Sunday, November 30, 2014

Almost The End Of Another Year.

And I have really let my blog slide. And my Etsy shop for that matter. Sure, I've the perfect reason (little Miss 1.5yr old) but I would have liked to have achieved a little bit more in 2014.

Before the year is out though, I am endeavouring to get one new technique under my belt. I have been gathering the materials needed over the past week and hubby has gifted me for our Wedding Anniversary (today!) - a new Drill Press, which was a part of the 'materials' needed wanted to make this technique go well. I hope.

I really really am excited to try this 'new to me' technique. The more I can do, the more I want to do and I'm hoping with the excitement of this new technique and using a new tool, it will bring me some much needed motivation to pursue all the ideas in my head.

It has been really hot here lately - more humidity than anything else. Summer only arrived here today and I'm not looking forward to another 3 months of heat. Though the past 3 days have been quite alright heat wise. My husband noticed this particular street whilst at work and we took a little drive out to see it as a family and I got a heap of pictures of it:























Yes, it looks this bright and vibrant in real life!
It's such a nice drive through this particular street as these Jacarandas all hang over the road and the green and coral red are spectacular together.























These trees are planted everywhere in this suburb, but this was the best street we could find.

They make an absolute mess when in flower, but who cares when they give the most fabulous shade and colour!

I'm currently working on a custom order, it's actually the 3rd time making this particular piece - using PMC. I finally got to my bench to make the pendant and fire it last night, as it was not too hot and I could use the torch.

Next year I am hoping to invest in a Little Smith torch set up with the oxy/acetylene set up. I want to do pinning and the only way I can see this happening, is if I add this torch to my workshop. Though I am kind of scared to have a 'proper' gas set up if I'm completely honest. Having bottles of gas around makes me a bit uncomfortable, especially with children in the house.

Can you believe I have been doing smithing now for 5 YEARS?!!! Yes! Damn that has gone fast! And I have been blogging here for that entire time too.

There is probably much more I could blog about, but I'm going to leave it here, hopefully I will be able to post again soon.

Take care
Em ♥

Friday, November 21, 2014

Around The World Blog Hop - Little Cherry Hill

The idea behind the Blog Hop is for creative bloggers to write a post based around a few questions.  Their answers offer an insight into their creative thoughts and processes.  The blog ‘baton’ is then passed on to another artisan and so the trip around the globe gathers pace.

Kristen has passed this 'baton' onto me to continue the hop around the world :) I have been following Kristen's blog for sometime now and love to read her posts on her latest jewellery making ventures. She makes gorgeous pieces of wearable art and has some great wire designs incorporated into her work.

So lets start with the first question:


What am I working on?

I have several pendants on my bench at the moment - some only just beginning and another almost finished and some enamelled earrings.  I'm also working on a giveaway for reaching 500 'likes' on my facebook page. But seeing as the weather is so awfully hot here (early might I add), I am struggling to get to my bench to make anything - way to hot to wield a torch!

How Does My Work Differ From Others in it's Genre?

This is honestly a hard question to answer. When I look at my work, I want it to be easily recognised as my own. But there are so many of us out there with similar taste/style, that it makes coming up with fresh new ideas to represent my own style all the more difficult.

Being self taught means I can only go as far as my skills have and there are many other skills I want/need to learn to help my style grow.  This journey I am on is one for the long haul - my children/family come a solid first and so it takes me a while longer to get new skills in. So that being said - I am still trying to grow my 'style' and this will come with time - something I wish (don't we all) I had more of.

Why Do I Create What I Do?

My style when growing up, was always large statement pieces. Bags, shoes and accessories. I favoured things that no one else had, that were memorable, fun, stylish, but a little bit different. Perhaps pieces that were bold, pieces that others might not choose to wear themselves.

When I began Metal Smithing, it was for a means to an end. I needed to learn to solder to complete what I was working on at the time. But as my skills with soldering grew, I wanted to make those 'large, different, statement' pieces for myself and I have been enjoying trying to do that ever since. It doesn't always work out, but when it does, it's a real buzz!

How Does My Creating Process Work?

99% of what I do, comes from my imagination alone. I don't sketch - unless I absolutely must. I'm terrible at drawing. 

Most of the time I begin with the stone/s, I will choose the best type of bezel setting for it and from there the design will grow. Every now and then I will have a definite idea of something I want to make and I will try my best to execute it as close to how I've imagined it to be. 

Other times, it is just 'go with the flow'. I think for myself half of the fun is playing around with all sorts of components to see what I can come up with and if I can make it come to life. 

The picture below is a perfect example of that:

 

 

  





























I hope you have enjoyed reading my little blog hop post and now I would like to pass the 'baton' onto Mossy from Silver Moss Jewellery :)

Emma ♥

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Still here....

though it seems to have been a few months since I last posted (boy is time whizzing by!).

