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Been spending time on Pinterest and making inspiration and a how to file for jewelry... I have had all sorts of equipment in that enclosed deck/remodeled studio Finally I have picked a direction. Jewelry making was always my first love so this year I've made a personal commitment to follow through and regain skills. To that end, I have made a list of themes, technique, subject and needed supplies. I ordered a few supplies yesterday because... you won't believe what has been sitting waiting for me to pick a direction since I moved out here. For awhile I taught PMC [Precious Metal Clay] and enameling but gave that up with the downturn around 2008. I will keep working in the other media as I like other artists tend to have Artist ADD and hop around from one technique/media to another.

Prepped some leftover copper blanks for drilling holes:


Drilled the holes - I so dislike the cheap fasteners that are often glued on back:


I just need to file the burr and I'm waiting for etching supplies which of course, I swear I had a bottle of Ferric Chloride somewhere...


I bought a new mold to use with the PMC - it has dragonflies... very tiny ones:


I did try to etch with white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and salt with the drawing done with sharpies but it didn't do too much or I didn't wait long enough. more research needed. I did purchase a STAZEN permanent ink stamp and Ferric Chloride. The technique is simple: clean your copper, stamp the design with a rubber stamp with the STAZEN ink pad or draw with a sharpie, cover the back of the piece with tape and tape piece to a piece of foam. Let it float face down in the Ferric Chloride and agitate occasionally. Simple etching!


I put liver of sulpfur on some PMC and copper pieces to enhance patina. Those pieces just need buffing. I have stones ready to set on a few older pieces as well. I bought some micro macrame cord and plan to make some of the PMC pendants hand from a simple macrame necklace. I also purchased some ribbon, leather and chain necklaces. I felt my PMC which is 99.9% pure silver needed to have better looking necklaces than a simple rolled leather.



That was almost 2 weeks ago when we had a week of sunny days. The sun is bright after a week of rain so I hope it will be warm enough out there to do some work today. Slowly getting my mind in order to make jewelry again.

Beside etching and enameling on PMC or copper, I plan to make paper beads [I am offering a class later this spring], ceramic diffuser for essential oils, reduce my Enso images & print to be placed into pendant base with a glass piece on top. Plus work on my various necklace ideas: making chain, macrame, etc... I fell better that I now have goals in mind. I was drifting in a whirlwind of doubt and low art sales for many years.

My classes are not running so I hope this commitment to jewelry pulls me out of a creative slump although I have been working hard on the 2014 NaNoWriMo and am satisfied with that. I have started putting ideas down for a third novel and am ready to start working again on the 2015 novel. I have Spring Art Walk, the Artist Garage Sale and the NOVA school fair comming up in a month in a half...

sun is out, studio is warm, Keep Arting even if you need time to ruminate, keep arting!