Photo Meme the Third - "Handcrafted Hurts"

I don't know about you but I've really enjoy our photo memes like the Meet the Artist and Ugly Desk Competition. They're easy and fun and I generally gain some sort of insight along with the entertainment value. So I propose another photo game to keep us amused while we're working on the next team challenge.

It's called "Handcrafted Hurts" and all you have to do to play is take a picture of your hands after your next day at the bench. Just as they are, complete with bandaids, polishing compound, burns, bruises, stab marks, missing skin and all. Post it on the Flickr pool with the tag "Handcrafted Hurts", and if you are so inclined and can figure out how, make notes on your picture to tell us how your war wounds happened. You have all week to get your picture in, from now until Midnight on Friday March 5th. Saturday morning, March 6th I'll put up the 10 worst hands based upon number and severity of notes/wounds here on the blog and post a poll on the side for us to vote for a winner.

Who wants to play??! If you have more than one picture (since we do have 2 hands) put a note to see your Flickr stream for more pics, but only put one in the flickr pool.

Updated!! The winner will receive a complimentary bar of this incredible soothing hand balm from our generous and talented teamie Esmeralda of Silver Blueberry. Thanks SB!



In addition to my usual lizard-skin, I have a quarter inch stab wound from a needle file, some missing skin on my index finger from a drill bit, a sawed and sandpapered thumbnail, and a chunk missing out my thumb cuticle from some disaster I don't even remember. Oh and a blister on my pinky from umm....cleaning the house. But STILL!! I think I might actually win this one :D

Can't wait to see your hands!

It's Time for Team Challenge # 2!

Are you up for it?

Here it is:
Interpret this lovely and classic limerick about spring -

"Spring has sprung,
The grass is riz.
I wonder where
the birdies is?"

Let your imagination soar (with the birdies?) and make anything your metalsmithing heart desires!

Enter any time until Friday March 19th at midnight.

Post your creation on our Flickr page and then be sure to post a link on our Etsy thread so we can all be awed and amazed!

Because last time we all whined about how difficult it was to vote for just one favourite (or favorite), this time there will be two categories:
1) The creation which best embodies, expresses, and otherwise personifies the chosen theme,
2) The creation which best demonstrates creativity and thinking-out-of-the-boxness.

So spread your wings a little or a lot, create something big or something small. It's up to you!

Well, what are you waiting for? Spring??

Disasters, Injuries, and What Not To Do!

Our next collaborative blog subject was chosen by the lovely and talented Thirtysixten who proposed a series of posts on our greatest bench mistakes and what we've learned. I think it's a wonderful way to learn from others' mistakes instead of our own for a change, and I died laughing while reading her witty and oh-so-accurate post on her blog Thirtysixten.blogspot.com. Check her out folks and give her some love!

If you have a free moment and some horror stories of your own to share, please either link me to your blog post about it or shoot me your email address and I'll send you an invite to be an author here. Can't wait to hear what you have to say!

It's Tool Time Again!

Here is my contribution to our ongoing posts on our five favourite tools. It was difficult to narrow my favourites down to just five (I do love my tools!). If asked tomorrow, I might choose differently (decisiveness is not one of my character traits), but as of today, these are my top five:

My ring clamp-

I love my new ring clamp!

This is one of many tools that I put off buying for a long time. It was something I didn’t think I really needed. Was I wrong! I bought this little gizmo a month ago, and now I don’t know how I ever managed without it. It makes holding small objects like rings and pieces of sheet so much easier and less painful for my beat up middle-aged wrists and hands. I can hold things in it while polishing with my dremel wannabe (which, by the way did not make my top 5 list – see below), thereby saying goodbye to burned fingers.

Size 6/0 blades and my saw-

Sawing is much more fun with my new 6/0 blades!

Someone on the Aspiring Metalsmith Team mentioned using smaller blades to help prevent breaking them while sawing. I had been using 1/0 and 2/0 blades (the smaller the number the bigger the teeth), so I ordered some 6/0 blades to try. They are now my go-to blades. I can saw thin sheet or thick sheet with them and now rarely break a blade. I enjoyed using my saw before, but now even more so!

Digital calipers-

I couldn't be without my digital calipers. I keep finding new uses for them!

