Spring that is!!
Today is the first day of the new season.
I am going to miss good ole Winter :(
At least this year we have a lovely new airconditioner. Not that we can go crazy with it considering how much power has gone up! But at least it's there for the unbearable days we get in the Summer time.
Anywhoo...below is a picture of my latest tool! Yes A Rolling Mill. Finally!
I have been planning on getting one since I moved into this house over a year ago...but it never happened. Then when I had money, it always went to other tools/supplies etc. I have been watching this rolling mill for a long time and finally the price dropped to a price I couldn't ignore and I jumped in and bought it. I received it yesterday and it is now in my work area ready to go....I just have to chop up copper sheets to fit and play.
I have some other tools on their way to me for stamping. I hope to get those next week :) and then finally I need to get some crucibles and ingots so I can try and smelt my scrap silver and roll it myself....that part is going to be the hard part...but hopefully the best skill for me to learn, considering how unstable silver prices are. If I can smelt and roll my scrap silver out, it will keep me going in the 'can't buy silver sheet just now' times....kinda like now lol. Silver seems to be staying at the $40 mark right now and I am skeptical that it's going to drop under that any time soon. As soon as it does though, I am going to stock up big time!
Below is a ring I made for myself. I wear the same 2 rings all the time and have been eying this stone up for a while and decided to make it into a simple piece, as I feel the stone is gorgeous, it didn't need anything fancy doing to it. I still have some burnishing to do on it, as I am not well practiced at plain bezel wire...even after all this time. I don't tend to use it much. But I want to start using it more now. I like the clean line it gives and how it frames a stone well.
Today is the first day of the new season.
I am going to miss good ole Winter :(
At least this year we have a lovely new airconditioner. Not that we can go crazy with it considering how much power has gone up! But at least it's there for the unbearable days we get in the Summer time.
Anywhoo...below is a picture of my latest tool! Yes A Rolling Mill. Finally!
I have been planning on getting one since I moved into this house over a year ago...but it never happened. Then when I had money, it always went to other tools/supplies etc. I have been watching this rolling mill for a long time and finally the price dropped to a price I couldn't ignore and I jumped in and bought it. I received it yesterday and it is now in my work area ready to go....I just have to chop up copper sheets to fit and play.
I have some other tools on their way to me for stamping. I hope to get those next week :) and then finally I need to get some crucibles and ingots so I can try and smelt my scrap silver and roll it myself....that part is going to be the hard part...but hopefully the best skill for me to learn, considering how unstable silver prices are. If I can smelt and roll my scrap silver out, it will keep me going in the 'can't buy silver sheet just now' times....kinda like now lol. Silver seems to be staying at the $40 mark right now and I am skeptical that it's going to drop under that any time soon. As soon as it does though, I am going to stock up big time!
Below is a ring I made for myself. I wear the same 2 rings all the time and have been eying this stone up for a while and decided to make it into a simple piece, as I feel the stone is gorgeous, it didn't need anything fancy doing to it. I still have some burnishing to do on it, as I am not well practiced at plain bezel wire...even after all this time. I don't tend to use it much. But I want to start using it more now. I like the clean line it gives and how it frames a stone well.
I have been playing a bit more with the metal clay (which I need lots of practice with still!) I have made a piece with it yesterday and have used a fern stem/leaf?? to imprint it with. I just need to smooth it out and sand it down and fire it etc, I have high hopes for how it turns out.....
Paypal.
When it was a new avenue for paying for things, I was excited. Now, the word fills me with frustration. They are putting up the fees on International transactions. For those of us on Etsy or Ebay or the like, this means loosing more money....or charging the customer more money. I don't know how I am going to go about paying the extra, which is 6% I think, but I am going to have to figure it out. With the price of silver up again and fees going up...I often wonder how long left I have on Etsy before I have to let it go. Oh and the exchange rate of Aus dollars to US dollars really digs the knife in too.
I feel as though I might just have to kick myself in the bum and get to the bench and work like an animal and get to those markets I've been dreaming of. At least there, there will only be 1 fee each time and no postage/packaging/conversion fees etc.
Guess I have to work it out and soon.
Oh I have made my first ever order with moocards.com
I had to place my order with the UK site, but they are already out and on their way to me and I can't wait to see how they turned out!! I designed them myself. I didn't use pictures of my jewellery though. I also made some matching round sticker/labels for my packaging. I hope to get them in the next couple of weeks.
Alrighty. That's all for this post.
Take care all :)
Em.
Paypal.
When it was a new avenue for paying for things, I was excited. Now, the word fills me with frustration. They are putting up the fees on International transactions. For those of us on Etsy or Ebay or the like, this means loosing more money....or charging the customer more money. I don't know how I am going to go about paying the extra, which is 6% I think, but I am going to have to figure it out. With the price of silver up again and fees going up...I often wonder how long left I have on Etsy before I have to let it go. Oh and the exchange rate of Aus dollars to US dollars really digs the knife in too.
I feel as though I might just have to kick myself in the bum and get to the bench and work like an animal and get to those markets I've been dreaming of. At least there, there will only be 1 fee each time and no postage/packaging/conversion fees etc.
Guess I have to work it out and soon.
Oh I have made my first ever order with moocards.com
I had to place my order with the UK site, but they are already out and on their way to me and I can't wait to see how they turned out!! I designed them myself. I didn't use pictures of my jewellery though. I also made some matching round sticker/labels for my packaging. I hope to get them in the next couple of weeks.
Alrighty. That's all for this post.
Take care all :)
Em.
2 comments:
I have the same rolling mill and it works fantastic! Great to have some tools to work with. Makes it so much more fun to be creative.
Happy spring to you! Fall has kicked into full gear around these parts already.
Have a fantastic week!
Sabine
Thank You Sabine. I have to bolt the mill down yet before I can play :)
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