rhiannon_black | Entries tagged with metalsmithing

Quote of the day: The grasshopper's horn, and far off, high in the maples
The wheel of a locust slowly grinding the silence,
Under a moon waning and warn and broken,
Tired with summer. (Indian Summer, Sara Teasdale)

Our most visible resident loony called off his Koran burning. But may be reconsidering because he's been "lied to" about the proposed New York City mosque. Sandi says she's thinking of visiting her parents because she doesn't want to be in town when things start blowing up, will probably take the Star of David from her window.

( Ceaseless, insistent... )

Current Mood: artistic
Current Location: B-A-M (by the Haunted Walmart)

Quote of the day: Thus in winter stands the lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,
I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more. (What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why (Sonnet XLIII), Edna St. Vincent Millay)

Hard to believe but it's been over a month since I've posted anything here. I've meant to, just haven't gotten around to it. I'm wasting far too much time over at Facebook, playing games. Vampires, for Christ's sake. I'm playing vampires! Why? I don't know.

Art Jewelry has an article on shibuichi. Bought the issue, haven't read the article yet. Did a little web searching. Reactive Metals wants something like $4.62 a square inch for 24 gauge 25% shibuichi. Shit. I've got to get into the shibuichi business. That's some nice markup.

I've been playing with foldforming some rings and bracelets. I linefolded some copper and thought, well, it's nice but it needs something. So started linefolding some sterling to back it with. That shibuichi article got me thinking. Sterling is dull, reticulation silver is too pissy and brittle (and why foldform it anyway), brass and "bronze" are boring, brass especially. Gold is only for the big kids. Oh, but shibuichi, shibuichi would be so pretty coupled with the copper. The patina options are intriguing and--almost--endless.

But $4.62 a square inch! In what universe?

( Listen for reply... )

Current Mood: sleepy
Current Location: the old homestead

Quote of the day: The usual one in the trade, or used to be. Burglar wants a good job, plenty of Excitement and reasonable Reward, that's how it is usually read. You can say Expert Treasure-hunter instead of Burglar, if you like. Some of them do. It's all the same to us. (The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, J.R.R. Tolkien)

The week has--almost--flown by. Soon enough, too soon, it will be Sunday and I will be trying to finish up pieces for the call for entries Monday morning.

Pat, Sandi and I had a wonderful time at Blue Highway Pizza in Micanopy. We are all agreed that we'd like to do it again, and soon. Good pizza, and good service. We each had a small salad, I had one with pecans. It was yummy. We each ordered 12 inch pizzas and took boxes home. I built my own--had to have that pineapple, doncha know. Pat had the greek pizza with some sort of sausage added. Sandi had something very simple looking, looked like tomatos (sliced) on a white, cheesy background. She had them hold the garlic (I'm assuming it was raw or roasted or something). Sometimes, Sandi can be so tame or timid or something. She doesn't pour boldly.

( Let's have a little light on this! )

Current Mood: full
Current Location: my own little corner of heaven

Quote of the day: Harry struggled to keep his voice steady, even as he felt as if his insides had turned to ice. “I know you. You’re Lord Volauvent.”

“Yes! I am the one who killed your parents. I am He Who – Wait. What did you call me?” Voldemort’s eyes narrowed. (Harry's New Home, kbinnz)

I played with the studio in a box last night when I was in the studio. I have a lot to learn about photographing my stuff. At least I've made a start. If anyone else ever shows up on Sundays, I can also offer to take pictures of their stuff. It will give me loads more practice and will cause me to find different solutions than those that might work for my stuff.

