Sunday, May 29, 2011

Etsymetal Finds - Ruby

It seems I'm obsessed with rubies and all things red these days! I love the richness of the hue and how red livens up everything! Maybe it's because we have had so much rain these last few weeks or maybe it's because I'm thinking of my friends with July birthstones. Either way, here are a few of my favorite finds this week in ruby red.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Charm Swap 8 - week 8

It's hard to believe we are 8 weeks into the charm swap already! This week's progress report comes from Marcus Marguillier of The Pearl Forest. Marcus sent in a sketch of his idea as well as a photo of the pieces of his prototype in progress. He will be using sterling silver, copper and turquoise to create his charm.


And progress on my charms has come to a stop. I have been thinking that I might start over with my charm idea. I do like the detail in my photo etched prototype but the piece seems very flat to me and I would like to give it more dimension. You can see my prototype in my last post here. If you have any suggestions or ideas on what I can do to add some depth to my charm please let me know! You can post you ideas in the comments below... Until next week! ~ Michele Grady

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Spending the night in...

Last Friday night, my inlaws had my kids over night and my husband was busy with a project. This left me all alone in our very quiet house. I lit a candle, settled down with my ereader and a good book and relaxed, all by myself.



Friday, May 20, 2011

"What's New" - this week in our shops




Studio Songs - What we're listening to while we work...



Florence + the Machine
This video is amazing!!

Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi featuring Jack White

System of a Down


Papa Roach


Beastie Boys


Buke and Gass


Sea of Bees


Radiohead


Leon Russell


the Books


Linkin Park


Gogol Bordello


Clockwork Orange Soundtrack


ADELE


Mumford and Sons

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Ring a Day Opening

Ring a Day opened May 5th at Punch Gallery in Seattle! The show is part of the Society of North American Goldsmiths conference in Seattle May 26-29th.





No words can explain how excited I am to see these pictures! It looks amazing and only wish I could have been there to experience it! Congratulations to everyone!

Curators:
Colleen Baran
Kathryn Cole
Shannon Conrad
Nina Gibson
Sara Westermarck


Artists:
Ashley Akers
Sabine Amtsberg
Loren Angulo
Maria Apostolou
Erin Austin
Meg Auth
Angela Baduel-Crispin
Colleen Baran
Inbar Barbaket
Laurie Brown
Kathleen Brughelli
Maureen Brusa-Zappellini
Catherine Chandler
Kathryn Cole
Kerry Alice Collins
Shannon Conrad
Jennifer Culp
Beth Cyr
Casey Daurio
Trudie Davies
Lisa Dienst-Thomas
Nina Dinoff
Thomasin Durgin
Laura Flavin
Renee Ford
Nina Gibson
Lynne Glazzard
Natalia Gomensoro
Heather Goodwin
Lora Hart
Sarah Hood
Chris Irick
Alice Istanbul
Norsola Johnson
Sarah Loertscher
Marthe Le Van
Kate Jones
Maggie Joynt
Evelyn Markasky
Bill Martin
Marta Miguel Martínez-Soria
Denise McCoy
Alisa Miller
Danielle Miller
Carrie Nunes
Margaret O'Brien
Marta Sanchez Oms
Paul Phillips
Calan Ree
Kathryn Rierchert
Andrea Ring
Lígia Rocha
Kathi Roussel
Kest Schwartzman
Ponsawan Silas
Mike Stromberg
Rachelle Stromberg
Victoria Takahashi
Leslie Tinnaro
Su Trindle
Mary Lu Wason
Emily Watson
Sara Westermark
Dee Wilder
Jaqki Withycombe

Monday, May 16, 2011

EtsyMetal Blog Carnival 5.16.11: Pages From The Sketchbook

May's Blog Carnival is here!
The topic is:
Pages From The Sketchbook



Share a page or two from your sketchbook.
Tell us about the piece(s) or idea(s).
Have you started the piece? Did the finished piece change from the original sketch?


Make sure to read everyone's posts - You'll find out about how some of Etsy Metal's members start their fabulous designs!


Rebecca Bogan
Shirlee Grund
2Roses
Beth Cyr
Kate Jones
Erin Austin
Nodeform
Michele Grady
Elizabeth Scott
Evelyn Markasky
ArtigianoJewelBox

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Charm Swap 8 ( CS8) week 6

Keeping it short this week....the only progress update I have is my own so here it is. I have made my photo etched prototype from my sugar skull I sketched out last week. The etching came out rather well but I am not sure what I am going to do with it next...


Hopefully next week I will have more updates for you! ~ Michele Grady

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Quick Tip on Separating Discs

Separating discs are very useful in scoring metal for bending and when cutting tool steel like graver blanks.  The discs are very hard but brittle.  I use to get really nervous when using these discs to cut because I keep wanting to see if I'm cutting at my marked line or not.  Here's a quick tip that helps me a lot:

1.  First I mark what I'm cutting.
2.  As you can see, you can't get a good view through the disc.  It's like trying to drive in thick fog.

