Chatting into a New Year! January 2012 Chat Thread

[#1]

Happy New Year - Hello 2012!

Who are we? A friendly group of metalsmiths who like to talk metal,stones,techniques, and everything under the sun.

If you would like to be added to the list, hop over to this thread, follow the instructions and introduce yourself. Every month we start a new chat thread, and this is how we know who everyone is :-)

http://www.etsy.com/teams/7369/chattymetalsmiths/discuss/6774397/page/20/

We are :


AbellaBlue = Jessica
AHeronDesign=Anna
AlegraJewelry = Vicki
AlexSharDesigns = Gaynor
AlisonMooreDesigns = Ally
AmyEstelleMetalworks = Amy
anidem = Jesse
AnnealedHeart= Amanda
artdi = Diana
AZBluerockers = Mary Lou
bagsnstuff = Dianna
BeatrizFortes = Beatriz
BellaBijouJewellery = Jaime
BellaBijouToo = Jaime
bddesigns= Christen
bijoutery = Jen, Jennifer, or bijoutery
Brokentreasures= Amanda
Brontotheroocity= James L.
cabbingrough = LauraH
CGWhitfield = CG, or Cliff
CharOuellette = Char
Chrissilynn2=Chrissi
Chrissicabs=Chrissi
corybethy = Cory
cutforyou = Keith Cler
DaisiemaiCreations = Janea
DaVineJewelry = Danielle
DeirdreCunningham = Deirdre
DiemDesignsJewelry = Sarah Jo
DominicanLounge= Alpha
Doxallodesigns = Janice
Doxallostudio = Janice
Duffy Designs= Duffy
Eklektisch = Cole
Elementaldesigns= Denise
EmilyWiserJewelry = Emily
Epiphany of a Dragonfly = Wanda
evelynjewelry = Evelyn
evittscreekarts= Lois
ericafreestone = Erica
EyemaginationRSB = Robin
FiliGraceJewelry = Grace
fix8ion = Tammy
FoldAndSpindle = Mike
FoxyGirlBoutique = Melissa
gailwilliamsjewelry=gail
GirlLovesGlitter = Lilian
HappyTortoiseSupply = Jason
Hartleystudio = Ann
HRBeaDesign = Heather
InbarBareket = Inbar
JackStones = Jack
JaneaPauline = Janea
JaneDeaux = Gabby
JaneDeauxDeLuxe = Gabby
JazznJewelry = Kathy
jdwoody=James
JelliesJewelry = Jack
JenniferCasady = Jen or Jennifer
Jewelrytutorials = Janice
JonesingforJewelry = Carin
JudithGayleDesigns= Judy
KarlaWheelerDesign = Karla
karmahjean = Karen
KellyDesignStudios = Kelly
kiliari = Raina
KimberlyBellDesigns = Kim
KimVGlass = Kim V
KitandCaboodleShop = Gayle
KriksSilver = Kristie
lamazonian = Vema
LauraRoberson= Laura
LeahBestDesigns=Leah
Lilnut = Caroline
litapsilverj = Lita
Littlecherryhill = Emma
Lovebuttonsca = Laura
lsueszabo = Sue
Luxedesignworkshop = Peg
madstarsilver = Marilyn
MarcusBerknerJewelry = Marcus
Markaplan = Mark
mattjohnsondesigns =Matt
Maythenwolfbane= Nicole
Metalluxe = Peg
MieleMelograno = Liz
MissToryDesigns = Lina
MoMoMetals = Mo
MostlyStoneware = Kathy
novadesigns = Tess
novaofsweden = Tess
NRjewellerydesign = Nikki
OrmanaDesign = Katya
OverThinkingIt = Bree
Pinkcoyotejewelry=Lee
Ppennee = Pennee
PureDichotomy = Wendy
RadianTrace = Ronnie
Ranchiquita = Becki
rockaholic=Peggy
sbevisdesigns = sue
ScrapMetal = Addie
ShireJewelry = Lisa
SilverBlueberry = Esmeralda
SilverLinesJewelry = Jenny
SilverMade Studio = Teresa
silvermaven= Carol and Jackie
SilverspotMetalworks = Jessee J. Smith
StoneBeautiful = Jenn
StoneTemple = Mark
SToNZ = Susan
SugarCity = Grace
thebutterflygirl = Veronika
TheSpeeceCollection = Pat
ThirteenGems=Melissa
tinkertown = Sue (tinkerSue)
TeklasTreasures = Kyra
Treasuregypsy = Darcy
TreeFrogJewelry = Sheryl
TwoSilverMoons = Birgit
UntwistedSister=Terri
valerietyler = Valerie
verysmallbird = Heather
VillainAccessories = Brandi
VisionQuest = kim or VQ
WednesdaysDesign= Kristina (Wednesday)
wpcardenas= Wanda
Zenamels = Julie
2trickpony = Rachel
3sweetpeasjewelry = Gina

[lsueszabo]

morning everyone. happy 2012.
yep chris, isn't it great when you can make your own materials to set? that's how i feel about enamels. i like stones but none of them seem as "fun" to me as my enamel work. that's probably a minority opinion.
esme- those "cones" are done with a technique called shell forming. you need to thin the metal out as you get closer to the tail before you even start forming. then you form with hammers into a swedge block. like forming spiculums. very hard to explain in words. i bet you can find vids on shell forming and maybe an article on ganoksin.
my old metalsmithing teacher is in town and we are meeting this morning for coffee. yay! i haven't seen her in about a year. i'm excited to get her input re this new exhibition piece.

