Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A TYPICAL EVENING

I walked into my studio today with three custom orders to begin working on and a bangle to make. After seeing the shape my studio was in, I reailzed I needed to prioritize. The bangle was for a sale that I already made, so it was top priority (a few of my items are made to order) and getting that finished and packed up to mail was my main goal for the evening. I am one of those people that have to have everything pretty much straightened up around the house before I can relax and get started on things that need to be done {I know, I am a little weird}. Last night I walked into my studio and realized that it had been quite awhile since I had straightened up in there. Was there a hurricane that had rolled through Atlanta that I wasn't aware of?

This is how my studio looked when I got ready to work....my desk....



My workbench...

I mean there is just stuff everywhere...I don't even have enough room to write on anything...
so the first task was to clean...


Ok...things are somewhat organized and I can work now! On to making the bangle. The first step is to cut the low dome Sterling Silver wire and stamp it with my signature 'mb' stamp, as well as a .925 stamp, which indicates that the piece is made of sterling silver.


Next I shape the wire and file the ends to so they are flush and ready to solder together....

Once the seams are flush, it is time to solder...

Once the bangle has been solder, quenched (cooled off) and pickled (to remove the oxidation), it is time to shape the bangle on a mandrel with a leather mallet...and then hammer to give it that great texture...


Once the bangle has been shaped and hammered, it is all ready to be put in the tumbler to get polished! The tumbler is filled with steel shot, dishwashing liquid and water.


I leave the bangle in the tumbler for just over an hour to give it an amazing shine...
and voila...the bangle is done!

My task is complete and the order is packed and ready to go! The same customer also bought my
'First Chill Necklace'...one of my favorites.

Thank you Cindy...I hope you LOVE them!
Ok..going to bed now! :)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm the same way, i can't work until the space is clean.
that bracelet is beautiful!

Unknown said...

wonderful work space! thanks for sharing.

I am drooling over your metal-working area.
:)

Beautiful items, too! :)

best,

Sylvia

Lorelei Eurto said...

oh awesome! I love stealing a glimpse at the process step by step! Nice photos too! Thanks for sharing!
And yes, I'm just the same. Gotta clean before I can create. :) or else I feel all icky and discombobulated.

swell.life said...

Your pieces turned out beautifully...and so did your studio. :) Glad you survived the storm!

Abigail's Creative Journey said...

With us being on the road on our move I am going through withdrawals in making my jewelry. I can't wait to put my new workspace together in our new home. I love your workspace. And I love your work.

hello gorgeous said...

I LOVE this posting, it's true - if you have a tidy place your creativity just flows ;o)

Love the "birth" of the bangle!

hugs

hello gorgeous xxx