This week so far - March 29th

I really enjoyed my weekend workshops. I learned some great new skills and got a lot more tools! I bought a two hole punch, small vise (I'd been looking for one of those for awhile), a bezel mandrel, soldering block, a few different types of tweezers, and a rivetting hammer. I also got some flux. I didn't get any pickle because I'm going to try an eco friendly version. I've added to my list of tools that I'm saving up for (rock tumbler, disk cutter, and rolling mill).
My first workshop was the resin one. We made two pendants using two different resins. I've worked with resin before but the results have not always been what I've expected. I've had a lot of problems with bubbles and the texture of the resin. It seemed like only a third of them would turn out so it was great to get my questions answered.  These are the results of that class.

I used a shimmery powder on the square one and a doming resin on the circle one. The square one is backless so the light shines through.

I also took a copper etching class. It was easier than I thought it would be. When I first took it out of the solution it didn't look like anything had happened, so I had a bit of a panic attack. Then I pulled one of the smaller resists up and it looked so cool. The cuff still needs some polishing but I'm quite happy with the results. This one doesn't need tools, except for the cuff bending bit. This is the cuff I made.



I'll have to work with these new techniques for a bit before they become available in my etsy shop.

I also took classes in riveting, soldering, and enameling. I'll post about those workshops next week. 

Fun Foto Friday - March 25th

Happy Friday! The photos that appear in Fun Foto Friday are random photos taken during the week on Kodi's daily walks. Feel free to add your own caption. Sorry I'm a bit late this week. I had workshops this afternoon and I didn't get to it until now.
Flock of birds - Mud bay near White Rock, BC

So far this week - March 22

I had a wonderful weekend with my boys, except for the road rash on my hands and knees. Let's just say 75 pounds of untrained Lab dog, 10 foot flexi leash, and a large flock of birds are not a good combination. Kodi went from a dead stop to as fast as he goes in about 10 seconds. Before I knew what hit me I was on the ground and the leash had slipped from my hands. Part of me landed on the path and the other less sore part landed in the grass. Thankfully Kodi came running back to see what all the commotion was. Next time I'll let the hubby hold the leash.
I'm counting down the days until my weekend workshops! Only 3 days to go! I'm also dreaming about all the bead supplies and tools at the show. I can't wait. I'm taking classes in resin, soldering, riveting, etching, and enameling. I look forward to incorporating the new skills into my work.
This week the focus was on making earrings from bike parts to go with the pendants. Many different ideas came to mind. Some worked, some not so much. Some you can't really tell that they have bike parts in them. You know when you are really into it when you get a tap on the shoulder at 1 am asking you to put the tools down and come to bed.

Fun Foto Friday - March 18th

Happy Friday! The photos that appear in Fun Foto Friday are random photos taken during the week on Kodi's daily walks. Feel free to add your own caption.



Ok... maybe not so fun. Thankfully the sign was broken and gas wasn't really 999.9

 

So far this week - March 15

This weekend I purchased my torch! I went on a field trip to Cloverdale to Western Gems. The staff there was very helpful and it's a cool shop with lots of stones. They also carry enamels and soldering supplies so if I like the courses at the bead fest I don't have to go all the way to Vancouver to get supplies. Let the count down to bead fest begin.

This past week I've been dreaming of bike chain pendant designs. I think it's interesting how one material can inspire you to use it in different ways. I've been laying them out across my desktop with different items from my bead stash. I even brought out the drill to enlarge holes on the nuts, who doesn't love a project where you can use power tools!
So without further ado... here's what I've been working on

 

Fun Foto Friday - March 11

Happy Friday! The photos that appear in Fun Foto Friday are random photos taken during the week on Kodi's daily walks. I'm not going to put a caption on these photos. Feel free to add your own caption.

This week so far - March 8th

The rest of last week went well. I had some time to heal and I signed up for some workshops at the Fraser Valley Bead fest. I'm pretty excited about learning some new techniques and getting some questions answered. I read a lot of books and magazines to find new techniques but I find that sometimes they leave out important steps. Also books and mags can't give you feed back on why something didn't turn out quite like you thought. Some times it is something so simple like the way you are holding a hammer or the saw.
I'm attending workshops on etching, enameling, soldering and resin. The best part is that I have an excuse to get a torch!!! I was going to get one at some point anyways but now I need one. The scary part is that I'm a bit of a klutz so I think a trip to get a fire extinguisher is also in order. The workshops don't take place until the end of the month so I won't be able to report back on how it went for awhile.
So without further ado... Here's what I've been working on lately...

Fun Foto Friday - When ducks attack!

Happy Friday! The photos that appear in Fun Foto Friday are random photos taken during the week on Kodi's daily walks. I'm not going to put a caption on these photos. Feel free to add your own caption.

This week so far

 So far this week I've whacked my finger with a hammer (it is still tender), slipped on the ice and twisted my knee, and accidentally filed a dent into my finger nail. Hopefully this week will end without any serious injuries. I'd better not drive, I think it might be safer to take the bus for a while. Here's a few of the items I've added to my shop recently.