It’s been 516 days since I’ve been an orphan.
Not that I’ve been counting or anything… but,
Blog’s been out the window that’s for sure.
But I thought I’d just pop out of hiding for a few minutes or so to let you all know that I’m still alive and to tell you a little bit about my mental state when I come to the realization that I’m going to have to step it up a notch.
Because I’m thinking it’s time again.
😉
I liken my jewelry making to potty training.
Bear with me now…
You know when you put your kid on the potty every darn day for a month and they still pee in their pants so you throw your hands in the air and give up on it completely. Then a week later realize that every other kid in preschool has mastered the big toilet so you try again, not expecting much, but whoa, it’s like they’ve had these alien beings invade their little bodies since you last tried and they’re poohing like champions on the potty all the time now and laughing in your face like what’s been your problem anyways…
Yeah my jewelry making is like that.
Although not quite as messy.
It comes in stages, like one day I’m really struggling and then voila! the next it’s like I’ve crossed a bridge into I can do this with my eyes closed land.
O.K. So not quite with my eye’s closed, because that would be dangerous and I could lose digits or burn the studio down, but you get my drift.
And it’s so satisfying.
You feel like champion of the world for a day until you realize that there are so many skills left to master that from here on out you’ll always need to keep your spare pair of pull ups close by in case of emergencies.
It excites me when I see something that I haven’t done before and I just know that I’ll be thinking of it for a while until suddenly, that’s it, I’m going to have to have a go even though it looks really, really tricky and my old friend, You’ll never be able to do it, turns up uninvited and leaves me struggling with, I’ll never be any good at this, dammit!, until I finally decide to give up on jewelry making altogether even though I have all those tools and gadgets and stones.
Because I’ve completely forgotten about all the stuff I can do and have done and how far I’ve come since that one day when I thought, hey, that looks like a fun thing to do.
It’s a rollercoaster I tell you.
That said, when I look at all the great jewelry out there, and see all the things that I can’t do yet, I know there are challenges coming that I can’t avoid.
So right now I’m trying to think of one of the many skills that I shy away from because I think it’s beyond me.
And I’m thinking it’s going to have to be stone setting.
Not cabochon setting as I think I have that down now, but those fiddly little, how on earth don’t you just pop out, stones.
I might well have no hair left after accepting this challenge, but it’s been on my mind now for some time, and every time I see a video of someone setting those little boogers I can’t help the stubborn in me whisper, If they can do it, so can you.
So we’ll see what happens.
If, of course, I can get past the, Nah! Why would you want to bother with that anyway, voice.
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I’m off out now to get some pull ups.
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I, for one, completely understand your state of mind. My designs are not even close in caliber to yours, but I keep thinking “been there done that, don’t want to do it again”. Sigh. But, I also have zero doubts that you will NOT only conquer the “fiddly little, how on earth don’t you just pop out, stones”, but you will be fabulous!
🙂 You shall be fabulous also Patti!
Just remember, we are our own worst critics….you will succeed because you are a determined and very talented jeweler.
Aww, I bet you say that to all the girls 😉
Haha, love your toilet training analogy! (I don’t have kids, but I have friends with kids who said one or more of their children suddenly, without warning, decided they had had enough of pooping their paints and abruptly toilet trained themselves.) I’ve had that subconscious, in-between-times learning thing too, where I guess my subconscious and my muscle memory were working something out behind my back and then suddenly I could do it. Like golf (but that never seems to last, I unlearn it between outings.) I CAN’T WAIT to see your stone setting! I know it will be brilliant–your determination, smarts, and unique creativity will result in something truly beautiful and original!
🙂 Thanks Keirsten, that’s really nice. I love that, behind the back, scenario. I think that’s absolutely what happens.
I have always enjoyed what you have accomplished in the past and wish I could do what you have done. I want to get a torch like you have but have been afraid I won’t be able to handle it. I’ve wanted to set cabochons for a long time now but shy away from it.
I understand completely what your frustrations are and I feel them too when I want to try something completely different.
You always come through all your challenges, with few mistakes and mostly with great ideas and finished jewelry. I applaud you that you work through all these challenges and get them done. I have a lot of faith in your your stone settings and will look forward to seeing your new pieces.
Mary I wish I was there with you to show you that the torch is nothing to be afraid of if you handle it safely. And the cabochons are easy. I’ll do a step by step for you if you want 🙂
I wish you could show me too. Eventually I will get up my nerve to use one. If you have a tutorial for setting cabochons, that would be nice. Thank you
That is exactly the way I feel about doing the tube set stones. I keep collecting tutorials, and thinking it through. One day I actually will try it. After all I have finally learned to use the torch ?
🙂 Do it! What’s to lose. I’m going to start with copper and cheap stones until I get the hang of it. I’ve done some and they’ve been o.k., but I want to be able to do them with confidence.
Go Girl!
I bit the bullet and paid a fab jeweller for a personal, 2 day silversmith bootcamp (Joanne Tinley Jewellery) over in Eastleigh at the beginning of the month. she was able to see INSTANTLY what I had been doing wrong with my cabs (not starting at the base, and also not being sufficiently forceful) so, if you have the opportunity to find someone whose work you admire and they’d offer you a class take it. I’ve come home with so much more confidence – I’m even going to send some stuff to the Assay office for formal hallmarking, and stop being restricted by the 7.78g.
Hugs.
I saw that! I’ve taken workshops, but mostly I’m disappointed although you always pick up one or two things. Sometimes I think I’d like to be an apprentice to a jeweler, but the ones I like all live so far away.
yes, I know how you feel. I stumbled across her on skillshare; her brain seems to work like mine (poor, unfortunate woman!) and I learned so much. There are people closer, but coz I liked her attitude I thought it’d be worth the hotel (well, travellodge!) and the extra cost. Took me months to decide to go for it, but I’m hoping that this coming year is the one ;-). Have ordered heaps of equipment as a result of testing out hers!
This is definitely going to be your year 😉
Wish you were closer. I’d let you touch all my stuff and I’d tell you everything I’ve picked up along the way.
You and me both. I could bring you endless homemade cream teas n cakes n jams in exchange for your silver-jedi-skills. Xx
Mind you; I’d still be getting the better end of the deal… (unless you wanted to become less Rossellini-ish and more Margolyes-esque)
Lol I love Margolyes, but I don’t think she’s got my eyes…