When is a chain not a chain ...

Start by making jump rings. 

The first time I made this 'chain' I used 9.5mm rings, which I think I prefer, but as I couldn't remember this fact due to a faulty memory issue and a perverse tendency to refuse to write notes, I used a 10.5mm mandrel to make these particular links. You might be relieved to hear that this was O.K. No catastrophe occurred and, in fact, it reinforced my belief that anything goes as long as you make it seem as though you meant to do it that way in the first place.

This is my jump ring maker. Love it. Except I've given up using the saw blade and ring holder vise that comes with it. I've tried many times but just can't get the hang of it. I've also tried the tape and regular jewelers saw to cut the rings, but that is annoying to me as well and (I think) time consuming. So now I just snip the rings with my good wire snippers as and when I need them. I turn the blade after each snip so that the join in the rings will meet flat for soldering. For me this is a quick and effective way to make jump rings. You don't need the ring maker to make jump rings. Just some good mandrels. This looks handy, and it's only $15. Not sure how sturdy it is though. Most of my tools come from either Rio Grande or Otto Frei. I get my silver from Rio Grande. I bought some from a different site once and it was filled with so much copper that as soon as I sanded it it was pink. Don't chance it unless you really trust the site you're buying from.


I used 20 gauge sterling silver wire to make these rings. 


(Note: although I love the look of the 9.5mm ring size in this 'chain', the chain doesn't move as freely as it did when I made it using the 10.5 mm rings. As I wasn't making a full length chain I was happy with the results. If I were making a full length chain, to hold a pendant, etc., I would rather the links had more movement and therefore would perhaps use a smaller gauge of wire, or the larger mandrel size. 
As it is, who can afford to make a full length chain with the price of silver today...)


Moving on,


I then soldered the links together.

I bought some of this solder a while back. It is a paste mix, in a syringe, and is supposed to come out of the syringe in the amount you need with the exact amount of solder and flux mixed together.

However, I was a bit disappointed when I first got it as it was really, really expensive and, on top of that, I couldn't plunge the plunger thing into the syringe as apparently I'm not The Hulk. It was just way too hard. But, I have come to find that for small solders, such as jump rings, etc., it is great, I just have to dig the paste out with a small paint brush instead of syringing it. When it's gone I might even buy some more, although I see that Rio Grande doesn't have the silver solder in the syringe form right now - somebody must have mentioned the Hulk problem.


(Note, at this point, N made me a cup of tea in my favourite mug. Oh, and see that nail file next to it, I use that to file the end of my ear wires. No extra charge for that tip.)

Now, after soldering, you could pickle the links and maybe even sand off the excess solder. (As I'm not the expert solderer, I probably should have followed my own advice here.) 


I didn't.


Instead I went straight to the next step because I'm a, let's get to it, I can't wait around forever, kind of person. Soooo, 


take your round nose pliers,

and stretch the links.

(F.Y.I. Don't freak out but this really tests how good your solders are ...)

Now you are going to squeeze the middle of the elongated link together,

This should all be easy as the heat from soldering will have softened the wire. Unless your solders aren't strong enough and then you're going to have to start all over again ... sorry ...


(You can see that my solders aren't exactly perfect, but I refuse to let that get me down. They are waaaaay better than they were, and, we all have to begin somewhere ...)


Now, bend the loop.

When they are all bent you put two of them (or more) together, as shown.

This looks like some kind of chinese puzzle but keep at it as it is possible. You can do it. (Excuse the little fabric hair thing that seems to have attached itself to my link.)


This is when I clean mine.


You can: 


1. Put the finished chain or individual links in pickle. 
2. Make up the entire chain and tumble it. 
Or, you can do as I do (probably not always the best advice...) which is to,
3. Hold the links in your round nose pliers and sand them with one of those painting prep sanding blocks.

Maybe this is why I'll never become a famous jeweler ...


Saying that, I use these as links, not as a chain (hence the title of this blog) - which makes them way easier to handle when cleaning. I've not made a whole chain yet as I am satisfied right now to learn what I can when I can and to know that everything will come in time. (Did I also mention the cost of sterling right now?)

