Back At The Bench.

The sun is out and shining! Finally! It feels like forever since I last saw the sun for this length of time. It's been a few weeks almost. So this morning, I took my little munchkin out to the pond to get some much needed Vit D.

We're back home and I've put the air conditioning on to keep the humidity at bay. 

I have actually made some new things at the bench this past week. 

Honestly though with the lack of sales in my shop, it makes me feel like giving up. Though on the flip side of that, I just bought some more tools and a book and silver tubing lol.

I figure I will keep at it. For now.

On my list of things to learn, I want to try my hand at setting another large faceted stone. I bought one a while back, so will have to take a picture of it before I try and make a setting for it. Hopefully this one works out without any issues and I can list it in my shop. I finally bought the Creative Stone Setting book, which might help me the second time round with this setting. I also want to give flush setting a go. I have the burs coming and I have a few very small stones I can practice with, I just need to make a small burnisher first. There are a couple of tutorials out there that show you how to go about making one. 

Above are a couple of simpler things I have made for my shop.

Thanks ladies for giving me your opinion on my new background. I am going to keep the Turquoise box for the big earring shots and the other background for everything else. It keeps things interesting in my shop.

Sadly I am almost out of silver sheet. Which isn't great, as silver prices are on the rise again. Should probably weigh my scraps and see what I have....I've got quite a bit again.

Really I should buy myself some ingots and crucibles and melt it down myself....actually I think I will buy them in a couple of weeks and give it a go!!

I have the scrap and I have the mill, so it makes sense doesn't it?!!

I guess I should go and make some lunch for all now, it's almost lunch time.

I will go and read some blogs now :)

Take care

Em ♥

Procrastination

Yes. That title describes me down to a tea at this point in time. 

I have pieces I need to get finished. 

It's too hot.

I've some new materials I want to try and techniques.

It's too hot.

The days are going by too fast.

And it's too hot.

Did I mention it's hot??? lol

Yeah it's getting pretty gross out by my bench. Like I said in my last post, I really need that screen door. Last night hubby found a small toad hopping around in the lounge room....YUCK!!!!! And it probably came from the garage :( 

So now we need to be extra careful. I've no idea how it got in the lounge room unseen though.....

I woke up to a sale this morning :)

I am working on something beaded for myself....I haven't beaded in years. I'm not really enjoying it either haha. But I know it'll look nice when I'm done, I've been working on it in the evenings whilst watching the idiot box. It looks so simple, but it's been a bit of a pain in the bum to make - for me anyway.

The desire to buy new stones is scratching away in the back of my head. It's been a while since I really bought any - if you don't count my stash of little faceted stones...I have bought quite a lot of those. And I do have a lovely larger faceted stone on it's way to me.....actually it should have been here by now, so kinda getting worried about that. 

Anyways I haven't really purchased any cabochons in a while. I do not need them. Not at all. But I fancy looking at new stuff. As much as I love the bright coloured stuff, I fancy some more natural stones now. Though to be honest, right now is probably not the best time of year to be waiting on parcels from overseas as it tends to get slowish.

Well that's about it I guess. I'm so grateful for the airconditioning we have in this place and the great insulation and extra high ceilings!!

Have a wonderful day all 

Em ♥

Start of the Week

These are some unfinished pieces on my bench from last week...I really really need to get off my backside and get them finished and listed ASAP. 

But I just don't feel like it.

It's a bit muggy already this morning.

I have gotten loads done already this morning of the house work variety.....still have to hang out washing and dust and I really should mop (oh there goes the washing machine...time to stop for a bit and get it hung out...)

BBS

Done...yay. And it's only 9:20am, so I have the whole day ahead of me!

I'm already tired haha...

Why do grandparents always insist on buying grandchildren the most noisiest and battery sucking toys?!!!

Last week Summer had a really bad reaction to some Mosquito bites she'd gotten from out in the back yard. They had puffed up so much! When I first noticed the one on the inside of her arm, right above her inner elbow area, I thought she'd dislocated her arm for a few seconds, because it looked so big...but of course she wouldn't have been running around if that was the case! Anyways after several calls to several doctors I got her an appointment. She'd had an allergic reaction to the bites and was given some antibiotic cream. They've returned to 'normal' now thank goodness. If it's not one thing it's another...am I right? Or am I right?!

I've really got to get to finishing those pieces lol....and I desperately need a screen door for my bench area so I can have some breeze without all the wasps/mosquito's and flies etc!

Hopefully soon.

Em ♥

Broken Record.

It seems that all I ever do is write about the hot weather on my blog these days.
Well the weather is still absolutely horrid. It's so humid I am struggling to get absolutely anything normal done, let alone jewellery making.

It's driving me CRAZY!!! It is s'posed to rain this afternoon and start to cool down....yeah I will believe it when I feel it. Till then I am just sitting at the computer scrolling through a million bags on Ebay, as it's time I bought one that was a decent size (I have only got smallish bags), enough to fit things in without them spilling out each time I open my bag cuz it's too small.

I am just going to try and get all my washing done today and not worry about the rest of the housework. It's too hot to vacuum and my mop broke again, I'm on the second one at this house.

