Vatican Splendors, Anyone??

So, I have tickets to the exhibit Vatican Splendors for Sunday the 19th......and for Sunday the 26th. I purchased the tickets for the 19th and then remembered that I had a scheduling conflict and needed the following week. The tickets are non-returnable/non-refundable. AACK!!! At a time when I'm seriously low on funds I just wasted more than $50!!!! Anyway, I offered them to Chickie, but haven't heard back from her, and I don't want them to go to waste. So, if anyone would like these - I would appreciate some money back for them but would be willing to let them go cheap. It is admission for 2 plus the audio tours for 1:00 pm on Sunday the 19th at the Minnesota History Center. Just Email or phone me at the shop. I could drop them off on Wednesday, my day off, otherwise I would have time to mail them locally and have them arrive in plenty of time. Sometimes I'm so STUPID!!!!!

The event I'll be going to instead of the Minnesota History Center will be the Minnesota Mineral Club Show 2008 in Cottage Grove. This is a once-a-year show - it's small, but fun. Lots of slabs of rough rock, some equipment, and sometimes I find some nice cabs or faceted gems to get here. It'll be a fun day. I suppose if I don't sell the tickets mentioned in the first paragraph above, I'll just consider that the cost was just a more expensive enjoyable day looking at stone. Better to ask the cat in to lick up the spilt milk than crying over the spill - LOL. Positive thinking is a conscious choice.

And today I get to start working on my kinetic piece again. I was progressing really well yesterday - got the bearing soldered into one of the bezels and the back soldered on and started to saw out the opening in the back. Then the saw slipped and the bezel got cut on one side. Disaster!! So....today I get to start that bezel again. I sure wish I had more than 1-2 hours a day to be able to spend at the bench, I have a feeling I would be a LOT more productive - :-))) But at least I do get some time, so I really can't complain.

Monday at the Bench

Monday was actually productive - at least before I unlocked the doors for the daily grind :-)) I finished a fun pair of BronzClay earrings featuring Pink Sapphire and resin enamel. The enamel ended up with some bubbles in it, but they actually added to the carefree and happy look of the earrings so I left it rather than redo the enamel. I'll photo them on Wednesday to show everyone.

I also made my first shaped bezel - a pear shape for some large peridot faceted stones that I want in another earring pair. The bezels turned out too large, though, so I'll be cutting them down today and then making the internal bearing for them. It is a learning experience, and fun. I have never made a bearing bezel or a shaped bezel before, so it is good fun. I'll get them to fit properly today. Then it's on to add the next parts to the earring - the tube settings, the overmetal, and the components that will allow the earrings to be kinetic. If this pair turns out, they'll be among the most fun earrings I will have made up to now.

I have 15 people (so far) who RSVPd for my Wednesday night lecture on BronzClay. I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone. I'll go through my "rejects" this morning and see if I have enough available to give everyone a small piece of fired clay. I also have a load that fired yesterday and I can't wait to see what turned out on those. Time to get to work on that next project - LOL.