[As I write this, Ishtar aka ninja kitty is attempting to disembowel her needle felted crow. That is wonderful and everything but I sure do wish she'd stop peeing on the carpet :/]
I haven't been able to make jewelry like I've wanted to.
I don't know if that will change as long as I have a full time job. All day long my thoughts wander to metal and stones (oh, especially stones) and stamps and such. I have designs on every piece of paper around me. Today on the way to dinner I said "I really would just like to go touch my cabochons."
And it was true. I have a bit of a collection now, and oh oh oh they are simply wonderful. When I don't know what else to do I open up each little plastic drawer one by one and look at each of them. [There is a big thread going on the etsy forums about misnamed stones...it's become somewhat of a collection of rock hounds anonymous and it is fantastic.]
My stone binge has come to a pause...2 horses rack up a hefty vet bill for vaccinations alone and bills come before pretties, unfortunately. It's alright, though. There will be bigger packages soon to come as I ordered...
drum roll...
a flex shaft!
and an acetylene/air torch!
This torch dilemma was a dilemma indeed. I do hope that this new one will fill my needs.
Who knew that in less than 5 months of opening my etsy shop I would feel the need to expand so rapidly? I thought I would be fine working within my limitations, but after a few attempts to make some larger pieces and failing because they couldn't get hot enough, I needed
more
fire.
Working as an artist outside of an educational atmosphere is different indeed. I don't really know why...maybe because I know I have forever to make jewelry and not just a semester. I mean, my last semester I pretty much designed my syllabus. I had free reign to make whatever I felt like. Now I'm discovering stones and techniques and things faster than I can process and my hands just can't work fast enough.
Ramble ramble ramble.
I have 2 big pieces that have been sitting around waiting for more fire. The first is a pendant I designed and made before I wandered over to etsy land and it may not be for sale. One of my 2 remaining bruneau canyon jaspers is going into it and it is a design and piece I'm a bit partial to. And, well, I'm ohsoinlove with bruneau jasper. I got this stuff for a steal several years ago and I want to keep it all to myself.
Methinks it is time to stop rambling and maybe start sleeping.
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2 comments:
Hi Jessi!
Im a newbie at smithing in fact I have really only balled headpins with my hand held, so I'm not even sure I can say I'm smiting yet but soon I will be broading my horizons, and getting all my tools and supplies to start bezel setting cabs and all the fun stuff.. so my question is what is the difference between an actylene/air torch and an actylene/oxygen torch??
thanks
Sherice
Sherice,
Acetylene/air only has an acetylene tank and uses the oxygen it needs from the atmospheric air. Acetylene/oxygen involves 2 tanks and scares me.
lol, sad but true! I didn't use the "big torch" enough in school to become one with it, so this time around I just wanted the simplest setup possible but still have enough heat. I'm not doing my own casting right now so I don't need crazy amounts of heat, just enough to solder and anneal some bigger pieces of sheet.
I don't actually know what the difference in heat capacity is, however.
If you're just starting out, a propane/air torch is cheap and GREAT for getting used to soldering and basic metalwork. I love my little torch and wish it could do everything I wanted!
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