It makes sense!

In a post (long, long, ago and far, far away) I commented on how my husband and I are mountain people.  We love to vacation in the mountains (Gatlinburg, TN to be exact.)  Beach vacations are not out of the question but not my favorite.  I don't like sand up my suit and hot, hot sun on my body (although I do like more summery weather.)  I prefer pools to the ocean as I like to know what is under me.

But for some reason, many of my pieces have a water theme.  I could never figure that one out until a customer helped me this past fall.  She asked me if I was a Pisces.  I am.  Never placed much stock in one's zodiac sign but now I'm not so sure.  It makes sense!

This is one of my favorites....... Diving for Pearls

                                                   

More than Metal Clay

I love taking classes and expanding my metal clay knowledge and skills.

But more than learning about this amazing medium, the world of metal clay has opened a world of new friends.  When I first started making jewelry, I was working out of my daughter's old bedroom (turned home studio.)  Using a few books I taught myself metal clay.  Growth doesn't happen in a vacuum so I sought out classes (which were non-existent in my area.)

My first class was in NC.  My daughter and I went to a bead store and learned how to make an S-hook out of silver clay.  (I call that my $65 S-Hook, which really cost more than that since I had to take my own clay.)  It's a wonder I didn't quit after that one!

But, I persisted and headed to Tennessee to take a  PMC Connection Certification I Course with Leslie Tieke.  It was at that class that I made my first group of friends.  There were five of us and we hailed from PA, TN and SC.  We got along so well that we got together to take the Certification II class and some of us went back to Gatlinburg two more times for PMC Connection's Metal Clay Retreat.

I've made friends (both through being a student and having students) while in Florida.  Sarah Triton (AKA Sarasota Sarah) taught a class in Photo Polymer Plate making which creates molds from drawings.  My Florida students/friends hail from Canada and Maine.

Speaking of students, several of my students from my Transit Studio classes have become good friends that I get together with often........ Ginny and Deb!  (Also it's nice to have a studio in a building that has 23 artists studios....... more friends.)

Joining a guild (I really needed to seek out others who were doing what I was doing) has really added to my growing list of metal clay friends.   Through guild meetings and classes taught by leading artists in the metal clay field, it has been easy and fun to interact with others and make new friends.

And of course, I have my online metal clay friends like Zoe Nelson.  (Who I was able to meet in person at the last PMC Conference.)

As mentioned in my previous post, I attended a couple of classes in Pittsburgh this weekend.  One with Wanaree Tanner and one with Carol Scheftic.  It was because of these classes that I added several new friends including Peyton Barrett.  "Pete" came all the way from Canada to take these classes.  She and her family are involved in metal clay, silkscreening, guided tours, jewelry making, teaching, and pewter casting among other things.  We all really enjoyed having Pete in class as she was just as crazy as the rest of us.

Pete does cultural jewelry from Newfoundland and Labrador.  She was so sweet and gave us all an Ulu  (woman's knife ) pewter cast necklace that she made.

So............ to all my old and new metal clay friends...... looking forward to more good times!

Mental Blocks

I've always been a little ditzy, but as I get older it gets worse.  It's like my mind says...... I'm done thinking.  I won't do it and you can't make me.  (Hey, that's what my last piece of jewelry told me too...... must be a conspiracy.)

That's why I do something the minute I think of it.  If I don't,  the thought will be gone and it won't get done.

There are certain things that I seem to have a mental block about.  No matter how hard I work at it, I just can't seem to remember certain things . One of those things is the order in which to use the Tri-M-ite polishing papers.  (I do remember that green is first, followed by gray, then blue.)  The papers are colored as to their coarseness.  When sanding dry clay or polishing fired clay the papers are used in order from the coarsest paper to the finest paper.  

To help you see  if you've sanded enough, it is recommended to sand in opposite directions which each paper.  In other words, sand vertically with the first paper and horizontally with the next paper.  The third paper will be used vertically and the fourth horizontally and so forth.  

At the last PMC Connection Retreat at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, TN, Ruth Greening taught a class on using the Flex Shaft.   She provided each of us with a kit that included a set of 3-M radial bristle disks.  Inside the lid of the set was a chart showing the location of each disk, it's color and it's order of use.   When I sit down to use my Flex Shaft (I don't have a Flex Shaft but I'm having a mental block to the generic name for that tool.)  I always use that chart.  

At the PMC Conference this past summer, Rio Grande gave everyone a little packet of Tri-M-ite papers with an insert that explained the coarseness and order in which to use them.  So....... following Ruth's idea, I taped that little insert to the lid of my tool box.  Bam!  One less mental block to deal with.  Now, if all those blocks were that easy to solve.