March Madness Starting Early

I have been having so much fun learning new metalsmithing skills this month, I decided to start early for a March Madness incentive in my Etsy shop. Starting today I put one item on sale http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30391235. I thought it would be fun to put a different item on sale each day of the month that will remain on sale for the entire month. Sale prices will be anywhere from 5-20% off regular prices. I will also be adding some new items every week- since it is March- look for some beautiful aquamarine gemstone jewelry for those March born and also some of my newest bracelets, earrings and rings created with my newly learned skills. As always, my facebook fans and blog followers get 10% off any item in my shop.

My daughter's fall wedding plans are the other all consuming thing in my life lately. Yesterday the 2 flower girl dresses and th ring bearer's suit arrived. Too cute for words. But, why is she buying all this stuff when she's having an officiant do the service at the reception site? Boggles my mind. The photographer has been chosen, boy am I in the wrong business, for 6 hours pay that guy could help with the national debt! The DJ is still up in the air- they each have so much to offer (who knew?). I am in charge of finding the caterer and arranging for flower arrangements- that sounds strange. I get to do food and flowers because they are two things I do really well at home AND my daughter could care less about those things, she is really looking forward to a big party. If I sound a bit jaded it is not because I am not happy for her or unenthusiastic about the upcoming nuptuals. I come from a different era where buying a home and having money in the bank for emergencies (or lack of work) were the top things my parents taught me to always think about. Pay yourself first, they would say- it's important to have momey in the bank, you never know what's going to happen! I'm not tottally a follower of this way of life, but I am a little shocked that there are people that take out a second mortgage on their homes to give their children a "proper wedding". I know I will get through this and have a wonderful time once the big things are done and we can think about what day to have a shower and all the pre-wedding fun stuff. It's just the planning part that's amking me nuts. And it takes time away from what I like to do best- make jewelry!

My First Ever Bezel Set Ring

Joining up the the Aspiring Metalsmiths Team on Etsy was probably one of the best things I ever did for myself! Not that I don't love wire wrapping beautiful gemstones to create great necklaces, earrings and bracelets, but there is so much more to jewelry than that. Once you learn how to saw, solder, use a torch and forge metal, the world of creativity really opens up.
The best thing about this new team of men and women is they are willing to share not only success but failure and answer any and every question about techniques and tricks learned from other teachers and mentors. The next best thing is they have made me challenge myself. I don't think I would have ever attempted a ring for years to come, just wasn't on my radar screen. But here it is, not perfect, and no great design revelation, but it is complete and doing it gave me grear ideas for many more projects to come. Lord, I can't wait to see what they come up with for their next challenge.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4354588083_99351faeb3.jpg

Blizzard Jewelry From a Frustrated Metalsmith

It's just snowing like crazy and blowing even harder here at home. So what do I do, I make jewelry- or at least I attemp to. I am a frustrated metalsmith. I really want to be a metalsmith, but there are limited classes I have access to with a full time job (now there's a conundrum- I have to work to even do this hobby). So I go on line, I buy a tutorial to make something and off I go. Well, I actually had some level of success today. I made a spin ring, for those who like to fidget with their jewelry, this ring has an extra ring in the center that spins around.  I also pierced with my trusty saw, 2 lovely trees on copper to make earrings. The trees didn't turn out exactly alike so I just said, hey, no two trees are alike, and I finished them anyhow. Next I bought another tutorial to saw out flowers to make earrings, I decided to make them look like dogwoods even though dogwoods don't come in copper color. So, all in all, I had a productive day.
Check out the ring on flickr and you can see some of my other blizzard projects!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allwiredupjewelrydesigns/4346371821/

I have to saw I am not looking forward to shoveling out tomorrow- which I must- with the help of my daughter and hopefully her fiance. But I am looking forward to eating my great smelling veal goulash that's been simmering on the stove all day. My friend from Austria even sent me a link from youtube on how to make spaetzle to go with the stew. Can't wait to eat something warm while watching snow blow.