Thursday, September 29, 2011

Having Fun With PMC

Yes, lately I have been having fun with mold making and PMC3. I would love one day to be able to cast my own things, but that is far off down the track in the future, so for now, I can get my fill with a little bit of pmc :)

As I've previously blogged, I have made molds from shells from my personal collection. This week I have some other little things I have been making molds of. It's lots of fun.


I also have a little copper in the pickle pot....


Trying to make something for myself.....dunno if it'll work out or not....but it's only copper so it's not a real worry if it doesn't turn out.

I've gotten loads done this morning already. Cleaned the house, weeded, washed and I got a little tid bit of time at the bench whilst Summer went out and played in the back garden. Now I'm back at the puter blogging and chatting on msn with my mum :)

Tomorrow there is a little gem show on........I want to check it out, but it means taking Summer with me and I'm not even sure it's going to be worth the hassle and travel. But there isn't much in the way of gem shows on around here, so I guess I will take the risk and go. I don't have much else on, since hubs will be working. I get so jealous when I read others blog posts about the luscious gem shows they have visited and all the goodies they had to choose from and brought home.

I put in my Rio order and managed to get my silver at $29.84. I am so happy with that price! It has risen since, but not past $32. But hey I nearly purchased it at $36, so I am pretty chuffed :) I am getting a couple of new tools too. I cracked open a new pot of flux today......it stinks.

Here are a couple of pics of some jewelry I made this week with pmc :)



And a new turquoise ring :)


Till next time.
Em ♥

Monday, September 26, 2011

I've learnt something new :)


And it's about time too.
I have been wanting to learn something new for ages and ages. I get new tools, then don't use them. Or I don't get all the new tools for a particular technique and so I don't bother learning anything at all.
Well today I decided that I wouldn't bother with house work and I would just go to the bench and play. Then the post lady came and brought me my little parcel of 3mm Faceted Amethyst Gemstones and I was sooo excited. It meant I could try my new technique out. 

And so below this is what I made :)


Yes, a tube setting!
I have been slowly collecting all the tools this past week or so. I already had a huge long piece of tube, so I just needed the burrs and stones. 
I made the setting over the weekend as my burrs had arrived on Friday.
I went a little mad on last week and ordered a few more gemstones in 4mm and 5mm size, as I'd already ordered the burrs to match. So it wasn't as hard as I ended up anticipating it to be. Which is a good thing. But me being me, I wasn't patient and I ended up setting the stone before making sure the tubing was perfectly flat. So the tube sort of goes up a teeny weeny little bit on one end.
But as it was a practice setting I didn't care. What matters is that I can do it!!!

I hope to add some lovely little tube set stacking rings into my shop with some PMC pieces I am making as well.

I'm starting to get my mojo back.......just a little bit mind.

OH and silver has dropped heaps over the last few days!!!!! As I am sure all of you have noticed!! I put in an order on Thursday, but then decided to cancel it as silver dropped again. So I'm hoping to put in a new one (with Rio of course) and I hope to include a tube cutting jig thingy so I can saw straight bits of tube for my settings.

Well I think that's all for now. It's almost 9:30pm and Summer is sleeping soundly and hubby is fixing things and I thought I would make a little post before I have my nightly cup of tea to relax.

I've changed my font on my posts too.....is it easy to read?? Be honest....please. I want it to look pretty and fresh, but it obviously has to be readable.

Love the new posting layout too...it's great!!!

Em ♥

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Spring In Full Swing.

It's a lovely day.
Breezy, sunshiny and new tools have arrived!! ♥


I have finally got a new pot of flux - was tempted to buy the borax cone/dish...but it cost another $10 or so. I have always been happy with this flux, so I figured I would stick with it. I got a new firebrick, new sparex pickle, new crosslock tweezers etc. I can't to use one new particular tool that I got to teach myself something new.

Below are pictures of my latest PMC3 experiments. I purchased some cold mold putty to make my own molds and it is such great stuff. So below are pieces I made with shells from my own collection, I am sure I have more somewhere, but don't quite know where......




This picture is of my work area. Not sure that I have shown a picture of it before (cept for the view). It's a bit chaotic at the moment, because I am trying to sort out stuff since the arrival of the mill - speaking of which, Hubs bolted it down for me on the weekend and I have barely tried it out yet...not in the mood to yet. . .


