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 ♥

Oh So Quiet.

Peace and Quiet.
Doesn't happen often around these parts.
But when it does, I soak it right up.
My other half is working his day away.
My older daughter is at school.
And my baby girl is sleeping in the warmth of the sun.

And in the meantime, I am writing this post and doing lots of house cleaning.
I don't mind house cleaning. It gives me so much satisfaction (for the 1minute it stays that way) to see a clean house and everything in it's place.

My mother is coming to stay for a couple of nights, which I am really looking forward to. It's a beautiful sun shiny day here, but still quite cool. We are just over halfway through Winter.

I have ordered a bundle of new tools and supplies this week. Have been holding off for a while, but decided I needed some excitement injected into my week and waiting on tool/supplies parcels always gives me that! The anticipation of experimenting is always lots of fun too. I have some new ideas tumbling around in my head - I just hope that they turn out the way I see them .... it's probably about a 50/50 chance.

Poppy had her injections done yesterday afternoon.
I hate taking babies for that to be done. Fortunately, both of my girls cry for only a moment and then get over it quickly. I hate seeing them in pain, even if it's for a good reason.

It's nearly lunch time.
I have upstairs to finish off cleaning and then I have to tidy up downstairs and make a pie, pop on some washing and post off a parcel and then on to pick up my daughter.

I wish the days were longer.

Em ♥

Hot Enough For Ya?

Seems like many of my posts are about our heat. 

Sorry about that folks, but it's a fact round these parts.

I am feeling really badly for those in Tasmania (and other parts of Aust that are affected), where all those fires are breaking out. 

It freaks me out here too, as across from our front yard is bush/rainforest. As I am a worrier, this kind of weather just pushes my pessimistic side.

So I now have Queensland fire service on my facebook, so I can keep up to date with what's happening around my area.

Regardless of the heat (which is not nearly as bad as some parts), I am attempting to get to the bench more. I have a water cooler (like a fan, but it uses water to cool the air) beside me at my bench. It isn't anywhere near as good as having air conditioning. But it's all I've got. I have worked out a position so I can have it on whilst soldering, which is something. 

Here is the piece I finished last:

Sold.

 Right now I am working on a pair of earrings and a pendant.

I have an order coming from Rio and some small tools and supplies coming from round Australia. I'm still browsing stones on Etsy. Not that I have any money left after those supplies :(

Best get back to the bench whilst I can ....

Take care all 

Em ♥

Grey Saturday.

It's a grey Saturday. Not great for photographing my jewellery. But I did it anyway.

I have spent the better part of the afternoon rephotographing my jewellery for my Etsy shop. I absolutely loved how it was looking, but I decided to have pictures that were more zoomed in than before. 

Hubs likes how it looks now as you can clearly see the items straight away....I'm still not so sure. But it will probably grow on me. I'm quite fickle and never satisfied with how something is .... I'm always changing my mind.

All my supplies came on Thursday and Friday and I'm very happy. 

I have a nice big sheet of silver and lots of chain and wire and findings etc. But I think my muse is on vacation now, as she had to wait too long before I got new silver :(

With my supplies came some new boxes for packaging. I love them. 

And last night I ordered some Luxe Business cards from Moo with matching labels. Can't wait to get those too! 

It seems like it's never ending, the things you need to make jewellery. I've been saving for a little while and just spent it all on supplies :( I look forward to the day when I don't have to spend all of my savings on more supplies/tools. But that day will probably never come, as there is just no end to the techniques to learn, meaning more tools to buy.

Kindy was back on this week as the school holidays are over. But I was bored out of my mind as I had no silver to make anything with. Next week will be better I hope, as Summer has 3 days at Kindy :p

so, please come back muse! Pleeeeeeze!

Em :)