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Location: B-A-M by the haunted Wal-Mart

Struck by the fact that laid is ugly in french. Oh, well, the little things that amuse me. I did not make it into class over the weekend. Tuesday evening I pulled a muscle in my left shoulder, didn't realize that it had been damaged until Wednesday morning. It was, however, on the mend. On Friday, I, in fact, raised my left arm over my head without thinking and without pain. So cool. Did something to it again on Friday, maybe accumulative little somethings. I don't know. I can pinpoint when I hurt it on Tuesday, not Friday. But oh boy howdy whatever I did Friday not only set me back but way back. I can, however, now raise my left hand to waist level. And there are long stretches without constant big dull aching aching aching pain centered on my acromion (sp) process. Woo hoo! Life is looking up. But it made the carrying of heavy tool cases and tote bags unwise. Not much I could have done. Wouldn't even have been able to saw anything at the bench pin. I need the left hand to clamp the metal down whilst the right hand saws. I could have filed and sanded. Well, filed for sure. Maybe.

Another cold front is upon us. Nothing like last week with our dips into the twenties. We're not even projected to reach freezing tonight. Close but not quite. I have fetched the poinsettias, the new scented geraniums and the curry leaf tree as well as the rosemaries into the car. If I had been feeling better I would have thought perhaps of the foil wrap still enclosing the one poinsettia this weekend whilst it drizzled. Perhaps not. I took scissors out with me and cut the wrap off and I hope that the plant didn't get too wet for too long.

Sandi and I met for brunch yesterday. It was good. And got my mind off my shoulder for long moments. And the way I sat seemed to be perfect and it eased wonderfully. When I am home I'm always asking too much of it. Even nudging the mouse to get the screen to pop back to life was too much. But we talked and caught up and ate sweet potato pancakes. I branched out--I had pepper jack on my grits. She mentioned, again, a book she has on textile techniques for metal and will try to find it for me to look at it. She said it might be next to my chain maille book which she has yet to locate and return to me. I told her about my less than satisfactory trip to Avalon and she allowed as she's had the same problems there. I mentioned that I would probably be going back to pick up some cheap 30 gauge wire. I saw a book on knitting and crocheting wire, didn't think it was worthwhile buying. And decided that I would get more out of playing around with wire and needles and crochet hooks and trying out different stitches. I think more than anything I need to get an actual feel for what wire will do using such techniques, that I will learn more, understand more that way than with a book. At least right now.

And yay oh yay oh yay oh yay! O frabjous day! Josephine Darcy updated three whole chapters tonight. And I have already read them. But only once each. You can tell I'm still not feeling well. In fact I have really begun to fade.

My false roselle is dead, brown and sere, a victim of the last deep cold. Too bad. It was an attractive plant. I hope it sees fit to spring back from the roots. I have no hopes that the scented geraniums will. Now I will have to keep an eye out for another peppermint and a robers lemon rose and such like. This time I will not settle for a snowflake rose without variegation. Oh, who am I fooling? You know I will. It still smells just as good.

I see much potting and planting in my future. Sigh. But a happy sigh. And when my shoulder is all recovered.

Current Mood: sore

Jewelry class started up again tonight. Such good big fun. I was almost on time, only twenty minutes late or so. I picked up a studio monitor form from Pat and will get it filled in and turned in tomorrow. It's so good to be back. I showed off my ingot mold and my quartz stirring rod. And I used my eight inch sawframe. I managed to lose (temporarily) the one Chased Wedge T-Fold that I have been working on to make into a brooch. I really do need to clean out my car. Anyway, I cut out more of the 18 gauge copper for the enameled/chain maille suite. I then did some filing along the strip that I cut trying to get it trued up. I still have to cut the piece into smaller pieces.

I mentioned needing to get casting grain to Karen and she's interested in going in on an order. I couldn't tell from the Hauser and Miller site but Pat says that yes I can buy gold by the pennyweight. She says that in fact I could buy silver by the pennyweight but they'd laugh at me.

