The finishing touch

The Flex Shaft is a great tool (if you use it and I finally am.)

The past May I took a class at The PMC Retreat at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, TN.  It was a short class that gave us an overview of how to use our Flex Shafts.  (Seems I wasn't the only one to own one and not use it.)  Ruth Greening taught the class and made up kits that included rubber wheels, sanding drums and 3-M wheels.   Basically, the class consisted of us trying out the different wheels on a scrap of copper sheet.

My favorite is the 3-M wheels.  They are rather expensive and you don't use just one.  A minimum of three wheels are used on the mandrel that is inserted into the Flex Shaft.  Luckily they last a long time.

The wheels are used progressively from the coarsest (the white) to the finest (the green) to clean and polish the metal.

Another reason I like the 3-M wheels so much is that they don't hurt your fingers if you happen to hit them.  (Unlike the sandpaper wrapped around the split mandrel.)  I'm such a klutz.  

Wide cuff bracelet

   Originally I was scheduled to take a polymer clay class on my last day at Arrowmont, but due to a family illness the class was canceled.  So, I had to make another choice for Friday and chose the Big Cuff Bracelet by Sharon Gillespie.  Since I already knew some basics about polymer, I was glad I was able to take the bracelet class instead.

    This is the bracelet that we made in class.  We cut out our rectangles and formed them on a metal bracelet mandrel.  The center piece was laid across the top of the mandrel and the side pieces were laid across the side of the mandrel (it was laying on it's side.)  I chose the orange CZ's to go with my ring.  

   We used the embeddable bezels from Metal Clay Findings.  I had used them once before and they curved the piece I used them in, but that didn't happen here.  (Maybe it was because the piece was already curved.)  My judgment on the use of the embeddable bezels is still out.  I was not able to curve the bezel over my largest stone and had to glue it in instead which is against my better judgement but so far so good.

Arrowmont Retreat

      First off, I do have internet service at the condo.  Only took me four days to figure that one out.  (Of course it was after I spent time in the library using the internet.)

        This is a bracelet done by Sharon Gillespie from Waco Texas.  Sharon was our instructor for the wide cuff bracelet.   Below is a photo of Sharon (on the right) and Gayle who is also from Texas.

    I finally took a few photos of Arrowmont.  We were so busy all week that I just didn't get around to taking many pictures.  This is a fountain on the second floor where most of the classrooms are located.  Above this fountain is a catwalk that looks down into the classrooms.

     The photo above is the resident artist gallery.  The classrooms open into this gallery.

     This place is so great.  There is definitely an artistic atmosphere and it is so peaceful.  This was the first time that PMC  held it's retreat in Tennessee.  The Senior instructors loved it and the setup of the school allowed people to come closer together.  The food was pretty darn good too.  They're going to do it again in two years, and I know I'll be back.