Monday, September 26, 2011

I've learnt something new :)


And it's about time too.
I have been wanting to learn something new for ages and ages. I get new tools, then don't use them. Or I don't get all the new tools for a particular technique and so I don't bother learning anything at all.
Well today I decided that I wouldn't bother with house work and I would just go to the bench and play. Then the post lady came and brought me my little parcel of 3mm Faceted Amethyst Gemstones and I was sooo excited. It meant I could try my new technique out. 

And so below this is what I made :)


Yes, a tube setting!
I have been slowly collecting all the tools this past week or so. I already had a huge long piece of tube, so I just needed the burrs and stones. 
I made the setting over the weekend as my burrs had arrived on Friday.
I went a little mad on last week and ordered a few more gemstones in 4mm and 5mm size, as I'd already ordered the burrs to match. So it wasn't as hard as I ended up anticipating it to be. Which is a good thing. But me being me, I wasn't patient and I ended up setting the stone before making sure the tubing was perfectly flat. So the tube sort of goes up a teeny weeny little bit on one end.
But as it was a practice setting I didn't care. What matters is that I can do it!!!

I hope to add some lovely little tube set stacking rings into my shop with some PMC pieces I am making as well.

I'm starting to get my mojo back.......just a little bit mind.

OH and silver has dropped heaps over the last few days!!!!! As I am sure all of you have noticed!! I put in an order on Thursday, but then decided to cancel it as silver dropped again. So I'm hoping to put in a new one (with Rio of course) and I hope to include a tube cutting jig thingy so I can saw straight bits of tube for my settings.

Well I think that's all for now. It's almost 9:30pm and Summer is sleeping soundly and hubby is fixing things and I thought I would make a little post before I have my nightly cup of tea to relax.

I've changed my font on my posts too.....is it easy to read?? Be honest....please. I want it to look pretty and fresh, but it obviously has to be readable.

Love the new posting layout too...it's great!!!

Em ♥

10 comments:

Marcie Abney Carroll said...

I know how you feel about silver. But, I'm feeling like it's a guessing game. I'm afraid that if I wait too long, the price will shoot back up!
Hhhmm....what to do?!

littlecherryhill said...

Marcie, I feel a little apprehensive ordering...but honestly, I haven't had to order anything for a while at the extra high prices, so I feel like getting it at $30 ish isn't so bad....so I don't want to wait too long as last time I did, it went right up!

Amy Nicole said...

Yay! good for you Em! The only flush setting I've ever managed to accomplish was used with a 6mm stone and a pre fab setting! And I hate it when it comes down to sacrificing house work for bench work. In my case bench almost always wins, but boy does my house work suffer for it! :-) Hope the mojo streak lasts, and the silver prices stay down! Have a great week...

Susan - Era Art Jewelry said...

Hey Em ~

Sounds like you're feeling brighter and it sounds great!

Congrats on your tube setting! Good for you for just jumping in and giving it a go. Feels great accomplishing things like that.

I need to accomplish some house work, too, but like Amy Nicole, the bench usually wins. Dust bunnies are approaching the size of large house cats.

Hadn't heard about silver prices, but it's wonderful news. Time to buy, I guess. I remember paying $16/ozt. I don't think I appreciated it enough...

♥s

littlecherryhill said...

Thanks Amy - I kinda fall towards the - get housework done first and then play, group. Though this week it's been a bit the opposite for once. I just put in an order for silver as it hit $29. Hooray!! Just hope my mojo lasts now too lol

littlecherryhill said...

Hi Susan, Thanks for your comment! I am feeling a little brighter. Last week was a particularly hard one, due to some personal issues going on, but it's looking up again for now. I can't quite remember the price of silver when I started almost 2 years ago...but I know for certain it wasn't like it is now! :)

Anonymous said...

Love the ring Em...isn't learning new techniques great...and I love, love, love new tools.

littlecherryhill said...

Thanks Sandi. Yes learning new techniques opens up so much in regards to designs and ideas! New tools are so nice :)

Belinda Saville said...

Ahhh, this little ring is so sweet Em! I can see these looking beautiful as stacking rings...they are always so popular on Etsy!

I've got some tubing sitting in my stash...and burrs...and tiny faceted gems...I just need to make some time to learn tube-setting! It doesn't help that both of the little ones have been sick lately...I've been so unproductive :-(

Love your new look blog, btw! :-)

B.
-xxx-

littlecherryhill said...

Hi B, I hope your little ones are getting better?? ♥ Tube setting seems more daunting in theory than it really is. I'm always unproductive, that's why it takes me so long to get anything new done lol :)