Some days you got it...others you don't!

I was given this wonderful opportunity to make a set of custom bangles for a lovely lady thru my Etsy shop "Luster". I was very excited to do this as it was going to be a fun mix of metals and textures, and I love mixing textures and metals! It seemed that this project was doomed from the start! First my son got a cold, then of course I got it, then once we were better....my husband had to travel for work and during that time my babysitter got sick...and then the fridged cold moved in. We're talking -14 degrees cold.

Well my "studio" is a sliver of space in the far corner of our machine shed that houses my husbands toys. The building is quite large, and quite full of stuff...and unfortunately not temperature controlled. Those of you who work with metals know that in order for solder to flow, not only do you have to have a clean joint, but you have to have heat. Well, when it is that cold, it is very hard to keep the entire piece of metal warm enough so that the solder will flow.

I tried everything, sitting in the pickle for hours (the bracelets not me), I rinsed, and sanded, and wiped with alcohol (denatured not vodka), and tried to solder....all to no avail. I still could not get that darn solder to flow! It would just form little evil solder balls at the joint.

Frustrated, I put the project aside for a few days, and tried again...this time I was desperate! I pickled, sanded, wiped down not just the bangle, but the solder too. The turned on the flame...still no flow. So I sat with my solder and tried to goop more on....still no flow! Then I took the solder pick and poked an the molten solder ball...yup adn still no flow!

Okay, so now I feel defeated and deflated. I have spent way too much time on this project...not to mention as I fumble along here I am paying a babysitter to play with my son. So I decided it was time to put bracelets on hold in my shop. I have lost my touch at soldering them....or at least I have lost the warm weather that makes it seem effortless.

Sunrise 1-22-09

Am I obsessed....yes I think so. Really, I will put up other blog entries other than just the sunrise, but they are so beautiful, that I just want to share. It is healthy during these turbulent times to wake up and appreciate something positive and lovely in your life. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband, son, and the bun in the oven, but watching the sunrise is my own personal mini vacation that I get to take each day. Normally the house is tranquil and I can sit and sip my hot tea and just have thoughts and day dreams that are all my own. This few moments of silence are very precious to me as I am sure many of you can understand. Enjoy!

Pink sky in the morning...

You know the old saying...some say pink some say red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in the morning sailors warning. When I looked out my door this morning the clouds were a brilliant hot pink mixed with shades of lavender. It was truly breathtaking and lasted on a few moments. I am in constant awe of how lovely nature is, even during the bleak of winter. Sights like this take my mind off of my constant state of sleep deprivation.

I decided to do a little research on the old "Sailors Tale". Here is what I found out from a website called Everyday Mysteries...

Can weather lore truly predict the weather or seasons?

Weather lore concerning the appearance of the sky, the conditions of the atmosphere, the type or movement of the clouds, and the direction of the winds may have a scientific basis and likely can predict the weather.

In order to understand why “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning” can predict the weather, we must understand more about weather and the colors in the sky.

Usually, weather moves from west to east, blown by the westerly trade winds. This means storm systems generally move in from the West.

The colors we see in the sky are due to the rays of sunlight being split into colors of the spectrum as they pass through the atmosphere and ricochet off the water vapor and particles in the atmosphere. The amounts of water vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere are good indicators of weather conditions. They also determine which colors we will see in the sky.

During sunrise and sunset the sun is low in the sky, and it transmits light through the thickest part of the atmosphere. A red sky suggests an atmosphere loaded with dust and moisture particles. We see the red, because red wavelengths (the longest in the color spectrum) are breaking through the atmosphere. The shorter wavelengths, such as blue, are scattered and broken up.

Red sky at night, sailors delight.
When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.

Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.
A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

I am thinking of doing a line of beaded jewelry inspired by the lovely sunsets and sunrises. You will have to keep an eye on my Etsy Shop and Luster Website for them!

Hail to the Chief!

Today was a momentous day in history as we watched the swearing in of Barack Obama as our 44th president. I know I should feel moved by it all...and I do..no disrespect to any of the leaders past or present. But I have to say as I watched Bush walk down the steps with Hail to the Chief playing, and the commentators making a big deal about it being the last time it is played for him, all I could think of was that presidential comedy My Fellow Americans with Jack Lemmon, James Garner, and Dan Aykroyd. There was a conversation about what lyrics the 2 former "presidents" sing to themselves when they hear Hail to the Chief being played. So for the rest of the inauguration I was distracted by silly lyrics I was coming up with for my own version of the song. Needless to say, my husband was not as amused by my lyrical ability as I was. Oh well!

Frosty Morning!

So this morning was a frosty -8 when I went to let the dog out....but it was a lovely sunrise! I thought I'd try to capture it and share with you. I love how the frost looks on the windows with the sun and colorful morning sky in the background. Lovely!

New Years Resolutions!

Okay so New Years Resolutions...

1. Dust off the blog!
2. Focus on my personal website and getting the shopping section up and running!
3. Write a business plan
4. Develop a more cohesive product line
5. Get my Jewelry in new markets...stores, online shops, advertise...etc.
6. Get / keep business stuff organized!!!!
7. Not go crazy
8. Find balance between my family and my personal / business pursuits!