Kelsi's Closet Jewelbox Design Journal

Okay, Just One More

2012-02-08T03:40:40Z

Well, the computer will be taken down tomorrow. I made them wait till the very last minute. hehe

Today the movers came. This is what it looked like out my bedroom window.

The truck is HUGE! In fact, we will also be placing my husband's car on there. We are happy about this as we will have his car at the same time our items arrive. That is a huge bonus. The movers are great. We really like the crew that is taking care of things for us.

Yesterday I had a "Clean out the fridge" party. It was so nice to see so many people, and get my fridge cleaned out at the same time. Tonight had to be one of the hardest for me though. I said good bye to one of my very best friends, Valerie. That made it all so real. My heart broke and now the tears won't stop. I am so grateful for the day and age we live in. I am so grateful for the internet, and even the super evil FaceBook. Texting and Skype are great friends of mine and we are about to get even closer.

So the studio is completely done now. We just need to move things out and sweep up the room, touch up the paint, shut off the lights and go. I know this is going to be a great experience. I know it will, but it is always so hard to leave friends behind. So hard.

Okay, I really will get off this computer so it can be taken apart and packed up. See you all on the other side of this trip.... and country.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Tool Time Tuesday - Soldering a Silver Ring

2012-02-06T04:09:02Z

Well, here we are. My very last Tool Time Tuesday - Ohio Edition, even though it is on Monday. But there is a good reason for it being early. In just five days we will be driving off to our new adventure and life in Washington State. Funny to think that we went from one Washington (DC) to the Other. They couldn't be more different either. I hope I like Washington state as much as I loved the DC area.

The packing continues. The movers will be here Tuesday morning to start packing things up. The basement is pretty much done. Tomorrow and Tuesday we will break down my tables, finish touch up painting and clear everything out.

This is pretty much all that is left to pack up. Just some shelves and misc items that didn't fit into a box.

Look, you can see my temporary bed while we wait for our beds to be delivered. Gotta love the air mattress and sleeping bags.

Okay, this is quite the shot for any of my students. My desk was always a mess. An organized mess, but a mess all the same.... now it is EMPTY!

Even Kiari is trying to get in on the packing gig.

Okay, a few people asked about the coloring in my hair. Here is a little better picture. I did some blonde highlights and red streaks. You can SORT OF see the red highlights. I am told you can really see them in the back. But regardless of what my children think, I do not have eyes in the back of my head and I cannot see them.

No, I didn't spent a ton of time curling my hair either. Post baby hormones do funny things sometimes.

On to the Tutorial! Soldering a Silver Ring

A little while back one of my "friends" asked about soldering a simple silver band. I told her that I had been working on a video. It didn't go so well, so I started over. This tutorial is both still pictures and video, so let's check out the pictures.

First, I figure out the size of ring that I am going to make. In this case, it was a charm for a friends bracelet, so it didn't really matter the size. But here you can see that I have taken my calipers and marked my sheet for the width of the ring I am about to cut.

Normally, I would cut my strip with my sheer, but since it has been packed away, I have to do it the old fashioned way.... with a jewelers saw. Be sure to use plenty of lube on your blade to help things cut smoothly.

Next I want to form my ring into a "D" shape. So I use my ring forming pliers to get the first part of the curve.

Then I use my flat nose pliers to bring the ends together and giving a nice flat spot. This helps to align my join the best.

File the ends so they are perfectly flush. NO GAPS ALLOWED. Solder will not fill gaps. Think of solder as a glue. It will only glue items that are already touching.

Sometimes there is a tiny spot that creates a tiny gap. You can cut through the seam with a jewelers saw to "shave" a thin area on both sides of the seam. If you do this correctly, you will have a perfectly flush seem.

Now, let's see how the rest of this works. Please check out my video on how to solder the ring. Once soldered, I will also demonstrate how to form it into a perfect circle. The end of the video didn't get very focused. Sometimes the camera wants to focus on something else. In this case, my camera is obsessed with my scrap silver. LOL. Then again, I don't blame it. I am totally obsessed with my silver too.

