Mrs. Foster had a treasure trove of what is now probably collectable pieces.  She would let me try things on. What an impression for a little kid !

It's amazing how wearing the "right" piece of jewelry can transform how you feel.  Back then, I was sure I would grow up to be a princess.  I wonder how many of these great over-the-top 50's pieces ended up in thrift shops? 

The next piece that was indelibly imprinted into my brain was a turquoise ring my mom bought in Arizona in the early 60's.  I loved it !
I coveted it !  And one year in my teens, she gave it to me for Christmas.  Heaven !!  It had what was perhaps pyrite embedded in it.  Of course, I thought it was silver.  Unfortunately it got lost.  oh woe !

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

​Check out what others have to say on this topic.  

Andrea Ring of Amuck Design..http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.ca/
Beth Cyr of Beth Cyr Jewelry..http://www.bethcyr.com/blog

Yup !  It's Blog Carnival time with my fellow Etsymetalheads.  This months' topic features a tour of our studios.  I love looking into other silversmiths studios.   It's drool time checking out all those tools !  

I recently had a studio upgrade.  I used to do a lot of work in the house and all the "dirty" work, like soldering, in the garage.  But I slowly started taking over the garage and claiming a lot of that territory, while also complaining about any other messes in there that weren't mine.  This resulted in the creation of a new space!  My partner built me a room within the garage.  

My partner is from Germany with English as his second language.  He keeps referring to my new space as a "booth".  So I wrote that on the wall.  He split off the baseboard heater so that I can heat my "booth" without heating the whole garage.  It heats up in one minute.  By the way, doesn't everybody have a coca-cola cooler in their garage?  

Yesterday, he did some minor upgrades, which are awesome !  I can hardly wait to get in there today and work !  Each little change makes things easier for me.  The left photo shows my soldering station.  He made some changes to the ventilation system. The right photo shows the new yardstick which helps me keep all my pliers and things out of the way, but easy to reach.  This south facing window gives me excellent light.  You can't beat the sun for the best light.  By the way, this space has just been super cleaned, so isn't really representative of the chaos that happens when a project is in full swing.  

The other wall with other tools.

With all my stuff removed from the den, that freed up some space for my photo booth.  It's a big fat mess right now.  

Check out the studio spaces of my friends.  You can see I'm a lightweight in the tool department when you see what they all have ! 
​
LJBJewelry
http://laurajanebouton.blogspot.ca/2015/11/etsy-metal-blog-carnival.html
​2Roses http://jewelrytutorial.blogspot.ca/
AmuckDesign http://www.amuckdesign.blogspot.ca/
Beth Cyr http://www.bethcyr.com/blog

Thanks for stopping by ! 

I thought I would update you all on my efforts from those classes I took last month.   They were really fun and interesting to see how another teacher does the same work.  I have to say, I learned a lot, and the differences were many !  

Keum-Boo.   These has to be done with fine silver (99.9%) as opposed to sterling silver, which has a copper component.  The 22K gold leaf is burnished on with the piece warmed on a hot plate.  Very cool !  The possibilities seem endless.  

Of course, I made them asymmetrical !

Tension Set Ring

This was interesting, too.  This required no soldering at all, but the sterling had to be very thick to maintain the tension required.  This style is a little modern for my tastes, but I like it anyways !  The stone is a faceted citrine.  

I also took an online class learning to make a "boho" ring, or "saddle" ring.   This was fun and I LOVE this ring.  I used a pink tourmaline that I have been hoarding for years.  This ring is killer comfortable.  

The tourmaline is flanked by two garnets.  There were many steps and a lot of soldering to complete this ring.  A true project! 

It's Blog Carnival time with my Etsy Metalhead friends.  This months' topic is "Back To School" and talking about new techniques I have learned lately.  

  I  love going to silversmith classes.  They are really fun and informative and sometimes it is just great to get away.   More often or not, I don't use the info I've learned unless I get at it right away.  
Now that summer is over, I have some time to leave the island and think about doing other things.  I've already planned some classes to take next month.   One is the art of Keum-Boo.  This is the application of fusing 24K gold leaf onto fine silver.

I have taken a class in this before about 4 years ago, but didn't follow thru.  Maybe I will this time !  

By the way, I didn't make those earrings, I took the picture from the internet as an example.  I don't know who the artist is.  

The next class I have signed up for is "Tension Set Rings".   Once again, I have already done this, but need a little kickstart to try it in my own studio.  A tension set ring is where the stone is supported within the silver band by tension, not with a setting. 

Yes, I made this one.  

Last winter I took several classes on my road trip down the west coast of the states.  My favourite item was a micro polymer class given by Cynthia Toops.http://www.facerejewelryart.com/artist.php?id=39

Check out this link, her work is fantastic.  Here is a picture of the pendant I made for my daughter. 

This is a rendering of a drawing she did as a little 3 year old of an imaginary creature she called an "elevit".  A creature full of love, hence all the little smiling faces. This was made with little tiny "threads" that we made in many colours, from polymer clay.   This took two full days to make, so you won't be seeing anything like this is my shop !!

Check out what my other EtsyMetal pals have to say.

Laura Bouton http://laurajanebouton.blogspot.it/
Cynthia del Guidice http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.ca/

This month's Etsy Metal Blog topic is all about our favourite things.  Since my garden has absolutely exploded in flowers, then I'll talk about that.  I don't think I really really looked carefully at flowers until I started to grow them for market.  The colours and textures are amazing!   And it is all geared for SEX!.   Yup!  It's a competitive world for flowers to get those bees and other critters to become attracted to them, pollinate and reproduce.  

And then there's the foxtail lily.  (eremerus)  Why this flower isn't in every garden, I don't know.  It is easy to grow and completely over the top.   Some of mine are 7 feet tall.  

And then there's the Dutch Iris.  The best iris of them all!

This is a little sample of what I have in my garden.  These iris come in all colour combos.  Just plant the bulb, and sit back and enjoy them for a million years.  What more could you ask for?    Who knows what the bees are thinking when they fly past these! 

I fear I'm getting on a roll, so I'd best stop!  These are all the flowers that are blooming for me now, this very moment.   It's non-stop thru October!    And I've just had the pleasure of a friend dropping off a honeybee hive!   Let the show begin ! 

Check out my EtsyMetal buddies blogs here! 
http://amuckdesign.blogspot.ca/
http://creativeinclinations.blogspot.ca/
http://www.bethcyr.com/blog
http://cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.ca/
http://laurajanebouton.blogspot.it/
http://peggyfoy.com/wp/studio-log/
https://adobesol.wordpress.com/
http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.ca/

And if you have made it this far on my blog, then I'll share with you one of my most UN-favourite things.  But I won't tell you what it is. 

This month's topic is all about what other things we do besides bend over our work tables hammering, filing and saying naughty words.  

I have two things that get me outside.  One is my garden.  I grow flowers to sell at our Saturday Market in the summertime.  Anything that cuts well, I will grow!  

Here I'm all loaded and ready to go.  I pick my flowers on Friday and it takes hours!  

The second thing that gets me out of the studio is dog agility.  My dog's name is Fenton.  Sound familiar?  She is a portuguese water dog and she was such a hyper puppy that I was desperate to find an outlet to channel all her energy.  Agility was perfect!  I now know what it means when people say " a dog needs a  job".  

I call this good, clean fun!  

Check out what my other etsymetalheads have to say about their other lives, too!  
http://amuckdesign.blogspot.ca/
http://creativeinclinations.blogspot.ca/
http://www.bethcyr.com/blog/

This is the January Blog Topic with my EtsyMetal gang.  This will be short!   I don't make New Years' Resolutions anymore.  To me, it's just a way to announce what I'm NOT going to be doing!   I mean, really, how many times can I promise myself I'm going to exercise more?  

Yup!  That about sums it up.     Although, since I feel like confessing, I will admit that I did make myself a pact that once I'm awake in bed, I will NOT turn the electric blanket back on!   So far, I'm running at 50/50.

See what the other guys have to say! 
http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.ca/
http://www.evelynmarkasky.com/blog
http://beth-cyr.squarespace.com/blog/
http://nodeform.com/blogs/news

This month's topic with my Etsy Metal pals is all about self-promotion, which I have always found to be a tough thing.  Being a staunch introvert, drawing attention to myself and my crafts flies a bit in the face!   But it must be done!   And we are all living in the new era of tremendous self-promotion! We are surrounded by it.   These are the ones I have waded into.

