Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Looking back at a decade of making & blogging

I started this post two years ago - at the ten year mark - and then went about my business while this sat in draft mode. . .  and then *BAM!* I log onto the computer today to find a link to moderate a comment and see that it's now two more years - so 12 years since I began this blog. Say whaaaaaaaaat?

12 YEARS!

My first post was in July 2005: http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2005/07/chronical-of-my-design-journey.html

Quite the humble and quiet beginning.

My second post shows where I was in my jewelry making at the time:
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2005/07/some-recent-work.html

I began in wire and then progressed into metal with cold connections and then on into soldering/fabricating.

So this means I stumbled into jewelry making about 13 years ago or so. I've taken a couple of significant breaks during that time - but still - TWELVE years. In one way that seems a short amount of time when I think of how my work has grown. Especially since I'm primarily "self-taught".

And on the OTHER hand - it seems like a lifetime ago when I stop and think of ALL that has happened in that time - so many very big/significant things. Many deeply personal and private and some big public affairs like moving houses, the grands being born.

A year into my blogging experience, this is where my work was:
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2006/08/getting-back-at-it.html

I was learning soldering, working with sheet and wire and flat backed cabs. The soldering was coming along but the finishing skills were severely lacking.

another year down the road:
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
I've discovered RINGS. And from there on out - it's primarily rings. Love wearing them, love making them

My construction is getting better- boxes and hollow forms. Pretty straight forward fabrication, still not great finishing.

My third year blogging and I'm learning faceted stone setting:
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html


Four years in and I'm just having fun! Hydraulic press forming, faceted stones, free form design. And my first foray into solid gold. I'm also sharing more tutorials found around the web

http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html

http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

Five years in - I'm now writing a lot more about family and food and life. I'm dabbling in enameling and beginning to sell my work online and at shows.
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archive.html
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

six years into my blog - we're in Spring 2011 now. There's a lot of stress at home - I've just sold my house and am prepping to move but managing to get some jewelry done. Especially in the fall at retreat.



Year seven - still not a lot of jewelry going down. I'm settling into the new house, getting used to be a Grandma, and apparently dreaming about pallets : http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-is-your-perfect-day.html

Year 8 - 2013 - and I'm still knee deep in unpacking and organizing the house (yes, I AM aware that it's been two years since I moved!)

and babies and spending as much time as possible at the beach.

2014, year 9,
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2014/06/little-things-add-up.html


And then shortly thereafter I more or less stopped blogging. One post about the 10th Annual Jewelry Artists Retreat
http://doxallodesigns.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-more-things-change.html

and then that was sort of it.....I've kind of moved on to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doxallo/

I've taken in an infant and taken up 2D art (which is easier than smithing when the baby is sleeping)
 https://www.instagram.com/justenoughhours/

but I would really love to get back to the bench in 2018. If I do, and if I blog, it will be over at http://www.doxallo.com/studio going forward. Life is busy and I need to consolidate to make life easier.

There are some big things coming in the future. I have the general plans in mind and things will become more concrete near the end of 2018 so stay tuned - part of it will benefit the metalsmithing community !