Happy dance time!

I can re-size sterling silver rings! Doing a happy dance now! lol
These are my first three attempts:


The turquoise ring was purchased about 10 years ago at a flea market. It was a size 6 when I got it (my pinkie is a size 8) so I hammered the band out until I could wear it on my pinkie. I never wore it much because all that hammering made for one very thin ring band and plus the turquoise ring face, in my opinion, was too large for my pinkie.

The agate ring I found on eBay not long ago and it was a size 8. Again, it fit my pinkie but had a ring face too large for that finger.

The labordorite ring is my eldest sister's (Please don't tell her I was wearing it without asking. She gets a little cranky about things like that. lol) and was a size 6. Her hands are even larger than mine. She wears a size 10 pinkie.

Last night I worked on these rings. The first one I tackled was the turquoise. I snipped off the useless ring band and took the cabochon out of it's setting before soldering on a whole new band. In taking the cab out I found a surprise or two. 1) The cab was a dublet and 2) the original maker of the ring didn't bother to solder the bezel wire ends together. The ring is now a comfortable size 10.


Next I tackled the agate. This time I did not remove the cab from it's setting. I used Therm-a-Guard to protect the ring face. This was much harder to do with my mini torch, but I eventually got the band to heat up enough to take the solder. I sized it to a 11.5 that way I could, on a good day, wear it on my pointer finger and on normal days where my hands swell, I could wear it on my middle finger.


The labordorite ring I took the setting out before sizing it. I had a time matching the spliced piece to the original band because it was a full mm thicker and a smidgen wider. I just soldered it on then used the dremal tool to grind away the excess. It was sized to a 12 to fit her ring finger.



What would it have cost for me to get one of these rings re-sized locally? $30.00 - one week wait ($40.00 if it needed sized up more than just 2 sizes). Or I could send it to my sister in Illinois and (including shipping) pay $20.00 - one month wait (any size). What did it cost me to do it myself? $1.25 per ring and a couple of hours time. :)

Happy dance time indeed! lol

Wire wrapped pendant

Last night to my complete surprise I discovered that I really enjoy doing wire wrapped jewelry...

Several days ago I had finished a hand painted pendant. I had chosen to paint a dolphin scene on a turquoise bead. I liked the end result even though the colors were more muted than I preferred and I really liked how I managed to let part of the turquoise show through and become part of the miniature scene.

But I had problems with the clear acrylic sealer. The first coat went on perfect. The second coat, just as nice... but the third coat... bubbles!!! and lots of them!!! After waiting several days to make sure the sealer was thoroughly dry, I sanded out the bubbles and re-coated it. Again more bubbles!!! Now I was cranky! Again I wait for a couple of days, sand, apply another coat of sealer. Again more bubbles!!!! grrr!!!

I was ready to toss the pendant in the trash but then pure old fashioned stubbornness kicked in. I refused to throw away all that time and effort. I let the pendant cure for a week, then once again, sand, and re-coat. This time, no bubbles. About time, I thought. grumble, grumble Well I finally fixed the bubble problem but just for the record, six layers of sealer does not enhance a miniature painting, especially if it's colors are already muted. lol

As you can tell in the "after" photo, the dolphin is blurry (it's not just my old camera). It looks like you are viewing it though a clear, glass drinking tumbler. All the details that I so painstakingly added are now hidden beneath layers of sealer. sigh...

Once again, stubbornness takes over and I decide that I will finish the pendant, but I'm not going to waste my precious sterling silver sheet to make it a bezel cup. I had never done a wire wrapped piece before but decided that if I messed that up, it wouldn't be that costly of a mistake. I settled on a simple wrap with few embellishments. It was in finishing this pendant that I discovered I really enjoyed the wire wrapping process. Visions of future projects now crowd my thoughts. The pendant bead is picked out. The first subject to paint is chosen. Now all I have to do is wait for my new order of sterling silver wire to arrive. :)

I was going to go ahead and try to sell the pendant, even though I am not happy with it. I even went so far as to list it in my Artfire studio early this morning. However, this afternoon when my oldest sister came for a visit, she decided she liked it despite the obvious flaw. I took the listing down and gave her the pendant. That I'm happy with.

Parting with a new treasure

Back in May when my sisters and I were discussing whether or not we should try to sell our "treasures" online, the subject of re-sizing rings came up. My sisters and I all have large hands so when we buy a ring, 99.9% of the time we have to pay for it to be re-sized. My oldest sister (She's always has been the bossy one. lol) decided that "I" should learn to do this since she knew I wanted to learn to be a silversmith anyway and because I have a more flexible work schedule. I just smiled and nodded and said sure, knowing full well that I couldn't afford the sterling silver supplies let alone all the tools needed, and the dream would fade away like so many others I couldn't afford to act on.

