Chatty Metalsmiths January Thread

[#1]

Here's the list. Sadly, I took Barney off (made me cry). He's the only one I definitely know won't be coming.

Abellablue – Jessica
Aheron designs- Anna
AlexSharDesigns – Gaynor
Annasjewelry – Anna
Artdi - Diana
Atlcopperworks - Karina
AutumnLeavesJewelry - Care
Bagsnstuff - Dianna
BarronDesign – Deborah
BeadsintheBelfry- Nina
BeatrizFortes - Beatriz
Bellabijoujewellery – Jaime
Bellabijoutoo – Jaime
BDDesigns - Christen
Bijoutery - Jennifer
Blackmarkettrades- Angus
Bowersstudio. - Michele
Brightstar109 – Claire
Brandianndesigns – Brandi
Cabbingrough - LauraH
CGWhitfield. - CG
Corybethy. - Cory
chrissilynn2. – Chrissi
DiemDesignsJewelry - Sarah Jo
DonnaOdesigns. – Donna
Doxollodesigns - Janice
Duffydesigns. – Duffy
Elementaldesigns - Denise
Erga. - Erga
Evelynjewelry – Evelyn
Evittscreekarts - Lois
fix8ion – Tamara
ForrestConcepts - Sarah Jo
Foxcabochons.- Rod
Gemheaven. – Jo
Getyourbone - Steve
Ggestalt. – Karin
GiftedDesigns – Sha (Shannon)
Goldenwatercreations - Jeanne
Greenlivingsoap – Esme
Harnessedearth _ Tom
HartleyStudio - Ann
HightowerBotanicals – Julee
HRBeaDesign. – Heather
Ikaros – Carl
Indigoflameworks - Kelly
jamauerer- Julie
JaneaPauline- Janea
JaneDeaux. – Gabby
Janedeauxdeluxe - Gabby
JazJewels - Judy
JelliesJewelry - Jack
Jewelstreet. – Aimee
johnsendelbach - John
KHMetalwork. – Karen
Kimberlybelldesigns - Kim
KimVGlass.- Kim
kitandcaboodleshop - Gayle
kitkingdesigns. - Kit
KriksSilver. – Kristie
lahainalynnjones - Lynn
LauraRoberson- Laura
LeaderofMen - Alex
Litapsilverj - Lita
Lsueszabo - Sue
Luxedesignworkshop – Peg
Marcus Berkner Jewelry - Marcus
Maythenwolfbane - Nicole
MetalLuxe. – Peg
Metalsmitten – Jess
MieleMelograno – Liz
mmemagpie- Andrea
ModernMeetsWhimsy – Courtney
Monnda - Monnda
MordentDesign.- Mike
NovaofSweden – Tess
Nrjewelerydesign – Nikki
Phantasteria. – Karin
Plunderjewelry – Lindsay
Ppennee - pennee
purplepeony. - Brenda
Redturtle – “Dragon Kitty” or Mrs. Barney
Rockaholic – Peggy
SandyToesJewelry – Lisa
SarahinFlorida – Sarah
ScarletRobin - Jen
Scrapmetal - Addie
Scrollworkdesigns. - Clarity
SilverBlueberry. - Esmeralda
SilverShedStudio – Casey
SilverMadeStudio – Teresa
Sonyarasi. - Sonya
StoneTemple - Mark
StoneyCharms. – Chris
Stonz. - Susan
TammysTreasureChest – Tammy
TheFrogsPond - Brandy
TheSilverLakeStudio – Sherry
theuglydogranch - Karen
ThirteenGems – Melissa
Tinkertown– Sue
Topshelflapidary- Henrik
TreeFrogJewelry – Sheryl
TrystingTreeFarm -Laura
TSmithDesigns – Teresa
TwistedSisterArts - Jill
TwoSilverMoons.– Birgit
yenjewelry - Nicole
2BellesBeads – Crystal
2Trickpony - Rachel

[Former_Member]

Good morning.

Interesting about the horse tooth fixation.

[Former_Member]

I went to the other thread, the one that had been moved from techniques to teams. It seems to have vanished. Anyone know what's going on?

[cgwhitfield]

Still there, Sheryl, just no action since last night.

[Former_Member]

Sheryl, it's from my beloved, now age 26, horse. The barnowner gave it to me about 2 years ago. it fell off into his food bucket. it's kind of icky really....but i love him so much and have spent 11 years with him. i think I need to do this.

he's getting very very aged at this point.

anyway,

yeah, everyone is off kilter with the new set ups?

[Former_Member]

Thanks CG

Fix8ion - I've purchased sharks teeth that have been electroplated around the top.