Chania showed up after an hour or so of class. She says class is full but that she could possibly get special dispensation from Pat to get in. Pat says yeah sure fine. It was so good to see Chania again. I always enjoy our conversations. And she works bold. It's always good to have someone else around who is into dramatic. I mentioned the get together group and its yahoo group presence and she said to send her an invite. I'm so proud of myself, I came home and wrote the email forthwith. And when I did I found that Cree had sent in a request to join so I approved her. We now number hmmmm five I think. Chania will make us six.

Karen tells me that Olivia did show up briefly to class and will be taking class again. I'll check with her and with Holly about whether they want me to re-invite them.

Pat is so excited about the prospect of me making my own alloys. She's never done it herself. She asked if I would need a carbon crucible. I said I don't know. I have to read up more fully before I start. She does have a brand new never been used for anything crucible that we are leaving in the closet, untouched, until I find out what I need. The young 'uns won't be casting for a few weeks anyway so it wouldn't be a hardship for them.

Chania is totally enthused by the fold forming and wants me to show her how to do it. I will demonstrate next week.

I turned both Chania and Wonder Pat on to Jeff de Boer. Chania now is another fan of Skipper of Arc. I love Skipper of Arc. I want to know, and yet I'm afraid to face the truth, but I do so want to know if there is an actual Skipper body inside the armor or if he only added the head and the hands. Oh please please please please let there be a whole Skipper inside. Please.

Breck and I are signed up for a class at Petsmart. Clicker Tricker or something like that. Anyway, it's a class for learning tricks. The girl at the checkout said "make sure they show you 'Bang, you're dead.' " They also cover things like learning how to do light switches and open refrigerators (I'm not sure if I want to teach a dog how to get his or her own lunch from the fridge) and things like that. I'm sure Breck and I will have fun. The class starts on 17 January.

I am so bereft and cast adrift. The Marriage Stone hasn't updated in over a month. The most glorious Josephine Darcy sent a missive to the e-group about the status of her update way before Christmas. In it she said how she had tried to get a chappie ready and was rushing and not happy with the work. And was then about to leave on a two week vacation. But she's home now. Or supposed to be. Perhaps she was kidnapped by space aliens. That could happen anywhere, anytime. Sigh. And it's a way way way long time til the next chapter of A Summer Like None Other, I know that. Aspeninthesunlight writes wonderfully long chapters and takes immeasurable care, so I'm not complaining. I will be happy when it gets here. But the wait is hard. So, let's see, I re-read Resonance by Greengecko, mostly because I knew I hadn't read the next two stories (well, I had read part of the second story but stopped for some reason). So I re-read Resonance to get back up to speed. And then went on to Revolution. And finally got to Resolution. And it's a WIP. So I'm caught up with it. And waiting waiting waiting. Arrgh arrgh arrgh.

Oh, well. I'm sure I had more to say but can't remember it now. I went by the Indian grocery to pick up samosas but they were out, again. And they had no Punjabi mix nor any other snack that I might want to take to class. I looked at the sweets but was planning to be out running errands and didn't want to chance anyone getting sick. I took a look at the sign on the Indian restaurant. Their projected opening date is now February. We'll see. Damn but I'm jonesing for some dal.

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Location: home sweet home

It's been a bit chilly down here in sunny Florida these last few nights. We were projected to hit a low of 19 last night/early this morning but seemed not to have. I'm not complaining. It was cold enough. I didn't cover the scented geraniums. The Robers Lemon Rose and the Snowflake (ha!) Rose look okay; the Peppermint looks the worse for wear. I hope it comes back.

I was very popular with the cats last night. Moti, of course, spent most of the night under the blankets with me. Miracle tried again to join her. Moti doesn't seem to be able to accommodate her. It's funny, they cuddle all the time but under covers, Moti gets all snarly. At least I didn't get shredded. I told the monkey-faced girl that I would be quite happy to cuddle her and she slept the better part of the night under the blankets by my left shoulder. It was Moti's loss.