Wish Us Luck

Okay, the computer is going to be packed away now. I will still have access to my emails and such, but I won't be making any posts until we arrive at our new home and start setting things up. Wish us luck and pray for good roads and weather.

For any of you in the area, we will be having a "Clean out the fridge and freezer" (aka - Going away party) on Monday (Feb 6) from 6 - 9. I would love to see you and have the chance to say good bye. I can promise, the house will be a wreck and the food interesting, as what we will be eating will depend entirely upon what crazy things I can make with what is left in my fridge and freezer.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Featured Artist Friday - Kest Schwartzman

2012-02-03T05:04:00Z

I met Kest a few months back on a Metalsmith forum on Facebook. She has a fabulous imagination and comes up with some extremely detailed and fantastical masks. I love her studio space. She keeps is so organized. I am always amazed by organized people.

Artist name: Kest Schwartzman
Location: Nashville, TN

Website: www.VagabondJewelry.com
Blog: http://thebookofimaginarybeings.blogspot.com/

Do you have a dedicated studio/artistic space?
Yup!

Where is it located?
On my property

Is it a large or small space?
Larger than my house- still not huge, though. It is one story with a loft storage space, just a bit larger than a two car garage.

What medium(s) do you work in? Do you have a separate area for each?
Just metal. I do have a separate space for photographing the metalwork.

What one word would you use to describe your studio?
AWESOME.

What do you think is the best feature of your studio?
A two car garage door that opens to the west. I'm at the top of the hill, and we're placed such that I see the sun set over the Nashville skyline every evening. Also, birdfeeders. It's really all about that door, though; it's almost as though I'm working outside, and outside is pretty much always where I want to be.

What would you change if you could?
honestly? I would change that it is in Nashville.

Describe the usual state of your work table?
The left half is always occupied by things I really want to get to. The right half I work in, so it's generally fairly neat. The bench tray is more or less always full of my most commonly used tools. the whole thing is covered in a thin (sometime thick) layer of dust.

Does your work table face out into the room or toward the wall?
toward to wall. I'm right next to the door, though, so to my right is a maple tree.

Do you have any studio mascots (pets, mannequin whatever)?
Hamlet, the dog. He's not very well behaved, so he's not really allowed in the studio, but during the summer it is inevitable.

Do you listen to music in your studio? What kind?
I listen to Chopin, sometimes Bartok or Mozart, and a whole lot of This American Life. the real trick is to get something enjoyable but ignorable- if I don't have anything playing, I listen to birdcalls, and if I hear someone I don't know, I get distracted from my work till I figure out who it is. Thus, familiarity is key in studio music, for me.

Do you display your own work in your studio? Other artists' work?
Nope! My studio is not intended for anyone other than me, and it is emphatically not open to the public (my partner jokes that the only thing I could do to make my studio better would be to dig a moat). I do have some old photos from the library of congress's archives up. They make me smile.

Thank you so much Kest!

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If you would like to be a featured artist, just shoot me an email at : Melissa@kcjewelbox.com and I will send you the questions and information.

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All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Tired Ramblings?

2012-02-02T05:09:42Z

I am so ready for all of this to be done. I really am. But I think you probably already knew that. I am just about finished up down here in the studio space. Just the last little Odds and Ends. You know, the ones that are left over after you have been so organized all the way through and these things just didn't seem to fit or whatever. So that is where I am. My basement looks so strange. All the little touches of love are now gone. It is really weird.

I am getting more and more excited to be on our way. My girls are having mixed feelings and that part breaks my heart and the things they say also make me laugh. For instance:

Me: Kate, are you excited to move to our new home?
Kate: Not so much.
Me: (snicker quietly at the response) Why not?
Kate: Because we have to leave all of our friends.
Me: I know, but we will make new ones.
Kate: But it won't be the same.
Me: I know.