[SilverBlueberry]

I'll look for videos Sue! Thanks.

[lsueszabo]

you're welcome. you gonna try it?

[cgwhitfield]

Speaking of free material, I just dug out an old piece of Douglas fir bark, sawn as a cross-section. The two shades of light brown make a neat vertical wavy pattern running up the tree.

I'll take a pic when it gets light. Sands to a fairly smooth surface, soft but not crumbly. Just need to find a way of hardening it enough to make it practical. Shellac might do it, and leave something closer to a wood durability.

[SilverBlueberry]

I don't know. I can't picture how! But maybe teacher knows. I have class next year too. This year, I mean.

That reminds me. Has anyone ever tried granulation the etruscan way? I don't know if that's the usual way or not. I read about it in a book my parents had. They mixed small pieces of gold with charcoal powder and heated, then poured into water. It said the charcoal kept the gold pieces from sticking to each other and perfectly round balls were formed. Then they sorted by size and 'glued' the balls on a gold surface with a solution of copper oxide and some organic solution like the stuff left in a wine bottle after use. They then gently heated and the lower melting temp of the copper made it act as solder between the gold surface and the balls.

Sounds interesting!

[Former_Member]

Happy New Year - I'm looking forward to lots of Joy and Love during 2012.

I posted a question in the discussions but think it will be easily overlooked. So if you want to share you thoughts, here's a link to it.
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7369/chattymetalsmiths/discuss/9532833/

[lsueszabo]

yes, i've done traditional granulation. i used rabbit hide glue in solution with copper and some other stuff i don't remember. i took good notes but it was several yrs ago. it's tricky to keep the balls from rolling around under heat- the ":glue" doesn't work that well, let me tell ya. must be some tricks i don't know. a workshop on this from an expert granulator would be the best way to learn this technique i bet.

[SilverBlueberry]

So did you try the mixing with charcoal? Does that work?

Hmm, it makes me admire the etruscan work even more. They made the most amazing things.

[lsueszabo]

no. we made our granulation balls on a charcoal block into which i had made numerous holes. this provided the reducing atmosphere and the balls conformed to the hole shapes and came out perfectly. this can also be done in a kiln. lots of ways to do this.

[cgwhitfield]

I read about it, but went no further. Sounds like a real specialty.

I've done a 'grosser' version, making balls as Sue said, then filed granules of solder melted onto a sheet and while molten, scraping off all you can get off in a couple of swipes, spread evenly over the surface with no excess. Flux and lay out the balls, heating from underneath.

Works OK for balls maybe as small as 1.5/2mm, but it is a 'cheat'. An Etruscan would chuckle..

[SilverBlueberry]

It sounds a bit tedious. I'm not sure I want to try. ;)

[JFrancoisStudios]

Happy 2012 everyone!

[SilverBlueberry]

It's hard to imagine they worked with balls as tiny as 0.14 mm.

[kimberlybelldesigns]

We had an interesting New Year's Eve. We have several families here at the beach. A group of us decided to go to a bar up the street. A 17 year old dropped us off. He wasn't drinking. When he came back to pick us up a good old boy cop pulled him for speeding and asked him to take a breathalyzer. He handled it well and just got a warning. We felt horrible for him, but we were all able to laugh about it.

[cgwhitfield]

Hi, Jason.

Esme, the wonder is not just the small size of the stuff - before magnification - but they couldn't order tools from Rio either.

Then again, they weren't distracted by TV and PCs.....

[EvittsCreekArts]

Happy New Year! I'm stoked. I actually got my inventory etc finished this morning. I do everything with paper spreadsheets and subtotal as I go thru the year (not that hard as I don't make gobs of sales), but now that's DONE!
Now if I can just get myself to take some pics and do some new listings.....

[maythenwolfbane]

Happy New Year everyone.

[lsueszabo]

hi nicole! happy to see you here. how's it going? you done with school yet?
love to see all these faces popping in today that haven't been here that much. we hope that changes for 2012,.

[MostlyStoneware]

The police stopped me last night as well. I told them I was glad they were checking as I'd just dropped off a load of unruly party animals a 1/2 hour before.

I hoped she would make sure NO ONE left that party without a checkstop.

Love those shell forms Sue, that piece will be a true labor of love and work of art.

Bought the 2 part silicone to make the cabs this morning, that task is next on my list.

I had a great idea though but I need input from the group. I would like to find a stone from that I can use for the mold that will provide the easiest shapes for the most people to use in their designs. Any specific pictures or even stones that people can recommend are appreciated. Nothing to pricey,as they might crack in the process of making.

[lsueszabo]

kathy i'm probably not the one to ask since i don't work with stones nearly as much as others do on this thread (excepting cg of course). i would say an oval is a really nice shape, maybe 1/2-3/4 inch long?

[cgwhitfield]

A pic of Douglas Fir bark, cross-section -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34489541@N08/6613308999/in/photostream

Interesting look. Want to try hardening with shellac.

[JFrancoisStudios]

Wow, that is a neat pattern.

[maythenwolfbane]

Hi Sue! I'm done school, decided not to return next semester. There are other things that I would rather do and am starting to work my way towards them.
I am in the process of setting up my own studio.

Kathy, I am way behind on this thread. What are you doing with the stones?

[JelliesJewelry]

Very cool for bark!

[LauraStasa]

Funny! I read that as Douglas Fairbanks.

Great pattern!

Really, I haven't started drinking yet:D Just sitting here with a cup of cinnamon tea and rendering goose fat. Not exactly how I expected to spend my morning.