Parcel joy :)

I have got my parcels with my new tools and supplies :)

I finally took the plunge and got myself a Swanstrom disc cutter. I've played around with it a couple of times and I'm happy with it thus far. There is some 6ga twisted silver wire, which I am going to make myself some bangles with. Some ring shank wire, earring wire, a charcoal block and some wire screens for my tripod and finally some Vintaj patinas.

I've never used the patinas before, but I have heard (and watched) plenty about them. So I hope once my Ferric Chloride arrives, I can go ahead and etch my own designs and then play around with patinas to help the patterns stand out. As much as I love to oxidize absolutely everything I make, sometimes I like to mess around with colours. It's an inexpensive way to expand my skills and inventory, as mostly I will be using brass and copper for etching, so the patinas will be perfect for that....I hope.

Oh and I also bought a silicone polishing set (you can see that under the charcoal block) I haven't used any polishing things like that before, not really even sure How to use them, but I'll figure it out.

Thus far I have made myself 2 bangles from the twisted wire.
I had to dig out the MAPP gas for that though.

Not a huge fan of the MAPP gas, but needs must. Still have another 2 to make and I might be making one for Summer as well.

Thanks to the new supplies/tools I am dabbling at the bench a little this week. I have some scrap gold (from an old ring of mine) that I am making some nice weighty studs with, just waiting on the solder and stud parts to finish.

Annnd there is a student open day on Saturday the 3rd, at a place that holds workshops and courses for silversmithing. I have been pondering attending a workshop there for some time now, but never got around to it before baby was born. I checked out the website again and saw that the owner/teacher now offers private tuition and studio hire. So I figured now's my chance (well Saturday will be) to see what it's like there and to meet the owner/teacher and see if it really is something I want to go ahead with.

I am chuffed with how far I have come on my own.
But I feel I need some guidance and help to further my skills and private tuition every now and then would be great for that! Also I would like to hone the skills I already have so that my work can be better.

I am getting sick again :(
Summer has had a cough for quite a while now, if it doesn't disappear in the near future, we might have to take her to the doctors and go down the medication route - which I don't like to do. That's the only reason I hate Winter time, sickness. It's everywhere and it's so contagious too :( I can deal with it, but the thought of poor little baby getting sick again makes me very anxious!

Okie Dokie, I don't have much else to write about today. Not sure if you've noticed, but I have been blogging more lately?! Off to look at cabochons (and to buy a few lol). Have a great week.

Em ♥

Sick and Tired.

Literally.

Sunday, I ended up at the emergency room with heart issues and dehydration etc. Since then I have been feeling all round dodgy and like I have a bladder infection, so tomorrow I am off to the doctors.

I hate going to the doctors. Fortunately, my Mother In Law is home and can take my daughter whilst I am at my appointment. I am armed with all the information I need for tomorrow and hopefully we can get to the bottom of my problems.

I have been miserable since. But I did find that working out at my bench, helped take my mind off my health/bladder issues and I got a couple of pieces finished and I love them. I also got my parcel of druzy too. I went out to the bench this evening, but I just wasn't 'feeling it'. So I decided to leave and do something else...so here I am!

Sigh...I know I don't have it anywhere near as bad as others around the world do, but it's hard not to feel sorry for oneself sometimes :(

Still Raining.

Yep, it's still raining today. Though this kinda gloomy grey wet weather is my fave kind, it doesn't help the bank balance when your husband is the only one bringing home the 'bacon' and he has to work outside for a living.
He hasn't worked all week yet. Not good for the bank balance and bill paying. Which also has a knock on effect on any hobby spending too. I have a little in the bank for the Gem Show on Saturday and fortunately my mum is buying one of my pieces and has commissioned another. So that will give me a little bit of cash to put back into buying some silver.

Before the weather turned this way, we were out at the shops on Saturday and I saw this Butchers Trolley for sale. I have been looking for one of these to use behind my bench in the garage for a while now. I have been checking Ebay frequently hoping to snatch up an old one. But nothing was doing. So when I saw this, I was excited. I paid for half with my meager savings and hubby paid for the rest. Tho I didn't really need anything quite so big. But I love it. I have drawers for my tools and a place to put my soldering stuff when I don't need it, which in turn gives me lots of work space on the bench.

Below is what I am working on at the moment. I wasn't having a very successful day with it all yesterday though. I ruined the labradorite setting and the green grass turquoise silver base for the bezel got ruined (and I had a gorgeous idea for that one). So I just left the bench at that point. Don't need to ruin them all! And all the silver you see in the picture is all I have left. I'm hoping one of the stall holders at the Gem Show will have some silver supplies with them and I can restock a little bit, I really want to get going with the idea for the Green Turq stone that I had.


Well I have blabbed on for long enough! Thanks for stopping by! :)

ACHOO!

That has been me all day long.......I had for many many years, suffered from allergies....was forever carrying tissues with me. Then it disappeared and every once in a while I have hayfever. I had hayfever a few days ago. And I have it again today. The good thing?....it only lasts a day usually.

On the upside, the weather was better today. Still hot. But nothing like yesterday. So I spent a few minutes out at the bench and have almost finished a ring! Yay! I can't wait till winter time.

Dentist tomorrow. I have had a bad run with my teeth over the last 6 months. I had a root canal that had to be done by a specialist. Price all up $4000. DISGUSTING! But it was too close to the front to have it pulled. (imagine all the silver and gold I could have bought for that tooth!) So tomorrows appointment is to get the cap happening. Hope I don't sneeze when I am there.....that won't be so nice :S Oh and I had my 3rd tooth pulled 4 weeks ago too. Unfortunately crappy teeth run in my family. I take very good care of them to no avail.... :( Falsies here I come!