Starting with Wax Carving, Discussing Calories, and A Couple of New Jewelry Pieces

Found something that frustrates the heck out of me.... carving wax for casting.

After 15 years of making one of a kind items, I was thrilled at the prospect of making something I could send out for casting and y'know... continue to sell with a minimum of time investment that could otherwise be devoted to the one of a kind items.

But wow, I'm so uncoordinated at it.  Granted, part of the problem MAY be a lack of anything but the most basic of wax carving tools (an alcohol lamp, an exacto knife, and some sharp pointed dental tools).  But I don't want to blame my tools if it's really just my own inability.

Here's what I have to start off with...

I find it daunting to even THINK of a design.  In theory, I want something I couldn't do with sheet metal or through metal clay.  But any design I thought of could be make easier and more quickly with those methods.

What what what can I make from wax that I can't make from the other stuff?  BTW, that's a rhetorical question.  I know there's a TON I *could* make... but I don't have the skill/ability to do any of those.  Ha ha ha!

I had to go out and walk, clear my head, think for a bit.  I'm back now but have no better ideas.  Sigh.

So let's talk about walking then.

It's been just over two weeks and I can't say I have any more energy.  At first, I thought I did, but now I'm just tired.  I was so tired yesterday, in fact, that I didn't even walk.  ARGH!

I wake up... tired.  Of course that COULD have something to do with not being able to get more than 6 hours of sleep at night.  I guess instead of watching tv after 9pm from now on, I may just read... that should put me to sleep earlier seeing as how I get up around 5am regardless of when I go to sleep. 

The last book I started, I lost interest in.  I need to find something that will captivate me. 

That being said, it's only been two weeks (we're back to talking about walking now).  I don't think the disappearance of three pounds would give me a ton of energy.

And even if I don't drop weight... I am eating so much better... and that's saying a lot because I did eat way better than your average American even before I started really taking note.  Now, though, since I only want 1200-1700 calories a day, I have to make them meaningful.

Here, for example, is today's accounting.  The percentages in blue are the recommended daily suggestions from the Mayo Clinic.

And I'm not even worried that I went over a bit on percentage of fat eaten today because it was olive oil for my salad and walnuts for my afternoon snack.  At least those are nutritious fats.

Same thing goes for carbs.  If I'm gonna have 'em (and I am!), they're going to be from things like sweet potatoes and brown rice... not from breakfast cereal and corn chips.

If nothing else, I'm really enjoying the scenery on my walks...

 

 

Now back to work...

Totally loving these two bracelet parts I made this week.  My idea is to add some "manly" beads and clasps and then I've got more men's jewelry.  Yay!

And I'm trying to decide what to send as my second submission for consideration for the tv show Cedar Cove (have to mail the package tomorrow).  Since they chose my first submission to be worn on Grace, I wanted to try to design for that character again.  Here's my first idea for this second submission.

I may try designing a necklace tomorrow.  We'll see.

For now, I'm going to search for a good book and try to get to bed early so I have lots of energy tomorrow.