A Tool Snafu

Packages have been arriving at the shop - things ordered by DH and things ordered by me. On Friday a package arrived from Maine with some hammers that I had ordered while I was at Bead & Button Show. A quick bit of background - once a Revere School attendee/graduate, always a Revere School attendee/graduate. Therefore, when I saw that Alan Revere had designed two hammers that had been made by Bill Fretz, I had to get them.

Fretz Hammers not only look fabulous, but they handle perfectly with
great balance and perfectly shaped heads. I have several seconds that I
adore, but this was the first time I've ordered top-of-the-line ones for myself.

I looked through their catalog and saw them - they were beautiful, dark handled, sexy even. I knew that if they were Fretz, they would handle beautifully and feel like nothing in my hands while being workhorses on my bench. I had to have them...

Jewelers use many different styled hammers, each one affecting
the metal in different ways. Some spread it out, some dimple it, some
move it in one direction only, others in all directions. Hammers are
a science in themselves.

I handed them my credit card (by this time I was already out of cash - LOL) and signed it. The order on the credit card was correct - one each R-GF and R-CR. The credit card slip was stapled to an order form where I filled in my shipping address and contact information. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the order form, just glanced at it. Shame on me. The order form was marked one line off, so instead of what I paid for, the form was marked for one each of R-GF and HMF-22.

I already own two different sets of the Revere jewelry pliers. They
also work extremely well and are sturdy and well made. I love using
them, which is lucky because I use them often.

I received my box on Friday and had a chance to open and take a good look late in the day. I took a quick glance and then closed the box up until yesterday morning when I opened it again and took a slow and careful look. OOPS! They ended up sending me an R-CR and an HMR-21, neither of which had actually been marked on the order form, and only one of which I had paid for.

Fancy tools aren't necessary to make stunning jewelry, but they
don't hurt. After all, jewelry has been made for centuries before
modern tools and electronic drills etc were available. But fine tools
can increase our production and allow for a better end result.
AND I LOVE GOOD TOOLS!

Today the HMR-21 goes back to them and they, in turn, will be sending me the R-GF that I still need and that I paid for. What a snafu! Both the guy on the phone and I were laughing about how really badly this order went. I can understand being fried at the show - by Saturday vendors are hanging onto their strength and sanity with their fingernails. It's an intense show with long hours and many, many people, so it is major exhausting for any vendor. But this was truly a mess. The things I will do for a good tool...

A Complete Design

A few years ago I took an intensive design class from one of the premier jewelry educators in America - Alan Revere.  I believe that the best classes are the ones that give you something that you apply to your life and your art time and time again.  The one thing that I took away from his class was to make a complete design.  Don't just design a pendant, also put some thought into the chain, the clasp, and the presentation.

It's been my pleasure to take several classes

at Alan Revere's School of Jewelry in San

Francisco, California.  I love playing with

metal and fire.  

 I carry that through into my life trying to make sure that my stories are rich and fully framed, that my art pieces are truly illustrating the concept I wanted to portray, and that I have enough activities to keep me from drowning in boredom.  It also can lead to more work because I want the chains to be the proper weight for the pendant.  So, in a story I want to make sure that the backstory holds together and in my historic piece that I'm working on for NaNo, I need to make sure that the history is accurate.  It's been fun to hit the books again, I haven't had to do any research for many years.

Lake Superior agates are highly sought after

and prized.  They are found along the shores

of Lake Superior, part of the northeastern

border of my state.  

This weekend is the Minnesota Mineral Club's annual rock show and sale.  DH and I look forward to this all year.  It's small, but fun.  There are lots of slabs and rough to look at, lectures and demonstrations, and I often run into my oldest nephew and his youngest daughter out there too.  Since we rarely see him but have always gotten along well with him, it's another plus.  I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend of enjoyable activities.  *hugs* to all.

Yippee, Skippee....Studio Day

Is there any magic wand that I can wave to increase the hours in my day? It's my studio day, and I really need to get some studio stuff done. But I have to clean house (visitors coming over next weekend and the house, especially the den, looks like a tornado hit it), do at least three loads of laundry (no clean clothes left at all - eeeeeek!) and get my hood attached to my cape so that I can draw on the embroidery designs and start work on those. My pictures need to be sent to Holly, I need to purchase tickets for Sharon and I to see the Titanic exhibit when she visits next month, and I have a project perching in my brain that at least needs to make it to my sketchbook. I have to start out at the shop, of course. Get things turned on and grab any items that I need to take to my goldsmith. I also need to hit a ring at the torch that I need to repair - she's moving to a different city and needs this one quickly. It's not a big repair, so I'll do it very quickly this morning so that I can phone her tomorrow for pick-up. And, of course, I also need to pet my pets on SuperPokePets - LOL. Oh....and the office supply store for some needed supplies and Target to return two dresses that just didn't look good off the hanger and on my body. I'm sure there's more that I forgot.

So, in between all of those items, I need to find some time to create. It's not that I don't think about designs and projects all the time - it's getting things from head to paper to trial piece to real thing. I do have to admit that taking Alan Revere's design class at MCWC was worth every penny of the entire trip. Although I usually would think designs through in my head, I would often skip the next two steps, opting instead to go directly to the clay or the metal. Working things out in trial first is a saving factor (and rather fun too). It lets me see whether or not I really like the item when it is made before breaking out the more expensive materials. So thanks, Alan. You've helped my projects a lot! And now to get going on my overly-busy day....

Saturday - Happy Day!

