WOYWW-Soldering Copper Samples

Jul 142015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 07 15 woyww soldering samples

On my work desk today you will see I have been having a lot of fun playing with soldering. As I’ve mentioned before, Kate Richbourg is an excellent teacher of metalsmithing. In her book, Simple Soldering, she has you make 1-inch square tiles of copper sheet on which you try different techniques. This is your metal “sampler,” so to speak.

2015 07 15 woyww copper samples

So I spent quite a bit of time learning soldering techniques as I worked through these tiles. You might recognize the flower as one from Tim Holtz’s Tattered Florals Die.

I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I softened the metal by heating it in the flame, cooled it and then ran it through my Big Shot die cutting machine. Surprisingly, the Big Shot was able to cut through the 24 gauge sheet. (I was really hoping it would not break my machine!)

2015 07 15 woyww balled headpins

It was also fun learning how easy it is to ball up fine silver wire and make my own head pins.

And now, in other news:

Just to let you know, this week is going to be the last time I participate in What’s on Your Work Desk Wednesday.

I’ve been working very hard the past few years to build my little crafting business and, praise the Lord,  I’ve finally found a measure of success.

However, with this success also comes a need to rearrange my priorities, and I found I needed to eliminate some things. Things that, although I enjoyed them, weren’t really adding to building my business.

I mentioned a while back that I stopped doing the Tim Holtz tag challenge. And sadly, now I really do need to stop the weekly WOYWW posts.

I will continue to follow many of your blogs and I hope to find time to check in occasionally.

If you’d like to keep up with my crafting crafty doings you can on:

I wish you all the best in your crafty endeavors, it’s been fun. Thanks so much to Julia for her wonderful shepherding of this fascinating endeavor.

P.S. Several of you expressed interest in my review of the bead spinner. Well, I now have two to review, and that will likely end up on my YouTube channel. Just so you know. 🙂

WOYWW-Extruded Polymer Clay & Copper Rings

Jun 302015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 07 01 woyww extruder dragon

On this week’s work desk, you might not be able to tell, but I am working on dragon number 25. Those blue stripy things you see on the center tile are actually polymer clay. They are strings of clay that have been extruded with the tool that’s to the right of the tile, the black one with the handle.

To the right of that on top of the white case you’ll see a log of various blues and greens. That is clay of the same type that went into the extruder and then it comes out with all these shades and variations in color. Those are going to go onto this week’s dragon.  Check back on Thursday to see the final results!

Also on the lower right corner of the table you can see five copper stacking rings that I made with my soldering set up. It was great playing with fire again, as I’ve missed it since my lampworking days.

This project was quite easy to do, basically you make big jump rings and then solder the seams closed. And then you use texturing hammers to shape them and give them different textures.

copper stack rings

If you’d like to learn how to make some for yourself, the class is free over at Craftsy. It’s Micro Torch Basics. The teacher, Kate Richbourg, is excellent and goes into far more detail than I’d expect in a free class.  Of course, the class accomplished its purpose.  It made me want to (a) run out and buy a torch, and (b) sign up for more of her classes! I’m already planning my next soldering project. 🙂

I hope you all have a very happy and creative What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

WOYWW-Rainbow Hearts

Jun 232015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 06 24 woyww rainbow hearts

On this week’s work desk you can see that I’m working on planning an upcoming jewelry making video for my YouTube channel. I was working on the next dragon, but that’s been shoved aside while the dragon is pre-baking in the oven.

That purple case on the left is my Swarovski crystal case, and I’ve pulled out a rainbow of heart crystals for my next jewelry tutorial.

You can see in the lower center front I’m also trying out different beads, crystals, pearls and even trying leather and silk to see which will work best with what for what I have in mind. Lately I’ve been about a month ahead with the jewelry videos, so if you want to see the final project, check back in four weeks. 🙂

In the upper left is yet another kumihimo project. After doing the Kumihimo video series on my YouTube channel, I suddenly can’t stop making them! So far I’m up four bracelets and a necklace with more planned. I’ll post pics on my Instagram when this one is done.

That’s what’s happening this week. Wondering why I’m sharing a photo of my desk? It’s a fun blog hop game we play over at Julia’s called What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday. Join in, all are welcome!

WOYWW-Soldering Set Up

Jun 162015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 06 17 woyww soldering set up

On my work desk this week you can see that I’m hoping to start trying out soldering very soon. As I mentioned last week my son got me the torch for a birthday present, and I’ve been busy spending money adding into the setup. 🙂

I’ve got fuel, I’ve got a metal pan to safely solder on the table, a cool quenching bowl, a charcoal brick (that’s what’s in the black box,) soldering pics, files and I have solder which I’m so thankful my other son saw and told me needs to be stored in the refrigerator so that it won’t separate from the flux that it’s mixed with.

I also have a stack of soldering books from the library that I’m looking forward to working through. Like I said last week, I promise not to burn down the house!

In the back left corner you’ll see leftover bits of clay from this week’s dragon which will be done tomorrow, come back and check it out. And towards the right you can see I have another kumihimo set up, this time with a really cool project. It’s called a dragon scales necklace and I will be sure to post a picture once it’s done.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. If you wonder why I’m sharing a photo of my desk, it’s this fun little blog hop game we play over at Julia’s called What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday. Join in, all are welcome!

