Extremely cool class!

Hi everyone!! I didn't forget about my blog or all my lovlies that keep me smiling with your replies :) I had a semi busy weekend. Only semi because I had a fused fine silver class. Cool thing number one..I got to use a torch! FIRE, FIRE hehe(sorry...from the old Bevis and Butthead days) The torch was just like those creme brule' torches they carry at the kitchen stores, but has alittle more umph.So after several minutes of watching the teacher with many ohhh's and ahhh's...We got to try our own . Now you have to start simple by making rings around a dowel rod and snip them into jump rings. After much ^%@@&%$#%$ I discovered I suck at making jump rings. They were always cut on an angle. I muddled through though and actually managed to link them together and get a halfway decent bracelet started.





Cool thing number two...you don't have to make just circles :) I experimented with a few shapes I'm turning into pendants later.I'm having a bit of a hysterical block right now...too much to do and where to start syndrome...




I don't know how much you all know about silver, but I am exclusive to sterling which is 92.5 % silver and the rest I believe is copper. Fine silver however is 99.9% silver. The reason we used fine silver for the class is ...it doesn't oxidize. If I were to take sterling and heat it like the fine silver, it would turn black because of the copper in it. Fine silver just gets alittle hazy from the heating. You just toss it in a tumbler and out it comes all sparkley again. I think I may have to bit the bullet and get into more fine silver...the good Lord knows I bought enough extra after class before I hit the door.(Had to get a fire brick,bench block, fine silver,a string of Apatite...) I can't seem to leave that place without spending somewhere in the $100-$200 range. When the owner sees me coming in , I'm sure she's thinking "there's the light bill paid", "there's the rent paid" ...



So I digress... Cool thing number 3... you get to hammer the poo out of it! We looked like Santa's little helpers in the back room just pounding away on our lovely (expensive) fine silver..boy what a stress reliever! Can I get a halleluia crafting sistah's??!! I need to put in an order for stainless steel shot, so I haven't tumbled the silver yet, but here is my silver goodness :)

I also made some nifty little headpins and plan on doing a little short video demo on making themif anyone has any interest. I have to talk to my sweet friend Christie at Dragonfly Lane (woot! another clickable!) and see how she makes her awesome demo's!

Well...going on 2 am here, so time for me to hit the hay. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Many happy blessings!