Chit Chatting into February - Chatty Metalsmiths Monthly Chat Thread

[#1]

Hey all - welcome! The more the merrier 'round these parts - we don't bite! Please just keep the rules in mind ( no calling out, play nice etc etc)

Who are we? Wanna be on the list? Click on "Discussions" and find the thread that says "Introduce Yourself" and follow the instructions there. Not on the list? It's because you haven't added your name!

AbellaBlue = Jessica
AHeronDesign=Anna
aimeepawluk = Aimee
ajjewelrydesigns = Angela
AlegraJewelry = Vicki
AlegriaDesigns = Marina
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
BrazinHussyStudio = Carol
BrendasBeadsandMore = Brenda
Brokentreasures= Amanda
Brontotheroocity= James L.
BurlapBudda=Jen K.
cabbingrough = LauraH
CGWhitfield = CG, or Cliff
CharOuellette = Char
Chrissilynn2=Chrissi
Chrissicabs=Chrissi
coldfeetstudio = Deborah
corybethy = Cory
craftysou = Soula
cutforyou = Keith Cler
DaisiemaiCreations = Janea
DaVineJewelry = Danielle
DeesumDesigns= Molly
DeirdreCunningham = Deirdre
Dharlee = Dharlee aka Debbie
DiemDesignsJewelry = Sarah Jo
DominicanLounge= Alpha
Doxallodesigns = Janice
Doxallostudio = Janice
DragonflyDreamers=Wendy
Duffy Designs= Duffy
Eklektisch = Cole
Elementaldesigns= Denise
Emerald Eyes Jewelry = Angela
EmilyWiserJewelry = Emily
Epiphany of a Dragonfly = Wanda
evelynjewelry = Evelyn
evittscreekarts= Lois
ericafreestone = Erica
EyemaginationRSB = Robin
FiliGraceJewelry = Grace
fix8ion = Tammy
FlaviaBennettDesigns = Flavia
FoldAndSpindle = Mike
FoxyGirlBoutique = Melissa
gailwilliamsjewelry=gail
GirlLovesGlitter = Lilian
happyment = Rasa
HappyTortoiseSupply = Jason
HappyTurtleDesigns = Ken
Hartleystudio = Ann
Hellfire Workshop= Michael
HRBeaDesign = Heather
InbarBareket = Inbar
InstantArtifact = Ashley
JackStones = Jack
JaneaPauline = Janea
JaneDeaux = Gabby
JaneDeauxDeLuxe = Gabby
JazznJewelry = Kathy
jdwoody=James
JelliesJewelry = Jack
JenniferCasady = Jen or Jennifer
Jewelrybysala= Lori
Jewelrytutorials = Janice
JonesingforJewelry = Carin
JooniJewelry = Yoko
Juliekirkjewellery = Julie
JudithGayleDesigns= Judy
KarlaWheelerDesign = Karla
karmahjean = Karen
KateCalcottDesigns = Kate
KBerlinMetalsmith = Berlin
KellyDesignStudios = Kelly
kiliari = Raina
KimberlyBellDesigns = Kim
KimVGlass = Kim V
KipkalinkaJewels= Christine
KitandCaboodleShop = Gayle
KriksSilver = Kristie
lamazonian = Vema
LaraLewis = Lara
LauraRoberson= Laura
lavomatique = elizabeth
LCarlsonJewelry = Liesl
LeahBestDesigns=Leah
Lilnut = Caroline
LjBjewelry=Laura Jane
LilyEmmeJewelry = Valerie
litapsilverj = Lita
Littlecherryhill = Emma
Lovebuttonsca = Laura
Loveinatangle=Nance
lsueszabo = Sue
Luxedesignworkshop = Peg
madstarsilver = Marilyn
MarcusBerknerJewelry = Marcus
MariTStudio = Marina
Markaplan = Mark
mattjohnsondesigns =Matt
Maythenwolfbane= Nicole
Metalluxe = Peg
MetalAdornments = MorganRae
MieleMelograno = Liz
MissToryDesigns = Lina
MoMoMetals = Mo
MostlyStoneware = Kathy
mizgeorge = george
novadesigns = Tess
novaofsweden = Tess
NRjewellerydesign = Nikki
OiseauMetalArts= Damon
Oldetownsmithy= Roy Dunn
oller13= Vegas
OrmanaDesign = Katya
OverThinkingIt = Bree
panterapens = Matthew
Pinkcoyotejewelry=Lee
Ppennee = Pennee
Prox = Jen
PureDichotomy = Wendy
Quite Clever Jewelry = E.B.
RadianTrace = Ronnie
Ranchiquita = Becki
RI Beach Jewelry = Paula
Ristra Ranch = Vanessa
rmddesigns = Rachel
rockaholic=Peggy
RyanQuantzStudios=Ryan
sbevisdesigns = sue
ScrapMetal = Addie
SeaglassReinvented = Korie
Seek2sustain = Francesca and Claudette
Senobar=Senobar
ShireJewelry = Lisa
SilverBlueberry = Esmeralda
SilverLinesJewelry = Jenny
SilverMade Studio = Teresa
silvermaven= Carol and Jackie
SilverspotMetalworks = Jessee J. Smith
SimpleDesignJewelry=Lisa
slathered = Sharon
StoneBeautiful = Jenn
StoneTemple = Mark
SToNZ = Susan
SugarCity = Grace
SweetOliveJewelry = Amy
SylviaAnderson= Sylvia Anderson
Taitaya= Marleena
Tattooedgrannysgoods = Joni
thebutterflygirl = Veronika
TheSilverExperience = Beth
TheSilverPearl = Mary Anne
TheSpeeceCollection = Pat
ThirteenGems=Melissa
tinkertown = Sue (tinkerSue)
TeklasTreasures = Kyra
Treasuregypsy = Darcy
TreeFrogJewelry = Sheryl
TuHu=Donna
TwoSilverMoons = Birgit
UnionStudioMetals= Michelle & Margarett
UntwistedSister=Terri
valerietyler = Valerie
verysmallbird = Heather
VillainAccessories = Brandi
VisionQuest = kim or VQ
WednesdaysDesign= Kristina (Wednesday)
WiredHeArtJewelry = Misty
wpcardenas= Wanda
xekebcustomsilver = Victoria
Zenamels = Julie
10Fold = Erica
2trickpony = Rachel
3sweetpeasjewelry = Gina

