I've Lost Something Dear to Me and the Olympics (of course) - They're Winding Down

I lost something very dear to me last night. Fortunately the part that mattered most managed to me is still with me, but ... I had a very bad night's sleep and I'm going to leave for the shop very early to check the parking lot for the other two items. I have always loved jewelry and enjoy wearing it. Yesterday I was wearing my favorite gold chain with two dangles - my 24Kt and Sterling Silver Lady and the Moon, and an amethyst crystal with an opal inset. Apparently the chain broke at some point, because I found the Lady on the carpet in my computer room. I checked everywhere and still haven't found the chain or the amethyst. But, they can be replaced, if necessary. The Lady and the Moon was custom made for DH by a dear friend of ours who was operating a jewelry store at the time. That isn't replaceable, so I'm relieved that I at least have that. But the gold chain was a heavy chain - it's WAY more than I can afford to replace at the prices of gold these days. 

My Lady Riding the Moon is very similar to this one, 
except my Lady is white gold, and my Moon is 18Kt 
yellow gold. It was a custom order that DH made with a 
dear friend who was running a custom jewelry store at 
the time. I treasure it and wear it often. It was on a solid 
24Kt neck chain, that must have broken. I had been 
wearing it all day, and wear it often. 

But, I'm still a bit heartsick at losing that chain. I'm VERY grateful that I still have my Lady and the Moon pendant, but I'm not very happy. I'm going to grab a very early breakfast and then head over to the shop to check the parking lot. I already checked the garage and the entryway to the house - nothing. If it's lying on the ground on the parking lot, it's a 50/50 chance of finding it. We have a lot of homeless people in the general area, and that could be a real find for them. I just need to find it because with today's gold prices, I can't afford to replace the necklace. 

The price of gold has gone through the roof over the past 
few years. I can't afford to replace the chain, so I'm 
hoping I happen to come across it in the parking lot at work, 
or in the store. I'm extremely grateful that I didn't lost 
the pendant - that is irreplaceable. But the chain is a 
serious problem too. 

So, the Winter Olympics are winding down. Only two more days of competition and they're over and the torches are doused. The next Olympics will be in Los Angeles in 2028 - that will be a summer games version. We'll be in the French Alps for the next Winter games in 2030, and down south in Brisbane, Australia for the next summer games in 2032. 

We had already been awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics, 
but the populace of the state decided it would be death for 
our mountains, so we put it to a vote and voted it down. The 
Olympic Committee had to pull away from the decision and 
they had to find a different venue - Innsbruck, Austria. 

I have the pleasure and distinction of being one of the many who voted AGAINST holding the Winter Olympics in my state while I lived in Colorado. We were one of the finalists for the 1976 Winter Games but we rejected it in a 1972 referendum, forcing Denver to withdraw it's bid after it had been awarded the games. We didn't want to spend the money, and we especially didn't want to deal with all of those extra people on our ski slopes. I am still totally behind that vote - it would have changed my mountains in a way I really didn't want. They've still changed over the years, but it's been a more controlled growth than quickly making things "proper" for a major sporting event like the Olympics. 

So I'm wrapping this up, having a quick breakfast, and then heading over to the shop to check out the parking lot in hopes of finding my gold chain. Have a great Saturday and weekend, I'll be back on Monday morning. Slava Ukraini, and enjoy the final two days of the Olympics. Italy has done itself proud - the games have been glorious. 

Positives and Negatives - Life Has a Lot of Both

I had a nice "day off" yesterday, in spite of the fact that I spent most of the day at the computer dealing with federal tax forms and other "lovely" things. Still, I did get a chance to wander the garden a little bit and talk to my plants. They're growing nicely, and I'm sure they're impatient for the warm days ahead. DH is, as always, disappointed in the garden. He always is - he's one of those people who always see the negative, not the positive. I exist to balance him out, and he pulls my balloon back into reality from the stratosphere. It's why we make a good team, but also why we argue a lot. 

I have a set of earrings similar to this set, but my 
turquoise is much higher quality than this. But, 
I don't like wearing heavy earrings any more, so 
I'm allowing DH to add them to the list for auction. 

DH has been going through all of my personal jewelry to see what I might want to auction off, vs keep and wear again. I've accumulated a LOT of jewelry over the years. Here, I'm talking about silver and turquoise jewelry from the Southwestern USA. That's what happens when you are a trader - you get to see a lot of things in back rooms and vaults that the normal public never gets to see, and often there is cash exchanged and you have a new piece to enjoy. But, there are pieces I enjoy more than others, and some that I know I won't wear any more (like larger turquoise earrings which are just too heavy for comfort now). Those are things I don't mind putting "back into the pot" and sending out for auction. They're designated with my code, so I'll know those funds are mine when/if they sell. 