I hope you, too, will enjoy your creativity and realize that you 'can' ... because, if I can, you certainly can :)

When I finally get around to cleaning these they will be fantabulous :)


Stay positive ...




Disclaimer: I am just a somebody muddling through. This is the way I do things. I am a wing it, try it, do it wrong, try again, sort of person. I do not maintain that I know what I am doing, only that I am trying to do it. Please feel free to enjoy my discoveries but follow your own research for professional advice and to perfect your skills. Above all, enjoy. Life is short.

Just in case you fancy setting up your own jewelry studio - and stuff like that.

I thought I would post some of my favourite tools from my jewelry bench. Well, it's not really a bench in the proper, jewelry bench, sense of the word, but three old tables I got from Ikea years and years ago. (Actually, they weren't old when I got them, but, you know what I mean).
I've just looked on their site and they don't seem to have the ones I have but Ikea is great for studio furniture as it's so cheap. Considering I've burnt holes in the tables and hammered marks in them, etc. etc. cheap is ideal. Some don't seem to be that sturdy, so you have to look out for that.


So on to my bench ...

There's a hammer, or two, and some files.

And, of course, there's the pliers.

The dapping block.

The disc cutter.

The table drill. I have a flex shaft, but I don't use it as much as this for drilling holes. Trouble is, it's getting a bit wobbly now and I have these visions of the drill bit snapping off and shooting into my head. I'll have to figure out how to tighten it before living on the edge starts getting a bit too nerve wracking.


And, my all time favourite, which I use all of the time, the dremel.

I have two, but someone in my house (I haven't found out who you are yet - but I will) has misplaced it. I like having two as I have one for the thin shaft holding thingy, and one for the fatter shaft holding thingy. (Yes, I'm that lazy that I can't be bothered to keep changing out that - whatever it's called. It's a little silver looking thing that sits inside the tool head and holds the bits in place.)
I would recommend getting the dremel over the flex shaft any day unless you don't have the table drill press. I think drilling holes with the dremel I have would be possible but maybe a bit awkward. I don't know as I haven't really tried it. I might have a go today just to see. In a pinch that could save my head from getting drilled. (Of course, I could always use the flex shaft, but that would be too easy ...)


This isn't everything you might need to make jewelry, and depending on what you want to make, it might be too much, but for basic silversmithing it's great.


There are some other items that I use that I don't have pictures of at the moment. Namely the saw, the torch, and the rolling mill, but you don't really need the torch if you only want to make cold connections, like rivets etc, and you can get away without using the saw if you really want to although it can be a waste of metal.


So, there you have it. Exciting eh. I love walking into my studio. On those days that I feel as though I can't be bothered to do anything it always surprises me how different I feel as soon as I open the door. It's like it's a completely different world in there.




wednesday notes:
time to get up and start moving. b's little cat, jack, is visiting with us over spring break and is disrupting the whole household. pickles hates her, wally tolerates her, and spencer completely ignores her. jack, on the other hand, lies in wait and pounces them all. willow hasn't come face to face with her yet. i can only think this is a good thing ...
i'm going into town today and when i get back b will have gone, p and s will be fishing and so n and i will be left to get up to as much mischief as we can in the studio. can't wait.


:)


i'll leave you with a pic of a sleeping jack. (no, she's not dead, she just has this weird ability to sleep as though she's fallen and broken her back.)

Happy Birthday to Me :)

I wanted to show you what I just bought myself for my birthday :)

It had my name written all over it. It's from Jenny Mendes and you can find her pottery here.


He is going to sit with this guy,

OMG, I hear you say, there's a perfect match if ever I saw one! 


But he is not made by the same potter. Tammy Marinuzzi made this one, and you can find her work here. Don't despair, she's not got a lot listed at the moment, so look at her sold stuff and check out how fun they are. When I enquired she told me she was making some more pots and will be putting them up for sale soon.


I also bought this one from her a few months ago.