Riley (almost 12) informed my husband and I today that she was looking forward to going so she could find a boy friend. GASP?!?!?!?!? WHAT!?!?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Maybe I will leave her here after all. LOL. I am SO NOT READY FOR THAT! She says she wants to find a nice boy that has a fuzzy head (Hair style) HAHAHAHA. We will be having her Birthday/going away party this weekend.

I think the stress of this might have gotten to me... then again maybe not. I went and had my hair done by a good friend of mine. I met Jerry in one of my metals classes at the University of Akron. He is so much fun and has cut my hair for the past couple of years. So today I went to see him for the last time. You might recall that after having my baby (number four, mind you) my hair went somewhat curly. Not too much, just some good waves, I guess. But it has had me doing different things to my hair that I wouldn't normally do. So today, I can't believe the words came out of my mouth, but I said "Layer it up." And we did. Then I did something I had been thinking about for a while. I added blonde highlights. They were/are really pretty. I also wanted to do something kind of daring, but he talked me out of it. I wanted to add some purple streaks. Yes, I know. That is just crazy. They would be hidden in my SUPER thick, SUPER full head of hair. So they would just kind of peek out here and there when it was curled or what not. I wish I hadn't let him talk me out of it, but I did. So instead of purple, we did RED. Not just red, but RED. I wish we had done a little more.

Okay, it is about midnight, so the hairdo isn't great... and do you know how hard it is to take your picture with one hand held over your head with a heavy SLR? So the picture isn't great and it doesn't really show the highlights, except for one bold streak. The rest of them are much more subtle under the top layer of hair, but they are all over. But like I said, I wish I had done more or even done the purple. (Mid-life crisis?) So fun!

It is still pretty conservative, so I don't feel too bad about it.

So let's check out the progress of moving. I can't wait to get this basement finished up. That is the goal for tomorrow. The baby will be going to the sitter and a friend is coming over to help finish it up.

The table in the corner is where I have had my photo setup. All the books are tucked away in boxes.

My little stash of scrap copper and brass. Going to try to find a refiner this week.

Catch trays have been removed from the tables, everything but garbage is now packed away from under the tables.

The shelf is all packed up and all that is left on the table tops is pretty much packing material.

Look it is the empty wall of hammers.

My walls are all empty as are the shelves on the wall and lamps.

Oh, another thing that I thought was pretty neat, I was looking through my statistics on my blog last week. I happened to check the visits for the month to see what kind of traffic I was getting. I was amazed to find out that in December I had 18,000 visits. WHAT?! If that wasn't amazing enough on its own, As of the end of the day January 31, 2012, I had 19,500+. WOOHOO! Thank you all for visiting my blog. I am so honored that you would spend your valuable time here with me. I think that calls for a give-away. So, once I get settled, I will do a give-away. I like those! Not sure what the prize will be yet, but I am sure I can come up with something.

Okay, Good night everyone!

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Tool Time Tuesday - Koil Kutter vs. Jump Ringer

2012-01-31T03:18:45Z

Do you know that the movers will be here in just 7 short days. 7 DAYS!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!! The knot in my stomach is getting tighter and tighter. I am 2 days behind in packing because of the illness of my baby last week. Luckily she is doing much better now and I am finally able to get some things done. Though, it is still difficult to get everything done and have three children that need various things, particularly as we get ready to say goodbye to their friends and such.

Well, for one of my last Tool Time Tuesday posts here in Ohio I decided to do a comparison between the Koil Kutter (now offered by Potter USA) and the Jump Ringer (Offered at Rio Grande.) As you may have noticed, Potter USA has been sponsoring me in return for my reviews and instructional videos for some of their products. It has been a great deal for both of us as I get to try out new tools and help to develop ideas for others. Having me do their instructional videos helps them so that Kevin Potter can continue doing what he does best, making affordable tools for people who make jewelry.

Recently, Dave Aryns, the creator of the Koil Kutter, turned the Koil Kutter System and manufacturing over to Kevin Potter. Kevin, being the person that he is, took the system and has improved upon it while doing his best to keep the price right where is was.

