12/25/07
 I
spent much of the week working on the shop and finally have
40 pages of stones up. The Private Stock Cabochons are
the ones we are using for our own work and we have other
nice stones that we will probably just sell off. I am
sure other people have this problem. It has taken
quite a time to get our general style in order. We are
using more metals and fewer stones, but very nice ones.
Interestingly I find I am very interested in working with
black onyx. I have never really liked it that much but
the stark contrast between the onyx and the silver either
when the silver is kept bright or when it is oxidized.
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1/21/06
 We
spend a good bit of time over the weekend putting together
out lesson plan, materials list and pictures for Wildeacres.
We will be teaching there in September. We have
planned 5 projects and 2 optional projects for those who
complete the first 5. We don't want anyone to feel
pressured or left behind.
The woven bracelets are on the right. I think we
will go with a straight twill bracelet and maybe offer the
option to put liver-of-sulphur on it.
The woven pendants are to the left. You can sure
tell the difference in the pictures I take and the pictures
Don takes.
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1/19/06
Don has been working on some soldering with the wire.
He made some new wedding bands for us. They are
sterling 16 gauge twisted then flattened and soldered.
If we go to Canada, we will probably not be able to take
our big tools, so will probably spend the time doing wire
work.
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1/18/07
 For
the last few days I have been working on woven cabochon
settings. This little
rhodochrosite convinced me that a prong setting isn't right
for this type of work. The Onyx handles it a little
better, but I still prefer a different setting.
We will teach this setting at Wildacres too.
Right now I am working on a 30 x 40 Onyx cab and will do
a mixed metals setting for it.
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1/17/07
Another person we would love to study under is Dory
Brown from Futuristically Archaic. She does techniques
with spirals that are fascinating.
We are getting ready to go again. This time it
looks as if we will be going to Canada. I will have to
shut down the business portion of this Spectrum site and the
Kingfisher site as well. It just doesn't make sense to
try to sell as a temporary resident. We will just send
some current pieces to the Guild shop in Mississippi and
build jewelry as we travel.
I finished the gold and opal pendant and I
just don't think it is quite what I wanted. Silver
seems to work best for these pendants. This gold and
opal one has a moebius theme as the wire twists from place
to place.
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1/15/07
We got to take 2 classes from Loren Damewood. He
ties knots in silver and gold and we had tried to work with
him several times, but could not connect anywhere.
It was absolutely worth the wait. He is generous with
information, encouraging, and kind even in the face of what
looks like disaster.
 We learned the prolong knot and the Turk's Head.
Loren may have taught us 1% of what he knows. He has
been doing this for 26 years and his focus s amazing.
He has stretched his technique in so many directions.
When we get another chance we will try to take another class
from him.
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1/8/07
Here is another basket. I am wanting to make a lid
for it too and put it on a pendant. I tried making one
that came in and then back out and it was a mess.
However, if you don't try new things, you just won't ever
learn.
I have been thinking of making a tea strainer to see how
it would work out - of course it is a silly idea as it is
not jewelry.
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1/5/07
We have these geode slices and I have been practicing
setting them. They are each one completely different
from the others. Wonderful stones. I have some
up on the site for sale, but thinking about not putting any
more up because they turn out so well.
It is my first experience with prongs and one of the
pieces had each prong turn out a different size. I
have no clue why that happened. Just strange since I
measured. Of course, I am the one that measured, so it
is not unusual.
Have been working on more stones for the site and I am
just tired of putting them up. My hands are very sore
and I need to conserve my wrists for what is important - if
I can figure out what that is.
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We are working on the woven pieces that we will present in our class at
Wildacres. I am planning to teach a basket.
The gold one fits over my thumb,
so it is less than 1" wide.
I am planning to learn some other forms of baskets. These would be good
hanging from a leather thong as a pendant.
We worked on the "setting" for the photo to make it more of a portrait of the
pieces.
I have a lot of ideas to stretch this technique and hope that some original
things will come from this little group of baskets.
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