The Fairy Princess and I went out this afternoon. It was sunny and I could pretend it was warm. At least with the windows up and the heater going. Our scheduled trip was to Petsmart where we picked up some wet food for the cats, a couple of calendars (I picked up a beardie one as well as a BC) and Breck got a couple of snacks from the cashier. While driving over to Petsmart I remembered that the Indian restaurant had projected a 1 January re-opening. Curious to see if it were true, I drove down there to take a look. Unless they're going for a very minimalistic look--no tables or chairs--they're still not finished doing whatever. I noticed a pickup truck out front with "stuff" in it--carpenterish/handymanish type stuff.

Class starts next week--woo hoo! I am so ready. I'm going to look at Pat's schedule and possibly go over and intercept her if she has a Monday or Tuesday class and get a studio monitor form signed and turned in before the start of class. Then I can stay Wednesday night after class. It's so convenient to do that. I'll be there, I'll have dragged all my stuff in, the kiln will finally be hot enough and I'll be warmed up myself.

I will probably show off my necklace mandrel to Wonder Pat and the other crazies. Karen will probably appreciate it. And woo hoo, I do have the ingot mold and quartz stirring rod. I haven't even opened them up. I should find out if anyone wants to order anything from Hauser and Miller. I should check with Hauser and Miller to see if they sell gold casting grain by the pennyweight. I believe that Rio does.

I can't even visualize a pennyweight of anything. Trouble is, getting more gold won't do me any good because 24k gold is too soft for much applications. Sigh.

I should probably make sure to have closed toe shoes with me the night I make my ingots. It's at least an effort at safety and somewhat safer than wearing my birkenstock Arizonas. I'll need to get someone in addition to Pat to help with the project. It will take two people to melt and mix the alloy while a third is warming the ingot mold. And maybe a fourth to keep an eye on the three people with torches, crucibles and ingot molds, sort of directing traffic. Just kidding.

I wonder how difficult it will be to get the alloys mixed properly? Will the shibuichi be easier? The amounts are not so skewed (68% to 32% as opposed to 96% to 4%). And how will I know if they are well mixed? Properly mixed? I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Current Mood: cold
Current Location: gelid gainesville

Let's see. Hmmm, I also picked up an eight inch saw frame. That's going to make life big time easier. And a book on making metal beads. And wouldn't that be spiff, to make some metal beads of a size to fit with my organic, enameled beads for my "tribal" necklace. Boy howdy.

And I asked, hey, you guys know anything about tumblers and such and I got a bunch of information and am pretty much sold on getting a vibratory six quart. Only $299. The next step up is the last step up, the magnetic and that's where the money really gets real. Now I have to figure out my shot requirements. Might try both, the walnut hull with rouge and the assorted sizes of steel shot. And from time to time fellow students have odd polishing needs and I could work something out with them. But know that I won't. I'll just do it for free. Sigh. I'm too nice. What the hell kind of Capricorn am I anyway?

Life is good.

Nikki is sort of commissioning an earring sort of project. And I love a challenge. I do. I do. Amber with kumboo and also funky. Just one earring, not a pair. Asked her if she likes the earcuffs. She's loving of the earcuffs. Hmmm, now this is where my diabolical plan for making an alginate mold of an ear might come in handy. Hmmm, and I have a source for alginate, don't I, my pretty?

And let's see: so many emails I've promised, so little time. Need to send a link about The Cats' House to Bob for Martha. Need to send much jewelry knowledge to John so that he can talk jewelry smart to that girl. Need to send links to Sandi about this and that, including the addy to the yahoo group and a link to Lewton-Brain and fold forming and stuff about mokume gane and the Japanese alloys. And hell, probably need to resend to Cree and all. But at least I have this reminder to myself here. What I do with it, who knows.

And I don't know but that mood hamster doesn't look content, more pole-axed. But maybe it's just me.

