Evolving Creations Lampwork and weird miscellaneous stuff

I’m really loving this laptop. Things go so fast now and I even got a remote mouse so I don’t have to use that 1 inch scroll pad.

My fingers aren’t really in sync with the keyboard, but I’ll live.


The Foster

Boots is going back to the shelter Friday. I hope he has a very happy life. He’s an absolute sweetheart.


Lions Playing with a Man (video)





Hockey

Gabe goes to Phoenix Friday… Mon has local stuff.

I’m at Mon’s practice right now as a matter of fact.


Interesting Facts... even if you've seen it before (video)





Featured Artist

I have two lined up, but I’ll show you Beau’s stuff first because his are on auction so time is limited.

Evolving Creations Lampwork on eBay or on Etsy. Lampwork beads by Beau and Shani Barrett.

Here are some of the current items for sale (and if I’m doing this correctly, the photos should be clickable through to the auction listings).







Anyway, I’d like to thank Beau for giving me the okay to hotlink to his auctions and show a couple of his beads.



This is hilarious… it’s video of why we cat people are always sleep deprived.





see more Lolcats and funny pictures


see more Lolcats and funny pictures


I had no idea toads liked to be petted... (video)

New Baubles on Etsy

Well, leaving the apartment in 13 minutes to take Gabe to hockey practice. I had some stuff I was gonna show you but it's on my flash stick and I've got my MP3 player downloading Religulous at the moment and I only hope it will be done before we have to go.

Not because I want to watch the documentary during Gabe's practice... I want my MP3 player to listen to the Sharks game during Gabe's practice.

I put a few baubles on Etsy today. Here, I'll show you.

BTW, you can find them here.













Heh... sorry for the overkill.

Anyway, gotta go now... will report back tomorrow with new stuff and a featured artist.

Oh, forgot to say thanks to everyone who showed interest in my sterling and garnet bangle. THANKS!!! I have a taker.

Cheers!

360-Degree Photos, Bracelet Giveaway, Fusing Fine Silver

One of my goals for today is to stop writing “2009” on the copyright of my new photos.

Took me about ten minutes to write the above sentence. I’ve got a kitty who has figured out that if he walks around on my computer keyboard, he gets all kinds of attention.


CHECK OUT THESE 360-DEGREE PHOTOS (thanks for the links, Dad!)

At www.utah3d.net

Underneath Double Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

The new home of the O C Tanner Jewelry Store. Originally home to the Salt Lake Library, and later the Hansen Planetarium, it has been skillfully remodeled and restored.

Atrium of the Salt Lake City Library

The Cathedral of the Madeleine. This beautifully restored building is celebrating it's 100th anniversary.

The Maple Bench area of Payson Canyon

How cool are those!


BRACELET GIVEAWAY

So, for multiple reasons, I’m going to give this unsaleable bracelet away.






TVMHA 18AA’s

The boys (Gabe’s team at a tournament in Riverside at the moment) are doing well. They’ve won all four of their games so far. This morning they’ve got the semi-final and if they win that, they’ll have the championship game at 3:00… although that kinda sucks because that would mean they don’t get to start the 7-hour drive home until around 5:00.

Update: They won their semi-final game but lost the championship game in double overtime. They’re on their way home now.


NEW JEWELRY (ALMOST)

I’m finally trying to get some new stuff up. It’s been awhile. I’d like to fit in listing AND creating.

Here’s a sneak peak to what’s coming up this week…




FUSING FINE SILVER

Last week I found out, much to my chagrin, that all that fine silver wire I bought for fusing was not going to work under my current conditions (a micro torch). I tried 12 gauge first… nada. Then 14, 16, 18… eek! Yes, need more heat. Apparently 2500 degrees just isn’t enough to melt even 20 (I think that’s as far as I went). Well, I got ONE of the 20g jumprings to fuse, but spent five minutes torching its twin and nothing… absolutely nothing (except a fire-brick that took forever to cool back down. Ha ha ha!

To see my first fusing experience, go to my project blog: GOING GREEN JEWELRY.

I ordered a few necessities today… Penny Brite Copper Cleaner and Liver of Sulfur.


THREE DAY WEEKEND DONE ALREADY!?

