Just Checking In...

I haven't been making a lot of new jewelry. I can't seem to get motivated. Maybe it's the heat!

I have a lot of ideas for new jewelry, just no energy to make it. Business is so slow right now, there doesn't seem to be any point to it. I'm only selling maybe 2-3 things a week. I hope this picks up a little after summer!

I did make these earrings. I used the textured copper I got from Barrie to make the tab-style ones, and I used copper washers and my new, teeny, tiny letter stamps for the others. The letters are 1.5mm. I can barely see what they are! It's a good thing they came in a wooden box with each one clearly marked!

I think my hubby will be home in the next day or so. The hurricane is causing evacs in the Gulf. Everybody that works offshore loves hurricane season. They get sent to a hotel or back home, and still get paid. I hope some miracle happens and Gustav just disappears. Not because of offshore, but because of all the people who are in danger of losing their homes and their lives. We don't need another Katrina-style disaster!

I hope you are all safe and happy and COOL!

Have a good weekend!~

Jewelry Of The Day

I'm on Jewelry Of The Day! YAY! I saw several artists that I recognize just from their work. I didn't know about the site until I saw it over at Chris' blog, so thank you, Chris. And thank you, Eric, for having such a great place for artists to show their work!

I still don't have anything new to show you, so here's a smiling cat that my youngest found on the net. We have a lot of cat pics, but no cat!

This is how I feel today! I hope you do too!!!~

I have a website!

It's still raining here, so instead of slogging back and forth to the workshop, I worked on my website.

I really need some brutal input on how it looks, so if you will, here's a link:
http://tammystreasurechest.synthasite.com/
Be honest and tell me what needs changing or fixing or whatever. I promise you it won't hurt my feelings! I had no idea what I was doing, I just had to wing it!
Hopefully, it will help bring some sales my way. They are terribly slow right now, but it's back to school time, and I guess that's where a lot of money is going. Maybe it will pick up closer to Christmas. I can hope!

I have nothing to show you today. It's been cloudy or raining for days, so no photos. I need sunshine!!!!

I hope you all are having bright, sunshiny days!~

A New Ring

I made a ring from the 2 Books in 1 jewelry making book. I've wanted to try it ever since I bought the book, so I finally did! I really like the way it turned out.

The band is 12g sterling that I hammered and filed to give it a twiggy look. The 2 little broken branches are 14g sterling that is soldered on. I made the leaf from 20g sterling and used memory wire to stamp the design. I used 20g for the little vine that wraps around it.

I learned a new trick from that book today. Stick soldering! It was really easy, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Not much else going on around here, so I guess I'll shut-up!

Have a super fun weekend!~

Enjoying the Workshop!

I really love my workshop! I go in there and shut the door, turn on the AC, and just enjoy making things in the peace and quiet! My sons both visit regularly, just to see what I'm doing, or to talk a little. I'm in and out all day, because I don't have water yet. I do all of my LOS and pickle in the house for now.

My hubby has gone back offshore, so I'll be working everyday for a while. I worked a little while he was home because I had some orders to do, but that's all I did.

Today I made these sterling silver bangle bracelets with slider beads. I got some textured copper from Barrie Edwards, and it is so cool! I used a small piece of the leaf textured copper for one of the beads, and I stamped sterling silver for the other. They each have 2 spinning rings on them.

I really like how they turned out! Making the beads was kinda fun.

Well, I think I'll go play a little Burnout Revenge (Playstation 2) and relax. I love Playstation, because I'm only 42 you know! LOL Hubby says I'm just a big kid, but I like it that way!

You all have fun, too. Whatever you're doing!~

Finally working...

Well, I will finally get to work in my shop today! I haven't done anything because my hubby is home, but he's gone for the day, so I can do something.

I did add the pegboard and the shelves on the left. I also added the trays to the sides of the table. This is my son's art table. He got tired of it taking up all the space in his room, so I got it.

It is a crappy, gray, rainy day here. It has been raining for 2 days now. We need it, but yuck!

School started again yesterday, so it made for a gloomy first day back. Our school system decided to go to a 4 day week, because it will save thousands of dollars in electricity at the school and diesel for the buses. They will go an extra hour every day, and lose some holidays, but they're out on Mondays. I like it, but I'll be happy when this year is over. Tyler is a senior and I'm soooo glad! I don't like the new attendance rules. If a child misses 5 days in a semester without a doctor's excuse, the parents have to go to court to explain why. If they miss 6 or more, the parents spend the weekend in jail. I can see some fights with the law in my future! I can NOT stand to be told what to do! Tyler has migraine's, and I can't run him to the doctor and spend a hundred bucks everytime he gets one! He is a staight A honors student, and I don't see why it matters how many days he misses if he's making A's. I don't think it's going to be a good year! Wish me luck! LOL

I hope you are all having a great week and having fun!~

In Progress...