She casually asks how much it would cost for the basics. Without hesitation I tell her and go on to explain the need for each tool/supply while adding that it was way beyond my meager budget. A few moments of silence follows. Then she drops the bomb: She offers to finance the whole sha-bang as long as I promise that when I finally learn, she gets free ring sizings for life. She then points out how much she actually pays every month for sizings and that in only 4 months time she would break even on her "investment". Pride being what it is, I didn't want someone, even a sister, buying my supplies so I told her I would "think" about it.

Remember that I mentioned she's the bossy one? Well couple that with my other sister egging her on, it's like trying to stop a steam roller by placing a marble in it's path when she gets an idea in her head. Needless to say, I now have the basic supplies and I'm learning as fast as I can. :)

So that brings me to "parting with a new treasure". Last night I finished working on a crazy lace agate and sterling silver pendant. I was so overjoyed. This piece, while not grade A workmanship, was good enough to list for sale. I hurriedly took some photos (had to do extra editing on them because I didn't have the proper lighting) and listed it for sale in my Artfire studio and made sure I pointed out the flaws in the workmanship.

Seconds later, I called my 3rd sister and told her to go check out my new listing. I bask in the "Oh how cool!", the "Oh I really like how you did that!" and the "Good job! I'm so proud of you!". Just as I was getting warmed up in telling her the trials and tribulations of making the piece, I notice I have new e-mail in my business account.
Multi-tasker that I am, I check my mail and see that I have sold one of my Artfire items. Woo hoo! Then I see the buyer's name and the item... I was talking to her on the phone and she just purchased the pendant!!! My sister can apparently multi-task too. I scold her, tell her she shouldn't have, and explain that now she will get to see the flaws up close and personal. She says, "But I wanted it". I stop protesting. You just can't argue with a statement like that. Trying my best to leave the sarcasm out of my voice, I thank her "for her purchase". I am grateful for that sale. Really I am.

Today, with the pendant all packaged and ready to go to the P.O. I'm experiencing seller's remorse. Yes I was willing to sell the pendant. Yes I wanted to sell it... but I wasn't ready to part with it so quickly. lol At least I know it's going to someone who will treasure it, not so much because it's a great piece of jewelry but because they know how much it means to me. It's all I could have asked for and more.

As for learning to re-size rings... I'm almost there. :)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Harry Potter series of books are very special to my children and I. My son was the one to introduce them to us. He brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone home from school and said "Mom, you just gotta read this book! It's so cool! You're gonna love it!" I couldn't imagine loving a novel my son liked but to encourage him to read more, I agreed to read the book. His youthful enthusiasm didn't stop with me. He badgered his sister until she too agreed to read it.

I'm not so sure if I feel in love with the book because it was a good read (even considering it was intended for young people) or if I feel in love with it because it became a topic that my children and I could all agree on, talk about, and enjoy at a time when they were just learning to spread their wings and forge identities separate from each other and me.

By the time we found book one, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was about to hit the market. I did what any good mom would have done... I went out and purchased the 4 book set. :) A marathon of reading soon followed and Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ron Weasley took a permanent place in our family entertainment discussions.

Over the last nine years we have anxiously awaited each new book and each new movie and the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the movie was no exception. It hit theaters this past week and just like millions of other fans, we lined up at the theater gates. I do have to say though, that if you have read the books, the movies aren't nearly as enjoyable to watch the first time. You spend too much time thinking "That wasn't how it was in the book" or "Why did they leave that part out?!?!"

This time I didn't get to watch much of the movie although I really did try. My 3 year old grandson went with us this time and just in case you don't know... 2 hours and 33 minutes is too long for a 3 year old boy to sit still and keep quiet. I spent much of my time saying "If you don't be quiet, Grandma is gonna...." lol I guess when the movie is finally released to DVD, I'll watch it again. :)

If you wanna watch the trailer you can find it on YouTube here: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Pets and owners... Who really owns whom?

Tonight as I was giving my dog his bath I was reminded of this article found on Yahoo the other day: Cats Do Control Humans, Study Finds
When I read the article I scoffed at the shear absurdity of it. Anyone who has ever brought a cat or dog into their family already knew, without a study, that the pets were the ones in control. lol True pet lovers treat their pets like 2 year old children and as such we indulge their little idiosyncrasies which allows them the power to rule our lives... and I have both a cat and dog trying to see which one of them can make me do their bidding the fastest.

