On the Positive Side of Things...

The June challenge of the Metal thread group involved turning a "sow's ear into a silk purse." *Open for interpretation and all that.* It was a fun challenge. I like the attitude of looking for possibilities in discarded or odd items. I might try to do more of these. It suits my brain.

What I used was a steel ball (bearing?) I found in the street. I wrapped it with silver. The silver was going to get further cleaned up after I antiqued it. But I stopped with the piece still looking a bit abused, and unpolished.



More of the Chatty Metalsmiths challenge pieces can be viewed here.

And my hero of fun..

The Stone Roots Pendant

Well I'm sending this to my mother, regardless! And being a mother, she'll be delighted. They always say, know your target audience. lol. With some audiences the bullseye is bigger than the target... the delivery being what matters. What's great is I can sit there and tell my mother everything that's wrong with this and it will add to the charm. The next "Stone Roots" pendant will be improved, but probably less appreciated.

Resolution

Its the New Year. I'm not into resolutions. Not really. Its like I look around and say I've been meaning to do that, and that, and oh yeah that. Same old same old, in other words. Like I don't know how many times "brush up on my Spanish" has made the list, though this year "organize" is there too. (I know hopeless, and "organize" on any list of mine pretty well defines that.) So this year "eat more chocolate" is there, and I bought some chocolate fudge brownie frozen yogurt to get the New Year off to a good start. *I would have put down "drink more beer" but I didn't want to get redundant.*

I have this theory, that if you pay attention to what you were into between the ages of 10 and 12, you can peg what kinda makes you click. So like, for me, since I spent those years squirreled away in a workroom, messing around with different materials like twigs and sawdust, varnish wood burning lead soldering slate and chalk and beans and peas and boxes and clay and a jigsaw and whatnot... getting a job in a public relations firm, for instance, might not meet with the happiest of conclusions. *I still have that jigsaw, by the way.* So same old same old resolutions are like a scrap book revisited. They may not take you any where new, but they can make you smile.

Another thing that sidesteps into view, is the definition of success. Which is problematic with me. Because, well, I've thought about living out of a step van and (again) as a kid drew cartoon pictures of bums. At the same time, I *adore* showers, clean clothes and sufficient heat. I like being able to buy the metal and stones and tools I want. Money abstractly is not attractive, but anyone that says it isn't important has enough heat in their dwelling. You can't diss money with blue lips.

So if I were to add a resolution targeting my definition of success? a resolution about making stuff? What would it be? Selling would be nice for sure for sure. But more than anything, I want to make great stuff. I want to sit in my work room and have fun. I want to continue to evolve.
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Here's a pic of the pendant I've been mulling over. I've finished carving it now, just needs casting. I'm still up in the air about whether to have it molded, or just make it a one-off. I think there's enough slack there for molding (you need to allow 5% shrinkage.) But. Haven't decided. It will be cast into sterling silver, and the stone is torquoise.

And here is a pic of Linda's very fun piece. *The picture doesn't do it justice at all! Plus, the wall isn't right for it. but I have cats that like dangly things. so. What can you do.* *and the flash x'd out the shadows.*

Not a Baudelaire

Whenever one is contemplating the stupidity of ones fiscal choices in ones life, (you can see the orgins of my "ones" post), Baudelaire is useful. Frankly, I feel that if anyone can achieve the originality and conceit of Baudelaire, stupe on, as it were. The guy is beautiful. A hero, without a doubt. So when I was fussing over a new batch of photos the title appeared intrinsic with this poor bastard child of Picasso.... Not a Baudelaire.

New Peace Pendant, again

This is a new version of the New Peace Pendant. (Peace being always a work in progess.) It is handcarved wax cast into silver with an old bead embellishing it.