I've learnt something new :)

And it's about time too.

I have been wanting to learn something new for ages and ages. I get new tools, then don't use them. Or I don't get all the new tools for a particular technique and so I don't bother learning anything at all.

Well today I decided that I wouldn't bother with house work and I would just go to the bench and play. Then the post lady came and brought me my little parcel of 3mm Faceted Amethyst Gemstones and I was sooo excited. It meant I could try my new technique out. 

And so below this is what I made :)

Yes, a tube setting!

I have been slowly collecting all the tools this past week or so. I already had a huge long piece of tube, so I just needed the burrs and stones. 

I made the setting over the weekend as my burrs had arrived on Friday.

I went a little mad on last week and ordered a few more gemstones in 4mm and 5mm size, as I'd already ordered the burrs to match. So it wasn't as hard as I ended up anticipating it to be. Which is a good thing. But me being me, I wasn't patient and I ended up setting the stone before making sure the tubing was perfectly flat. So the tube sort of goes up a teeny weeny little bit on one end.

But as it was a practice setting I didn't care. What matters is that I can do it!!!

I hope to add some lovely little tube set stacking rings into my shop with some PMC pieces I am making as well.

I'm starting to get my mojo back.......just a little bit mind.

OH and silver has dropped heaps over the last few days!!!!! As I am sure all of you have noticed!! I put in an order on Thursday, but then decided to cancel it as silver dropped again. So I'm hoping to put in a new one (with Rio of course) and I hope to include a tube cutting jig thingy so I can saw straight bits of tube for my settings.

Well I think that's all for now. It's almost 9:30pm and Summer is sleeping soundly and hubby is fixing things and I thought I would make a little post before I have my nightly cup of tea to relax.

I've changed my font on my posts too.....is it easy to read?? Be honest....please. I want it to look pretty and fresh, but it obviously has to be readable.

Love the new posting layout too...it's great!!!

Em ♥

Spring In Full Swing.

It's a lovely day.

Breezy, sunshiny and new tools have arrived!! ♥


I have finally got a new pot of flux - was tempted to buy the borax cone/dish...but it cost another $10 or so. I have always been happy with this flux, so I figured I would stick with it. I got a new firebrick, new sparex pickle, new crosslock tweezers etc. I can't to use one new particular tool that I got to teach myself something new.

Below are pictures of my latest PMC3 experiments. I purchased some cold mold putty to make my own molds and it is such great stuff. So below are pieces I made with shells from my own collection, I am sure I have more somewhere, but don't quite know where......




This picture is of my work area. Not sure that I have shown a picture of it before (cept for the view). It's a bit chaotic at the moment, because I am trying to sort out stuff since the arrival of the mill - speaking of which, Hubs bolted it down for me on the weekend and I have barely tried it out yet...not in the mood to yet. . .


I like to work in a pretty clean area...I'm a bit anal when it comes to organisation and work...I can't really do one without the other. I hope to make a proper bench soon too...we have found the timber, just have to find the time and money, everything is about time and money isn't it?! :(

There is so much I would like to write here. This past week has been a very stressful one, my emotions are on a roller coaster, but I want to try and keep this blog solely about my hobby. Apart from the obvious (my little family) this hobby is the only thing that gives me any joy and I'd like it to continue for as long as possible....I'm sure you other smithers out there can relate :)

By for now
Em ♥

Blah....

I have just spent the best part of an hour reading in the forums on Etsy about this whole Relevancy vs Renewing saga and how it's affecting high selling stores big time.

I am going to be honest and admit I'm confused with it all. I have made my titles and listings and tags all relevant with what I sell. I haven't really been the type to look at shop stats, in fact today was the first time I have bothered.

I feel for those shops who are being hurt by this change, spesh when I read that half of the things at the top of the list of searched items aren't even relevant to that particular search at all. I felt that the renewing/relisting thing was pretty good myself. Some on the forums have stated that it made it hard for those who don't relist/renew and so the change is a good thing. But I feel that generally spending money, makes money. So relisting & renewing seemed fair and good to me. After all we're all on Etsy to make money are we not?!

I want to get somewhere with this hobby....one day....I cannot commit the time that it would take though, at least not right now. Basically all my energy goes into being a mummy and I barely get a break from it, so I cannot commit my brain space fully to making something. I'm always interrupted and am always needed and I only have one child....lord knows how you other women folk do it when you have more than 1 child?!

I am so full of inspiration/ideas/dreams. One of those is to get my ass and my jewellery to a market! I know which one I want to go to (visited another creative market yesterday and it was pretty lame - though maybe my style of work would be welcomed there, as I've not seen any like mine at any markets anywhere in the greater area) and I know where I can get my set up from and how much stock I would need and blah blah. But I can't get to that damned bench and make anything new. I don't think I would be a success with only 22 items, do you? Nope.

So how are you going with the new Etsy search stuff??

I haven't been one to relist heavily...just a couple of things a couple of times a week. Since looking at my stats I have noticed a big spike in faves to both shop and items when I've listed a new item....I will have to just keep an eye on the stats to see how I go.

Any tips? Advice?

yawn....dead tired....and it's cold today? it's Spring?!

Em.

Tools, New Moo Cards, No Mojo...oh my!

Yes, I have some new tools, moo cards and Zero Smithing Mojo :(

If anything would normally kick my butt into creative gear it would have to new tools....but no....not this time.

Below are pictures of my new matching Moo cards and stickers.
I spent ages designing these and am very happy with how they turned out. And they are such good quality! So now the hubs has decided he wants me to make some cards for him from Moo. Oh and they also came like 2 weeks earlier than I was expecting them, so Woohoo!!


Below is my first print I have purchased from Etsy. I have been lusting after several artists pictures for a long time now and then decided I would get on with it finally and just buy one! And I love it! So does my hubby. I think he even approves me collecting more of them :)

This print is by janethillstudio


And this is a picture of some new stamping tools I purchased from 2moontools

I received them this morning and hope to use them on some new pieces.....eventually......if my mojo returns :(

lol I know that I will.
This is not the first time I have encountered the creative block, nor will it be my last.
What's strange is that my head is just absolutely choc full of stuff, but I can't seem to put it to actual physical work. Maybe my head is in overload?? I'm hoping to get a break sometime this weekend and maybe I'll be able to remove this block. I can only hope.

Yesterday I took my daughter with me to a big hardware store to look for some new tin snips etc and I came across a work bench for $100....it's not too big and it has peg board and a shelf underneath and an extra area to hang hammers etc. I'm hoping to take hubs to see this bench and talk him into buying it for me haha....it would be a spot I could bolt my Rolling Mill to as well. So it's kind of necessary. I can't wait to get the mill bolted down so I can try it out.

Alrighty I must go. Daughter is talking non stop and I can't type anymore as I can't hear myself think, think that is half the reason I struggle at the bench these days :(

Em

It has sprung!

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.

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.