Polishing Things to a Fine Shine

When I got home last night, I didn't even sit down to dinner, just went directly downstairs to polish chain. I spent yesterday getting a lot of old items polished and onto the sales floor, as well as adding new items among them, but I also found another bag of sterling silver chains and a lot of liquid silver necklaces (and a few with gold-filled beads as well). These all dated from my old store in Mall of America, so prior to 1996. After I get everything polished, I'll have to take a serious look at current pricing and get a reasonable price on these. It's a task that might take 2-3 weeks total, but I wanted to get started, so dove right in. 

I have a single 50-strand liquid silver necklace, along with numerous
30-strand and 20-strand ones. There's something so sinuous and
elegant about liquid silver. 

The chains are actually looking pretty good after their first polish. I'll do a second round on them before bringing them to the shop. I have a batch of chain from two weeks ago that I'll take over and start to package today. That'll keep me busy for a day or two. The chains are super tarnished, so doing a serious polish, followed by a second round, is absolutely necessary. 

Polishing the silver is never a fun job. My mother was
happy to put away her sterling and silver plated
flatware and embraced stainless steel. 

All of this polishing makes me think of the many maids sitting in corners of kitchens polishing the silver dishes and serving plates in the houses of the great and famous of Europe and the USA (and probably other areas around the world too). My hands are crap just from two hours of serious polishing last night. If I was that household minion polishing the silver coffeepot, I'd be in deep trouble. They didn't have serious hand medications and creams back in those days. 

Success! The interior images have been applied and are only
waiting paint. I'm into color now, and that means I'm into
the final stages of this year's card. 

On the Holiday cards front, I got all of the interior images completed yesterday, so I'm ready to start painting and assembly. I'm thinking about whether or not I want an image on the envelope. I don't have to decide that right away, and I'll need to get them printed before adding anything like that (unless I just use ink instead of embossing powders). I have a bit of time left, but the clock is ticking and I'm into the final stages of decoration and assembly. 

Want one of my holiday cards? It won't happen if you don't
message me your address. You don't have to send me anything
in return. my joy is the making and sending of my cards
all over the world. 

That said ... THIS IS MY THIRD AND LAST CALL FOR CARDS. If I already have your address, great! If not ... please message me your address so that I can send you one. It's my joy to see my cards flying off to friends throughout the world, so PLEASE, let me add your name to the list. Hey clodia_metelli, ellynn_ithilwen, just_ann_now, ysilme and others ... that means you! Being on a previous list doesn't guarantee you'll be on this year's list unless you message me. 

On that note, I'm off to the gym. Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow.