Jewelry Tool Junkie

I am completely and unapologetically addicted to making jewelry.  And eating chocolate, but that's not what this post is about.  I had a decent year of jewelry sales last year so I figured I would put the money back into Metalicious AND BUY SOME JEWELRY TOOLS.  Plus some of my vendors were having major sales so how can a girl resist a jewelry tool sale??? 

I know it sounds like an excuse but my flex shaft motor was dying.  For reals.  And I'm always looking for ways to improve my production time.  So here's what I bought:

-1 magnetic pin tumbler

-1 new pickle pot

-2 flex shafts

-2 sets of wax sheets

-1 set of inverted cone burs

And the question my sweet husband keeps asking me:  WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT ALL OF THIS STUFF???

Just between us, I'm working on getting more sales this year so that I can invest in a real studio space.  *winks*  Think I can do it?

GIVEAWAY!

I'd like to thank ALL 3 OF YOU for reading my blog. Now is your chance to win the chic Metalicious Glimpse necklace you see to your left.

What do you need to do?  Go to my Etsy shop, pick out your favorite piece and post it here in the comments.  The 35th post will win.  It's that easy.

Ready?  GO!!!

The best cure for depression is jewelry

and chocolate. and this picture I found when I googled 'depression.'

That's right people, I'm depressed. Between post-partum, 2 hospital trips in one week and now I can't walk without a limp... it's been tough going. Imagine me limping along and pushing my 3-month-old in a stroller as we walk around the city. Where are we walking? To various spine doctors (not to be confused with spin doctors, although I'm sure they are related) where I put on yet another washed out hospital gown and I show them how I can't stand up on my tippy-toes because I CAN'T FEEL MY FOOT.

You know what I hate the most? Those gowns. The color isn't flattering on ANY complexion, not to mention the fit. And how is it that no matter how tightly I tie the top, it always slides open and falls down? And how on earth does that other tie-- the one on the side-- even work? I can never find the other part to tie it to so my XXXXXL robe that is already falling off my shoulders now also reveals my underpants.

Anyway, the best medicine for me has always been chocolate, I mean making jewelry. Okay, both. (I'm a Geminii for heaven's sake). So here's my latest, inspired by the person who is my shoulder to cry on, my best go-to babysitter, my cheerleader, my mom.

Here's to you, Mom!

Wax on, wax off

No, this isn't one of my wax-carved rings. My filing & piercing class at F.I.T. is finally over.

I took the class as a way to break the monotony and hone my skills. And honestly, how hard can it be to file? I've been doing this for over 10 years, right?

Within the first two weeks I was getting Ds and Fs on my projects. I couldn't file a flat surface and keep it completely flat. And I couldn't keep a surface 90 degrees from it's side. And after filing the same thing for 3 hours in each class, your fingers numb, your eyes blurry from staring at a tiny piece of metal... and to know that I was getting Ds... I just wanted to give up. I was a terrible jeweler, what was I doing trying to make a living doing this? My work stinks. I stink.

I felt like a failure, but I also knew that I was learning a lot about myself. I learned that when I'm not 'the best' at something I will give up quickly so that I am not seen as a 'failure.' I also tend to make excuses why I'm so bad but everyone else is so good (I have a kid, I don't have time, they have plenty of time, etc.). The truth is that everyone has something that could keep them from being great at what they do. The truth is that the ones who succeed are the ones who don't give up.

And eventually, one day in the middle of a 3 hour filing torture-- I came to accept these things as part of who I am. And I embraced them. Yes, I'm not the best but I can work hard to get better. Yes, I don't have a lot of time but no one else does either-- they make time and I need to make time, too.

Today I marched in with my final project. There were a lot of mistakes but I worked really hard to make the piece, spending over 20 hours on it, and was so pleased of how far I came in the class. So I proudly handed my ring over to my teacher. A smile slowly formed as he turned it overatnd over in his hand. He pointed out the mistakes and I nodded in agreement. Then he said, "This is some really good work." Then he leaned over and wrote in his book, "A."