Current Mood: content
Current Location: my house

But laws do change sometimes. Until then, well, a girl can dream. My sister-out-law, who shall remain nameless (Martha), is just too special. Saw her this evening last and in a little snippet of conversation we had she made it very clear that what she and Bob do is "art." Apparently, what my people and I do is some form of glorified occupational therapy. Next thing you know, they'll be giving me a really big, really blunt needle and some plastic canvas--oh, look, a bookmark. And then, who knows, maybe the same really blunt needle, some really red yarn and really big, really blunt, really wooden beads which I can string together in a really random order. All this without her having a friggin clue as to what I make.

It's too damned bad I don't work with ferric metals because then I could build my own refrigerator magnets to put up the rest of my refrigerator art.

But I'm not bitter. No, never that. Really.

I say piffle! And feh!

It's so true what Wonder Pat says about the view of the "art" world towards jewelry. It is so clearly only craft and so very easily dismissed.

Maybe I should do what everyone is urging and take my metal pieces and put them on a thingy and call them sculpture. Then I might actually produce something worthy of showing in a gallery. And I still say eff that. See, I can talk nice and proper.

Damn, if I stay at these heights I will get a nosebleed. Hmmm, that's epistaxis. I didn't learn that from freerice.com, I knew it already, but I'll be damned if I actually ever used the word before.

Now on to more important things.

The mystery remains, that of the cautionary cows. Was there cow spillage? When did it happen? Where are they now? Where were they going? Where are they hiding? Why are they hiding? It's not like the Butler Plaza area is heavily wooded and rutted with deep ravines and blind canyons. That would be differently sighted canyons. Where are the cows?

Cows, hiding in plain sight.

We dress like students, we dress like housewives, or in a suit and a tie.

Okay, and two points define a line. I have not found a third, non-linear cow caution sign. Are these two-dimensional cows? And who could make a value judgement like that? Without even knowing the cows? Do we ever really know anyone though? Isn't it pretty speciesist? I can't spell tonight. But that word wasn't on freerice.com so I don't care.

Morien, a type of helmet. Well, duh. Who doesn't know that.

Dolmen! Oh, come on.

Helminth. Well, I never used that one in a sentence before either but boy howdy I know what antihelminthic means and have used that in a sentence. Although probably only whilst talking to myself. As I always pick the most intelligent person in the room to hold a conversation with, well, you know.

And oh my God what damage hath AOL wrought. I just went to freerice.com and they no longer remember my total of like a gazillion grains of rice and they're giving me words in the dummy range. I mean "treaty," what kind of sh*t is that (another example of refined language)? Despoil? Pinnate? Do you people think I need training wheels? And why? All because I oh so foolishly clicked on that thingy that said, hey kid, want some candy oh no wait I mean there's a nifty new version of AOL and all the cool kids are doing it. Nascent? Is that a joke? Trumpery? Debridement? Detritus? Is this a vision of hell?

Fettle? Cachet? Carom?

On a brighter note, I have a necklace mandrel in the back of the Cherry Red Roadster. And a quartz stirring rod. I know, I know. I can't believe it myself. But wait--an ingot mold. Oh my God! Is this so cool? It is, I know. Just need to buy me some fine silver casting grain and a pennyweight or two of 24K gold and I'm almost there. Houston, we have shibuichi. Houston, we have shakudo. And then, mokume gane.

Mokume gane. And then the world, Pinky, the world.

I am so squee.

And Aspeninthesunlight updated A Summer Like None Other. On Christmas Eve. I mean, is this not the most excellent woman in the world. And she came through. Another excellent chapter, not like that's a surprise because when has she ever done anything less. Yes, she came through, she delivered, she made Christmas Christmas. Unlike a certain jolly old elf, who shall remain nameless (Santa) who stills owes me at least one freakin horse.

And a maine coon cat named Monty. With a Y and not an E.

Oh, and I actually managed to get some work done on one of my stories. Some writing, or at least some writing about writing. And sometimes, that's almost as good.

All in all, not a bad day.

Really.