I also have a turquoise tab necklace similar 
to this one, but mine is in my preferred green 
turquoise and Navajo wrapped, with a 
set of jaclas draped across the bottom. I adore 
it and I'm NOT selling it (at this time). 

It's all a part of our selling things down as much as possible before we have a liquidation sale when it's time for us to close the store. I do need to contact the woman I'm going to hire to do the liquidation sale. She wants to come up (she's located in Colorado) and take a look at the place and also look at the books before we sign any contracts with her. That seems sensible. If she decides we're not a good fit, hopefully we'll have time to contract with someone else. Getting out of business is a LOT more work than starting one in so many, many ways. 

I also have quite a few turquoise bracelets similar 
to the top one in this photo. I'm only keeping a couple 
of them. I wear this style of bracelet every day, but 
I have several of them and I can only wear so many 
at a time without looking like a Southwestern Gypsy! 

I started today out with a good run on the treadmill, I'm back into my ideal weight range once again, and it's not raining, so I think it will be a good day. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. I hope you have an excellent weekend and I expect to be back here on Monday morning for another installment of "My Crazy Life". *hugs* to all. 

My Time at the American Craft Council Show - Photos and Websites to Share

Yesterday was the last day of this year's American Craft Council Show, and we were there by 10:30 am, waiting for the doors to open at 11:00 am. Chickie and ChickieMama also came, although we only saw and chatted with them while we were all waiting entry. After the doors opened, I never saw them again - they probably were working opposite directions than I was, and I wasn't lingering. DH stayed with me for the first aisle, then broke off to keep his own faster pace. He found me later and told me he'd find a place to sit and wait for me and for me to take my time. I was finished shortly after noon and we headed home to watch football. 

I really liked the idea of recycling stained glass into 
various jewelry pieces. These earrings are by Linda 
Banning - a local artist from Minneapolis. If you are 
interested in seeing more of her work, go to her website 
www.LBOriginalsStainedGlass.com and click on any 
of the larger photos to get into the sales area for that 
product. 

As always, there were many lovely things to look at - items I enjoyed, or simply admired. I hope all of those exhibiting were happy with the sales for their long weekend, but it's always difficult to say that for sure. There certainly were some very talented artists and craftspeople showing their wares. 

I mis-spoke when I said I had only collected the cards 
of jewelry makers. I also collected a card from Grant Kaihoi, 
a wonderful craftsperson from Illinois. I loved his use of 
negative space. Look carefully at the photo above. Although 
there is a crack in each bench, that crack is carefully filled with 
perfectly symmetrical, darker wooden rods "stitching" the 
wood together. His use of negative space for positive 
impact really entranced me. It has so many applications 
in other crafts as well. If you would like to see more 
of his work, check out his website at www.grantkaihoi.com .

I rarely buy at these shows, but have been known to place orders, or to simply go onto websites afterward and buy that way. I've also been known to watch artists for several years before deciding on a piece. Instead of buying, I collect business cards from those artists I want to examine more carefully with more time. To my surprise, after I came home and looked through the small amount of cards I had collected, at least two were local. That's good news because they might also sell their work at a couple of stores that feature collective work from local craftspeople. 

Sam Woehrmann creates fine jewelry with 
precious stones out of gold, but he has 
a sense of whimsical design that bring his 
designs out of the staid and boring and 
into the playful and charismatic. I didn't 
care for a lot of his work - too predictable, 
but there were pieces like this that caught 
my imagination. I'd be entitling this one 
"Orbit" - the orbit of the earth in the 
solar system, the orbit of the moon around 
the earth. Does he call it that? Probably 
not. It may not even have a name, but 
it's lovely, isn't it? Want to see more? 
You can see his work on www.iamthatsam.com .

At least one of the craftspeople has an Etsy sales platform, although she doesn't have much selection on it. I wasn't in a buying mood - general expenses have been too high lately - but I did sit down at my computer and look at each of the websites or sales platforms from their business cards. I might buy later on, or simply mark down that I want to check their work out again next year. 

I loved the work of David Alvarado who 
sells under the name Irthly. He uses 
the heart of palm to mimic ivory or 
bone, making something precious from 
a sustainable source. He has a wonderful 
design aesthetic, which was rewarded by his 
being a finalist for the prestigious Saul Bell 
Award in 2018. His work is FINE jewelry 
and VERY expensive, but absolutely 
captivating and beautifully crafted. You 
can see his work at shop.irthly.com and it's 
well worth a look. 