Watched a lot of movies this weekend (comparatively speaking). Saw Star Trek, Julie and Julia, Milk and Pearl Harbor.

Did a little bit of jewelry making… mostly jewelry photo’ing. Did a wee bit of enameling. Spent a lot of time with Monca… zero time with Gabe (I’ll be picking him up around midnight tonight).

Mon and I drove Gabe’s car this weekend. It needs an oil change and a front end alignment… I might postpone that work until Mon and I get back from Chicago (next month).

I keep meaning to take pictures of Boo (aka Boots, our current foster). He’s still totally freaked with every noise, no matter how small, but other than that he’s 100% kitten… plays a lot, runs around a lot, isn’t bothered by Bear in the slightest, claws hurt like the dickens (me, not him), and all over in my way when I’m trying to type on the computer.

Well, I’m going to call it a night for the blog now… I want to straighten up a bit before I leave to pick up Mon from practice.

Later!


see more dog and puppy pictures


see more dog and puppy pictures

Enameling Experimentation and First Attempts at Fusing Fine Silver

Enameling Experimentation

So, I wanted to spend a few minutes playing around with enamels.

I took a charm I’d made out of bronze clay.



First I enameled the back (for strength).




Then I put black enamel into the channels on half of the charm.



And here’s what it looked like after my first firing.



Then I added enamel (powdered glass) to the other side of the charm.



And fired it.



Here’s the finished product (after I polished the bronze back up).



I’m not impressed with the charm, but I was experimenting so I’m cool with it. And now I have some ideas for things I can work on.


First Attempts at Fusing Fine Silver

These were very unsuccessful. As I mentioned in my other blog, I had to use a torch with more power than the Blazer micro-torch.

But it’s going to take some finesse and practice for me have better skill at fusing. This…



Was my first jumpring attempt. A section of the ring just balled up, separating from the rest of the ring.



This makes me think I was aiming the flame (not pin point, unfortunately) NOT at the seam.

I tried fusing a jumpring four times… it finally worked the forth time.

But then I wanted to make a really fat ball-end headpin.

It’s here on the left, 14g.



I’m going to keep it as a memento… along with a bead I’ve been saving (it’s an Alex bead).




That’s it for now.

This weekend I also made a lot of jewelry out of components I’d already made or had. It’s more of my attempt to use what I have rather than buying more.

I’ll let you know when I get the listings started.

Cheers!

Jewelry Giveaway, SRAJD Articles, Metal Clay Info, and Boots

JEWELRY GIVEAWAY

So I've decided that rather than give my non-happy-making creations away, most of them I'll just cannibalize.

BUT... there are a few things I *can* give away and as soon as I get good photos, I'll show them to you and ... um... give them away.

I made one thing last night that is really neat. But it's not good enough (by my standards) to sell and it took too long to make for me to consider cannibalizing... so... I hope it ends up with someone who likes it as much as I do. Not sure yet HOW I'll run the giveaways.


SRAJD

We've got three new articles in our RESOURCES section:

1) Wax Carving: Tips, Resources, and Advice by Amanda Katz (SRAJD #1220)

2) Turk's Head Knot Ring: Detailed Description, Tips, and Useful Links by Amanda Katz (SRAJD #1220)

3) And an off-site video tutorial on "Bernzomatic Brazing Rods" by Gary Snyder.

And we've got a few more planned for early next week (a "Sand Casting" tutorial, product review for sand papers, and info on wedding jewelry).



METAL CLAY INFO TO SHARE

This link has some very cool info. Check out that first pdf.

But really, the Metal Clay Academy is just an invaluable resource for metal clay artists.

The gallery is to die for.


BOOTS

Who I've taken to calling "Boo" instead. Maybe it's because I just watched Monsters, Inc. last weekend… maybe it's because this cat is so scared. Shrug

Anyway, he's becoming a cute little terror. Last night, he had several LONG occasions of playing on my bed, on top of my covers. Most likely chasing his tail. When I'd reach for him, he'd disappear of course… but then he'd come right back up, leaping about for what seemed like hours at a time (but I'm sure was only minutes).


Well, that's about it for now. I should have more time to create and post after this weekend.

TGIF!