Current Mood: bitchy
Current Location: here, wanna make something of it
Current Music: I don't know, but it sounds suspiciously like the Jaws theme

Upon finishing the leftovers, I have decided that my chana really wasn't that bad. Perhaps not my best, but definitely better than merely passable. It could have used a bit more ginger to brighten it up; the gravy was a tad thicker than it needed to be; more chopped onions and tomatos would have just made it--better. And have decided to pull out my indian cookbooks and start really cooking again. I'm getting an almost overwhelming urge to make up a pot of Vegetable Rice.

The Fairy rose has put out a bloom and it is the sweetest little thing, not even an inch across and doubled. A beautiful clear pink. I didn't notice much of a scent but it's supposed to have one.

I paid my fees on line this afternoon and I'm good to go next term. I couldn't get moving fast enough to get out the door, not in time to make it to the cashier's office before four. At least that was my fear.

Besides an overwhelming urge to make Vegetable Rice, I'm getting an almost overwhelming urge to sign up for another class. Oh, look, says I, Watercolor is still open and Malinowski's a nice guy. And it's in M-165, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hmmmm, it would get me in the studio and hmmmm, I'd be ready to go to start banging on metal once Watercolor was done for the night. Hmmmmm.

Hmmmmmm.

There are eleven seats left. I'm wondering if that means the class is in danger of being canceled. If I register now, I have to pay now. So I would rather wait until tomorrow and call the Art office and find out what they say. Watercolor might be fun. And I need to do something to increase my ability to render my jewelry designs to any extent beyond a hopeless squiggle.

I am good at those.

Karen turned to me last night and asked "have you seen the cover of the latest Art Jewelry magazine." My eyes light up and she smiles. I said, I'm going to be buying me a sinusoidal stake (still can't say it right). She said she wasn't interested in the anticlastic forming but is now all on fire to try reticulation. I allowed as how I want to try it again, too. So I see a bout of reticulation in the (relatively) near future.

Such happy thoughts.

Oh, and though I did have more metal by sheer weight and volume, Karen did have a whole passel of completed bracelets and a few pendants.

I still win.

I had the most metal--so I win.

Everybody wants me to make the t-folds into sculpture. I don't want to do that. I want to make usable things. Arrgh. Though I agree with Pat about some of the chased wedge t-folds looking like vases. I could do that. I've seen that as well. I could make little bud vase--wall hangy things.

I made an all right cholle, not the best I've ever made.

Sandi did not make it. I am not surprised. Matthew has moved out of intensive care and the icu doctor thought he could go home and get his meds there. But the other doc on the regular peds floor says noooooooooooo this kid has to stay here three more weeks.

Lauren got sick and shooed away from the hospital.

Sandi remembered a paper she needs to write and turn in really quick.

I had more stuff to write about but I don't remember what it was. I'm so tired.

The Hammock is an easy area to get lost in. Witness me, getting well not quite lost but confused.

I have to remember to get over to school tomorrow and pay my fees by four o'clock or they drop me from the class schedule and I have to try to sign up again. I don't think we're that filled up that I would be blocked but don't want to take the chance.

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Page Summary

September
Bye bye Miss American Pie
'Jewelry Club' at Blue Highway Pizza--Yum!
Metal! Metal! Metal!
Best laid plans
Woo hoo! Woo hoo! Woo hoo!
Happy New Year plus a couple days
And another thing
Art snobs, can't shoot 'em
Post-finals whatever
The final is finally done

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Page generated Jul. 4th, 2025 03:07 pm

The Journal of Rhiannon Black

If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly

Entries tagged with metalsmithing

September

Bye bye Miss American Pie

'Jewelry Club' at Blue Highway Pizza--Yum!

Metal! Metal! Metal!

Best laid plans

Woo hoo! Woo hoo! Woo hoo!

Happy New Year plus a couple days

And another thing

Art snobs, can't shoot 'em

Post-finals whatever

The final is finally done