Today was the first of what I hope will be MANY write ups on technique(s). The 101 series maybe!
We began today with a little primer on annealing, what it is, why we do it, and how to do it.
See HERE for Annealing 101.
I just may have to blog both places for a while. I love this blog, here...on blogger....its casual. It rambles. Sometimes its a bit wacky...sometimes serious.......sometimes quiet.....sometimes funny...and yes, .sometimes a little 'out there' .
Its like ME!!!
And my friends are here.
Even if you don't talk to me - I know you're here. :)
I mentioned gravers in the little daytrip, playday, metalfriends lovefest at Rina's the other day. We didn't actually do a whole lot there.
Can't imagine why.
We did bead set a stone and I think they may have done some grinding and prepartion of some gravers after I left. But one thing I've been wanting do to is some decorative graving. ENgraving I suppose.
When I took a workshop with David Huang this past summer, I met a guy (don't ya love a story that begins with "I met a guy....." but this isn't that kind of story) - anyway, there was this guy who does engraving - hand - on guns and knives. He showed me an easy and quick little trick for 'walking' a graver to give this neat little zigzag decoration.
I'm all about quick. AND easy.
But I had been intrigued by gravers long before that. Scared of them, but intrigued nonetheless.
Yea, that's me - danger girl. Living life on the edge.
In the midst of suburbia.
yea.
Back to graving.
A coupel of weeks ago I pulled out my gravers and was sharpening and made some cuts on a piece of scrap copper.
Just a few do-dads and the loveable little zig-zag included
And then last week, just before I went to Philly, I spied a small piece of scrap sterling and did this
(sorry, there was a phone number on there, had to remove it!)
Yes, I know - its a little crude.....scratchy, 'stilted' - and thee are GASP, bare holes in there!
The holes are for two little 2.5mm faceted stones.
They will be bead set with some little rays cut in and I think they may end up looking like little flowers....
at least that is how it looks in my head.
But we all know my head can be a very scary place.
So we'll just have to wait and see.
~Janice