3.   I use my pliers to make a notch on the edge of the disc.  How much to break off?  If the notch goes all the way to the screw edge of the mandrel, then it's too deep.  Even with the notch, it will still cut like a new round one.
4.  Now I mount the disc back on the flex shaft after the "enhancement."

5.  See how I can see through the notched disc?  Now I can cut or score with more confidence.
6.  Another look at the modified disc at high speed.

And of course, ALWAYS wear eye protection when using separating discs.  A dust mask is highly recommended as that disc can kick up a lot of dust.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Keeping or Quitting your Day Job: 2Roses

This feature is about achieving a fundamental sense of fulfillment and purpose, of finding your place in a community of your peers. It's about sharing the truth of what it is to be an artist in the 21st century, in all of its forms. We all walk different paths in the expression of our art, yet we came together through Etsy.




As an artist, I’ve never understood the whole premise of “quit your day job”. The implication is that whatever you are doing, if it’s not art, it must be something you don’t like. The other underlying concept is that your success as an artist, and life’s destiny, will never be fulfilled as long as you do anything other than “your art”. Intellectually we can accept the idea that human beings are multidimensional creatures with multifaceted personalities. But emotionally we want to define the individual by what they do for money. Thus, by the popular yardstick, a truck driver could never be a good musician, and a doctor could never be a good jeweler. Of course there are plenty of artists in all disciplines that are living testimony to the fact that this idea is not true.

I define myself as an artist. I create. I solve problems. I make my living from my creative instincts and efforts in whatever direction I choose to apply them. This is who I am regardless of how others wish to define me. Just to be clear, I engage in multiple occupations and I enjoy them all – immensely. They pay well, are very fulfilling of spirit, and afford me great creative freedom. For me it is all interconnected – one life – one work. Thank you, I live a rich life.

I see things you can’t. I imagine and make it reality. I am a map to places you don’t know exist. I am an agent of change. This is my art. It is not the materials or media I happen to use at any given moment. Nor is it the particular discipline or field in which I choose to express myself. Why would I give all this up to live someone else’s definition of my life, my art?

There are many people who don’t particularly like their “day job”, and see the artistic life as an escape. Some who make the leap of faith that they can make a living through their art are confronted at some point with the realization that “art” has become a job like any other. Creative freedom gives way to the necessity of making a living. Artistic vision becomes blurred by the need to produce a never-ending stream of things that people will buy. This is a rude awakening for those who are chasing a dream of the artistic life that never existed. I am completely at ease with the idea that art is a business and embrace it. At any given time on any given day I slide freely from “business” to “art” and back to business. It is all interconnected – one life – one work. So, I’ll keep my day job, whatever you choose to call it.

Thanks for sharing your story, Corliss (of 2Roses). Make sure to check out their Etsy shop, 2Roses.

Friday, May 6, 2011

The Usual Suspects. A quiz for geek jewellers.

In the UK we call 'em Bench Pegs, in the US they call 'em Bench Pins, they're the focul point of your workshop. Some folk have more than one in their workshop, but each is like an extra limb to the owner and as unique as a  fingerprint. Some have flat tops like Vanilla Ice's hair style, some  have sloping shoulders.....hmmm. So here is a rogues gallery of  EtsyMetal suspects. Can you match mugshot to crime? No prizes, just  the joy of your detective skills giving you a warm, clever feeling.  Answers at the bottom.










Number 1 has freckles all over, while no.16 has an ordered spatter of freckles on one side only. No.2 has long slender prongs. No 6 has solid bulky prongs with a single purposeful groove running across...for holding wire while filing perhaps? No.9 at the end of its life, is so holey my photoshop lasso tool didn't know what path to follow at all! No.15 has an interesting slit to one side and one of those grooves...very orderly. No.17 looks like a keyhole with a baby v-slot next to it, whilst no.18 has a very raggedy edge with lots of mini grooves. No.14 has a work worn surface with a definite left-leaning slot. Neat No.7 is apparently "the most beat-up one" in the workshop....if that's beat-up, then the tidy ones must be pristine! No.11 is very clean and noble. No.4 has a tiny amount of allkinds of marks on it, interesting scars along the outer sides...I'd say No.5 was tres chic! No20's peg ends up looking about as far from immaculate as her jewellery actually is. No.19 has a peg that's a mature 10yrs old and a steel part of a fine vintage 30yrs old! No.17 has a cunning magnet on the side for holding little tool parts, whereas No3 must surely be the creme-de-la-creme of pegs, with its own clamp...now who do they all belong to?


 

 

So, is it possible to match the perp' to the crime? To visit the shops, click on the images. To find out what belongs to whom;
A1.  B2.  C16.  D20.  E6.  F4.  G15.  H11.  I9.  J17.  K14.  L8.  M10.  N12. O7.  P3.  Q5.  R13.  S19.  T18.  U21.
Original mugshot photo background prior to manipulation, courtesy of photo8.com.
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