Ring A Day Project 2010

So blogging is something I always intend to do but never seem to have the time. During a gathering yesterday, a friend and fellow metalsmith, Tracey, actual said I was the busiest person she knows.  I suppose I am a wee bit busy these days but I decided to take on another project to add to the mix.

I am participating in a project called "Ring A Day" with several other metalsmiths and jewelers across the world.  The objective is to make a ring each day for a year out of whatever material you find interesting, appealing or intriguing.  Yes, that is right.  365 rings.  Some have created very elaborate detailed designs out of gemstones and precious metal while others have taken the simple found object approach using rubber bands, paper or twisted plastic. I look forward to exploring each member's  solution to the challenge.  The project just began Jan 1, 2010 with a little over 115 members posting images of their wonderful creations on Flickr.  It is not to late to jump on the horse and giddy up with us!  The group grows each day and welcomes new members to the group.

I find that an exercise like this teaches and reminds me the discipline needed in keeping focused. Making a ring a day also is challenging me to think creatively whether I want to or not. With 10 days under my belt, I am finding that I am looking forward to what I am going to do each day.   I also figure this is a good excuse to keep up with the blogging.   Here is the first 10 days of my rings on Flickr:
Ring A Day 2010~Renee Ford/Panicmama Jewelry.

Preparations...

Excitement is a brewing! I applied & got into my first major wholesale show. I have less than 20 days to get everything made, packed up & ready to go before we hit the road for Las Vegas! I am thrilled, excited, nervous, anxious all at the same time. It is a little daunting to try to prepare for a show of this size. My wonderful little craft shows are great but just a teeny shadow to what I need to do to prepare for ACRE. I want to do well & write TONS of orders however, I am walking into the unknown...

I have too many ideas flowing through my creative veins at the moment & need to focus. I am not so good at the focus. I like to flit around from idea to idea. Things have been coming together a little better & I am finally finishing new pieces.




I have many more hours at the bench to go before I feel prepared for the show. Numerous hours at the computer trying to figure out layout of the booth & lighting. The route there & back to plan, what shoes to bring. Thankfully, I like to keep busy. My brain doesn't like to turn off & currently it doesn't have time to shut down. Working hard to be prepared, wishing hard for a successful show. Wish me luck!

Addictions....

I have addictions that are bad for me... Thin crust pizza, french fries, soft caramels, Chicago style hot dogs, Newcastle beer, high heeled shoes, television, vanilla lattes. There is more, but no need to totally embarrass myself. I find that these things bring me comfort, moments of happiness, a sense of peace. Luckily, one addiction that I have doesn't have detrimental effects to my health is gemstones. I love them in all types, shapes, qualities & colors. Faceted, cabochons, beads, rough, crystals...you name it, I love 'em!



Over the years I've collected & sold thousands of gemstone treasures. I currently have over 5000 loose stones in my inventory. I always seem to make room for more. Just like shoes, you can always squeeze one more pair into the collection. They inspire me to create. They reveal new ideas & designs just by being beautiful. They call to me. I covet them, I desire them, I need them.

I like to visit them in their little packages. These visits help me remember what inspired me to possess them. Find that spark that bought a sparkle to my eye the first time I laid eyes on them. They motivate me to explore new techniques & processes. Gemstones are an addiction I don't ever want to be cured.




Gemstones are the "soul" of my process in creating jewelry. The metal speaks to me too, but differently. Gemstones tell me the story, make my jewelry have personality. Addicted? Yes, but it's a good addiction. Yeah, my accountant may disagree but they are assets to my creative soul. I need my assets.







Recent finds that feed my addiction are found here from fellow metalsmith & Etsy seller, Barney & over here.

I can make room for this one, can't I?

Sunday Explorations in Metalsmithing

My fellow metalsmiths, Tracey & Margarita along with myself have taken on exploring new or revisited metalsmithing techniques twice a month. One of the first things we decided to tackle was etching. We had all etched before but had not done it in awhile. We started with copper etching. We tried different methods of "resist"on the copper. The resists varyied from Sharpie markers, finger nail polish, & laser toner based transfers. We all came out with some interesting effects that we found were mostly successful.

Tracey & I decided to take it a step further & explore etching on sterling silver. Stronger acid & more dangerous. Eeek! This time around I used asphaltum as the resist on my silver. It held up pretty good after a very short etch time. The longer the etching the more it under cut into the edges of my designs. I find that using asphaltum is is much easier to carve out the area you want etched than to carve out around the area. Meaning carving the positive versus the negative space. It just how my brain works.

I have always admired the decorative patterns of Gustav Klimt. In particular, I have been drawn to his "Tree of Life" painting.



One of my silver etchings is a simplified homage to his tree. I finally got around to making it into a piece of jewelry. I wanted a gemstone to give the piece some color & some interesting visual dimension. I chose a natural Australian boulder opal. This one had an earthy, root feel to it. I thought it worked perfectly. Here's the finished result:

I recently completed a custom wedding set based on one of my bands but with modifications. The client wanted to add diamonds to a 2mm wide band. I nodded politely & said "no problem." I remember being taught how to flush set stones but MUCH larger ones. I didn't even have all the proper tools yet. I ordered three extra stones just in case I lost, broke or chipped one (or two.) The mans version was easy. 6mm by 2mm hand hammered, brushed & oxidized, done. Her band was simple but I decided to make three. One for practice, one for potential mistakes, one for real. Of course, I used all three.

It is always a wonder that if you plan for it, you almost make your own destiny. The first one was fine just one diamond got set a little lower than I wanted. I salvaged the first one for my shop with some minor adjustments. The second one I broke a drill bit in it. Not much fun to get out but not impossible to do (usually.) I decided to go ahead with the third one to save time. It came out great! I didn't even loose one of those tiny teeny diamonds. I think I might incorporate them into my regular line. The diamond band is just so darn cute!

The hammer that brought me zen...

I have a drawer full of hammers I've collected over my almost 20 years of metalsmithing. Not one of them have brought me to the groove I get into when using my newest beauty. It's a Fretz. Beautiful to look at, well crafted, feels like "butta" in your hand. I have had several riveting/goldsmithing hammers over the years I tried to shape like this, but I never quite got the right length or edge to it. Now the problem is I want to put it on everything. (Check out panicmama.etsy.com if you want to see the results.)

I just love how it brings me to such a calm & peaceful place when I get a hammerin'. I named the texture zen. Now, now, I know I haven't found the all encompassing meaning of life through tapping a piece of metal with my favorite hammer, but, man, it feels good to use it. It appeals to me on so many sensory levels: the little "tink" it makes when I hit the metal, the chiseled line it makes with each tap, the feel of it in my hand, mmmmmm. See, what'd I tell ya. Zen. It my answer to a little bit of happiness in my teeny tiny world.

Turtle is a Panicmama!

In the many hours I spend wandering the halls of Etsy, I ran across a forum topic on researching your "googleness." I decided to Goggle Panicmama to discover where I land in the rank & what is actually attached to Panicmama as a name. Low & behold in the image version of the search, a fluffy little black dog I've grown to love shows her face! How'd Turtle get to the first page of images for Panicmama? I never actually did get a picture of myself... or my jewelry for that matter, which was the purpose of the whole research. It just goes to show you that you never know what is attached to you in the internet world. In other words, Kevin Bacon would probably show up as well.