Gratified Fridays: Dream Workspace Realized

<<Before...>>

<<After...>>

Feeling really really good about this fantastic workspace!  The new house came already equipped with a room just ready for me to claim as my own Tarnished & True headquarters.  All I had to do was unpack, paint, and arrange my stuff.  

I love spending time in this space!  

You can see a big map up on the wall; a birthday gift from Matt.  It is for keeping a record of all my sales.  I still need to get the world map up and the pins out and start pinning!  It is really amazing to think about all of the places I have mailed jewelry to.  Only missing three states out of the whole US, and have touched quite a few international destinations, such as the Netherlands, France, Italy, Canada, China, the UK, and Australia.

I also found time to re-photograph the last photo found in all of my listings, of the beautiful packaging I send out with my jewelry.  Matt makes such pretty boxes!

It feels so good to see things coming together, and to be settling into this new workspace.  So grateful for such a nice place to work!

“To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty, you want to bring a little more music to it, a little more poetry to it, a little more dance to it.” 

–Osho

Happy weekend!

WOYWW: New Shop Space

The more time I spend here, the more I realize this is the perfect house for me.  The most obvious reason being the shop that was already in place when we moved in!  What an improvement from that old little corner in the garage...I have an entire room all to myself. **lucky**

I don't have the best photos of the end result yet, mostly because the shop is a mess from me working like I'm my own slave on orders that keep flooding in.  But I have painted all of the cabinets from an old dark brown to a warm white (paint I found in the closet).

Like all new things, it has taken some getting used to being in a new space.  Things are in a different place, my flow is slightly interrupted...but I love what is happening so far.

More photos to come soon!  I'm off to work!

Happy WOYWW all you crafty people.  Visit stamping ground for more work benches.

Epic Production Week & A Commission Piece!

This month has started out like a lion *roar*!  Busiest month for me to date with thirty seven orders already and the month is only half way over!

I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that we are buying a house and packing and moving and cleaning to prepare for the move....no why would I be busy with orders at a time like this?

To offset this insane serendipity, I have been working daily to keep up with orders, so that I will be sure to have a few days of down time when the actual moving day finally arrives...have to relocate the shop!

When I got a request for a special commission for a turquoise ring, I was really excited but also felt a lot of pressure to fit it in with everything else.  It ended up going more smoothly than I could have ever hoped for, all of the soldering happened like magic, and the ring just came together in a cinch!  I mailed it off the same day, and I really hope the lady likes it as much as I do.

Now I'm off to start the day with some more ring making this morning, some wall patching and painting this afternoon, and then to finish off the day with more packing and cleaning.  This would all be way too much, except that Matt has the week off, and my kiddos are big enough to help!  I heart my family.

Happy WOYWW all of you.


Linking up with Stamping Ground.

WOYWW: Double Inspiration & New Work

Boho Trinket Ring

Faceted Silver Ring

I snuck in a few hours during the last week and came up with two new designs.  The process ended up being really fluid, the first turquoise ring just came together without any hitches, and last minute inspiration found me hammering facets into that big silver nugget.  I loved the look so much, that I made a simpler version of it on a single silver band.

I love it when the muse comes knocking, don't you?

Etsy came up with a new feature, the "About" section, which is available for sellers to fill out and publish to their shops.  I just love the feature, and had a lot of fun putting my page together.  I never know what to say in those short bios!  Check mine out here.

Happy Wednesday all, and happy WOYWW to you WOYWW-ers. :)  Visit more work desks here.

WOYWW: Finally Found the Perfect Work Stool

I have been searching thrift stores, office furniture stores, department stores, and the internet, but I just couldn't find a chair that suited my needs in the shop.  I need something adjustable, and without arm rests, and that is pretty comfy (foot rests).  While doing our monthly stock up at Costco, Matt and I came across this stool, and we were both immediately sold on it.

Isn't it cute and perfect?  To adjust it you just wind it up or down, and it has this great blacksmith/metalsmith feel because of the wrought iron it is made with.  The seat has a weathered finish to it and just enough width and contour to be pretty comfortable.

Other than that, I have just been busy busy filling orders, and making lists of them for each shop session.  Today I have over 20 rings to make, and that makes me happy!

Hope this Wednesday finds you all creating beautiful things...now go visit some more lovelies over at Stamping Ground for your weekly dose of WOYWW.

WOYWW: Airplanes Too

My shop has been a busy busy place as usual, but I was able to design a new pair of earrings.  Matt's favorite co-worker is retiring next month from her job with Matt as an Air Traffic Controller.  So of course, I made her some airplane earrings (she already has a pair of my mushrooms...so I knew she would just love it...and she did!).

Copper Studs:  Your Aeroplane, Airplanes

The earrings are adorable on, they can be flying towards each other, or away.  Too funny.

Happy WOYWW, to everyone!

Linking up with Julia for WOYWW.