My new found interest (make up) is still with me and I am slowly getting back to the bench a little more consistently.

Below are the latest additions to my shop:
















I've a few things on my bench that I am working on.
And I am back playing with enamels a little, but this time on silver.
The one thing I didn't realise, was that some opaque enamels do not turn out on silver like they do on copper.

Here is an example of a pair that went wrong:

 I began this pair with a colour called 'Clover Pink' - which on copper looks like a deep musky pink, but on silver, it became a green with pink blobs. So then I applied 2 coats of Marigold - which is an orange/yellow colour and it fired a yellow with lots of grey flecks.

This pair however were just fine:















They were fired using Mint Green and I love the colour against the silver.

Because I don't have much experience with enamels on Silver, I never thought to do the sample pieces. I have a board with all my colours fired on copper discs so I know just how they will turn out before I bother making them. So now I need to do the same with silver.

This is what I have sampled so far apart from the above, 2 opaques and 2 transparent.























I have a whole lot to go through, but on the Metalclay US site there are a few that have been sampled on silver, so I know of a few now that won't work, the rest I have to try out for myself.

In the picture above you can see the opaque Sapphire - it looks absolutely gorgeous on silver and next to it is Bitter Green and that is almost a neon green and it looks nice and bright against the silver.

Right now my youngest is napping, so I can't prepare any earrings as it means making lots of hammering noise and I'm also waiting on a supply of earring posts. I could make my own, but I can't be bothered.....

Hope everybody who reads this is doing well and having fun in their craft!
Em ♥



Thursday, July 3, 2014

Long Time No See

I'm still here.

And wow! It's already July!! That's craaaazy!! I didn't realise till I logged into my blog that I'd not written a post in so long.

Poppy turned 1 and is walking. Summer is on her school holidays right now, but as Poppy and I've been sick, we haven't really been anywhere or doing anything very fun. Hopefully all going well next week, I have a couple of outings planned.

On the jewellery making side of things, it has been slow. My creating mojo pretty much died. Completely. I managed to make 1 ring a couple of weeks ago:















But apart from that I've been dead in the water when it comes to making things. I watch everyone else around me making strides in their skills - whilst I fall waaay behind. I really want to make things, but when I sit and look at my stones, I'm uninspired and I can't come up with anything decent or new, so I just don't bother.

I think it's time to start practicing something new. Perhaps that will inspire me to get making again?

Apart from that, there really isn't anything new to write about. Oh except for a couple of months of being obsessed with make up. Yes, so late in life I know. But I've always been a very basic make up wearer. And since having my 2nd child I don't really overly care about putting on make up every time I leave the house. (and by make up I mean a dash of powder and mascara.) But something caught my eye - to do with make up - and ever since I have been collecting it. Hmmmm perhaps that's why I haven't been making any jewellery.....

Anyway, I've been having fun discovering things like Primer - for the eyes and face! - no I didn't really know either existed. And how to apply eyeshadow properly - like doing the crease etc. Oh and I discovered really nice make up brushes (sigma and real techniques). And the most fun part was discovering a whole load of make up brands - Urban decay, Stila, Nars, Too Faced and so on.... you gals in the USA have it SO GOOD! We pay $45 for a Nars blush here, compared to your $30. Make up here is atrociously over priced. Revlon and Loreal etc are around the $20 and up - and I'm not overly a fan of their make up either.

So my obsession is no longer really an obsession, more like an enjoyment now. I have a nice collection of different make up - not in the foundation and powders though - just in eye shadows and blush mainly - and I LOVE both as I'm a big fan of colour.

I hope to get back to my bench again soon. I feel bad just letting everything out there lay dormant - especially seeing I have a nice new computer out there that my hubby bought me! Winter time is usually my favourite time to work at my bench.

Well that's me done for now. Hope you are having fun creating - even if I'm not!

Em ♥

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Where for art thou Autumn?

Well it sure doesn't feel like Autumn round these parts.
And frankly I'm disappointed.
Every year I look forward to the cooler months. We don't get the serious cool weather like some of you (on the other side of the world) are getting right now.
But it's still nice to have a change of season and be able to rug up in cosy clothes and have the choice to wear boots (for 5 minutes) and to warm up with a hot drink.

What I like about it even more, is I get to work at my bench and use the torch.

I finished that custom order:















And then I finished off my first ever piece with 3 stones:















That piece had been sitting on my bench for a couple of weeks waiting to be LOS'd and set. So other than those two pieces, I haven't done much else. The head is still filled with plenty of ideas. But again I'm going through the whole 'my work is crap and not good enough' phase again. We all go through it and come back around out of it again, so I'm not too worried by it. I've a few things on my mind.

There is a custom order to be done in the next week or so and I've a follow up appointment for an echocardiogram on Wednesday. Once that is out of the way I will do the custom order and perhaps that will help me back to my bench to make new things.