The number of vendors was down at least 1/3, maybe a bit more, from pre-Covid years. That's great for new vendors who are being encouraged to try selling by virtue of reduced booth fees and other assistance from the ACC. In past, there had been several "shared" spaces for new vendors - crowding 3-4 vendors into the space normally reserved for a single person. This time, each vendor, new or established, had their own space, and it was a generous space. The "new vendors" could really showcase their products, and some did their displays beautifully. Others ... not so much. 

I wouldn't normally bother with a beadworker - 
after all, it's a media I have worked in for more 
than half a century. But I liked the vision of 
Barb Benjamin and her pieces were well 
constructed and well designed. She sells 
on Facebook under Singing Bear Creations and 
also has an Etsy store. She's local, so she also 
has some of her items at "Antiques on Main" 
in Hopkins, Minnesota. She's easiest to find by 
just doing a search on Singing Bear Creations 
if you want to see more of her work. 

So, looking at the cards I took, it seems I concentrated on jewelry items this time. Of course, that's practical. I have no wall space for artwork, and no real room for furniture or larger glass works (although there were some very wonderful pieces available). I stuck to the small - things that I would wear. I'm sharing some photos with you because the best things are shared between friends. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Methods of Polishing - A Little Education For You

DH tried the buffing wheel on the "Navajo Pearls" yesterday and wasn't happy with the result. So today he'll try a stationary vibratory tumbler with a corn cob media that we have at the shop. I rarely use the vibratory tumblers - they're very slow - preferring instead to use the wet media rotary tumbler with jewelers shot. But beads can't be used with a rotary unless the holes are plugged in some manner. The jewelers shot  will work its way into the bead through the stringing holes and sometimes it's almost impossible to get it back out. 

Jewelers shot is a mixture of stainless steel shapes to 
get into every nook and cranny. It has small straight 
pointed pins, round balls, and angled items that 
can totally reach every surface needing polishing. 

The corn cob media is a super fine grind. It will go into the beads, no doubt, but it can easily be shaken back out after the cycle is completed. It will take some time for that to be accomplished, and tumbling in this is a slower process, but it can give good results. It's well worth the try. 

The jewelers shot gets used in a rotary tumbler. The 
black cylinder above gets disassembled, and soapy 
water (or the Shine Brite) and the items needing polishing 
are put into the black rubberized cylinder, then the 
lid is carefully screwed on making a vacuum, and 
the entire item is placed into the motorized unit 
which spins the cylinder. A good tumble polish can 
take several hours. I'll leave it on for a while, then 
dump, rinse, dry and it's ready to go. Not beads, 
though. The stainless steel shot gets stuck inside 
of beads. 

I received a new roll of shrink wrapping and the shrink wrapper repair kit yesterday. I'll get them both into use within the next week. I'm pretty sure the small amount of shrink wrap I still have won't last too much longer. I'll write DH a note telling him to put the next group of prints to be shrink wrapped on the table in the framing room and I'll start on that tomorrow, if we're slow in the store. 

A vibratory tumbler is used either wet or dry. In 
this case we'll want to use it dry. It's a slower 
method of polishing, but it's effective. It loads 
from the top, and is often used by rockhounds 
to polish their stones because it can be left 
to polish gently for days, if necessary. 

As for DH ... it's been more than three days since he's said "Boo" to me. I suppose I'm frustrated and a bit angry, but I'm also in a state of "I don't really give a shit" too, because this happens far too often. I'm just going on with my life right now. I'll deal with all of this crap after the beginning of next year. 

Corn cob abrasive material is made to use 
dry. It will get into the interior of the 
beads, there's no stopping that, but it 
can be shaken out with a bit of effort, and 
it does give a beautiful shine. I only hope 
he doesn't go overboard. I would like the 
beads shined, but not too brightly. 

Sharon, I know you read my blog. I ordered you one thing that MIGHT be able to get to you by Christmas, but probably won't. I'm also making you something that I'm in the middle of, and it also MIGHT be to you by Christmas ... maybe. I'll be working on that today while I have the final Zoom call of my "Limiting Beliefs" class. I'd love to get this sent off to you soon, but Christmas is next week, and deadlines are looming. 

On that note, I'm going to get rid of all of this stress in the pool - LOL. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Be safe, be loved, and be happy. 