I have wanted a jump ring creating system for a long time, but I never made enough jump rings to make it worth the investment. But let me tell you, every time I had to hand cut that stupid coil of rings, I was really wishing I had one. So when I was presented with the opportunity of getting one of the Koil Kutters, I jumped at the opportunity. I thought it would be a great idea to compare a couple of systems. My good friend Katie Mullins brought her Jump Ringer system over so we could do a comparison between the two. We were able to identify the various things we liked and didn't like about the two systems while comparing them side by side.

So let me share with you my thoughts on the two systems.

The Koil Kutter can be purchased through Potter USA at their website for $89.00
The kit can be purchased for either a Dremel or Flexshaft.
The kit includes:
Aluminum koil holder lock, 6" long
Steel top plate for holder
Saw blade guard for Foredom Flexshaft with adapter bushing (Or can be purchased for the Dremel)
1 saw arbor to fit 3/8" hole blades
1 saw blade

*** In the picture, I show the mandrels. Those are not included in the kit. ***

The Jump Ringer can be found at Rio Grande for$289.00

The kit includes:
One blade
One blade arbor
One blade guard/guide
One round, four-sided coil holder
One winder
One chuck key
One stick of Bur-Life®

So the difference is that you get the Coil winder and a stick of Bur-Life®

*** This image shows the mandrels (Not included) and does not show the coil winder or Bur-Life***

All parts on each of the systems can be purchased separately. So you don't have to buy the entire kit if you don't need it, or you can replace just one item if needed.

Let's look at the saw blades first.

The Koil Kutter blades are the same outer diameter and have the same number of teeth as the Jump Ringers. The difference between the two is the notch where it attaches to the arbor. The saw arbor on the Jump Ringer has a raised area to hold the blade in a certain position.

One nice thing about the Koil Kutter blade being without the notch is that if the blade does happen to bind or grab while cutting, the blade can slip a little and will help protect the blade from breaking.

Prices:
Koil Kutter: $11
Jump Ringer: $12.50

Next up is the Blade guard.

The Koil Kutter is made of steel and has two wing nuts that screws INTO the bushing for the flexshaft and ONTO the bushing for the dremel. It has a bit of weight to it, so I don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing.

The Jump ringer is made of aluminum, or at least that is what it feels like. There are three screws that have plastic caps, and as you can see, a little easier to break.

Cost:
Koil Kutter: It is not posted on the website, but I know you can get it as a stand alone piece.
Jump Ringer: $53.50

The coil holder:
The Koil Kutter has only two sides for holding coils. The groove goes the entire length of the piece. The screws to hold the blade guide in place are a little taller and it is easy to hand tighten them. When you need to get them tighter or even un-tighten them, they have an allen wrench that comes with the system.

The Jump Ringer coil holder is also aluminum. The thing I like about this one is that it is 4-sided. Each side is grooved with a rounded surface. The screws are a phillips head. So you will need a screw driver to place and remove them.

The blade guides:

The Koil Kutter has a nice little coil stop that helps to position the coil so that the blade can cut the entire coil.

The Jump Ringer has a smaller slot so it does essentially the same thing with positioning the coil as to make it so the blade can cut through the entire coil.

Cost:
Koil Kutter: It is not posted on the website, but I know you can get it as a stand alone piece.

Jump Ringer: $89.95

Mandrels:
Neither system comes with mandrels. Both systems offer mandrels in US Measurement and Metric. It looks like both now offer a set that have a holder. At first, when my friend Katie bough hers, they weren't available with a stand. Her mandrels weren't marked either. You can see in the first picture of the jump ringer that she has wrapped the ends with tape and marked the size of mandrels on the tape.

The mandrels that are currently available for the Koil Kutter are not marked on the mandrel itself, but the slot where the mandrel fits is labeled.

