Techno Dope!

Dope can mean a few things. Other than the illegal definition, it might mean less than intelligent or knowledgeable. In the popular slang of a few years ago it meant cool and desirable. In this instance - for me - it means the former. I'm absolutely sure that for some of you - it will mean the latter.

Granted, this was sent to the Orchid forum as an advertisement but it's also sooo coool that I thought I'd share. It's a moot point for me. I have no cell phone. Well, I have a disposable one for emergencies that lives in the glove compartment of my car, but that's it. No apps for me. But this one almost makes me wish.....

"Victoria Lansford announces her latest release through publishing company Spiral Publications: iMakeJewelry for the Apple iPhone.

iMakeJewelry is the ultimate app for jewelers and metalsmiths. Use it to check precious metal prices, calculate sheet, wire and wax weights, ring blank lengths, find alloy recipes and information on stones. Use it to calculate weight conversions from wax to metal, silver to gold and weight conversions from English to metric. Also included are tables for drill bit sizes and B&S gauges.

Compatible with the iPhone and the iPodTouch. Requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later. Cost is US$3.99 and is available through Apple iTunes or iPhone App Store."

Oh Saaannntaaa... Santa Baby? Got a little somein' for my stocking?

Aftermath

I think I may like this jewelry selling thing! I loove teaching, but my second attempt at selling my silver live (as opposed to cyber selling which I have *not* mastered) was so fun that I'm going to attempt it again in June. And maybe sooner if I can get in to a good show or two.

The Contemporary Crafts Market allows exhibitors to set up their booths a day in advance (quite a luxury from what I hear), so Thursday was all about building my curb appeal. And I think I did a really nice job. Of course I forgot my camera that day. And then on Friday I discovered that the batteries were dead. So I went to the store after the show and got some. But left them on my couch when I left the next morning. So... no pics. The booth was almost exactly like it looked in June with a few improvements though so hopefully these old photos will suffice. : \

The first thing to go was my hinged pendant. I only made it a few weeks ago and hadn't tired of it yet, so I was a little weepy when it chose a new owner. But she really fell in love with it - so at least I know my little pendant has gone to a good home.

Sold

Sold

The riveted rings were a huge hit. Must make more. And I'm thinking of having the shanks cast and perhaps vermeiled. Wouldn't they look pretty in gold?

Interesting thing about shows. I was blasted with tons of traffic one minute and then suddenly... silent as the tomb. I don't work on jewelry during down times so I was intermittently bored. Might have bring a chain to crochet or something simple next time. But the people watching was amazing. The get ups some folks wore was so entertaining, and the gorgeous art clothing others donned to come to the fancy craft show was inspiring.

There were 5 times as many jewelry artists there as any other craft. Par for the course I guess. The range of styles was impressive. Of course there were quite a few traditional gold and sparkly gem jewelers, dichroic glass artists, found object users (some paired with perfectly fabricated, gleaming metal and some completed in a more abstract style), beaders, enamelers and a couple of other metal clay artists.

I got great feedback and lots of oohs and aahs. The economy is still quite a deterrent to selling higher priced things but I had great custom and am most happy with my profit. I'll be going to Richmond, Virginia during Thanksgiving to visit long lost cousins who have offered to put on a home show for me, so I have to get busy right away making more pieces. And there's a shop in Burbank that is interested in carrying my work! Huzzah. So after yesterday's lounge and today's back to business/cleaning up day it's right back into the studiolo for me. No rest for the wicked!

It's Showtime!

This weekend is my big show at the Contemporary Crafts Market at the Santa Monica Civic in Santa Monica and I'm as ready as I'm ever gonna be. That doesn't meant that I think I'm ready, just that I have no time to do anything else. I think it'll be okay though. At least it will be a fun weekend.

I sure wish you Angeleans would take a little drive down to the beach side and come visit my booth. I'll be in the lobby. Miss Christine has generously offered to sit with me Friday, but I'm on my own Saturday and Sunday. That really interferes with my shopping! ;D

And as a special surprise to you all, the first person who can tell me what movie the title of this post was taken from - as well as the actor who delivered the line will win a little prezzie! It's one of my favorite movies of all time. Anonymous folks remember to include your e-mail addy in your comment.

Have a great weekend. Hope to see you! Here's a printable get in free ticket!

The Power of Choice

I just got a shipment of half drilled pearls especially to use with this pendant, and now I can't decide which color I like better. They really "feel" different to me.

Which do you like? Help me choose. I'm leaning towards one. Let's see if you agree.

Ring a Ding Ding

Finished some of those Roman/Riveted rings I started last week. I'm having a lot of fun choosing which stones to use. But drilling out the holes to fit a 16 gauge wire has been... um... challenging shall we say.

I'm using diamond coated twist drills, starting with the one with the smallest diameter on all the stones then changing to the next larger bit and doing them all again until I reach the correct size. I did fracture a couple of tourmalines before I got the hang of it. You have to drill using water as a lubricant and stop after about 20 seconds to take out the bit and clean it off so the flutes don't get clogged.

I'd actually prefer using larger gauge wire, but will have to make my own silver focal beads or look for some gem ones with big holes to start with. Which wouldn't be an easy find. I was able to get 4 ring bands out of a single 16g package of PMC3.

Here's hoping they get some attention this weekend at my show!

Weekend Eye Candy - Something Wicked This Way Comes Edition

1. Three Skull Ring 1, 2. Toothy Skull Micromosaic, 3. 410: Male, About 50 - Ossuary 14, 4. The Four Cocktail Rings Of The Apocalypse (WIP) 12, 5. Calaveras, 6. Haunted, 7. Faux stone bird skulls, 8. N565, 9. Thomas Mann, 10. skull-cufflink, 11. birdmaskskullthing3, 12. 5668DFA7, 13. frida kahlo, 14. *, 15. the tessa series - tessa with a skull, 16. Bone, skull & copper Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Oooh... Scary.... *insert B movie wind sounds here* Hope your weekend is filled with treats!

Quick and Easy

I love old Roman Rings and have always wanted to make myself one but never did. Then when I was trying to come up with a riveting project for a class, I looked at my friend Dona's hand and saw this. Well, one like it. Hers was a forged band with three brass beads riveted in place.

Perhaps taking pictures in the early morning light is not such a good thing.

So cute. So easy. I'm spending the rest of the day making more to take to my show at the Contemporary Crafts Market the first weekend of November. (Sans fabulous woven PMC paper barrel bead)

This one's mine. I drilled the first holes too low and the ring didn't fit.

I'd love to see some of you there! Click on the link above for a get in free ticket!