WOYWW- Jewelry Supplies Galore

Jun 092015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 06 10 woyww jewelry supplies galore (1)

On my workdesk today is my annual HUGE Fire Mountain Gems order. They offer discount incentives to buy many, many items, so I did. 😀 (Who wouldn’t, right?)

I’ve got lots of beads, lots of findings, some tools, all kinds of goodies. It’s going to take a while to put everything away and I’ll have to keep myself from in the midst of it all starting a few new projects I’m especially excited about.

Fortunately, when I put together my order I wrote notes as to what each thing was for. Otherwise I’d be staring at various stuff from the order and wondering why the heck I’d bought it. :-p

2015 06 10 woyww jewelry supplies galore (2)

Also on the desk in the upper left is a birthday gift from my son, a new micro torch. I’ve been wanting to do some soldering & fusing of metals to add to the jewelry skills. No burning down the house, I promise!

So that’s what’s on my work desk today. If you’re wondering why I posted a picture of my work desk, well, it’s What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday. It’s just a fun little blog hop hosted by Julia.  Check out the link if you have some time, it’s kind of fun!

Happy creating.

WOYWW-Some Finished Cards and Many Unfinished Projects

Jun 022015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 06 03 woyww many many projects (1)

Your view of today’s desk may explain why I’m feeling rather overwhelmed at the moment. There’s no order, no rhyme or reason, just a lot of unfinished projects. I could make a mile-long to do list merely from looking at the photo.

Of course, the culprit just might be that pretty little gadget in the lower right. Yup, that’s my new iPhone and learning to use it has been fun, exciting, frustrating and most of all, TIME-CONSUMING.

I think I spent 1 1/2 hours yesterday just sorting out my contacts. Sheesh. But they are now all nice and tidy, and that makes me happy, so there’s that. 😉

Let me know of your favorite apps, btw, crafty, houseworky, organizing, productivity, all suggestions are welcome!

2015 06 03 woyww finished cards

Lest you think I’ve done nothing but play on my phone, here’s proof that I actually DID finish those cards last week. It did not happen all in one day, but took until Friday. I actually ended up making a baker’s dozen, but one was mailed off before I took this photo.

The three in the lower left (and the one I mailed) were done with a partial die cutting technique. With the exception of the pink, glittery oval (I’ll have to think carefully about who will get this glitter bomb) the rest were done with embossing pastes through stencils. I colored the paste with distress inks and am especially happy with the top left three. The two brownish ones were gold embossing paste through a steampunk stencil. They didn’t come out quite as cool as I’d hoped but they’ll do.

If you have a few minutes to spare, you can go to What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday to check out the workdesks of other creative people from all over.  Why do we do this?  Cuz Julia says, and it’s What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday!

WOYWW-Making Cards

May 262015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 05 27 woyww making cards

On this week’s desk are some supplies of mine you haven’t seen in a while: card making stuff! I’ve been so busy with other things that it’s fallen by the wayside. Only so many hours in a day and all that.

In fact, a few months back I decided to give up trying to keep up with the Tim Holtz monthly tags. I felt a little sad, but it has been one less stress every month.

But, just for today I’m going to play with technique ideas I’ve been storing up and make a dozen or so cards.

Whatever you’re doing, may you have happy creating!

To see what’s happening on the desks of many other crafty and creative people, go to What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday.  Cuz it’s Wednesday and that’s what we do.

WOYWW-Kumihimo Beading

May 192015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday once again.

2015 05 20 woyww kumihimo beading.JPG

Today I’m working on prep for an upcoming video tutorial on kumihimo braiding with beads. I first gave this technique a try over a year ago and decided it was time to add a couple tutorials to my YouTube channel.  Be watching for the series on kumihimo in a few weeks.

On my mp3 player this week are the podcasts by the producer of the Outlander series telling all the interesting behind-the-scenes bits about each episode. Fascinating! Are any of you watching? What did you think of the last episode?

That’s all I’ve got for this week. If you wonder why I’m sharing a photo of my desk, it’s this fun little blog hop game we play over at Julia’s called What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday. Join in, all are welcome!

WOYWW-Dragon #18

May 122015
 

Happy What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday everyone!

2015 05 13 woyww dragon #18.JPG

Today’s desk finds me working on dragon #18 in my year-long series of polymer clay dragons. This week I’m attempting to create a dragon who is a character in favorite book series of mine.

If any of you have read Tiger’s Voyage , you’ll know from the colors on the table which of the five dragons I’m working on. 😉

(And if you have read the books, feel free to check back tomorrow and let me know what you think of my representation of him.)

The book on the left is one I use for inspiration, DragonWorld. It’s full of dragon art by a slew of different artists. I don’t try to copy any of them, but look for interesting details, expressions, poses, etc. that I can draw from.

Also in the shot are more faux glass eyes that I needed to make. I LOVE how much more life they give to the dragons, like in Wen.

And there’s my trusty mp3 player, don’t know what I’d do without it. I wear this Sansa Clip all the time to make tedious work (you know, like dishes or cleaning or weeding the garden) go by faster. Just finished listening to the sixth Outlander book. Are any of you following the TV series? It’s wonderful!

If you’re wondering why I’m sharing photos of my desk, well, it’s What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday, the day we all get together at Julia’s and take a peek at each other’s creative goings on. It’s always fun and often inspiring. Join us if you have a the time.

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