School holidays are just around the corner again. They're for a whole two weeks too! I hope it's cooled down by then, as I would love to take the girls out for some day trips.

Okie dokie then, this was just a short post. Hope it finds you well :)
Em ♥

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Things to do.

I don't know about you, but I can be a terrible procrastinator.
Though at the moment I feel I'm procrastinating because I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to do/get done.

We have a lot of baby things to sell on.
And whilst it's not a hard thing to do, it's a tedious thing to do, so I just keep putting it off.

Today I MUST get a custom piece finished and listed. So what am I doing here then?? you might ask. Procrastinating. Hey if I'm going to do something, might as well do it right!

The custom piece I'm working on is a flying owl - a piece like the one I recently posted here and sold - except it's with a different shaped stone.

I (thought I had) decided a while back that I wasn't going to accept custom work, as I find it stressful. And this piece has reiterated why I don't want to do them. Please do not get me wrong here, I am so very grateful for the chance to make something special for someone. But the stress it gives me takes away from my joy of creating. Those of you who make things with your hands will most likely relate to this at some time or another.

When I'm making something large and with much detail, it takes time. However, I can take as much time to do it as I want. There is no deadline. Hence no pressure and no stress (generally if all is going well). The minute there is a custom piece (more so when it is a replica of something previously sold) to do, the pressure is on. There is a deadline and there is also even more pressure to have it look just like the original. Then I become super critical of my work, my ability to even make the piece again starts to wane. Things will not 'flow' properly and mistakes are on the horizon. The pressure of getting it to look just like the original is even more deterring for me - as clearly the customer fell in love with the original and will most likely be expecting it to be almost identical. Really I should probably explain in my policies that this isn't always possible.... note to self ....

My other half says it helps me to push myself. I do agree, partially.
But on the other hand, it seems to push me away from my bench even more. 

Anyway, that is enough procrastination for now. I have to go to the bench and get the Owl finished as I've pretty much hit the deadline. Here's hoping there's 'flow' and no ebbs and I will post a picture of the finished piece once sent off.

Em ♥


Thursday, February 27, 2014

Doobeedoo

Ha! I couldn't come up with a title for my post today - this was the first word that came to mind.......

Just about finished my housework for the morning and baby is napping.
Was thinking of going to my bench for a short while...

You know, lately I have noticed, even though my eldest is at school during the day and my baby still naps regularly, I don't tend to go to my bench until after I have picked my eldest up from school. No idea why that is. But it's like my 'bench' clock kicks in around the 4pm mark and tells me 'yes! lets go make something now'. It's perhaps one of the most inconvenient times of the day - seeing as it's nearly time to make Dinner and it's bath time and so on - I just seem to get this feeling of time to go to the bench every afternoon.

Silly really. Seeing as the best time of day is when it's quiet and I have no one to attend too. I don't know. Maybe I'm just a gumby? Don't answer that.   :)

Below is what I've recently completed and listed in my shop:
















One of my 5 goals for the year is to make more detailed pieces and to add more dimension. I feel I have been reaching that goal so far. And I feel like my work has had more cohesion of late too. Which I'm happy about.

With my last order from Rio I got a few packs of PMC3 to play with again. I'm waiting on some molds from an Etsy seller (they are taking too long to get here and I'm growing ever more impatient!) so I can make my own little findings to add to my work. Going to try and make a nice little twig mold sometime soon, so I can make some twigs with the PMC for earrings. Ooooh I hear the postman..................

YAY both my Etsy parcels came!!!!

Okies well I will leave it here so I can open my parcels. How I love parcels :)

Em ♥

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Blah

Blah is how I feel right now :(

The heat is still here and it just won't go away (to put it politely). It's kept me from my bench all week so far.... it is supposed to cool down by next week - one can only hope.

Just writing here to share my latest works, below is the biggest silver piece I have made to date, she challenged me, but I won. In the end. I think I am going to have to make myself something just like it - as my favourite kind of jewellery to wear is big chunky stuff.
















Above is a ring with a nice chunky piece of turquoise. Recently I got myself a nice Snowflake Obsidian and a piece of Parrot Wing - sadly (as always seems to happen to me when buying on the internet - mostly on etsy!) the Parrot wing isn't half as nice in real life as it looked on the listing. It's not nearly as bright and colourful and I am getting really fed up with that happening. I bought a big piece of Sonoran Sunrise (on etsy) and it was $40+ and when I received it - well lets just say now I won't buy from that particular lapidary artist ever again.  They should know better.

This is why I wish we had good gem shows here, man I would even fly to one if there were any, just to be able to hand pick my own stones. That's just something I don't see ever happening :(

Well that was my whinge for the day - be happy you who have those nice gem shows to go to!

Em ♥


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Muse

For once my creative muse is visiting.