Facebook:   This is my favourite.  I really like to snap a picture of what I am doing and send it out there.  It's really interesting to see how people react to certain pieces.   Some pieces get so much attention!  And I have sold quite often from my facebook page.  What more can you ask for?  _https://www.facebook.com/fentondesign

Pinterest:  This is supposed to be a good vehicle for promoting one's work.  I like pinterest.  I don't have a lot of time for pinterest, but I love it when my pieces get re-pinned.  Yes!   Validation!  http://www.pinterest.com/fentondesign/

Website:  I find my website is the most difficult to keep current.  As so many of my pieces are one-of-a-kind, then what is available is constantly shifting. I also have to confess that each time I add a new piece to my website, it's like a learning process all over again, fumbling my way around, accidentally rearranging pictures, resizing them, heaven only knows how that happens. !  That is one reason I don't sell from my website.  However, my website is linked to my online Etsy Shop.https://www.etsy.com/shop/fentondesign?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav


Twitter:  Tried it, hated it.  

Instagram:  I've been told to try it, that it is fun, and great for self-promotion.   I haven't gotten around to it. yet.  I can't be online ALL the time!  

See how I slipped in all those links?  For three links, it took me about 12 tries.  sigh.

Check out my Etsy Metal compatriots and see what they think about this topic!   (haha, more links)
http://bethcyr.com/blog
http://nodeform.com/blogs/news

HAD to put in some self-promoting pics! 

This is the topic of this month's EtsyMetal Blog Carnival.  What constitutes a favourite piece of jewelry is usually exactly what I am working on in the present.  I am attracted to pieces that are rather rustic and organic.   That means not perfect!   This world is not a perfect place but filled with quirks and much individuality.  I like this in my jewelry.  

I really like the bold and kind of gnarly hinges.   I love making the bezels shaped to fit the individuality of each stone.  Each piece  has to be dealt with on its' own.   No factory mass production here.  I also really like adding patination to the silver.  This calls for dipping the piece in liver of sulphur, which blackens it, then I polish it off.  But it remains in the nooks and crannies of the piece, giving it depth and a sort of antique quality.  I think this adds bigtime to its personality.  The piece cries out " I've been around for awhile and I'm staying for the duration"!    Perhaps this is why I'm drawn to styles that seem from long ago.  

I also like stones that are individual.  The above amethyst came from a local "rockhound".  It has colour variations and inclusions that to my eye make it more beautiful than the perfect production line cut amethyst. 

I also like puppies and kittens!   But that's enough for now!  Thanks for reading.    Best, Debbie

Check out what some of my fellow etsymetalheads have to say!
http://laurajanebouton.blogspot.it/
http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.ca/

This month I am writing and participating in the Etsymetal Carnival Blog.  Here we share a common topic and this time it is discussing the question of organization re: my tools, my shop, and my finished work.  
Organization:  "to be arranged in a systematic way, especially on a large scale".

This is the definition of "organized" that I choose - there were others, but this one favoured ME!

At first I thought this topic would become an exposee on my LACK of organization and the ensuing chaos.  But no !!  It isn't meant to be like that at all.  To be organized has nothing to do with chaos!  So slip into my workshop and witness how I organize and therefore know exactly where my tools are! 

I know where everything is in this possibly perceived clutter.  This is where I do my thinking, sawing, stone setting, drilling, sanding.  I sit on an office chair and wheel myself around.

I thought I was impossibly organized when I purchased these kitchen drawer inserts.  Here I keep lots of stones out so I can see them.  If they are put away out of sight, I forget I have them.  I need  to see them for inspiration to strike. 

Here's my soldering station out in the garage.  Looks like the mad professor lives here.  But check out how organized I am at keeping my serious tools clean and dry.  Under those towels and pillowcases are my rolling  mill, my bench shear and my steel block.  When my partner made this table set-up for me, I said it was too big.  Yah, right!  I exploded into the space! 

So you've seen some of my work-in-progress space.  Now what do I do to keep the finished pieces organized?   If the pieces aren't being sent off to a gallery or shop, then they are placed into a glass case in my home.

Pieces are ready to show for anyone who pays a visit to my home studio.   I keep track of each piece by taking a photo and uploading it into a program on my  ipad, with it's location and price.  I also keep a log book with a sketch of each item that is one-of-a-kind, recording the weight of the silver used, cost of the stone and my time involved and any special instructions I would need to know should I try to duplicate a similar piece. 

Are you impressed?   I am!   I'm  far more organized than I thought! 

Please visit these other blogs of my Etsymetal compatriots and see how they deal with ORGANIZATION!    Thanks for visiting, Debbie

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Laura Bracken Designs