Bee takes to her broom!

I tried broom casting while at my lesson with Barrie on Friday...it was so much fun! I couldn't wait to get home and try it on my own. After a quick stop at home I went to Capilano Rock and Gem to buy the materials I needed which was a crucible with a detachable handle. But instead of rushing right home to see what sort of trouble I could get into I went for dinner with a few of my work mates to say good-bye to Lynne who is moving to the Okanagan.

After a great dinner I was on the hunt for my broom...it had to be a corn broom. Do you know how hard they are to find? All I could find were the plastic ones with magnetic properties for dust and stuff. I wasn't trying to attract anything...I just wanted to pour some molten metal over it...plastic would have been very messy. I was determined and kept up the search until I made my way to Revy Hardware and much to my amazement I had a choice of at least 6 brooms! I'm really glad that it was almost closing time and there weren't many customers around because I certainly would have been questioned. I had all the brooms down from the second shelf...did they think they were going to dance away...to test them. What I was testing them for is a mystery even to me. But I felt that I shouldn't just settle for the first broom that came along...been there before...but instead carefully pick my way through the broom to see which one had the most interesting shaped straw, the most straw...it's that size thing again...and was the best value for my money. I found my perfect broom and took him...I mean it...home.

In order to do the broom casting you need to separate the straw from the rest of the broom so that you end up with a bundle held together with an elastic. So it went into a pail to soak while I ran back to Capilano to pick up a few things I forgot. Finally I was ready to go to work. Using my 'Shark' torch I heated up the scrap silver in the crucible. I was doing this outside which trust me is the only place to do it unless you really like the smell of burnt straw. The silver was finally a little molten ball of silver in the crucible...it's tough not to just stay mesmerized by it...but finally breaking the spell it had on me I poured it into the bundle of straw which was standing in a metal container and supported to stay upright. What a rush!! The straw began to smoke so I quickly rushed to pour the container of water I had close-by to douse it, forgetting that the container with the straw was already full. What's a little water everywhere when you still have the exciting prospect of finding out what transpired in that smoking bundle of straw. The treasures I found in the straw were so much fun. This is a photo of a lot of the ones I kept. This was definitely going to be addictive...I just knew it. I melted the rejected bits along with more scrap 5 or 6 more times...I lost count. I can't wait to see what I can create with it. The shapes are so organic and other worldly looking.

Today I'm going to try casting in water. I'm just waiting for the ice cubes in the freezer. I'll post a photo if it's successful.

The Latest Buzz

I really have to take a break from the puns...but then again why? I'll just put it down to part of my charm. :-)

So today I had this grand idea of changing the template for my blog...well actually just changing the colours. I decided that pink and burgundy would be my new 'brand' colours and I proceeded to change all the colours that Blogger would allow me to change...wow it was really pink!! So I reverted to the template palette of greens. So then I'm thinking that perhaps I can just build my own blog template...how hard can it be? Well I now know why I design and teach about jewellery! I think I'll leave the template design to those who actually know what they are doing. I did have a little fun with one of the photos that I posted earlier hoping to turn it into a new header for the blog. I think I'll save it for Etsy or something. I'm not a graphic designer just in case no one noticed but photoshop offers so many possibilities it's hard not to add a tweak here...a tweak there. You get the picture...don't you? Just so I'm clear I'm including the image I was having fun tweaking. I can see what I need to change...but not now.


Now, I'm off to do what this inspired Bee likes to do best...design some jewellery. I unexpectedly have the day off and plan to have some fun with it. If it turns out then I'll post photos...if not then it's my little secret. :-)

A Walk in the Park

Really...it was a walk in the park! UBC Botanical Gardens played host for a couple of hours while Fred and I meandered it's many paths and took delight in the spring flowers. Fred had his camera with him and took a few photos. I've reduced a few to show off in the blog but seeing them so small just isn't the same as seeing them at full 7mb resolution. It was supposed to be a cloudy day but the sky was a lovely clear blue instead. So why am I telling you about the park in this jewellery blog...simple really...it renewed my inspiration!! How could I go wrong...Bee...flowers...park? I was very stressed before Fred talked me into going thinking that I had to get all these projects finished before I went out to enjoy anything. I realized that I had completely missed the point of doing the silver work and making jewellery...it's supposed to be enjoyable! A walk in the park was really just what I needed to do to bring me out of my funk. I mean who can resist some beautiful plants and flowers? On the ride home my imagination was in full bloom...okay that was a gratuitous pun...and new ideas for designs kept popping into my thoughts. I finished up a couple of have to have done projects which was more enjoyable than I had expected them to be, if my mood earlier was anything to go by. While I didn't actually get to what I was designing in my head it isn't lost and the inspiration continues. I felt good about the projects and a sense that they would come together better than I planned. I actually need to pick up some materials to implement the design.