[LauraStasa]

Tamara, snow=pain. Enough said!

CG, I feel for you. -10 and no sun. Brrrrr!

So, I'm going to splurge on some birthday tools at OttoFrei. The rush is almost too much. They're of course business expenses but I'm so used to being painfully careful in purchasing, and often doing without. I feel a little giddy!

[EvittsCreekArts]

So whatch going to buy Laura?

[EvittsCreekArts]

Oppps "whatch" = "whatcha"

[EvittsCreekArts]

I got looking last night at some pics by other metalsmiths on flikr, and looked at some from people in my contacts, and to my supreme dismay, found a pendant that is so totally a copy of a design I've labored over for almost 18 months! I've redesigned it over and over till it was a good as I could create, and this person even went so far as to buy the lampwork bead from the exact same etsy seller! I'm so hacked. I don't see it in her etsy shop, so being as non confrontational as I am, I just feel like letting sleeping dogs lie. I'm considering taking all my pics off flikr, though. Thoughts?

[Former_Member]

ohhhhh. another idea. I'd actually love this tooth to be vermeil (sp). hmmmmm, can i just ship the buggar/tooth to the casting place? then i won't screw it up. I'm bothered by this because his poor tail is so insignificant, and I don't even believe I will get a bracelet out of it when he passes. old age is tough on everyone!

a morning smile for you.
my workshop mascot. a little bunny someone found abandoned in a yard. nails were about an inch long. it's a miracle that he wasn't eaten by a hawk or the like. we said we would foster him.....he's not going anywhere. such a sweetie.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tammyderusha/5400493429/

[EvittsCreekArts]

tamara, don't have any wisdom on the casting (still haven't done it), but that's a sweet little bunny! The little zoo near me has a lot of rescue bunnies, who have mated with the wild bunnies, so suddenly the wild bunnies are betting BIG here. With funny looking markings too, lol.

[Former_Member]

Laura - I just placed an Otto Frei order.

[cgwhitfield]

Lois, no useful thoughts from me. But I probably wouldn't change my behviour just because of the actions of others. Silver lining, maybe think of it as spreading good ideas around the land. Johnny Appleseed.

[lsueszabo]

cute bunny.
morning all.
sheryl- i've had the same thing happen to me - no doubt because of flickr. maybe you were around when i made the brooches with cutouts of vintage chairs- well, this person decided to make some similar, not exact, but used the same silhouette and did some crappy cutouts and put them on etsy. this happened about 2 wks after i put them up- coincidence? i don't think so. then my crab ring (i named that Pinch, BTW) was seen and someone copied that! this person is someone who knows me well from etsy. hers didn't have all the moving parts but it was damn close. then she had the nerve to put it on crafthaus and get all this praise for it. she's a contact on my flickr page and she left comments there on the ring, so i KNOW she saw it. i don't know what to do about this copycat bullshit but it is very troubling.

[lsueszabo]

oops, those comment were for lois, not sheryl. i need coffee.

[EvittsCreekArts]

CG, design is the hardest part of all, so when I come up with something that seems like something I can repeat, and it's something I want to keep in my shop all the time (like your anticlastic signature bracelet), I can't stand it when someone borrows so heavily.

But I bet you've been "borrowed from" a lot, with less quality results, and have perspective on this.

[EvittsCreekArts]

I do remember the chair incident, Sue. That stunk.

Yeah, reading the praise comments they get for the design, really makes me start this low growling thing while I'm at my computer. Got a few curious looks from the dog last night.

[Former_Member]

Lois - that's too bad. If it really appears to be an exact copy of your work, it might be worth contacting her. She may have used your design as a guide for learning but may not be planning to sell it.

[lsueszabo]

yeah, if that person would have used a different image of the chair, it would have at least changed it a bit. what made me mad was that it was the exact same silhouette. geez, use a different angle at least!

[cgwhitfield]

Sue, I thought I recalled seeing a midwest Modernist Team a few days ago when skipping through the first batch, and now I can't find it at least in the first 40 pages. But there was an image of that chair there too, same angle view.

Don't think I could be imagining that, and can't think of anywhere else I might have seen it.

[cgwhitfield]

Lois, pretty much everything I make for here is nothing new, just standard stuff. It's not really 'designed' stuff, and if anyone wanted to copy, feel free. If someone can make it better for less, go for it.

I do realize it's different for one-off pieces. I probably would be upset, just not sure what can be done about it. Some create, some copy.

[Former_Member]

Good morning Everyone!

[lsueszabo]

morning angus. life treating you better?

[Former_Member]

Well not really stuff just keeps piling up!

[Former_Member]

And the lack of sales doesn't help...