Holiday Cards and Thoughts On Marriage - A Tangent Into Some Family History

I didn't get quite as much done on my cards yesterday morning as I had planned, so I'll be trying my best to finish Stage 3 and maybe even start Stage 4 today before I open the store. I'm quite pleased with what I've got so far, and I'm really liking the way these will come together. I always have a bit more time on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I'm not in the pool - I'm using the treadmill at home instead. I'll take advantage of this little extra time and get to the shop as early as possible to get some serious work done before I have to start my day. 

We still have leaves to rake, so hopefully DH can get the 
last of those taken care of. Otherwise, I'll probably end up 
having to help him on Sunday which will be much colder 
and will have rain/snow mixed. He's already gotten a lot 
of them raked up, the front yard looks great. We often 
end up having to work on the upper back yard in poor 
weather, though. 

Today is going to be a very nice day for DH's day off, we'll be in the 40's, even the upper 40's by the end of the day. He wanted to get a bunch of things done today, so my hope is that he actually accomplishes something. From today onward, we'll be dealing with falling temperatures again, so he'd better take advantage of today. 

I've always enjoyed the image of deer around 
the holidays, despite the fact that the deer and 
my garden are not very compatible. Still, I'll 
probably put deer somewhere in my cards. 
They are beautiful creatures, despite their 
destructive tendencies. 

I'm busy thinking about final decisions on my cards. I don't have to make those decisions for a few more days, but it's always good to review the options in my head before committing the resources. I don't have room for errors. My materials are an exact number and I'm not willing to order more because I messed up with this or that. 

I'm curious. What jewelry do you always wear? I usually wear a set of earrings, my wedding ring and I often will also wear my mother's first wedding ring set (her second, much larger one was stolen from her in the care facility shortly before her death). Both of these rings are rather plain, mine is a single solitaire diamond, not very large, but of good quality, her first one was a thin band with five flush-set diamonds in a plain gold band. Each is accompanied by a gold band of matrimony. 

I have a simple Tiffany setting like this (although all 
in yellow gold). The diamond is relatively small. 
We were both broke. In fact, I bought my own ring 
because I was working and DH hadn't found a job yet. 
I think the entire package was $250 total, and yes, 
we got a decent deal from a friend of the family. 
It's not large or ostentatious. But for me, it's 
perfect. I don't need "in your face", I have other 
rings for that if necessary. I think it's perfect. 

I remember my mother telling me that they were in a horse-driven carriage, carried around the central plaza of Vienna after their marriage. Apparently that was traditional at that time, despite the Great Depression that was worldwide. Mom's father was a physician, so they had money. Dad, however, was destitute with no real job prospects and no family except his sister, my Tante Hedda. Mom was marrying below her station, and her parents were quite unhappy with her decision. But she adored Dad, and Dad worshiped her for his entire life. It turned into a good marriage, but not without bumps in the road. 

It was tradition in those days, for the newly married couple 
to be paraded around the main square of Vienna in a 
horse-drawn carriage. Of course, given that this was the 
early 1930's, horse transportation was still the more common 
method of getting from here to there. My Mom remembered 
that ride for the rest of her life, and told me about how 
wonderful it was. Given that it was January in Vienna, I 
have some doubts it was as wonderful as she remembered. 

Well, I guess I ended up on a tangent. I'm going to get my day started and wish all of you a wonderful Tuesday. I have every intention of returning tomorrow before I rush off to the swimming pool. Enjoy your day, be kind, and tell someone that you love them. It may be just what they need to hear today. 

Discussing Bling - Memories On My Fingers

We survived the sale. we survived the weekend, and here it is, Monday once again - the final day of November with a full moon and a Lunar eclipse very early this morning. I took the time on Sunday to finalize my holiday cards mailing list and print out the mailing envelopes while watching football, and football and football (it's a good thing I enjoy football - LOL). I didn't get any weaving or any knitting done at all, but the envelopes are ready to be stuffed and mailed. I'm looking at a mailing date of Friday, but we'll see. There are still a few things remaining to be done before I can lick that envelope and drop them into the slot. 

I got the envelopes almost completed yesterday, the 
addresses are printed and I'm contemplating the 
envelope backs. To decorate? Or not to decorate? ...

We've been spoiled, and it's been lovely. Although we have had snow so far this year, we've also had nice stretches of days with temperatures above freezing and lovely weather. That's what we're into now, and I couldn't be much happier. Looking ahead, we should remain snow-free and above freezing (during the day) for the remainder of this week. Pardon me while I dance the "happy dance". 