These are a couple of photos that captured my imagination...it's a bee thing. :-) See how blue the sky is in the background. As I said before these smaller images just don't do justice to the real thing but they still make me smile and that's a good thing.

When the Bee isn't Inspired!

What an frustrating experience. I know that I have creative ideas just waiting to see the light of day but they're stuck in limbo land in my brain. Personally I'm going to say it's weather induced. We live on the west coast and should be experiencing sunshine, t-shirts and sandals now! I discovered that this creative slump is not just confined to me. A friend of mine...and my silver smithing teacher...is saying the same thing. Well the forecast is for sunshine on Thursday and I'm going to soak up every bit of light and I just know that it will kick start a creative streak. Failing that I'm going to invest in some ruby slippers and click my heels together chanting..."I can create, I can create". Wonder where I'll end up? :-)

Who says bigger isn't better?

Today I invested in a new rawhide hammer. Actually I exchanged the very small one, 4 ounces, I had purchased a little while ago and never used for a much larger one, 11 ounces. I had the opportunity to try out a larger hammer the other evening and was genuinely surprised how much more of a punch it packed. I just never really thought about it before. With this larger rawhide hammer I can shape silver on ring or bracelet mandrels much easier and faster. I expend less energy and use less time. Not that big a deal but when you are trying to shape a thicker piece of silver to the mandrel it is nice to have one blow do the work of 4 or 5 before. So I ask again...who says bigger isn't better?

So my recommendation for rawhide hammers is purchase a larger one if you are working a large number of ring shanks of 20 gauge or heavier. If you are just using it for flattening pieces of wire or links then the mid-size, 6 ounces, is just fine. Actually the mid-size will work for shaping ring shanks or bracelets but it will take longer, a lot more energy, oh and a lot more hammering noise. Which may or may not be a big deal but if you have neighbours above or below...I suspect that they'll appreciate it. :-)

Gypsies have Hart...or is it need Hart (burs)?

I know...really bad play on words...couldn't resist it though.

I picked up some new burs on Friday from Capilano Rock and Gem. A few Hart burs, inside ring file burs and some drill bits. I've seen the inside ring burs used before and briefly tried one but now I have my own to play with. I love them! I have the fine and extra fine burs which are great for the inside of the ring shanks when you have extra metal you want to file down quickly and evenly. You won't use them all the time but it's one of those things that you'll be glad that you have when you need it. Like the little square that I use to make sure that I've filed in a straight line.

I've been putting in as much time as I could this weekend on silver smithing. I thought that I should have more to show for it but I did spend a lot of time following the winding path of curiosity. It's one of favourite things to do with the silver smithing but in terms of productivity it really slows things down. Still it is how we learn new things.

The big new technique I learned this weekend is a gypsy setting. The stone is set flush with the surface of the silver. I did a trial run using half round wire which was close but not quite right. I decided I should try making a plain ring band with one gypsy setting. I carefully did all drilling using a drill bit and then one of my new Hart burs and when I put the stone, a cubic zirconia, in I heard this satisfying little click! That means I'm on the right track...feeling rather proud of myself I started to bend the silver into a ring shank. It promptly broke in half...apparently you are supposed to set the stone after you make the ring or use much thicker silver. Not one to be discouraged I took an old ring shank that was destined for the scrap heap, soldered another piece of silver onto the shank for thickness then tried the setting again. It worked this time! And I began to totally get what the instructions were telling me...amazing how that works. I don't have a photo of this masterpiece...obviously my humble opinion...but when I do I'll post it. :-) I also set several other cabochons...little itty bitty ones. Part of the stacking ring series. I know that everyone does it but they are hard to resist...it's the cute factor.

Life as a "Tool Girl"

That's what they call me at work...I think it's meant to be flattering. :-) I work at Capilano Rock and Gem and I spend most of my time in the tool department. It's not as glamorous as the fresh water pearl or the semi-precious stone bead section. It's dusty and sometimes very disorganized but once you see past all that you begin to see the gems hidden there...the tools. Not just the shiny and new but sometimes the ones that are hidden behind years of accumulated inventory that appear during the constant attempts at organizing the area and it can be like finding hidden treasure. Some places just defy being organized and I am beginning to believe that the tool area at the store is one of them. I think that's part of it's charm although not everyone would see it that way. I get to meet people that are just as passionate about tools and silver as I am. Some customers educate me and I educate some customers. It is all about give and take...with so much creative energy in one place it would be difficult for that not to happen. Obviously I enjoy working there! Any why not...the people that I work with are wonderful. I've met great people, made wonderful friends, received referrals for many of my students and in general learn something new every day. This was not meant as a commercial for the store...honest...I'm not being paid to say these things. But check out their website or better yet visit the store...you'll be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of some of the stock and you'll end up staying for much longer than you had planned. Look at me...customer for many years and one day they started handing me a paycheque because I was around so much!