I'm off to a good start. This is what I have so far. I did add another cabinet to the lefthand side and put the tumbler and the drill on it. Take a good look cause it will never be this neat again! I'm not a neat worker. Usually my workspace is so messy I can't find what is right in front of me! LOL Maybe I'll be neater now that I have such a great space to work in.

I put the air conditioner in with the help of both sons. They both helped me move things in, too. I was really glad the tall one was here, he didn't need the step ladder to put the shoplight up for me. He's 6'3"!

I'll show you more when I'm through.

It Finally Got Here!!!

My building finally came yesterday! YAY! YIPPEE! WOHOO!

There was a mix up with the purchase order. The buildings for this area are supposed to be built in Arkansas, but they sent my order to south Texas! Then they had to find a driver to bring it. He got here at about 5:oopm yesterday.

It was interesting to see how he set it up. He dumped it off of the trailer, then got this motorized hand truck-forklift thing and picked up one end, added wheels, then put the forklift on the other end, and walked right to where I wanted it.

It looks tiny, but it's a 10' by 12', so it's plenty big. I have to go buy an air conditioner, because it's been over 100deg. everyday, with a heat index of about 107! I'm not working in that kind of heat!

I stepped off of my front porch this morning to go look at it, and almost stepped on a snake! I don't know who was more scared, me or the snake! I think it was a chicken snake, but he was so fast, it was hard to tell! Now he's under my house! Not good! Maybe he'll find somewhere else to go. Not in the house!

The third pic is my yard. right at the end of the house! The backyard is big but it's bordered by woods in the back, so we have snakes occasionally. It's just part of country life.

I saw a baby Anole lizard, too. He was darling! He was mostly just a head cause he was so tiny! LOL By the time I got the camera, I couldn't find him. Maybe next time.

I have to go to town and buy an A/C and more sunflower seeds for the birdies and the flying squirrels. The tiny little flying squirrels live in the tree at the corner of my porch, but they only come out at night. They are adorable, and I love to watch them. The birds are fairly used to me and will eat while I'm out there. We have Hummingbirds, Tufted Titmouse birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Nuthatches, Cedar Waxwings, and various other birds. They eat a LOT!

I guess I better go get their food, before there's a revolt!!!

Hubby comes home today, so I won't be around much for the next 2 weeks, so you guys have fun!

Later~

Arte Y Pico Award

I'm so ashamed that I'm just now doing this! I'm so forgetful and slow!

Back in June Stacie Florer at Nomadic Creations graciously awarded this blog an Arte y Pico Award...Wow! Thank you very much for the award. In order to continue the tradition, I will post the rules and the 5 blogs I nominate for this award too...

The Rules:
1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you feel deserve this award for creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter of language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award-winning blog has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has bestowed the award upon their site.
4) Both the site receiving the Award and the name of the person and their blog who has received and passed on the award on must show the link of “Arte y pico”blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) Show these rules.

I am going to deviate a bit from these rules and just post the names of the sites, since sometimes the author's don't want their names blasted all over the Internet, so here are my 5 nominee's...

1.Chris Kerr Jewelry
2. Rosa and Josie's
3.Not Your Average JoJo
4.Barrie's Jewelry World
5. Pink Zinnias

I hope you go and visit these artist's blogs today and congratulate them on a job well done!

Abstract Art in Fused Silver

I keep every little scrap of silver, so I decided to try fusing.

I put some small pieces of wire, a flat jumpring, and some little triangles of silver on a little rectangle of 20g sterling. I sprinkled it all lightly with some filing dust ( yes, I keep that, too!), then fused it together with my torch.

It looked like a little piece of abstract art, and I really liked it, but what to do with it?!

Barrie Edwards (check out her blog, she's selling textured copper!) told me how to size for a soft square ring (Thanks Barrie) and my square mandrel from Metalliferous came in yesterday, so I made a square ring, which I LOVE, and added my little piece of art to that.

The soft square ring feels great on your finger. Your finger isn't really round, so why are rings?

I started to LOS it, then couldn't decide, so I left it shiny. I really like the way it all turned out!

Selling is slow right now, but I guess that should be expected, with gas and groceries so high. I did sell the pendulum earrings and the reworked Night and Day earrings, so I'm happy.

I hope you are all happy and healthy!

Have a great weekend~