“. . . I’m Gonna Let it Shine”

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Do you remember that song from Sunday School? “This little light of mine. . . I’m gonna let it shine.” I was reminded of it as I polished some etched copper yesterday. A generous friend provided me with two types of polish and the dremel parts to use them. It’s a rare thing when someone brings you everything that you need for a task, but this friend did just that. Was she worried that I would never get to it if I had to go hunting for parts or was she just especially nice. I’m sure NICE is the key adjective here.

Having everything I needed, I shined and shined! The picture of a bracelet and some copper circles doesn’t really do justice to their shine. The dark shadows hide a bit of the glow, but you can get the idea. It was actually relaxing, listening to the hum of the dremel backed by the whir of the tumbler containing other pieces. Relaxing until . . . the bark of the puppy informed me the noises weren’t all that pleasant for canine ears. I etched the bracelet with a row of flowers at the bottom and a snail and dragonfly amongst them. The circles have a flower in the middle and some decorative markings around the edges. Following a light patina in liver of sulfur, they were tumbled and then polished. I’m not sure yet what the circles will be. (perhaps earrings or a bracelet) I’m incubating on that one. Any suggestions?

Unfortunately, today the only shining I’m doing is on my dirty house. It appears that between my dust producing design work, the dogs (who aren’t really house animals) and the yuk from this week’s cattle work, the house has been the real loser. I think the word for today is “attack” so it can shine, shine, shine.

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Earrings Du Jour

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Since I don’t do soup . . . may I offer you the earrings “of the day”? First, however, you should know that the light on the right of my photo tent is out right now creating somewhat difficult picture-taking circumstances. This appears to have caused the large circle earrings to show as different colors when they are exactly the same. It did not cause the second amethyst earring to completely disappear. I couldn’t get them both to hang well for the photo.

I got started making earrings today when a store that sold one of my necklaces requested the large circle copper earrings to match. I hurriedly made a pair and took them to the store only to learn that I had the wrong patina. I was given the customer’s daughter’s phone number to gather further details and learned that she “didn’t know what her Mother wanted” and that the necklace had gone to the other side of the state. She kindly gave me her mother’s number and after calling her, I learned, she really didn’t want big earrings at all . . . just small copper rounds that matched. Hmm . . . how do I figure out what “small” means and how do I match the patina to a necklace that I can’t see? I suggested sending a photo to the mother, but the daughter explained that Mother doesn’t compute. Finally we agreed that I would make the earrings, send a digital photo to the daughter here in town, she would forward it to her sister who lives near the mother and the sister would show it to the mother. Do you think there is much chance that the earrings I make will match? By the way, if you are one of the daughters reading this blog, I truly appreciate your efforts for your mom.

I had another call from out of state for a pair of earrings to match a copper necklace sold by that boutique. Luckily, the owner matched the necklace to the stone in a pair of silver earrings she had in the store before letting the customer get away with the necklace. She mailed the earrings to me and I think I have a chance at that one.

So, what’s the point? I’ve told myself this before, but I’m absolutely sticking to it this time. If I have the beads to make earrings for a necklace, I should do it before the necklace goes out. Secondly, if I’m going to patina metal for a necklace, I MUST patina enough to make earrings in the same liver of sulfur bath. Does anyone wish to bet on how long I remember these statements? The hurrieder I go the more I forget my promises

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Puppy Shot

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The day started just like any other day. I had carved out some time to design and shape some copper sheet metal and then patina the pieces with liver of sulphur. I never know just exactly what color the patina will produce due to varying factors including water temperature, amount of product, whether or not a piece has been torched, etc. On this particular day, everything was working well. I liked the color produced and was pleased at its richness when I took it out of the tumbler. If you aren’t used to this process, I use a rock tumbler to remove the excess grime created by the liver of sulphur and to polish the pieces. The tumbler is partially filled with steel shot, a drop of liquid detergent and water. The shine it produces is largely a product of the length of time a piece tumbles. Following the tumbling, I pour the tumbler contents into a metal kitchen strainer in order to rinse the pieces without losing any of the shot. I then place the strainer on the top shelf of my laundry room work cabinet. That’s what set the stage for trouble.