These are amazing. So easy to use, and so easy on my middle-aged eyes. They are so much easier to use than my old brass ones. I not only use them for measuring sheet and wire, but beads and stones, and even for measuring the thickness of packages for estimating postage!

Ergonomic Pliers-

Invest in a good pair of pliers. It is worth every penny.

My new pliers, on left, are amazing. Old pliers, on right, are not. The difference between the two is incredible. The new pliers are far more comfortable, and I can use them for extended periods without my wrist and hand becoming sore.

Plastic Mallet-

So useful and so easy on metal.

Also a new toy, I mean tool, and one which I don’t know how I did without. Great for work hardening metal without marking it, enlarging rings, and so on. The bright yellow colour brightens up my bench and makes it easier to find amongst the mess, too!

And finally one tool that is NOT a favourite. In fact it is my least favourite tool.

My dremel wannabe-

Save your money. Buy a flex shaft.

My dremel wannabe and I are not usually on speaking terms. In fact, we are in the midst of a trial separation. I’m on the prowl for a hot new flexshaft. When I find the right one, I’ll be filing for a divorce.

What are are your favourite tools?

And the Winner Is....

Voting has officially ended for our First Every Team Challenge and I'll be the first to admit it was a seriously difficult vote to cast. I think I agonized more over this than the last 3 presidential elections put together! We had some amazing submissions from incredible artisans, but in the end only one could win.

Therefore without further ado, that winner is.....

The lovely Julie Brown of Wabi Brook Studio!! Julie take a bow my friend, you have earned it! Julie's entry was this astonishing anticlastic ring which really shows her mastery of the metal.



Because she's a savy businesswoman and knew we'd all want to know how on earth she made this beauty, she gave us a peek at the process on her blog http://wabibrookstudio.com.



In addition to her Etsy shop, Julie's original artwork and designs can be found on Facebook and Twitter, and she's often around the Etsy thread where her kind and gentle spirit makes her a great friend to all. Be sure to check her out!


Honorable mentions also go out to the following artists who were in a 4 way tie for second place:

Jamauerer with "Spike"



Sandy Toes Jewelry with this beautiful Iolite ring:


ASAP Designs with "Fireworks Every Time We Kiss"


And last but not least, Mccomsey Designs with her Rock Pile Ring, which is especially impressive because it's only her third metalsmithed ring.



Beautiful work everyone, this was so much fun!

Voting Starts At Midnight!

GOOD MORNING TEAMIES!!

The entries for the FIRST ASPIRING METALSMITHS TEAM CHALLENGE are going up on the Proboards and voting starts AT MIDNIGHT!!

To vote go HERE:

If you don't have an account you'll be prompted to create one. Once you're signed in, look at all the gorgeous work your teammates have done and wrack your brains until you're a quivering ball of indecisive jelly, and then tell us who gets your vote and why. It can be for flawless execution, brilliant design, stretching their limits, or just for having completed their very first metalsmithed ring, whatever carries to most weight with you.

You don't have to have made a ring to vote, but you only have until SUNDAY NIGHT at midnight to cast your vote so get over there!!

Just because I know some of you will need a little eye-candy to get your butts over there and vote, here's some of the entries for your viewing pleasure! I don't have room to include them all, so please do stop by the proboards to see all the entries.

And The Winner of the Ugliest Desk Competition Is....

(Drumroll PUHleaseeee) The lovely Amy of AmyNicoles and Ruby Mtn Beads is the winner of our ugliest desk competition, mainly because she has a SWEET TV in her workspace and we're all a little jealous. Congratulations Amy, feel free to feel smug and rub it in on every possible occasion, you've earned it.

Did I mention Amy is doing it all right? Not only is she making beautiful original metalsmithed creations on a regular basis, she's also blogging here Facebooking here and generally putting us all to shame. Give her some love people, she's doing a great job.

Wanna see your name up in lights?

THE FIRST ASPIRING METALSMITH CHALLENGE ENDS FRIDAY!!!! If you want to be part of the magic, go post your submission on the Proboards here. Winners will be tallied and announced MONDAY MORNING so we'll have all weekend to vote, ok?

I can't wait to see what everyone's made, and as always thanks for sharing the journey.