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

[Former_Member]

... but you might want to make sure you know how to spell 'infinity' and 'personalized' and 'eco-friendly' before you get started.

[lsueszabo]

yay marcus!!! awesome. my views are still higher than normal and i was on the fp on 1/19. still reaping benefits i think.
so the studio was so f-ing cold that i was really kinda pissed off all day that i have to put up with this shit if i want to work. grrrr. put me in a really shitty mood but i'm snapping out of it. oh, and here was the icing on the cake- i have to schlep my tools and materials as you all know. so i have one hand full of a 50 lb bag of materials and crap, the other hand is carrying my big hand held case of hand tools- pliers, files etc. i put the hand held case down on the front hood of my car while i get my car unlocked and get the big heavy bag in- takes 2 hands for a heave-ho. this is what i do every time i leave. except tonight there was a sheet of ice on my hood and the case went sliding off the hood and landed upside down in the snow (we got about 4 inches today). OMG. so all these steel tools are in the snow and i have to go around with my hands trying to get them all- feeling around blindly. dumped about 15 prs of pliers, 30 hand files, burs, soldering stuff, miter box, all my chasing tools and so much more. i just finished taking every single thing out of the box and drying each one off. who knows if some are still in the snow. oh yeah, it's been a fun day. ha.

[Former_Member]

yuck! dumping crap in the snow is the very worse.

[lsueszabo]

yeah, expensive steel tools in the snow is the bestest ever.

[cgwhitfield]

Sue, for next time...and this is the voice of experience...a 1" rare earth magnet on the heaviest piece of iron you have and poked around in the snow does a good job of it.

But it won't happen again....

You do get the gold star for determination for working that long in that kind of cold.

[Former_Member]

That's a fact. Finally back up to jacket and space heater comfortable weather in my shop. It was miserable for a couple of weeks.

Minestrone soup time!

[lsueszabo]

oh that sounds good marcus. yum.
you're right cg- it won't happen again but that's still a good idea. i don't have a magnet like that, but maybe i should get one!
no points for me cg- weekends are when i have time available to work. gotta do it or it won't get done. not a heck of a lot of choice. i suppose i could not work but then i would have to do chores around here. haha.

[PPennee]

Marcus- on a Sat evening loads of people out and about, don't be surprised when you get a crap ton of views overnight and tomorrow before Super Bowl time- and sales.
I figure things will go one of 2 ways tomorrow- sales will happen because lots of women do not like footall and even avoid the big party or- everyone will be watching and no sales. Last year I had sales- this year, I'm betting no

[PPennee]

Bummer about that spill Sue- that sounds awful, and what lousy luck to have it happen when it is so darn cold

[cgwhitfield]

I make good use of those magnets. I always have a few hanging aronud the bench. Saved my bacon many times.

Very handy for things like tiny screws, you can just toss them near the magnet until you need them and they'll all still be there.

[lsueszabo]

yeah, hard way to get my tool box organized.
interesting about the effect of the super bowl. hadn't even considered it. will be fun to see what effect, if any, it has on views/sales etc. my sales are so sporadic that i can't draw any conclusions but i sure will be able to tell about the views.

[lsueszabo]

you convinced me that i need one.

[khmetalwork]

Sorry Sue...hope you got all your tools.

Congrats Marcus, hope it brings lots of sales.

[cgwhitfield]

Sue, I did look at that 'competition'. I guess I really do have too much to do,

Were I more ambitious, or wanting affirmation, maybe. Probably hard for overachievers to understand. Underachievers, unite...

[oiseaumetalarts]

i use one of those magnets wrapped in a plastic bag to remove all bits of saw blades or whatever steel might have found ite way into my jewelry metal scrap.

[cgwhitfield]

Yes, they're indispensible when cleaning my scrap, filings, dust, a lot of which comes off the floor.

Magnet, then wash with soapy water, rinse, dry, magnet again. It's surprising how much 'dirt' and 'sand' is attracted to a magnet. I need to keep my scrap silver over a certain percentage to get a good rate. Cleaning fines is a big job, I have a lot of it.

[SToNZ]

What a disaster, Sue. That is SO something that would happen to me.

Marcus, you had perfect timing for the FP, I'd say.
I really think a lot of people shop online on Sat and Sunday nights.
I get the majority of my sales then.

Nothing like free advertising.
And amazing that the FP gets so much action when it seems a lot of us chattys never look at it.

[cgwhitfield]

The Canadian Super Bowl story seems to be those near the border trying to buy rabbit ears for old TVs to get the US TV feed to see the 'real' commercials. Which cable and satellite providers here delete to show home grown commercials.

Wacky human behaviour...

[SToNZ]

There's always a website where you can watch all of the commercials.
I'll look for it.

[SToNZ]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2013/02/01/watch-all-the-2013-super-bowl-commercials-and-...

And they are already up.

[cgwhitfield]

Thanks, Susan. The news story implied that those who didn't get the US feed would have to wait until Monday to see them, and couldn't stand to wait.

Not a big deal for me. But I do wonder when the game will take a backseat to the commercials. Hours of commercials with breaks for the game...

[SToNZ]

I am way more interested in the commercials than the game!

Watching them now...
first time a Budweiser commercial ever made me choke up.

I am noticing a recurring theme with several....
revenge of the nerds/geeks!
Really fun stuff.
Check out godaddy, Hyundai, and Audi.
Awesome. Axe is funny... "nothing beats an astronaut"

[Former_Member]

"Marcus, you had perfect timing for the FP, I'd say."

Agree Susan, but even adjusting stats for prime time, the numbers were a bit surprising to me. It is just the kind of stats I used to pour over daily, so it struck me more thaan the month-end Etsy weather report regarding the level of traffic and growth Esty has had over the last 18-24 months.

[cgwhitfield]

I will. It's slow going the the slow satellite right now.

[Former_Member]

"th.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.an"

nearly gave myself a seizure there