I have a simple 6-prong engagement 
ring. I think the whole thing was 
approx $250, a lot for two starving 
college students, only one of whom 
was working at the time. It's small, 
but it means the world. I'm delighted 
to have it on my hand again. 

For the past two weeks I've been doing something I had been unable to do for more than a decade - wear my wedding rings. For years I wore a lot of rings - the wedding and other beautiful gemstone rings that DH had purchased for me over the years. I loved my rings. But then my hands got so bad, I couldn't wear anything at all, and if I tried, I had to pull it off within a couple of hours because my skin reacted poorly to the metal. My hands are doing so well with the new medications, I decided to try out my wedding rings and I'm thrilled to have them on my hand again. I wear two - my own from our seriously broke early days, and my Mom's original ring. 

I don't think my ring is larger than the lowest one 
on this scale - the 0.5 carat version. It might even 
be a 1/4 carat. Like I said, we didn't have a lot of 
money at the time. But, even if it is eclipsed by the 
wedding/engagement rings of all of my nieces, 
I still love it. 

Mom loved her replacement wedding ring and refused to ever let it off her finger. Even towards the end of her life, when she needed hip surgery, she raised such a fuss that the surgeon finally ordered the nurses to wrap the ring and her finger in sterile tape rather than try to get the ring off. However, she didn't respond well to the anesthetic, and after all of those years and the effort to keep it on her hand at all times, it was stolen from her during her last few weeks of life by someone at the care center. I tried to locate it, of course, but no success. I'm still bitter about that, but honestly, they took good care of her there, and it was just an item - valuable of course, but just an item. It was the person who was irreplaceable. not the ring. 

Mom's original wedding ring was similar to this one 
from the 1940's. It had the three flush-set diamonds 
in the center of the band, but the band itself was 
a different style. The wedding band is engraved 
with the date of the wedding. 

So, I wear her first band, a thin band with small diamonds soldered to the wedding band, in memory of her. I don't need the glitz and glam, and I inherited all of her other jewelry anyway. I also have bling of my own. But the ring I like the best is that first band of mine - the one we barely had the money to get. It's just a single solitaire diamond and a plain gold band. Nothing fantastic, but the quality of the stone was the best we could afford at the time, and I love it. Sometimes simple is best. I'm just enjoying the fact that I can wear my rings once again. I've missed them. 

On that note, I'm going to wrap this up. I hope you have a wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. As always, please be kind, stay safe and please, wear your masks. 

 

First Call-Out for Holiday Cards

Today is my "day off" and it'll be a treat to be away from the shop for a day, even though I'll be working on shop things while I'm home. I have a bunch of items that need some serious cleaning, and since the polish I prefer to use requires warm water (something that we don't have at the shop), I'll be collecting and bringing home several items to work on today at my craft room sink. The goal of bright, shiny and happy jewelry is in sight. 

Not all silver should be shiny, especially some of my older pieces,
but generally speaking, most silver can benefit from a good
shine now and again. 

I received my holiday card envelopes and card stock yesterday, so I'm ready to move on to the printed portions of this year's card. I'm still cutting the included ornaments out, and I need to find a bit more of the card stock I'm using for those - hopefully fairly easily. At least this is working out well, I'm spending an hour or so on this portion every morning. 

I might as well get started on my address list for this
year's Solstice/Holiday card. Please let me know if you
want to be added to the list, even if you've gotten cards
from me in the past. 

Since I'm hip deep into my 2019 Holiday Cards, I'm throwing open the doors to my f-lists. DON'T assume that because you've received a card from me in the past, you're going to get one this year. I always make a limited quantity, and people are added and dropped from my Card List every year. PLEASE, make your desires known. I'd LOVE to send you a holiday card, but it won't happen if you don't speak up. 

THIS IS MY FIRST CALL-OUT FOR HOLIDAY CARDS. Let me know if you want one mailed to you. After my family is taken care of, the rest of what I make gets sent to friends (I reserve a single card to stay with me and remind me of themes and images I've used in the past, but I send out all of the rest). Email me, message me, phone me, but please ... let me know. I want to send one to YOU! 

There we go. Clear enough? LOL On that hopeful note, I'd better get back to work on them. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

New Doctor, New Meds - a New Regime (For a While)

I got really lucky yesterday. In fact, it was a pretty good day all-around. On my way back home from opening the shop in the early morning, I stopped by the clinic to try and schedule an appointment with any doctor in the dermatology department. Of course I had no idea with whom, since everyone working in that department had been fired and replaced with new physicians earlier this year. It turned out there was a 9:30 am appointment open and I grabbed it. The doctor, as it happened, was even running ahead of schedule, so I was actually out of there by 9:30 am, prescriptions and treatment regime in hand. After a quick stop at the grocery store, I was able to start my day. 

