Making the Best of It

Starting this week, and perhaps continuing for the rest of my life (not really, but it will probably seem like it), I started a serious stint of being Mom's Taxi Service. My younger son is starting high school this year, and we are sending him to a great school- but the one down side is that although it is not so far as the crow flies, I am not a crow, so it takes a chunk of time to get there.

This week he has football conditioning camp from 9-1 4 days a week. Four hours is right on the borderline of it not being worth it for me to go all the way home. I have a part time job as a cashier at The shops at Fabian House for a few of the days. For the remaining days, I needed to find something to do. For the last few seasons, I sat at the field while the boy practiced football, but I feel like he needed me to disappear this year.

Yesterday I wandered a bit aimlessly, but at about 11am it occurred to me that I should go to the library! Perfect place with lovely climate control and free internet! They do not open until 10, so this morning I found a park where I could sit and make some beaded bookmarks. I am going to throw my nice camp chair in the car so I can sit in any shade I can find and sew if I want to. Anyway, I feel pretty good- with my travel mug of coffee and my pb and j sandwich, I will not spend any money today. (Yesterday's wanderings involved a $4 stop at Starbucks. They did have a nice patio with peppy music playing, but I don't want to spend money every time I leave the house!)

Oh, and I have made some progress on my torching! Last night I finished my first ring, and it was also the first bezel I finished all by myself since class. (I sawed up the first attempt because it was too ugly to save.)

Rings and things

A few more pieces I made this week...
green jellybean sea glass ring

green sea glass pendant (I cut out the backing to let light shine through)


white ark shell earrings to match the pendant from the other day

pecten shell pendant

She sells seashells...

Okay well I guess I've always sold seashells, but now I'm incorporating them into my jewelry pieces- my newest design is a bezel set ark shell. It's set in sterling silver and is about 1 1/4 inches in size. I am going to attempt at least one (maybe two if time permits) more with different shells over the course of this weekend...


If this line takes off, I guess I'll really earn my "Scarborough Seashells" name, lol! People always ask why I'm not "Scarborough Sea Glass"....

My rings are now for sale!

I really didn't want this blog to turn into shameless self promotion- I mean it's great that we make stuff to sell, but I want to talk about stuff that we work on for improving our businesses as well. I guess it only makes sense, though, that sometimes those things cross paths.

Today I spent some time working on my website and I created two new listings for custom sea glass rings. I thought it made sense to do it this way so that I don't make a truly fabulous ring in a size 5 only to wind up with a customer who loves it but wears a size 8. The rings will come in two styles- a larger, chunkier cocktail style ring and a smaller, more classic style ring.





Customers can email me with special requests, they will have their choice of 8 different sea glass colors and metal finish. Whole and half sizes are also offered.



Shop now through January 31st, 2009 and save 10% off your purchase! Enter code: Handmade08 at checkout.

I am excited to finally be able to bring these rings to the public, I hope people love them as much as I do!

Some finished pieces

It's been pointed out to me that I haven't posted any "finished piece" photos in a while and I have, actually, managed to get a few things completed. I don't have a ton to say about them except I love them, I love my new found soldering skills and I have an order for four new pieces (from paying customers!) this week!

Go me! It feels good to know that someone besides me actually likes and wants my work. :)

So without further ado here they are:

My giant cobalt blue sea glass ring






My Blue Willow china pendant


A thumb ring I made for Maggie




And the finished sample Viking Knit Bracelet

A work in progress

So October was a really long and tiring month. First my kids had the flu, then I had it, then I had to get through 6 birthdays; two of which were hosted by me for two of my 3 boys! Needless to say all of this led to my "ahteesty-ness" falling to the wayside. Finally, between my hubby's generous donation of his entire CD collection (put up to auction on eBay) and the little bits of money I managed to save, we scraped together enough to finally buy me the torch kit I'd been dying to get since my soldering classes this summer.


I bought a Gentec small torch kit that runs on oxygen and MAPP gas. At first I thought I was doomed to never make a thing, I got lost trying to find the shop where I was supposed to pick up the torch I ordered (like an hour driving around the same block lost!), then the first oxygen tank I picked up from the welding supply place had a leak (they made me swap my new tank for a pre-filled one). Then, the first piece I soldered just wouldn't solder no matter what I did! It ended up scorched, blobby and resembling crumpled tin foil much more so than a sterling silver bezel setting. I cried and was ready to give up. "You would think I hadn't learned how to do this before, what am I missing?!" I showed the piece to my husband and his reply was simply "ouch".


The next day was Halloween so I put the torch away and decided I'd think on it over the weekend and just spend time reading every tutorial I could come across on the subject. I read up on flame types (neutral, carburizing, oxidizing, who knew there was this much to a simple flame?!) I read up on soldering techniques- heat the piece over a gap so that air can circulate and it doesn't get too hot before the solder liquefies. I read polishing techniques, I watched YouTube videos, I shopped at Home Depot for some 220, 400 and 600 grit sand paper to polish with.


Armed with my fresh knowledge, I decided I was ready to wield the torch for a second time. I took my time, got the flame just right and in a couple of minutes I had my first piece successfully soldered together! I soldered a second piece in the same manner and that, too was successful! Phew, I didn't waste all this time and materials for nothing!


While I am not completely finished with these pieces yet, they are a far cry from the burnt toast piece I originally made. The first is a setting for sea glass. I have purposely left a large free form backing because I will be drilling holes and attaching jump rings; it will be the focal on a sterling silver Viking Knit bracelet made by my friend, Paula. The triangle shaped piece has not been filed, sanded or polished yet; this photo is right after I removed it from the pickle. It is for a piece of Blue Willow China I found on the beach this summer. I think I will make a pendant out of it.


So while I am not yet the ahteest I dream of becoming, I am at the very least, taking baby steps to get there. Much like my jewelry, I am a work in progress.