I think he is my all time favourite but I'm looking forward to checking out my new one in the flesh as he just might have a contender :)


I think they will all go great together - keeping an eye on me from the mantlepiece ...




saturday notes:
p is arriving back from london this afternoon so i'm looking forward to that. i'm going out to the studio now to make some more jewelry before going to pick him up at the airport. had a good day out there yesterday with e. we ate lunch and made stuff until the biggest storm we've had in a long while passed through. i came back into the house to mucky toilets and baths and, the worse thing, standing, dirty water in the bottom of the shower. it wasn't sewage, thank goodness, and it cleaned up really easily, except the shower, which wouldn't drain. i was just about to call the water people when it cleared up all by itself! yeah to the people in charge, and it's been fine ever since. you really don't appreciate working toilets until you don't have them ...

Willow, before and after ...

We took Willow to be groomed.

Or rather, she took herself.

There's always a battle over who get's to be in charge.


And, here she is, in all her glory,

bless her heart :)


It's o.k. this way she gets to be inside more. 
With all of her hair, and her love of stinky, muddy, water ditches and lakes, she smells most of the time - and not in that nice doggy way. So, at the small cost of all her hair, she gets the best of both worlds; long runs in the puddles and mud, and a cozy spot in the house - with the t.v. control no less! Oh the power.


I actually prefer her like this. She's cute for a little while once it starts growing back in but then it all goes haywire and she looks like a big, overweight dirt ball. Not a nice look. We are always surprised at how lean and healthy she looks when she's been shaved. I must admit I miss her little top wad of hair but it's all good.


The plate is finished!

I'm not sure if I put too much black on it but I'm happy for it to go into the kiln, hopefully this weekend.
I'm interested to see how it comes out. If it's o.k. I think I'm going to go ahead and make a few more.




wednesday notes:
seems like it's been a long day. i feel tired and cold although it's 75º outside. n's made me a cup of tea and i'm thinking about just sitting here and reading my book. first i think i might list a few things on etsy, i'm always putting that off. 
tonight is american idol. i have four favourites now. joshua ledet is still up there. he is now joined by jeremy rosado, elise testone, and erika van pelt. as i was looking i realised i'd forgotton jessica sanchez. so, at least that narrows it down to five. let's see if that changes after tonight.
i must say that listening to these guys sing last week kind of put a kink in my confidence for auditioning next year. oh well ... 


now on etsy 

Plate Update and New Jewelry.

I've been slowly, but surely, glazing a plate in between making this kind of stuff,

And, this,

I feel the need to make more jewelry as I'm hoping to get into the art festival that's coming up next month, but, I really am enjoying the pottery right now.


This is how the plate started,

(Of course, I forgot to take the pic before I started painting.)

This is after the first coat.

And, this is after the second coat,

Now, all it needs is a third coat, but it will have to wait now until after we take P to the airport.

saturday notes:

will miss p while he's in england, but he will see his mum and brother - and my dad, which is good.

i have signed up for stephanie levy's creative courage course. it's a seven week course and i think it will be fun if n will do it with me. i'm hoping it will help me to take my crafts a little more seriously and push me to take more risks.

finally! i finished the hunger games trilogy. yeah. now onto murder and mayhem ...

Super Heros

Update.


I took down the video as it played each time I came to the blog, and it was getting annoying. Please watch it here if you are interested. DC Entertainment will match your gift 100%.

Save the Children.

Dr Seuss and Pasta Soup.

 Just a thought, or 30 ...


Find more here.


thursday notes:
going to make 'the soup' again tonight. it was so delicious the next day as left overs i think i might just have to eat it a lot until the novelty wears off. had chicken enchiladas last night. that was excellent also. it's the second time we've had it and it was good both times - and good as left overs. at 262 calories, you've got to love cooking light! all the flavour and none of the guilt - well not much anyway ... we had it with salad, yum!
i'm not an idol freak but i do enjoy american idol. i don't think i want to watch it three days a week though! come on people. saying that, this guy was great. my favourite so far.
off to the studio now. am painting a plate which will hopefully come out like this,

(Find it on, the things i make, here

.)

will i ever remember to make a note of the colours i used!


probably not.