If you’ve been following my blog, you can continue at www.victoriasgould.com/blog . See you there!
Part 2 of Metalsmithing Projects
Project number 2 was finished on Wednesday. The lampwork cab inside the bezel shows all sorts of neat light and colors. Hope you like it!
FREE Polymer Clay Swirl Tutorial
I just published a free tutorial on jewelrylessons.com about how to make the lentil swirls. I’ve already gotten comments on it and it was just published today. Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it.
http://www.jewelrylessons.com/jewel/node/14911
Metalsmithing Class Projects
I finished my first metalsmithing project. It’s just a simple thumb ring made with fine silver. We used a double domed piece of silver wire and soldered beaded wire down the center. Then pounded, hammered, sanded and buffed it.
Project number 2 is another ring. I’m only partially started. It is showcasing a glass cab by one of my favorite people in the whole world, Lori Bouchard. If you want to see more of her work, go to www.rosesofonegarden.com and www.rosesofonegarden.etsy.com (especially if you want a cab for yourself). This is what I’ve done so far. There’s a bezel and a ring shank. Nothing’s polished yet, so you’ll still be able to see the fire scale on it.
Art and Taxes
It’s getting to be about that time again…. tax season. I have a wonderfully artistic jewelry friend who has recently become:
– A graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting, Summa Cum Laude
– an NNA certified and background checked Notary Signing Agent
– and an Enrolled Agent, federally authorized to represent taxpayers before the IRS
What’s really great is she has a art and taxes help ebook out.
http://rosesofonegarden.com/at07.html
Check it out! It’s a good and easy read with lots of helpful tips.
Scrabble Tile Tutorial
I finally finished the scrabble tile tutorial. So if you’d like to make them, the instructions are in my tutorial section of my Etsy shop at http://www.victoriasgould.etsy.com
Highlight on Books
I get a lot of questions from friends and students who want to know more about the business of jewelry like how to get started, organizing, etc. So I compiled a bunch of items that I thought should help out in that area. I also picked out some instructionals on wirework, PMC, polymer Clay, resin, etc. Hope it’s helpful!
http://astore.amazon.com/victoriasgould-20
Glassblowing
We had the most fabulous glass blower at our last meeting of the Genesee Area Bead Society (GABS). His name is Todd Thurlow and he was entertaining and informative. At the end, he asked if anyone wanted to try it. What? Play with fire? OF COURSE I tried it. I made a blop of glass with some blue in it and I’m going to one day turn it into a turtle. He, on the other had made a glorious vase with frit (crushed glass pieces) inside. And BONUS! Because I was the only one to try it, I got to keep the vase. The glass is like pyrex and is so fun to play with. It’s much different from the soft glass I use for lampwork beads.
Here’s me playing with fire! (Like the cool glasses?)
Here’s my little blop of glass — see the little tail for my turtle friend?
Here’s Todd’s vase — yes he blew the round part of the vase!
And here’s the inside of the vase — isn’t it so cool?
New — JUST FOR FUN Scrabble Tile Pendants
I just finished up a batch of reclaimed scrabble tile pendants. Boy was that fun! And it was a nice break from the wirework that I do (although I made the bails from wire). They are SO cool and really glossy. Just listed the Valentines hearts on my etsy site at www.victoriasgould.etsy.com . If you want to make these yourself, I should be done with a tutorial on it in about a week.
PART OF THE PROCESS
Here’s some photos of the scrabble tiles:
VALENTINES
A GOOD LOOK AT FRONT AND BACK
JUST A FEW MORE
I made some really cool rings from bezel trays, but for some reason the photo won’t load right.
…… and on a side note, I put up a few new things on my new adventure making shirts and scarves with bamboo fabric. I opened that at www.morningoakstudio.etsy.com
Getting the Flu!
I’ve been in denial since the weekend, but I truly think I’m getting the flu. My back aches, my head aches and my sinuses hurt — the weight of my glasses on my nose bothers it. Ugh. I was hoping to eek by this season without anything major. Oh, and my left ear is plugged up.
I had plans to finish up my tutorial on my fancy toggle, but I guess I won’t be doing that today.
I did however manage to introduce myself in a couple new forums. I was already in Creative Wire Jewelry and now I’m in Starving Artists (ok, I had been in that one for a little while, but never posted) and then I found out that about.com jewelry making has a forum too. So now I have a ton of people to talk to while I’m sick. 