Yesterday was a race to get things accomplished, and I
survived the day very well, despite having to make
a necessary schedule change to see the doctor
and pick up prescriptions. 

I managed to get four different jewelry repairs finished yesterday, so I'll have a lot of happy customers who will be contacted and/or emailed today. That leaves me with making a clasp for my State Fair entry, and I'll be totally caught up. I am scheduled to drop my entry off at the Fair on Sunday morning, so I guess I'd better get that clasp made. I've been a little hesitant about jumping into it because I'm using gold-filled wire, but it really isn't super expensive, just a bit above my usual sterling silver levels. 

I don't usually have much to do with prescriptions. Except
for my skin ointments, I don't have any. Now I  suddenly
have new ointments and creams as well as a pill to
take twice a day WITH FOOD. It's a new learning
curve. At least it won't be for long, if the 
meds actually do their job. 

So I'm now armed with lots of prescriptions - creams and ointments and antibiotic pills for a short while to get this flare back under control. One thing that made me feel really good is that I was doing everything right. I was using the right meds in the right amounts, I was walking that line between developing a tolerance for a medication vs using it too sparingly. It's a tightrope walk when dealing with some medications, and I've been walking it very well. 

I've been walking the tightrope of my medication - not too much,
not too little - for years now. This summer I hit a roadblock -
nothing was really working. It was time for a boost to my
immune system. 

What brought on this latest flare and why has it stayed so long? I've been fighting this since early Spring, but it's just been getting worse and worse. In my life, stress is a big kicker, and this year and next, stress will be in high gear. I'm just hoping that the new meds will get things under control once more which will push one stress point out of my current landscape. I'll be really happy if I remember the new medication regime correctly for a few days. It's a new rocking horse and I'm trying to ride it to my best ability. 

I remember riding a rocking horse when I was
a kid. I was so bummed when I grew too large
for the small, spring-suspended horse. 

Here's hoping you have a healthy and happy day. Enjoy your Thursday, I'm off to the pool. 

Packing For a Car Trip

I remember the days when I could pack lightly. Those were when I was beading and attending classes to learn more techniques with small pieces of glass, needles and thread. I'm not playing with beads often any more, instead I play with metal, flame, and molten glass. Packing for classes dealing with fabrication requires much more intensive tools and a lot more space.

One of my classes will make something similar to
this, but the centerpiece will be textured and
colored copper and the top/bottom/back will be
sterling silver. It should be quite pretty and fun. 

Of course I could just borrow tools, but I've assembled a nice collection of tools over the years and I also have a very nice traveling box that allows me to bring multiple hammers, a saw and blades, a lot of other smaller supplies and some larger ones like solid blocks of steel called bench blocks. None of this is lightweight and it doesn't pack easily - thus my tool box.

I'll also be taking a class to make these - lovely
wave bangles taught by Robyn Cornelius. I'm super
looking forward to the class I'll be taking from her. 

I'm very grateful that I'm driving on this trip. I'll be on the road for the next eight days, so I'll leave you here and admonish or advise all of you to be good, be creative, be kind and have fun. I'll have my laptop, but won't be posting my daily blog. Happy weekend and week, I'll be back to daily posting on the 13th.

Destruction Can Be Constructive

Yesterday's tasks were all centered around destruction - very controlled, but destruction nonetheless. I did get to play with my equipment and grind stone - very fun and there's nothing like turning rock into mud, but my major project for the day was my stamps.

I have been cleaning my craft area, and wanted to tackle my stamps and other supplies that I use for my annual holiday cards. They were totally out of control, I couldn't find things, and items were getting ruined because of how I had to store them. That had to change.

Wooden backed stamps are effective, show the image well, and
usually transfer that image clearly. But they take up a LOT
of space and they are a variety of thickness and dimensions. 

One major shift that I did was begin the process of pulling all of my wooden-backed stamps off their wood blocks and remounting them onto pressure foam to be used with acrylic blocks. This doesn't sound like a major task, but it actually is. It's sticky, it's very time consuming to separate the rubber stamp from the block or any cushioning it already has, and then there is the storage issue. I still don't have all of the answers, but I have a large bag of stamps that are in process.