As I continued my clean up process, our exuberant 3 1/2 month old puppy raced into the laundry room for his food.  He spied the strainer, leapt up and grabbed it and then we were both showered with flying shot. I tried hard not to yell at the little guy, but when I got the broom to sweep up the shot, he kept grabbing it and trying to run away with it. (I’m thinking of rewriting the nursery rhyme to read “the DOG ran away with the BROOM) Picture a little black and white puppy scurrying down the hall with the broom head in his mouth dragging the handle. That was the end of my patience. Slipping on the rolling shot, I managed to grab the puppy by the collar and drag him out to his pen. Then I set out to sweep the shot. Sound easy? When I tried to sweep part of the shot, it would quickly roll to the other side of the room. Eventually, I put up little shoe barriers to catch it as it rolled. That shot was everywhere . . . under the washer, under the dryer, under the freezer, behind the sink, in the shoes, in the boots, buried in the rugs and even in my apron pockets. Two days later, I’m still finding shot – - – puppy shot!

Just so you won’t worry, let me say that I did not shoot the puppy. That’s just the new name for what I put in the tumbler. By the way, this is the same puppy who while waiting inside the running car while the trash was emptied from the car into the container on the street managed to lock one of us out of our own car. He’s such a good little fellow!

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Chain, Chain, Chain

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. . . chain of fools . . . I can’t help but hope that I’m not a fool for having purchased three complete spools of silver plated chain. I usually get it by the foot and then when I get home I can’t figure out anything cool to do with it. The chain usually ends up becoming part of the extender for a lobster clasp. So, in a moment where “the devil made me do it”, I bought the bullet and am so far thankful for my action.  I’m having the best time using chain and finding multiple ways to incorporate it into the designs.

Pictured herein are just a few of the pieces incorporating the chain. The first necklace pictured includes the earrings hanging on the side. The beads are inexpensive dyed magnesite heishi beads.

The purple piece is also dyed magnesite and the photo makes it look a bit washed out. The nuggets are really a nice color. The butterfly and flower charms are pewter.

The final picture displays a heavier piece, again made from dyed magnesite. I thought these big nuggets were odd at first, but they are beginning to grow on me.

I’ve also fashioned multi strands of just chain into necklaces that may be layered with other things. Now I’m thinking .  .  .    BELTS!

Am I a fool to no longer think I MUST purchase sterling silver chain? The newer plated chain has come a long way and I need to go along with it. While there are still those who will only purchase true silver, I’m beginning to think that many of my customers want to look good while saving their pennies. Here’s hoping magnesite and plated silver chain works for them. Chain, chain, chain .  . .

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Bowling

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How many pieces of jewelry can you make while “watching” the Super Bowl? Today was Super Bowl Sunday and the game watching from my favorite chair presented a good opportunity to get some stringing completed. I shouldn’t actually say I watched the game. It’s more that I listened to the game and looked up at the appropriate times. I must say this provided quite an earful stemming from the television noise and the cheers or the opposite thereof from my spouse. Included in the sounds were the three adult dogs who chorused the announcement of a skunk in the yard and the little yelps of the seven puppies who heard their mom barking outdoors. Need I say that focusing on the jewelry was a challenge?

Thankfully, several things did come together as shown in the photos herein. All the necklaces have earrings, but the pictures of a couple didn’t work out. I believe that all the major bead components for these pieces were purchased from Turquoise Magpie.

The stones/colors for all these necklaces were selected with Spring in mind. The boutiques are already filling with fashions for warmer weather and the clothes beg for these lighter colored accessories.

Seeing a warmer than Texas setting on television for the Super Bowl helped me think about Spring and realize there is hope for brighter, more pleasant weather ahead. I’m thinking that designers need some special video, lighting or music to jump ahead to the next season while still physically stuck in the current one. I guess the Super Bowl “watching” helped me get there.