The Koil Kutter Mandrels have a groove that has been cut into the end of the mandrel where you can wrap your wire into and begin to wind your coil. The jump ringer mandrels have a hole drilled through them toward the end of the mandrel where you can insert your wire and begin to wrap your coil.

Cost:
Koil Kutter:
US Measurement:$39.95
Metric: $39.95

Jump Ringer:
Us Measurement: $98
Metric: $98

So there you have it in a nutshell. I did create a little training video on how to use the Koil Kutter. Kick your feet up, relax and have a look.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

The studio is just about packed

2012-01-28T00:36:42Z

What a great response to my Tool Time Tuesday Post. Thank you all of you that responded to it and left me comments. I have to say, it means a lot to me when you take the time to comment. It really makes it worth it to me to do them. I honestly almost didn't post that one because I was afraid people thought it would be a stupid one. I am glad that wasn't the case. Thank you again for the feedback. I love it when I come on here and have comments. It makes my day!

Oh, I have a piece that I made a little while back. I didn't show anyone because I want to use it as a project in my book. But now that I will be teaching it in March at the Fraser Valley Bead Show in March, the picture will be out there, so I might as well share it with all of you. You can tell me if you like it or not.

Wow, what a week. I think I just about have it all done. There are the little bits of odds and ends here and there, but for the most part, I think it is just about done. I even have all the holes in the walls patched and now they just need to be sanded and painted.

I was really hoping to be further along than this, but that just can't happen according to plan, right? On Monday my baby had to go in to have her tubes in. She was fighting a bit of a cold at that time, but we were all comfortable in going forward with the surgery. Well, the past couple of days, her cold has improved and then gotten worse. Last night my husband and I were up all night with her and we each had the pleasure of a cold shower. My poor baby had a fever of 106. I have had my kids have fevers up to 104, but NEVER 106. OH MY GOODNESS. With multiple cool baths and showers, a couple of rounds of tylenol and an antibiotic on board, we finally got the fever to break around 8:00 am this morning. Of course, by that time, we had had only about 2 hours of sleep. Talk about miserable, for all parties involved. Today she has been super clingy and we still haven't gotten much accomplished. I was really hoping to have all the packing done here in the basement with all the boxes moved upstairs and ready to be loaded into the truck in 2 weeks. Oh well. At least I still have 2 weeks..... right?

So you want to see what I have been up to?

This is where the polishing machine and bench used to be.

Watch as the ventilation system comes down.

I have removed the vent hoods.

This is the shelf we built to hold the dust collector that I use for my ventilation motor.

Now the vent system is down and you can see the blower that I use for moving the air out of the studio.

My rolling mill looks like it has been met by a rather large group of spiders.

This shelf keeps getting empty and filled back up as we move things around while packing everything up.

All the copper is packed up and the pegboard has been taken down. The boxes on the floor are coming out of the storage room and we are culling and sorting them to see what to toss and what to keep.

The vise has been removed and even the bottle jack has been removed from my hydraulic press. We just need to wrap it up and move it upstairs with the rest of our stuff.

My peg board (wall of hammers) is down and the storage drawers are all empty and packed away.

All the mirrors and wall art has been removed. You can actually see all the pictures from the studio sitting on the cabinet there in the corner. I just need to take care of some chemicals and get them disposed of and that will be done.

So there you have it. Once we get all the boxes up stairs and a bit more organized, I will take a picture to show how many boxes I filled. It is actually kind of embarrassing that I have as much as I do. But when you consider that I teach classes, it kind of makes sense for me to have multiples of various tools.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Tool Time Tuesday - Let Your Tools Do the Work

2012-01-24T06:22:37Z

Thank you all for the comments and emails of love and encouragement. I really do appreciate it. I know that things are going to be great in Washington. They are going to be great no matter where I go, because that is how we are. We can roll with the punches with the best of them. I was very excited to go to Dallas. I was sad that it fell through, but I am very excited about going to Washington. I have always LOVED the rain and the lush trees and forests. I never even thought that Washington would be an option to live in because my husband hates the dreary weather here in Ohio. LOL. We will have to see how he handles it in Washington. I hate to even think about it, but it might be another place that we only live for a few years.