New backing material is purchased in sheets. Here, she is
applying the rubber stamp to a new foam core. This stuff
is VERY sticky. But it holds beautifully. A full sheet
costs a bit under $4. There are several brands available, but
only one that I like and it's hard to find. 

I could be really stupid about the process, just rip off, stick on, trim and be done, but I actually want to know (need to know) what the stamp is - what the image is. That means more prep. In this case, as in many other cases, StazOn pads and ink are my friend. I've used the ink for years with my metal etching work. It makes an impression that is permanent and won't rub off, unlike any other ink.

StazOn ink is pretty amazing. I've used it as a resist for
acid etching for years and it's also the only ink that
can successfully be applied to the back of the new
foam sheets without smearing off immediately. 

Stamping each stamp onto the back of the new foam and letting it dry completely - at least 30 minutes, more if you can - leaves a permanent image. Then, strip the stamp, cut out the new backing, pull the protective sheet from the adhesive and put the stamp on its new backing. Trim, and you're done. Easy, right? Actually, yeah - pretty easy, but not a fast thing to do. The difficulty comes with the quantity. I have more than fifty stamps that need to be remounted - a slow process. So, some of them will come with me to work today and I'll start working on a few every morning to get them finished. Then to figure out a good way to store them.

I have a bunch of stamps that I'm removing from their wooden
backs and remounting onto sticky foam. Then the question
comes - how to store these new stamps so that they stay
perfect? That's the next thing I'm going to have to figure out. 

Unfortunately, the original wood backs of the stamps are toast. I don't have any need for them, and neither does DH. Can't have everything. Yesterday was fun, though, and I did get to play with my equipment for a bit, to bring my project to the next stage which will take place at the shop. Hopefully I'll have an update and a finished project by the end of the week.

Happy Thursday, everyone! Back to the grindstone for me ...

Aren't Weekends Grand?

Here's hoping you have a glorious weekend. I'll be working today (Saturday) and cleaning the kitchen in preparation for our laminate install next week. It could be worse, but cleaning house usually doesn't come high up on my list of things to do on my only day off shared with DH.

I'm really looking forward to my new carpeting and new laminate. The
kitchen will look like an entirely new room with a floor that I can
sweep and clean! So happy! 

Jurassic World apparently got very good reviews, although the one I read said to just skip the 3-D and watch in in standard format, but gave it 3 out of 4 stars. I'm hoping we'll be able to see it next week after this stage of the remodeling is complete.

I'm looking forward to seeing this. Hopefully we can sneak out
for an early show next week Sunday. 

DH took time on Thursday and Friday to build a new bench for the grinder wheels. We have it set up now next to the trim saw and flat lap cabber. I need to do the final set-up, but that will be minor. Hopefully within a week or two I can finish the ring I have almost complete from my workshop in Milwaukee. That reminds me - I need to pick up some specific glue from the hardware store...

I need to pick up some Devcon epoxy glue so
that I can finish my inlay ring project. 

I'm really tired today - worn out from my first full week back at work after the Show. But it's great to be back. Now if I can just find a wallpaper that both DH and I like *sigh*... Happy Saturday.

Settling Back Into Routine

Yesterday's gym time could have turned out very embarrassing, but fortunately we had warning. Apparently there was a fire drill scheduled for 7:00 am. That's usually when I'm in the shower on Tuesday, leaving Body Pump class a little early to miss the crunch at the showers, get dressed, and hit the road. Hearing about the fire drill, I left class a bit earlier than usual, sped to the locker room, showered and dressed in RECORD time, and was out of the building by 6:55. Yeah me! I didn't relish the idea of running outside wrapped in a towel in 50 F temps.

She looks MUCH happier than I would have, and she's
wearing a bikini which I usually don't wear when I'm
taking a shower in the gym. I'm glad I was able to rush
through and get out of there before I was stuck doing
a poor imitation of this. 

I have four new carpet samples sitting near my hearth mantle. I know which one I like, at least from seeing them last night and early this morning, but I want to see them in daylight too. I told DH he was forbidden from seeing them until daylight because he jumps to snap decisions. Two of the samples are VERY similar, but in the lamplight of evening, there is a distinct difference. One is way too dark, but Chara and I had decided to get the sample anyway, just in case. I'm glad we did because I now see for sure that I don't want it. Fabric samples for draperies should be arriving within two weeks. We're getting there.

By now I've looked at hundreds of carpet samples, all in shades
of grey. I'm hoping that one of the ones I got in the mail yesterday
suite DH. He's still rather go blue, but I want a neutral color. 