I hope your team won and that even if you are not a Saints fan, you will cheer with me for the city that came back. Having lived in Louisiana for nine years and hearing first hand from those who survived Katrina, I can only find joy in this win for the city of New Orleans and the whole Gulf region.

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Celtic Design

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Most of my designs are composed of freeform, asymmetrical or random patterns. I’ve favored this style for so long that I wondered if I could actually follow a pattern. Even though randomness is not always a bad thing, I still remember what happened when I let the children in my elementary classes “do their own thing”. It was very difficult to get them back to the routine. Therefore, I usually saved this freedom for the end of the day and then quickly sent them home to their mothers. By the next morning, they were usually ready to get back to the routine.

I observed this same phenomenon with the graduate students that I taught. One evening, in an early childhood class, I let them experiment with drops of colored water on waxed paper. Each student had a straw and they were to observe the movement of the drops blown across the paper as well as the manner in which they combined. The drops move like liquid mercury. I thought we had put everything away and started my lecture only to glance up and note two women in the back of the room racing their water drops across the waxed paper as they blew through the straws. I bent down and met them at eye level just as the first water drop crossed the finish line. I was laughing so hard inside that it was hard to be stern. We never did quite return to full intellectual seriousness during that class.

With the knowledge of how freedom can trump rigor, I was concerned about following the Celtic knot pattern. Thankfully, I don’t have to go somewhere to get straightened out. I can still create a balanced pattern. The necklace shown here, composed of Celtic knots IS balanced. I have several acquaintances who really like Celtic knots, but I’ve wondered about their meaning. I retrieved the following information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_knot

“Celtic knots are a variety of (mostly endless) knots and stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, adopted by the ancient Celts. These knots are most known for their adaptation for use in the ornamentation of Christian monuments and manuscripts . . . “

This didn’t tell me much more than I knew, but the Christian connection is interesting. I like these knots because they are seeming endlessness. I had a great deal of trouble figuring out the pendant knot. The others on the necklace chain are not endless. Each is made of two separate figure eights that are brought together with jump rings on each end. This is more easily observed on the earrings.

This set has found a temporary home at Dovetails of Wimberley and if folks like it, the store owner suggested we make it in silver. We shall see whether or not I can replicate that knot.

You know, following a pattern wasn’t too bad. It was actually quite calming to know exactly what should come next in the design. (But I wouldn’t want to do this all the time!)

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Still Swinging

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More earrings swung into place after yesterday’s post. These are largely composed of small pieces I had played with for several days. I lay all the pieces out and was then able to see what should come together.

Does this mean that I should never throw any doodles away?

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Swingers

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I’m NOT one, but I do like jewelry in motion. I also like designs that have dimension. Following the post here on January 2, I took the bracelet shown wrapped around the pasta can into one of the stores where I market my designs. (I took it sans pasta can!) Although it didn’t have stones on it yet, the owner especially liked the depth to the bracelet armature.

Since then, I’ve been playing with how depth might be suitably worked into various designs. I made several “something or others” out of wire and they sat on the work table for 10 days. Finally, some of these came together as swingers last night. It’s difficult to see the depth on the necklace pendant, but there is about 3/4 of an inch between the front and the back swirls. The stone dangle wraps around both the pendant swirl and the necklace allowing it to swing.  

It’s a bit easier to see this on the earrings which, by the way, didn’t want to quit swinging long enough to have their picture taken.

Whether these are winners or not, they were certainly perplexing as a design project and will, hopefully, spawn other dimensional ideas.

Now, I wonder about that other kind of SWINGER . . . sorry, I can’t write about a topic that I know nothing about. You’re on your own with that one.

