Another Tuesday night with Jim

I have my Silver Smithing class with Jim on Tuesday nights.
The week can never go fast enough for me.

There is no way I can tell you about the vibe of the Maitland Art Center, it's full of great people doing amazing stuff, students and teachers alike.

Tonight was repair class for me. It's my opportunity to take all the pieces that I make at home and have Jim critique them...then tell me how to make them perfect.
He starts each sentence with with

"Well, if I were doing this...",

he's priceless!

If it were not so late I would post before and after shots for you.
Maybe tomorrow...friends, for now it's time for sleep.

The hubby is back so no more staying up till 2 creating!

Lessons Learned

A few things I've learned this early on in my new adventure into Silver:

1. Nothing goes fast in this process, except time.
2. There are no shortcuts.
3. If you don't like it, it's not done...yet.
4. I need to work for more than just 2 hours at a time.
5. Pushing myself means not settling for good enough. (Thanks Jillian.)

As with most ETSY folks I have heard over and over again the struggle with having what I refer to as "that full-time gig", and working on your art. I've heard how people say they need to get their

"creative juices flowing".

I never bought into it...until now.

I run to the mailbox filled with anticipation of the arriving stones. I have become obsessed with setting cabochons (a stone that has been cut to have a flat back). Once I open the package fondle them for a while and proudly do a show and tell with Jeff, I sit and look at them...for hours, sometimes days. You see just like today, I will only have about 2 hours to work and my brain seems to seize up.

So I'm looking for help here...

How do YOU cope?

When you have got a TON of stuff to do and only a few short moments to produce (cause that's what it feels like). It's up there, I know it is...my site is full of it and when I have a whole day ahead of me, stand back, I'm on a mission. But give me 2 hours and I'm sludge.

Well...anyone?

Thanks!

I've been a-wonder'n

"...what possess folks to blog?"

(I'm a newbie here so please be patient with me on this.)

I've been home alone here for three days now trying to spend every non-employment, waking hour in my new Studio. (Yes the room is so named, please note the uppercase "S".) It's not working so well, not the Studio mind you, the spending the hours in there I was hoping for.

Maybe I should start at the beginning...

We've been in this new house for almost 2 years now and we've been walking past this 4th room filled with...I'm not too sure. I asked the hubby about tearing out the carpet and making it a Studio and he said "sure" then went back to reading his magazine.

Did he really hear me?

Three months later I have The Studio.

Now it's not completely finished but you know it's good enough to push out stuff like this in just a couple of hours...

So back to "Why Blog?"
Call it inspiration, maybe.

This whole Silver Smithing is new to me, The Studio is about a week old. I find myself wanting to document my progress as well as share what I am learning.

My life is hardly worth documenting but there are there folks out there interested in what I have to say or do? I guess I will find out...

See ya'll soon!