I'm starting to get a bit nervous about my Bead & Button classes. I haven't had the time to pick up a torch and do any serious silverwork for more than a year, and here I am wanting to create a hollow form ring and set it with intarsia stones in less than twelve hours. On a jeweler's bench that isn't my own. It's a bit frightening. I chose stones, but I'll have to cut down the pieces. Since DH has still to figure out the final steps in getting his trim saw set up, I'll have to use my own glass/stone saw to cut these. But I don't need huge pieces for the class, and spending extra time cutting there would be a complete waste of my time.

I'm starting to get a bit nervous about this project, even
though I have made hollow form rings before. But it's been a
while and I don't want to waste a lot of time with the
silverwork, preferring to spend my time working on the
intersia. Well, it'll all work out. 

So today I'm finally going to get a chance to get back to cataloging my books and working on some projects that I had to put aside for a variety of reasons over the past month. Hurrah for Wednesdays! I'm off to guppy myself awake. BTW - I admit that I really love having my tunes in the water with me. My underwater iPod was absolutely worth getting. So happy Wednesday to all. Enjoy your mid-week!

Spring? What a Dream...

It snowed yesterday and it's snowing today. It's the end of April, and even though it's not sticking on the ground, it's the entire idea of snow in April that's completely repugnant. Therefore, I've been in a bit of a funk the past few days and have been really terrible about answering comments on my blog. Mea culpa. Please accept my apologies. I'll be unfunked (is that even a word?) when we get sunshine again. Of course, at this rate, that may not happen until June.

Sleet is between rain and hail. Our winds have been driving
our rain in a horizontal direction instead of allowing it to fall
vertically, and it's mostly been sleet or a mix of rain & snow.
Still, it's better than the tornadoes that the Southern US
are having from this storm. 

On the other hand, even though we are getting horrid wind and horizontal rain/snow mix, we're not getting the tornadoes and massive storms that the southern part of the nation is getting. I'm very grateful about that. We'll have plenty of bad weather ahead of us this year, tornado season is just beginning. But tornadoes in the snow are just totally WRONG!

Tornadoes can be among the most beautiful of nature's
destructive side. Along with volcanoes, I love
looking at pictures of them. This particular
pic is quite lovely. It is photoshopped? Maybe.
But I really don't care. It's lovely. 

I'll complain about my weather, but I really shouldn't. There are so many people in the nation right now who have far more reason to complain than I do. There are tornadoes throughout the south, devastating rains in Florida, and destruction following this storm across large swaths of land. The storm is stalled and that's why the problems have been happening across the southern part of the country for an extended period of time.

Can we afford to feed the Stormtroopers? We'll only know
after I've finished the budget, but right now I don't know
for sure. Working out budgets was always the part of
my jobs that I hated the most. It's no different, even though
this is a household budget instead of a business
operational budget. 

I have my day off today. I'll get some beta work done, try to finalize last week's drabble and work on this week's assignment, and maybe even get a few fics put into my archives, but I'm not sure I'm up to working on my budget and spreadsheet work. I spent most of the last two Wednesdays working on those and it's such a slog! I hate dealing with this kind of mess. Finances! ICK!

Sawing sheet metal is a basic skill for every jeweler. I'm not as good
at this as I would like to be, so it's probably time to begin practicing
again. These four examples are part of Alan Revere's class on
sawing and piercing. I loved my time at the Revere Jewelry Academy. 

I want to spend some time thinking through the jewelry idea I had earlier in the week. I'd dearly love to be able to pull out my chemicals and get some work done on etching and enamel again, so I will try to spend a bit of time with this if I can squeeze it in.

Minnesota Wild vs the Colorado Avalanche.
GO WILD for the Wild. 

Today is Game Seven of the series between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche. I've been less than happy with the officiating we've had in the Colorado arena, but that's where this final game will be held, so good or bad, we're stuck with it. DH will be up watching and he'll be tired tomorrow. Normally he takes Thursday off, but he has to work for Chickie who needs to be absent while she gets a medical test. So he'll be yawning tomorrow, but hopefully (fingers crossed) he'll be happy because Minnesota will have won and progressed to the next stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As for me? Well, I'm a Colorado Gal, so either team winning works fine for me, although I must admit that I would probably prefer Minnesota to be the victor.

It's going to be a late game for us, but DH will be up watching. I'll
hear about it on the news Thursday morning. I need my sleep. 

I'll sign off here and get some pics to plug into my ramblings. Have a totally fabulous Wednesday and enjoy your day.