Winters End.

It's lunch time and the last day of Winter :(

As I've been sitting here reading blog posts and oxidizing metal, I can't help but notice the birds are extra vocal. I haven't noticed it before, so I wonder if it's to do with the fact that tomorrow brings the first day of Spring.....or have I just been too busy to notice their constant chatter?

I am on my last sliver of silver.

My scrap has been sent off.

I have 2 pieces waiting to be polished and set. 

And I just had my 90th sale in my Etsy shop ♥

It may not sound like much. But when you consider that I hardly ever have more than 30 pieces in my shop at a time, it's a great achievement for me and I'm thrilled.

Whenever I am down to my last little piece of silver, I find I stumble and my ideas disappear. I know it will be a few weeks before my scrap returns some sheet to me, though I could just buy some .... I want to hold off ... but then again I don't want to be without sheet ...

I am stone hunting again. Though I really shouldn't be. But I look over my stash and feel bored with what I see. Stones I once couldn't wait to get my hands on and create with, stones that cost a small fortune. I wonder if this is why so many of us have such a huge stash of stones? Perhaps I should forbid myself from looking, hence to stop temptation. Honestly though, I don't buy that many stones, I spend a lot more of my time looking, than I do spending any actual money.

Here are a few things I have made lately:

The cuff is the first of it's kind I have made.  A little inspired by Amy who has been making lots of them lately. The stone is #8 Mine Turquoise and I have been pondering over what to make with it for months and finally I used it. 

Last week I had made a nice simple setting for a HUGE round labradorite stone. One of the ones I had to have ground down to flatten. It took a long time figuring out how it was going to be set, so it would be at it's best 'flashing' angle. Finally I sat down to set it and it not only wouldn't fit in - but it broke! I think somewhere along the soldering line, the bezel had gotten out of shape. It was only 1mm(ish) off. And I think perhaps because the stone had been ground down - that maybe it had been weakened - as it seemed to have broken on a fracture line. It was a small little crumb that broke off ... but enough to stop me from wanting to set it. 

I might see if I can't grind it down all the way around and reset it some day. But oh what a disappointing day that was. I was so excited to be setting it too :(

Well I am getting peckish, so I will head off to make lunch and finish some jewellery. I hope you are all having a lovely week so far :)

Em ♥