Tutorial Tuesday & I have met my match

I have a great tutorial for today. This one just takes the cake and I want to know if you try this.

I like to call this one - "how its done - old school" - they call it "Our Way", so I invite you to take a gander- "Our Way" by Studio Arete
(view as a full window - not full screen mind you - and simply hover your mouse over each step which will bring that step to the top of the view, and sort of hover your way through)

For shizzle my izzle you should try it. When I grow big enough, umm, you-know-whats, I'll try it too. ;-)

Now on to a recap of my little road trip on Sunday. I drove up to PA to meet up with Rina in her studio - Mike and Lisa came too.

You must know first though that Rina has a FAB-O studio space that she shares with two other metalsmiths. Their names escape me, but I met one last time and one this time - I think this time it was Kristen (??sorry if I'm wrong!). Their studio is a large comfy room with floor to ceiling windows (more or less) that let in TONS of light. The center of the room is filled with a hugeass table (yes, that is the technical term, you'd know it if you saw it) that was a former stage for a band that previously rented the space. The stage has been liften onto legs and serves as a lovely workspace. The edges of the room have various countertops (i.e, soldering station) and shelves and tables for various 'stations' - a flexshaft station, rolling mill station, etc.

You'd think with this lovely studio we'd have gotten more WORK done. Nice thought.

But we did something even better.

We talked.

And we laughed.

And a couple of us drank some nice bourbon. (Gary and Lisa!!!)

And we talked some more.


Well, when we could get a word in LISA. ;-) I truly never thought I'd meet someone who could out talk me. I have met my match. I luv her dearly.

When I first got there, I tossed my stuff down and immediately began oohing and ahhhhing over all the show and tell the studio mates left out for us. A real treat. I love seeing what other people are working on. From Kristen's heavy hammered pieces, to the lovely leafed pendant on the other workspace, to Rina's keum-bo...I just kept grabbing one after another and exclaiming "Oh WOW" and "ahhh, look at THIS!" - it was really inspiring.

Lisa and Gary arrived shortly thereafter and it was more hugs all the way around and oohing and ahhhing and catching up, and talking, and laughing, and eating, and sharing, and talking, and ohhh, MORE talking but now over the soldering station as one of us anneals....it was more moving conversation than working. But is was soooooooo great.

More than anything, it is great to be able to share with these people. They know schtuff about me and my life that I keep bottled up. And thats a good thing - to be able to share. And for it to be with people who 'get' my metalsmithing passion and can change direction on a dime to go from cutting a seat for a sapphire to commiserating about our children or aging or whatever else is going on at the moment. And then back just as quickly to how am I going to set this !($&^! raw diamond (you're not Lisa, just send the damn thing back)...and all of this amidst two different bands practicing in the background - or foreground?....

I really could not have asked for a better day. I had such a good time, I forgot to call home when I got there to let them know I arrived safely and it wasn't until I was 10 minutes on the road towards home that I realized I hadn't even taken my camera out of the bag. I damn near turned around and went back.

But remember, I did do my first ever tension setting - thanks to Gary.

That brings me to something else about these folks - They are some of the sharingyest people I know. No airs or snobbery. No secrets.

Down to earth, one for all and all for one, we're all in it together - lets share, lets succeed, kind of people.

MY kind of people.

I'm already wondering when we can get together again.

THANK YOU RINA! (and studio mates) for opening up your studio yet again to us. I miss you guys already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is always the retreat in October ya know........still a couple of spots left....

~Janice