me if I would like to participate in Utah's RAW experience, I said, Yes!
And since it was the end of June, I thought I had plenty of time to get ready.
Well, it's four days away, and I still have lots to do--I need to make a lot of jewelry (I know!) and finalize my plans for how I am going to display my jewelry.
August 8, how did you sneak up on me?
Still, I am excited--RAW is different from any other place I've set up shop: it's a big party with lots creative people attending.
I just hope I can last until midnight.
I hope to see you there! Tickets are $10 online and $15 at the door: www.rawartists.com/sunshinegirl.
RAW: Natural Born Artists
at The Depot
400 W. South Temple
August 8, 2012
7:30 pm to Midnight
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