I like to work in a pretty clean area...I'm a bit anal when it comes to organisation and work...I can't really do one without the other. I hope to make a proper bench soon too...we have found the timber, just have to find the time and money, everything is about time and money isn't it?! :(

There is so much I would like to write here. This past week has been a very stressful one, my emotions are on a roller coaster, but I want to try and keep this blog solely about my hobby. Apart from the obvious (my little family) this hobby is the only thing that gives me any joy and I'd like it to continue for as long as possible....I'm sure you other smithers out there can relate :)

By for now
Em ♥


Sunday, September 11, 2011

Blah....

I have just spent the best part of an hour reading in the forums on Etsy about this whole Relevancy vs Renewing saga and how it's affecting high selling stores big time.

I am going to be honest and admit I'm confused with it all. I have made my titles and listings and tags all relevant with what I sell. I haven't really been the type to look at shop stats, in fact today was the first time I have bothered.

I feel for those shops who are being hurt by this change, spesh when I read that half of the things at the top of the list of searched items aren't even relevant to that particular search at all. I felt that the renewing/relisting thing was pretty good myself. Some on the forums have stated that it made it hard for those who don't relist/renew and so the change is a good thing. But I feel that generally spending money, makes money. So relisting & renewing seemed fair and good to me. After all we're all on Etsy to make money are we not?!

I want to get somewhere with this hobby....one day....I cannot commit the time that it would take though, at least not right now. Basically all my energy goes into being a mummy and I barely get a break from it, so I cannot commit my brain space fully to making something. I'm always interrupted and am always needed and I only have one child....lord knows how you other women folk do it when you have more than 1 child?!

I am so full of inspiration/ideas/dreams. One of those is to get my ass and my jewellery to a market! I know which one I want to go to (visited another creative market yesterday and it was pretty lame - though maybe my style of work would be welcomed there, as I've not seen any like mine at any markets anywhere in the greater area) and I know where I can get my set up from and how much stock I would need and blah blah. But I can't get to that damned bench and make anything new. I don't think I would be a success with only 22 items, do you? Nope.

So how are you going with the new Etsy search stuff??

I haven't been one to relist heavily...just a couple of things a couple of times a week. Since looking at my stats I have noticed a big spike in faves to both shop and items when I've listed a new item....I will have to just keep an eye on the stats to see how I go.

Any tips? Advice?

yawn....dead tired....and it's cold today? it's Spring?!

Em.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Tools, New Moo Cards, No Mojo...oh my!

Yes, I have some new tools, moo cards and Zero Smithing Mojo :(

If anything would normally kick my butt into creative gear it would have to new tools....but no....not this time.

Below are pictures of my new matching Moo cards and stickers.
I spent ages designing these and am very happy with how they turned out. And they are such good quality! So now the hubs has decided he wants me to make some cards for him from Moo. Oh and they also came like 2 weeks earlier than I was expecting them, so Woohoo!!


Below is my first print I have purchased from Etsy. I have been lusting after several artists pictures for a long time now and then decided I would get on with it finally and just buy one! And I love it! So does my hubby. I think he even approves me collecting more of them :)

This print is by janethillstudio


And this is a picture of some new stamping tools I purchased from 2moontools

I received them this morning and hope to use them on some new pieces.....eventually......if my mojo returns :(

lol I know that I will.
This is not the first time I have encountered the creative block, nor will it be my last.
What's strange is that my head is just absolutely choc full of stuff, but I can't seem to put it to actual physical work. Maybe my head is in overload?? I'm hoping to get a break sometime this weekend and maybe I'll be able to remove this block. I can only hope.

Yesterday I took my daughter with me to a big hardware store to look for some new tin snips etc and I came across a work bench for $100....it's not too big and it has peg board and a shelf underneath and an extra area to hang hammers etc. I'm hoping to take hubs to see this bench and talk him into buying it for me haha....it would be a spot I could bolt my Rolling Mill to as well. So it's kind of necessary. I can't wait to get the mill bolted down so I can try it out.

Alrighty I must go. Daughter is talking non stop and I can't type anymore as I can't hear myself think, think that is half the reason I struggle at the bench these days :(

Em