Although I did tell him that if we aren't going to settle down in Vancouver, that he has to move before Riley gets into High School and then we stay where ever that is until she graduates. It is only fair to her. But I am really hoping he likes it in Washington so I don't have to move again.... after I get into my dream house that is.

So, did you think I would never do another Tool Time Tuesday again? It sure seems that way huh? Well, Before packing all my tools away I tried to make a couple of videos. So here is a really short one on letting your tools do their job, specifically the Flexshaft and drill press/drill bits.

It is a common mistake that I see people doing. By slowing down a little and letting your tools do the job they were meant to do, you increase the life of your tools and make things a bit safer for you too.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

The Studio is Closed....

2012-01-23T05:57:03Z

It has been so hard and I have been in total denial that this was ever going to happen. Especially when you consider that we have been "going to move" since June and things just kept changing and getting pushed back. But Saturday my friend Valerie came over and we started packing.

The very first thing we packed was my Guillotine Sheer. That sucker is HEAVY. I am not looking forward to packing and moving the rolling mill. haha Slowly but surely the studio is being emptied of its contents. Although, we are taking things out of their places and putting them on the top surface of the tables, so it hardly looks like we are making progress.

It really has been hard to pack everything up though. It is the closing of a chapter that I opened here in Ohio. I have done so much with jewelry here in Ohio. When we moved here my baby was only 10 weeks old. I didn't know a soul in Ohio. I had only just started making jewelry and didn't really have a clue as to what I was doing. I just knew that somehow I had found a hidden talent that I didn't ever think was possible for me to have.

I remember looking for classes around in the area and all I could find were simple stringing and beginning jewelry classes. But I already knew those things. I actually drove back to the DC area so I could take a bezel setting class. Six months later I began teaching classes here in Ohio. Once again, I took my skills as far as I could on my own. I enrolled in a couple of metalsmithing classes at the University of Akron. That was SOOOO much fun. I met some of the most amazing artists. I also saw a lot of crap passed off as "art." But it was a really good experience for me all the same.

In teaching my classes and talking with the students at the university I found a need for a group that could pull artists together with people that support the artists. 3 years ago right now, I sat here at my computer with a friend and decided to take the plunge and start a guild for the Jewelry and Metal Artists here in Ohio. This February they will have their 3rd Anniversary. We have had some bumps in the road, but it is growing and its membership includes some of the most amazing, caring and giving artists I know. I have also made some of the very best friends I have ever had.

We currently live in the nicest home we have ever had. I have great neighbors. My girls have friends right next door.... and I have the MOST AMAZING studio. or, I HAD the most amazing studio.

My time here in Ohio has also seen some amazing accomplishments for me. I have written a couple of magazine articles (I know, I need to write more.) I have been in several books. I have been introduced to some wonderful artists and techniques and created wonderful friendships in the art world. I never would have dreamed I belonged in the art world. How does a computer programmer/trainer go from hacking and teaching code, jump into the world of art jewelry and succeed?

I have not done many shows. I don't sell a lot of my jewelry. But that has been a decision based on the fact that my family is still so young. Not only that, but my real desire is to continue doing what I do best, teaching. I am an okay jewelry designer. It is not something that comes easy to me. But teaching? Oh, I CAN TEACH! Just ask any of my students. I was just biding my time and waiting for Kate to enter Kindergarten and then I was going to take the world by storm. I was going to teach at all the shows and really get things going doing what I do best. Then we had a surprise setback. So I Will bide my time once again and wait for Kiari to get into kindergarten. Then I will take the jewelry world by storm. LOL.

