What is THAT?!

Look at this awesome BUG! I have no idea what kind it is, but it's wonderful! I have had a fascination with bugs and rocks my whole life.

My hubby found this little beauty in his truck. He though it was a leaf, at first, then he brought it to me, to see if I knew what it was. Nope! But I like it! If anyone knows what it is, please tell me!

This was my disaster for the day. It's a Mookaite Jasper that looks like a bloody claw. Awesome stone! So I made the bezel, got it all ready, put the stone in, pushed the bezel over and SNAP! The stone BROKE! Right at the black line at the top! It almost broke off straight, where I could have just made a new bezel for it. But NO! It left a corner on top. Oh well, them's the breaks I guess! So I'm stuck with it now.


I hope everybody had a better shop day than I did!

It's 1 AM...

and I just came in from the shop! I can stand to be out there after dark, cause it's a LOT cooler.

I had a couple of orders that had to be done today, so I can get them in the mail tomorrow. After I finished them, I made this ring.



And it wasn't fun! I had so many problems with it, and it's just a simple ring. Then when I put the stone in, the bezel was too deep. The stone wasn't cut really well, and it's not even on top, so that made it worse. I cut the bezel from 24g fine silver, after carefully measuring the stone! I guess I measured the fat side. Oh well, it's done and it's okay. Wonky, but okay.

Oh! I have a question: What the hell is the super sharp point on a burnisher for? I mean, other than scratching the crap out of whatever I'm trying so hard not to scratch! I managed not to scratch this one, but usually I dig a deep gouge in my almost finished work, and have to start all over with finishing! HATE that! I want a burnisher with a round end.

It's still hot and dry as a bone here. I so wish it would rain!

It's too HOT!

I'm melting! It was 102○F at 5 pm today. It's been that way for DAYS! I sit right in front of the A/C in my shop, and it's STILL too hot. It's hard to get any work done.

All I've done for a while is just what has to be done! It hasn't rained in I don't know how long, and everything is dried up and miserable.

You know that song "Too Cold At Home". One of the lines is "It's too hot to fish, too hot for golf, and too cold at home." Well, it's too damn hot to fish, and that's HOT, people!

I hope it's cooler where ever you are.

Website Grader

See that little box on the right? It's my grade for this blog!

I found this cool website grader in the forums at Etsy. My shop got a grade of 94! YAY! My blog didn't do so well, but who cares?

Go there and see how your shop grades. It's a helpful marketing tool and tells you what you need to change.

What a MESS!

Okay Sherice, this is for you!


I told you I'm messy and this is what it looks like. :) I'm so ashamed (but not enough to change!) If I clean it up, I can't find anything. This is probably how it would look if you could peek into my head! I'm just a messy person, and it doesn't really bother me! LOL
When I first got the shop, I couldn't work, because it was too neat and clean!
I had to make a mess so I could create!

BUT...last night, out of this mess came this! A Corundum Alexandrite and fine silver ring.
I love it and started to keep it, but then decided to list it in my shop. But if no one wants it, it does fit me! :)
It's my first prong setting, too!

Summer Colds...

SUCK!

I have a cold, and it has made me feel like crap! :( They are so much worse in the summer. The heat just seems to suck the life out of you. It has even made me a day late on a custom order, and I HATE that! I like to finish things when I say I'm going to. The customer was very understanding though, so it all worked out.

Here are the things I made for her, using her Sunstones. I LOVE Sunstone!

This pair of earrings are on my new "Almost Hoops" earwires. I really like them!
She also bought the Sunstone earrings from my previous post.

and a simple, but gorgeous, necklace,

This ring is made with a drilled bead, but you can't tell! The twisted wire is 2 strands of 18g sterling that I twisted in my new flexshaft. I LOVE that thing!!!


This is a rough Oregon Sunstone, and I really like it. I thought it would be a horror to set, but it was so easy!


and last but not least is a copper and sterling cuff bracelet that she wanted to match the Crocodile Tears earrings she bought from me earlier. I really love the design, and I'm going to add it to my shop. I love it when I challenged to come up with a new design!

I also have fallen madly in love with fine silver! It is so wonderful to work with, and it's really not that much more expensive. There's no firescale, and it cleans up gorgeously!

No More Vacation!

Well...I'm back fron "vacation" and working again. Not much though, cause sales are sloooooow right now.

I did manage to make a few new things when I wasn't goofing off! :)








And these are 5 pairs of cufflinks for a special order.

There was another turquoise ring but I gave it to a friend, and didn't take pics.

Look! I signed the rings! I decided to use my initials instead of my shop name. I may not always be Tammy's Treasure Chest, but I WILL always be T.E. even if I get a divorce! My maiden name is Ensminger! HA!