[StoneyCharms]

Goooooooooooooooooo P. O.!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/postal-launch-clothing-line-2014-223202293--politics.html

[hartleystudio]

I have a friend who is a serious collector of GJ. She and her husband collect arts and crafts furniture too...they go to all the conventions too. :)

[StoneyCharms]

i'd buy something. just 'cause. someone shows up 6 days a week on my door step and only rings when he has a package to give me.

;)

[ChrissiLynnDesigns]

Evening everyone. Just playing catch-up. Crazy day at the office. We are getting ready to have new carpet installed, which means everyone has to clean out their offices, and box up all files and remove all items off of our desks and shelves. Lots of extra work. But, the carpet should be nice, lol.

I have been cracking up at the ChuckECheese posts. I am fully convinced if DH and I ever had a child, DH would be the one insisting on going there. Not ME! Too loud and obnoxious for my taste. I still haven't forgotten my nieces b-day party at McDonalds. My ears still ring at the thought.

I'm so excited...DH went to a garage sale earier today on his way back to the office from running an errand and found the cutest little sewing cabinet, for $37! Antique and nice wood...full of sewing items. I'm giving my co-worker a lot of the thread and misc stuff, but the cabinet will be perfect for beading and it has a lid, to keep the kitties out! Whoo hoo!

I'll post pictures.

[2TrickPony]

just what I needed. more proof that the people running the po have their heads up their ......

[StoneyCharms]

heads up their... outfits?

lol.

would you prefer exon deliver your mail? ;)

[StoneyCharms]

or how about BP?

i almost typed PB. lol. they are so anonymous. lol.

[cgwhitfield]

I particularyly like the 'explore related content' section, shown in conjunction with the press release.

[2TrickPony]

the people that work for the po are awesome...the people that deliver the mail and do the actual work. the people that RUN the PO on the other hand seem to be trying to ruin the whole thing on purpose.

[2TrickPony]

I could go for some PB right now....hungry.....

[RistraRanch]

Thanks everyone for the all the information and suggestions on Vermeil. Unless I want to wander into the big city (I don't) I think I will have to send pieces out to be vermeil-ified. For those of you who have sent pieces out, can you recommend any good places (and/or warn about any bad)? I also have no idea what to expect to pay for this service, so any input on pricing would be helpful.