We are going into a rental home in the Vancouver area (that is over 1,000 sq ft LESS than what I currently have - My current studio space is about 1,200 sq ft). I haven't seen the house that we will are renting. I have no idea how much room I am going to have for my equipment or if I will have room for classes. So for now, the plan is for me to work on my craft. I want to get back into learning new techniques and making my jewelry better. I am working with really cool tools. I am in the process of writing a book. I haven't decided if I will self publish it or see about working with a publisher. But my goal is to have it out by the end of the year. I would like to teach some classes in Tuscon next year, as well as other places.

This March, it looks like I will actually be teaching in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I am so excited about that. I will keep you all posted on how things progress with that.

I am excited and nervous and apprehensive all at the same time about this upcoming move. I am going back out West. I didn't really ever want to do that. I have simply LOVED living out in the East. I LOVED LOVED, LOVED the DC area. I would have loved to go back there.... if only they didn't have such yucky traffic. I adored the lush terrain of Virginia and Ohio. I am so glad that of all places in the West we are going, is to Washington where it is not only LUSH but BEAUTIFUL. I am nervous about starting all over again. Starting over with friends, my business, a new unfamiliar area, everything.

The one thing I have to say about that though, is that I have already had people in the area contact me to ask if I will be teaching classes, or if they could come over and be friends. I have "Friends" that I have known since just after my daughter passed away 7 years ago. I have known them for years, but I have only met two of them. And even then, I have only met each of them once before.

I know this is getting rambly, but it has been good for me to get this all out there.

So here are a few pictures of the studio packing progress.

This one took place over several hours, but it is so sad. My wall of hammers, full and happy. Then, it started to get thinned out a little.

And now, it is empty. My wall of hammers is very sad.

This is 7 lbs of stainless steel shot being dried out and prepared for storage. Sigh.

This is where I I do a lot of my clean up. The sink is there on the left. In this first picture I had already packed away my ultrasonic and started to pull chemicals out from the cabinet. But you can still see my tumblers and other tools.

Then in the next picture, everything is packed away. The chemicals are all packed away, things are cleaned off and it is now ready to be moved out.

So much to see in this first picture. My polishing bench has a TON of tools. I keep all my mandrels, calipers, stencils, bezel setting tools, etc. The little table just next to that is where I do all my drilling with my drill press and flexshaft, etc. Watch as it all gets cleared away.....

Tools are disappearing from the polishing bench and shelf above the drilling station.

Oh, how sad. All the tools are gone. Just the polisher and flexshaft need to be packed. I am waiting to pack the flexshaft because I have one more video to film before packing it away.

If you look closely in the back there, you can see my soldering station. All the torches are still lined up ready to do their work.

Now things are packed away. No more soldering surfaces or tools. The torches are still there since I need to take them outside to release all the gas in them.

This black peg board is where I keep all my tools that are for sale. They are all now packed away and a bunch will hopefully be sold on Tuesday when I teach my final class in Ohio. I will be teaching at a local bead shop.

This thing is just a mess. I keep so much on here. But hey, I know where it all is. LOL.

It is even more bare now since taking this photo. The top shelves have nothing bust dust on them.

What a process. But wait till you see the final photos. Hopefully I will have it all done by the end of this week.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Only 3 weeks to go.

2012-01-18T03:54:21Z

I know I haven't been on here since before Christmas, but things are really getting crazy now. At first, we thought we would be moving over Christmas break. I really wish we had. Then all this craziness would be done and over with. But at the same time, I am glad we are still here. I am having fun fitting in the last visits and classes. I am getting more and more nervous now that we have only 23 days left.

I went out to Vancouver back in December to do some house hunting. I found my DREAM HOME!!!! We can even afford it.... if we didn't want to have money for anything else. So, for now, we have found a nice little rental home and will save our money and pray that my dream home stays on the market long enough for us to get a really good size down payment.

The girls are getting excited to leave. Though my oldest (Riley) is unhappy about the timing. We move the day after her 12th Birthday. Her Birthday/Going Away Party will be held the weekend prior. Kate broke my heart the other day when I asked her if she was excited to go. She said, "Yes, but why do we have to leave all of our friends?"