Anyways, here is what I have finished up lately in the jewellery department:

My first saw pierced and riveted pendant. It turned out okay. I am not super impressed by it, riveting is kinda tricky (for me) at the moment, having only ever done it this one time. I am not sure I want to continue doing it either. Hubby thought it turned out quite good (bless his cotton socks), but quite honestly it was a pain in the a** and I don't think I have the right hammer for it. But I did buy myself a tiny little riveting plate/stake thingy, so I might give it a go again. I did like how the pattern I sawed out looks.

This ^ is more my thing as far as sawing out is concerned. I love this piece. It looks awesome in real life, very vintage. I haven't put it up in my Etsy shop yet, but I will try and get around to it this week. I have plans to do more of her, but will have to wait and see if this one finds a new home first. I want to do a nice bird like this too. .. .. if only it would cool down enough....

I am so very pleased to see that Kim from KSK
is back on the Blogging Wagon! I can't wait to hear what she has been up too! Welcome back Kim!

That's all I have to write about ... boring huh!

Hope you are all enjoying lovely weather.

Come Back Winter!!!

I can't stand this muggy weather.....as I am sure I have told you that mannnny millions of times before lol. It's muggy/humid right now, but I know that down south they are getting it much worse than us. So I am grateful that we don't have a heatwave.

It 4pm and I am in the middle of making Bolognaise for dinner with Garlic Bread. I was going to cook a meat pie with mash n veg, but it's too hot to be hovering round a stove/oven, so I took the simple option.

I sent in my silver scrap to my metal supplier just before Christmas and it took soooo long to get it processed and for me to get new silver supplies (I received them this afternoon). So now I have loads of silver sheet, but no mojo haha...again.

I don't push myself when it gets like that tho...cuz that's how I end up making mistakes or making something I don't particularly like, so it ends up a waste and we all know that mistakes/waste is too expensive nowadays. Below is a picture of what I have made so far this year...it's not much.

I haven't listed any of them yet...but hope to soon, just have to pay my fees tomorrow and then I will. One thing I am finding frustrating about Etsy, is the lack of feedback I am getting from customers. I need that feedback. But I don't want to push people to leave it for me either :(

Below is the cabinet that my hubby and I finally finished a few weeks back. We love it. I am on the lookout now for a dining table and chairs (don't have to be a set) that I can do up for when we move this year. I am hoping for a dining table with Queen Anne legs and dining chairs that I can reupholster the seat part.


I am also on the hunt for a proper but basic jeweller's workbench. I know that RioGrande have them on sale right now, but I don't know if they will post it to me and how much it would cost if they do....so I've emailed, just waiting for a reply. I emailed a Jeweller's Supply shop in my local city too...I hope that they get back to me with something reasonable.

Well that's all for now. I really would like to go and play with my new supplies, but it's too darned hot and it makes me extra lethargic and I just want to flop in front of a fan and not move all day... :P

Hope you are all having a great start to 2011!!!

....No Title....

Right now, my daughter is running round and round making lots of noise and it's kinda sending me loopy. I just took her to the beach...but it was way too windy, so that venture didn't last long :(

Not a whole lot going on (as usual). I got some new small stones for once

I also got 'bout 17 more Turquoise Cabs this week, but I didn't get a piccie of them. Below is a piece I am working on and some earrings for myself:

I finally got myself an Apron to protect myself/clothing whilst I solder etc. Unfortunately, the weather is getting warmer....or rather, the humidity is back on the rise. Which in turn (same as last year) effects my desire to go to the bench and turn on my torch. So add to that now, wearing a heavyish apron.......yeah I can see I won't be getting much done. Though today is a veeerry cool breezy day, so maybe I should take advantage of that.
That being easier said than done of course, when you have a 2yr old on your tail to entertain.

*insert big sigh here*

Anywho, even with all the lovely new stones I've accumulated, my creating mojo has taken a back seat again. I'm kinda frustrated with lots of stuff right now, so I guess that's not helping.

I will leave it here, before I start whinging.

Misery.

I don't really have the right to complain. Life is good. But this humidity makes me Miserable. When you wake up from the comfort of your bed (air con'd) and you walk out your bedroom door and you are met with stinky, sticky hot air, like you've just walked into a oven, it instantly brings the mood down :(

I don't function well in this humidity. My floors need doing, it's too hot to send the little one outside to play. I dare not venture off to play at the bench, I would probably die of dehydration within minutes in there. The air gets soo thick with humidity that I feel I can't breathe.

Tonight though...it rained. Not huge amounts. But a little. It's coming and going. But I still don't fancy going to the bench to make stuff. I wish it would pour and pour and pour. I absolutely love cold, wet weather. I can't wait until Winter. I can see myself now...all snuggly out in the garage making lots of lovely things, having a blast!.....pleeeeeeease be a cold Winter 2010!

I'm Melting......

literally.

The weather is disgustingly hot again today and so I am sitting in our airconditioned bedroom to escape it all and I'm playing on my laptop.

I wish it was winter time. Not that we really get that much of a winter here. But anything is better than this. It is much worse down south though....so it could be worse here.

There is no way that I will be making anything in the jewelry area whilst the humidity is up so high. I walked in and out of the garage (where I make stuff) to do the laundry and it's at least 3 times hotter in there, even more so when I have the clothes dryer going too.

Well I guess I will leave it here and just sit and enjoy the cool for a little bit longer....