My dog yips at me... I stop what I'm doing and get up to let him out. My dog "talks" to me (He sounds like Gizmo from 1984 Gremlin movie. hehe)... I stop what I'm doing and scratch his back. My dog lays his paw on top of my foot... I stop what I'm doing and bend down and pick him up for a cuddle. He makes this whimper/gurgling sound... I stop eating and give him a bit of whatever it is I have. He loves apples and carrots the most but will gladly eat anything but lettuce. He has trained me well. :)

My dog: He is an eight year old, pure bred Pekingese by the name of ET. I have him because he was the cull of a litter that was slated to be put down. He was born with a hare lip and a front leg that sets at an odd angle. My sister found him and rescued him but couldn't keep him. Despite my protests that I didn't want a dog, he came to live with me. When I first saw him I thought he was the ugliest little dog I had ever seen. It didn't take long for me to change my mind. Soon his own sweet, slightly odd personality had me thinking he was beyond adorable.

Now eight years later I can't imagine my life without him. He is now nearly blind, has a bad back that causes him to walk funny plus from time to time it goes out on him and I have to carry him around because he just can't walk on his own, a heart condition, and twice now he has had surgery to put his eye back into it's socket (sounds much yuckier than it really was).

Crybaby, my cat, is just as important to me but her personality is far more needy. It's not like she is jealous of anything or anyone that takes my attention away from her. It's more like: If I have attention to give, she needs it too.

She has been this way since the first day she showed up on my doorstep as a stray three Christmases ago. I named her Crybaby because she is a very vocal cat and does her best to "talk". She crys to get my attention. She crys when she wants a treat. She cries when I come home from work. She cries... alot. lol

She has a very gentle nature and way about her even as she is insisting that I pay her attention. Her favorite places to sleep are on my shoulder and the back of whichever chair I am sitting in. When she reaches out her paw and caresses my face, my heart just melts.

Now do you want to know what the funniest part of me owning both a cat and dog is? I'm allergic to them both! lol Year round I live with scratchy eyes and sinuses that work overtime. I have yet to find an allergy med that works without making me too sleepy to function.

P.S. ET actually liked wearing that silly costume. He pranced and preened while he had it on, then pouted when I took it off him after only 30 minutes. :)

Still learning...

Today was my day to learn about gadgets and widgets. I finally figured out how to add pics from both my Etsy shop and my ArtFire studio... It only took a couple of hours. lol


While I was doing all that, I thought it would be a good idea to fix all my banners. Then it occurred to me that most of you have no idea that I paint as well. The banner I've chosen is a very small portion of a large mural I was commissioned to paint last summer for a library.

Every element in the mural has something to do with a children's book or story... except for the barn. That I added just because it reminded me of the farm I grew up on. :)

Well it's time I went to bed. I have to be up in a few hours to get ready for work.

Learning more than I wanted to know

I feel like I have been plucked from my own safe world of balloons and online chats and dumped haphazard into an alien world of SEO, RSS, CPSIA, Googles, Twitters, Facebooks, and Blogs. I spend all my spare time reading and it seems the more I read, the less I understand about any of it. lol All I really want to do is twist balloons and design and sell my jewelry but with all this reading (and the resulting headaches) my creativity is running at an all time low.

Then to top it off, I've been fighting with a sterling silver bezel setting for the last 2 days and the dang bezel setting is winning! arg!

On a happier note, I found this darling beaded pin today at DorriesBeadStuffs The workmanship is awesome!

Good morning,

These last couple of weeks have been pretty rough. I'm just recovering from a bout of bronchitis. I've missed working my weekly restaurants so no income at all, no energy, and what energy I might have had has been sapped away by the temps which soar in the 90s(F) . And don't forget the humidity. ugh! sigh ...

Just in case you don't know, I'm a full time, balloon twisting entertainer. That's not to say I'm a clown because I'm not. It takes someone really special to work as a clown and not scare the heck out of kids and adults. I don't have that gift. What I am is a balloon twister. I take the same type of balloons that a clown might use to make the one balloon dogs and swords, and turn them into some pretty awesome sculptures. (like the one on the right) If you would like to see more of what I do, here is my online balloon portfolio: Bonnie, The Balloon Lady


So, back to this past couple of weeks... Since I couldn't work my restaurant gigs (not cool to cough all over people while they are eating.), I tried to learn more about soldering sterling silver.

...I bet your thinking balloons and soldering have nothing in common. Right? lol Well lets just say that I'm an artist that expresses her creativity in a variety of mediums...

I managed to make my first, start to finish bezel cup. If I had been feeling better at the time, I would have done a happy dance. The overall workmanship wasn't that great, but I am particularly pleased with it anyway. I didnt' want to practice on my cabochons so I used one of my ocean jasper beads. You can read a bit more about this pendant here: Bonnie's first pendant

Don't know what I'm doing...

I don't know what I'm doing, but here I am. I guess you gotta start somewhere. :)