Saturdays are always a favorite day of mine. I get to look forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning. I get to work one hour less today. And I get Bascali's Italian food for dinner. Tonight we'll squeeze in mowing the lawn at the small house before dinner to get one errand out of the way. That means I'd better get my fusing glass and the restock paper products out of my trunk so that there is room for the lawn mower.

My mind is busy working out connections for a twirler that I want to make. OK - I know that's as clear as mud to all of you - heck, if I didn't know what I was visualizing I'd be scratching my head and wondering what in the world I was referring to also. But I'm trying to figure out the best way to contruct a multi-level, independently mobile, hollow-form pendant. And rather than saying all of those words, I'm just calling it a twirler for short. It's an interesting project that I probably won't have a lot of time to devote to, but I can do the concept drawings and figure out the constructions techniques with the help of books by Alan Revere (Professional Goldsmithing: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Jewelry Techniques) and Charles Lewton-Brain (Hinges and Hinge-Based Catches for Jewelers and Goldsmiths). I'm always amazed at how much I rely on these two books to get my projects from paper to reality.

I'm also trying to figure out some metal clay projects. Most of the projects I currently have on my drawing board are fabricating projects, not metal clay. And they are projects that actually will work better in fabrication - faster and easier. I can't say that for all items, but these particular ones will be easier to work in sheet metal. But I need some metal clay projects on my burner also, so I keep running through mental projects, sifting the possibilities, and I know I'll come up with something before too long. After all - I have 500 grams of copper clay just waiting for me to open and play with it and enamel waiting to be applied.

Schedules Filling Quickly

Why do I ever think that I have time? If I didn't carry sketchbooks with me everywhere, I would never have the opportunity to design anything at all. But even with that, most of my designing takes place in my head, not on paper, because designing time is premium time.

While at MCWC, I had a one-day class with Alan Revere on Designing. I have to admit that I loved this class. But I loved it for and on several levels. Primarily was the opportunity to allow my creative side to overcome my practical side and be the major mover for the entire day. To hold a pen in my hand and draw for an entire day - this was absolute heaven and something that I haven't been able to do since I was a small child. To have some direction from a master that fine-tuned the designs, directed the attention, and suggested improvements and focuses - past priceless. Absolutely past priceless. And I ended up with four designs that I want to make in real life, one of which I purchased gemstones for while I was attending the conference.

But my "studio" day is Wednesday. And what do I have going on? I have two doctor appointments, I have to drop off some jewelry for repair by my friend who has a laser welder, I need to pick up my computer (fixed now - yippee!!!) from the far north suburbs, I need to get the computer back into it's little space and hook everything up, I need to hit the office supply store, and my list of other errands is growing exponentially. I really want to open some clay and get my next projects going so that I can enamel in two weeks (I have to work all next week while my Assistant Manager takes vacation). I'll be lucky to have one hour free to be able to do this. Time to grab the sketchbook again, clay may have to wait :-(

Blog Carnival

Some metal clay enthusiasts that I know belong to a web carnival where they all post on the same subject once a month. This month was an interesting topic - "What Technique Would You Like to Learn?". It started me thinking.

I am a workshop addict. I take classes as much as possible, as much as I can afford to. I learn something from everyone that I meet, but there are people who actually enrich my life. People with whom I can sit at a table and talk for hours. Most of those people are various teachers that I have met while taking their classes. People like Michael David Sturlin, Trish McAleer, Celie Fago and others. I've tried to learn as much as possible by attending classes at Bead & Button Show and Revere Jewelry Academy.

What would I like to still learn? I want a comprehensive course in stone setting. Either at Revere Jewelry Academy or at Brad Simon's New Approach School for Jewelers. I want to learn welding and how to form vessels. And most of all I want to continue playing with my artistic side - it's a lot more fun than my business side :-))

Only five kids last night for Halloween tricks or treats. All college age, but cute, none-the-less. More candy for DH and me :-))

Saturday!! and Happy Things

Saturday - one of my favorite days. Why?
1) Because I only work until 5pm instead of 6pm
2) Because I have pasta from Bascali's for dinner (happy, happy, happy)
3) Because I can start my day out watching Suzi Orman on CNBC (and yes, it's on at 4am!!!)
4) Because I can sleep in on Sunday morning.
I'm sure there are other reasons also, but these will do. At least do well enough to put a smile on my face.

Several happy things over the past few days.
1) I got my pre-conference registration done for Metal Clay World 2009. I got into Gordon Uyehara's class on BronzClay and Alan Revere's class for design. I'm always trying to do better with my artwork and these two classes will help to fine-tune things for me. Expensive, but worth it.
2) I purchased a new phone for the studio at the shop. I was missing too many phone calls and practically injuring myself running up the stairs to the showroom to be able to answer calls while I was working at the bench. Now, I just have to walk 10 paces away from the bench to get the calls answered. VERY HAPPY!!!
3) I realized how very lucky I am in my friends. I have been having some issues with depression lately. My friends have stepped up to the plate, Emailing me support that was SO important to help me pull through this most recent bout. They have also given me the courage to watch myself carefully and make sure that I don't fall back into the pit. Friends - they are absolutely the BEST medicine in the world!!! Thanks to ALL of you!!!
4) I finally got some photos of the shop after our newest remodel (which, unfortunately, is still going on). But it's starting to look good. I'll get some posted later on when I've had a chance to look at them carefully and decide which photos are good and which should be scrapped.
5) I colored my hair into an autumnal coloring (just for a short time). Although I don't like the shade, I know that red never stays in my hair for long. I expect within 2 weeks or so my hair will be back to blonde - maybe not the platinum that it gets in the summer sun, but blonde. So I'll enjoy this red for a while.