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Pondering Patience

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‘Tis the season to rush about in the annual sprint to the end of the year. During this time, in particular, patience can be pushed to the limit. Aren’t we supposed to be happy as we secure just the right gifts for others – not upset because Target just sold the last xxx and we don’t know where to find another? Shouldn’t we enjoy decorating our abodes rather than wondering why in the world we purchased that ugly centerpiece during the 75% off after Christmas sale last year? And what about that cute Santa sweatshirt that you also got on sale last year, but wouldn’t be caught dead in this year?  Right now, I’m thinking that I should give myself a break and be patient with this year’s deadlines and disasters. (Maybe Goodwill would want the centerpiece and sweatshirt.)

Seeped in patience, I took my mother to have a tooth pulled early Monday morning. This involved early rising, driving to her nursing home in another town and driving back to my town to the dentist. All of this was accomplished in the rain. (Patience) Following a short 15 minute and $347 procedure, we were on the road back and forth one more time. Bless my mother and the dentist – all went well and I was back home shortly after noon. Patience paid off.

Continuing my effort to remain patient, I attempted to be productive and replenish my supply of “for sale” earrings. I wanted to make mixed metal designs which  seemed like an easy task. I arranged all the supplies in front of me, picked up my pliers and waited . . . for an idea. I waited and waited, but no great one appeared. While trying to ward off frustration, I rearranged my supplies thinking a juxtaposition might help. It didn’t! Then I remembered that I was supposed to be exercising patience; so I just sat.

Finally, following a long period of incubation, the earrings below hatched. I’m embarrassed to say that it took two hours to design a mere 3 pair of earrings. I did, however, learn again that being patient with yourself is important. While I don’t know if customers will like these earrings, I did accomplish the task I set out to complete. I do have mixed metal earrings.

Today, the need for patience continues. A morning of design work was halted by a phone call from the pasture about a newborn calf that needed help. Rather than griping, which was my first instinct, I drove to the store, secured the required materials and came home to help save a life. The newborn thankfully gulped down his bottle and nuzzled me as though I were his mother. He was much nicer than the one I helped last week who felt the need to kick me each time I gave her a bottle. Today’s calf will need my help every few hours for several days and I will patiently help him until nature allows his bovine mother to take over. I just hope she is also patient while I’m in the pen with her boy and doesn’t try to eliminate me.

This drawn out tale could, of course, go on and on. We all have episodes that call on our reserves, particularly at this time of the year. We could collectively paraphrase that old poem, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways. When Do I Need Patience? Let Me Count the Ways. Yet, that would trivialize the need for this virtue. Let’s just leave it at “give yourself and others a break” and remember to breath. ‘tis the season!

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Daily Oral Math

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When I taught first grade, we were supposed to follow a prescribed set of exercises for Daily Oral Math. These were very short exercises in which the teacher posed a mathematical problem and the students solved it without the aid of pencil and paper. I really liked the idea behind these exercises, but I didn’t especially like having to follow the teacher’s manual. (Aren’t you surprised?) Often, after doing the oral problem in the book, I added one or two of my own. They were often based upon a recent first grade happening or something we had seen on the playground. (If Johnny hid Jason’s shoes out on the playground, how many single shoes were brought back into our room? How many little boys were in trouble?) As I was taking photos of designs today, I almost wished again for a group of first graders to whom I might pose the problems at the end of this post.

The pictures today are of new earring designs. I’m been trying to get used to the idea of using mixed metals in more of my pieces and have used the earrings to jump start this process. As you will see by the numerous photos (minus two that have already gone out) that I got a bit carried away.

I fear that some of these earrings are in search of a woman with a long neck. Most of them are definitely swingers! It was fun to play with the mixed metals and the look is starting to grow on me. Next, I need to tackle pendants with mixed metals.

Oh, and that math problem . . . let’s see . . . something simple here first. How many people would it take to wear 16 earrings? How many women would it take to wear 16 earrings if three of the women had two holes in one ear and one hole in the other? Would this create any type of problem? How many different combinations of pairs of earrings could you create with four pair of earrings? Would that number double if you used all eight pair of earrings? How many readers DO NOT want any more Daily Oral Math?

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