I'm hoping this isn't a fleeting visit, that she will actually find a comfy seat and settle in for a while.

I think though I am filled with a new batch of ideas, I'm a little overwhelmed. I'm working on one of the largest pieces I have made (it really isn't that large, but for me it is) and of course, even though instinct told me to anchor things down, I didn't. And so now the bezel has soldered on slightly askew.

The perfectionist within says 'sorry, but you are just going to have to make it right, it's not good enough. Fix. It.' Though I worry if I do go in again and try to realign it, I might just ruin it altogether. I hate that part about soldering. I have some Yellow Ochre powder which I might have to slather all over the parts I can't have reflowing. Hoping with all hope that I can fix it, or it is going to be a very expensive scrap piece :(

Below are the latest things I have finished:


















My favourite things to make would be the pendants you see above. I've always loved pieces with some weight to them and these all have just that. And the piece I am working on right now is even heavier, so I must make it work!!

Well that pendant isn't going to be fixed with me sitting here now is it?! Must get on with it :)

Have a wonderful day
Em ♥

Monday, January 27, 2014

And it Starts all over.

The school year that is!
Summer started Year 1 today and I was sceptical as to how well it would go, given that she had been at home and having fun for the past 6 weeks. But I saw her to her new class room and met her teacher and she settled right in as though she'd always been there.

No tears.
No worries.
Relief.

And now I can focus a teeny bit more time on my bench work, well at least once we are into a solid routine again. I have enjoyed the lazy days of doing what ever, when ever.


Playtime all day.
Lunchtime when ever.
No school run.
It was nice.

Now we're back to a schedule and I have to retrain my brain and my childrens.

Poppy is getting more and more aware of what she wants and who she wants. Which is me.
Or rather my lap.
All the time.
And I love it.

This is a picture of both of my girls around the same age in the same dress I had made for Summer, so around 7 months(ish):

Summer on the left and Poppy on the right.
They look so similar. But their personalities are Polar opposites. Summer was a full on, balls of energy, plenty to say baby. Poppy is a more solemn, serious kind of child. It has been a fun and interesting 8 months so far!

So when Summer is home and can play with Poppy, I will be able to get to my bench. Below are some of the things I have made since my last post:



















The enameled elephant was a custom order. It was a bit of a challenge as it was hard to know how to colour it so that had the traditional colourings of an elephant. But I (and the customer) were happy with how it turned out!

The silhouette lady is my 3rd so far. Think I might have to make myself one, someday soon. And a couple of heart pieces for Valentines day.

It has just started raining right now and I have mopping to do and then some parcels to pack up. I hope you are all having a great start to the year - though January is already almost over!!!!

Em ♥

Thursday, January 2, 2014

2014

Well it's now the 3rd of Jan 2014 already.
I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year ♥

My eldest is away at her Nans for a few hours and my baby just fell asleep on the tiles lol, so I've just put her to bed. Now I can finish off my housework. So whilst I mop and wait for the floors to dry, I figured this would be a good time as any to do my first post for the year.

I don't do resolutions.
I do goals.
Usually I give myself 5(ish) goals to achieve within the year.
Mostly techniques to teach myself and one goal to reach for my etsy shop.
Just before the new year, I managed to teach myself one last technique:























Prong/Claw setting.
I haven't attempted anything like this before and it was playing on my mind for the last few weeks, so I jumped in head first last week and am super pleased with the results for a first try. I'm even wearing the ring right now.

It's a big ring and it's quite a 'bling' piece. I am very proud of it and absolutely intend to try to make another soon. I've had a few rather large stones like this for a few years now, never knowing if I would ever learn to set them. Now I now what I am doing, the confidence is there to do it again. (not a pink fan really though, but it is a pretty stone)

My shop was closed for a little while over Christmas and I reopened it on the 1st of January. I have 40 pieces listed for the first time ever! One of my goals for my shop is to get to 50 pieces listed and to keep it there....if not more. I have a couple of new rings yet to list, so I'm getting there :)

Again I have revamped my shop with new pictures of my pieces. I am never happy and never sure how to 'stage' my photographs. So I just went with what I personally like and I'm happy with how my shop looks. For now.

Below are a few new pieces I have made. The fox I am yet to list. 

























I am working on a few heart pieces for Valentines day, got to get in early. And another enameled fox is in the works. Generally I'm not one to make things that are 'trending' but sometimes I feel it's necessary. My other goal for my shop is to sell 50 pieces this year. And that is going to mean I will need to make current trend items to help bring traffic to my shop. I intend to invest more into my shop this year, as last year I fell way behind.

Well the floors are drying very slowly as today it is expected to reach 37C and that dear friends is getting damned hot. Tomorrow it is forecast to be 40C, the plan for the day ...?... lock ourselves indoors and put on the airconditioning!

I hope the new year so far is treating you well!
Em ♥