Kiari is oblivious to all of it so far. But she has her own problems to deal with. I had noticed that she was not hearing me and she is delayed in her speech by about 4-6 months. I took her over to have her hearing tested and they got the same results as I noticed. She has quite a bit of fluid in her ears and will be having tubes placed on Monday. The interesting thing is, she has never had an ear infection. I guess she and Kate got my bad ear genes. We just have issues with the fluid draining. In fact, I get to have my ear surgery done again too. Oh Lucky Me! NOT! But my surgery will wait until after we get settled in Washington as well. See? Never a dull moment in my home.

In the midst of all of this I have somehow finally found a way to work on a few new pieces.

Last week I had a couple of students over and we made some simple wide band bezel set rings.

Saturday I had some friends come over for a Fold Formed Pea Pod class. This was a fun one. I love the sound of hammers in my studio.

This was a bracelet I was working on for something that I hope to announce soon.

The past couple of nights I have been working with my oldest daughter. She wanted to learn how to solder, so she made the top ring with the black onyx. I made the bottom ring with Red Coral that I bought in Tuscon back in September.

I have a few other pieces that I have been working on as well, but you will just have to wait and see my book when it is done for those little beauties.

I have also finished recording a few new videos for Tool Time Tuesday and would like to get them done before I move, but they may have to wait until we get settled into our new place in Washington. My studio will be packed this weekend. My best friend Valerie is coming over to help me get everything ready for the big move. This is not going to be fun. Anyone want to come over and help clean and touch up paint? Anyone? Anyone?

Well, I have two final classes here in Ohio. On Friday night I will hold my very last class here in my beautiful studio. Oh, that just made me cry. :*( I will be teaching the fold formed cuff with they hydraulic press. I have one or two spots open if anyone would like to come. $65 - Includes all materials. Class starts at 6:00 pm.

Next Tuesday night, I will be teaching my Spinner Ring class at Beadtini Boutique, in Copley, Ohio.

It really is starting to hit that we really are moving. Now, I just need my beautiful home to sell. I hope whoever buys it loves it as much as we have. It has been our nicest home yet.

Well, off to clean out more crap that I don't want to move.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.

Potter USA Shot Bag - Quick video and Review

2011-12-19T03:54:54Z

Well, "tomorrow" got delayed a day or two, but that is just how things are rolling in my house for a bit.

I had began using the new shot bag offered by PotterUSA. Can I just say, I LOVE THAT THING!?!?!? It is beautiful in every way. Here is what Kevin has to say about the new shot bag:

Silversmith's Forming Bag, 8 inches in diameter, about 3 pounds, Ships in medium, flat rate box ($10.50 USA)

Made of heavyweight English Bridle leather. The leather is domestically sourced from a premiere tannery out of Pennsylvania - Craig & Wickett.

They are stitched by a good friend of mine who is a professional saddle maker. First, he bonds the leather with hide glue, then they are stitched with a double row of heavyweight thread and filled with fine grain, clean sand. Then the edges are burnished and polished. The bags come very firm. They need to be broken in. I prefer sand to shot. The sand holds the form better, the shot tends to roll back in place.

These are nicest forming bags I've ever used. These are definitely the nicest forming bags available.

I have to say, that I really do like this bag. It is so much nicer than any of them I have ever used. (no, I don't get paid for this either. It is my honest opinion.) Perhaps I should start making Kevin pay me.... hmmmmmmm.

Visit the PotterUSA Website to order yours. The bag is $55.00 US.

PotterUSA is also holding a sale through Christmas day. 20% off all dies (you may have to be patient for some of them as they fly out of there so fast!) $50 off a 20-ton press frame and they have a lot of new tools being offered, including the new and improved, Koil Kutter.

I hope to be back with another Tool Time Tuesday this week. We will just have to see how things play out as we prepare for Christmas in our household. It sure is an exciting time, especially with a 5-year-old. I love that age so much. Everything is magic.

All content and images on this blog are the property of Melissa Muir and use of them in any context is strictly prohibited unless written permission is first obtained.