Bimetal sounds intriguing - I'd never heard of it before. However, with the price of everything, I would be worried my learning curve would mean ruining a bunch of expensive material. My soldering style is less than perfect (or as I like to call it, "rustic").

[cgwhitfield]

Same here, the PO people on the ground are fine. Ours is now in theory a private corporation but the previous government style of it has retained the beaurocratic nature. Really just a name change. There will be giant offices full of 'managers'.

[StoneyCharms]

links with the past are important. and not to be discarded lightly. one could say, appropriately, that the p. o. is becoming irreverent. and they are right. but on the continuum of what makes us human, we have to make sure that what is discarded is not ourselves. that we do not dispose of what makes us human.

i do think the p. o. is a part of that. 10 year from now, the p. o. will be gone. but. we will be 10 yrs closer to something else.

[Former_Member]

Although i may not personally love my PO staff, i believe it's because they got shit assignments at the end of their careers. I wicked feel bad for the older black gut working at my PO.........People still fly dixie here in earnest one their house, truck, whatever they own............that shit is shameful. i really wanna show em a map at gunpoint..........and make them point out where they effing live............and quit giving the black PO worker a hard time.........it's not like he took this job to kiss white butts...............whole thing makes me mad, cause then he treats me bad cause i happen to be white, not like i'm not embarrassed on a fairly regular basis............

[oiseaumetalarts]

Met with a guy tonight who gave me a couple chunks of mammoth ivory to use on 4 $400 knives!! Given the other makers names whe was mentioning.... im all kinds of excited to be considered in that league.

[2TrickPony]

wow Damon, that's cool!

*its in our constitution that we have a post office.
and, its just about the last place where two americans can have a discussion in private. the only way they can break into your mail is with a court order.

[Former_Member]

Grandabon, bimetal is pretty easy, just don't over solder, meaning don't put too much down, and only go up to medium solder.......i got mine from reactive metals, but it's about the same from every supplier, there are different karat finesness also, i have done all of my experimentation w/ 18K/sterling......

i can't say there is NO learning curve, but i found it much more shallow than doing sterling w/red bronze.......which i have done much more of and had more issues with.........

[Former_Member]

Awesome , Damon.........Chuck Gedraitis was like that up here as i was leaving WCC, getting very high profile in the scene here and getting props from dudes he revered..............he was finding himself in big leagues, but got a big head too.........we don't expect that of you...........

[StoneyCharms]

sounds good damon!
------
Rachel from 2TrickPony says

*its in our constitution that we have a post office.
-------

cool.

[lsueszabo]

i was a lazy ass and came home from work and took a nap. got up too late to go to the studio. plus, it's freezing and windy here- didn't feel like leaving my cozy house.
yay for the score damon.

[oiseaumetalarts]

deirdre.............head is still normal size. however bank account is swelling a bit more... for now.

[2TrickPony]

dunno if you guys saw this one:
http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/quit-your-day-job-the-paris-letters-by-janiceartship/?utm_source=et...

sorry for the long thingy.... speaking of mail

[2TrickPony]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90769379/paris-letters-12-months-of-letters-about

[Former_Member]

On p. 311, cgwhitfield from cgwhitfield says

Esme, was I wrong about the sales tax (VAT tax sort of tax) thing? Are there import fees above the sales tax and collection fees?
------------------------
Last fall I was reading up on customs a great deal because I had a wholesale order for a shop in Japan. Each country has a giant table of the rates for each of a bazillion different things. There's actually a standardized code-numbered list of items, so any countries that use that list just has to fill in their own rates.

The actual rates can vary tremendously depending on minute details and which domestic industries have the best lobbies to get protectionist tariff policies made.

For example (from Japan) a fountain pen with a clip plated in precious metal is free, but one without the precious metal is 6.6%. Nibs are free, ballpoint pen refills are 6.0%, and other pen parts are 4.1%. For non-pen items, paper tampons are free but cotton tampons are 6.5% (cotton lobby at work?). A leather watchband is 12.5%, but a leather watchband trimmed with precious metals or stones is - get this - 40%!

[hartleystudio]

At what point can you absorb a negative feedback? How many feedback do you need to keep it at 100%? Because I'm almost ready to tell someone to piss up a rope.