WOYWW: Looking Forward

What's on your work desk this Wednesday?  I hope there is a ton of creativity going on in your world, because, I swear it makes at least my world go 'round!

I am looking forward reallllly hard to the end of the semester (only ONE week away, thank you!) so that I have time to work with all of those pretty beads you see there, and the newest addition still in little bags.

With schoolwork always looming, I have had no time to do anything besides fill orders for designs already in my shop, so I am so excited to find the time again for aimless exploring in the shop and new work!

I have about a million ideas that have just been sitting around in my head while instead of working them out, I have been writing papers about Dante, Dali and Religion.  Oh My.  I also wrote a paper about raising urban chickens.  And this week, I will be writing a paper about Michelangelo, another about a play, and finishing up a non-fiction writing portfolio.

I also have another gazillion blog ideas just waiting for me to find the time....oh, and I need to plan a vacation.

Basically, the light at the end of the tunnel has shown itself, and is staring me in the face..and if I can just complete the last few tasks...there will be a LOT more time for the things I love.

And.  I.  Cannot.  Wait.

Happy WOYWW, all.  Go say hi to Julia for hosting.

WOYWW: Bees & Mushrooms

This week, I'm sharing photos of making my Buzzy Bee and Sweet Mushroom earrings.  I also had the usual orders for stacking rings, and made a few pair of spiral earrings.

This week in the shop I had four repeat customers and a new customer that heard of my rings through her friend.  My little shop keeps growing!

Also sharing a photo of my soldering station.  You can see my newest tool, the square kiln shelf, which is super heat resistant and great as a soldering platform!

I have to admit that I had no idea today was wednesday until the kids mentioned it over breakfast!  I have been swamped with homework since the semester is finally at its end...not sure if this is good or bad?  Good to be done soon, not so good to be so overwhelmed with busy work.....because...

All I want to do is play!  It has been gorgeous out, and I have decided that adventure season has officially begun.  I am happy to report that I have already started a suntan, dipped my feet in a river, and bought the first watermelon of the season.  But all of that is for a different post.

Until then, happy WOYWW to you all!

WOYWW: Ringing Around

Luck was on my side when I got a big custom order for five sets of stacking rings during spring break; I had plenty of time to enjoy the process of making so many of the same rings.

It is actually a sweet story, and part of why making my rings is so fulfilling for me.  People think of the sweetest sentiments that they want stamped on these rings!

The woman who ordered this big batch made it through a bought of cancer, but not without the support of some special people.  She ordered a ring for each of these friends as a thank you and a remembrance of their bond through that hard time.

She ordered a special phrase stamped on each of three rings, "lucky me, to have you, love 2012".

I have had so much fun making her order special, with a box for each friend, a special tag noting each size, and new business cards too!  (I go pick up my new stamp today for the packaging, and am so excited!)

Another neat point:  I broke a new record!  With the custom order and what other orders were in the queue, I made a grand total of 20 rings in one day!  That is a lot.

So that is where my workdesk is at as of this Wednesday.


If you want to join in with the rest of us crazy "What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday"-ers, please go visit Julia.  :)


Happy Creating Everyone!

WOYWW: Variety Is Good

Ahh, this week was so nice in my shop.  I had a variety of different orders to work out:  hoops and post earrings, and even some beaded earrings...and of course the usual pile of stacking ring orders.

And, since it is spring break, I had time to re-photograph a few things that I made for the shop (I just love photographing my jewelry, and I have missed doing it!

1.  I am Loved Necklace
2.  Fire Dancer Hoops
3.  Traditional Basket Earrings
4.  Menkaura Pyramid Posts

It felt so great to start the week out with some serious artistic productivity...and without cramming it in between writing papers and taking silly quizzes.

Happy WOYWW everyone, thanks for the visit!

Linking up with Stamping Ground-What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday and A Stylish Little Lady-Life Lately

WOYWW: Shiny Sparkly Pretty

This is what my bench looks like today.  An ariel view:

I have been unbelievable swamped with orders.  I think I have 15 open orders to fill right now.  It feels like every time I refresh my email, there is a new order!  I have been working on my efficiency so that I can keep up.  :)

I used to polish my rings by hand with super super fine sandpaper.  That works really well, but my shop has become too busy for my hands to handle that kind of repetitive work.

Recently I rediscovered the dremel set Matt had gotten me a while back, I think as a birthday present.  I am in love!  There is this cute little cotton covered attachment that I put in the flex shaft.  Add some rouge (polishing agent), and done!  Easy.

My rings turn out shiny sparkly pretty, with hardly any effort.

The necklace I made as a gift for MyGirl's birthday tomorrow (shhh, don't tell!).

Thanks Julia for hosting WOYWW, again!  Happy Wednesday, WOYWW-ers!

WOYWW: Making Hoops

I never thought I was going to get around to working in the shop this week, with all this homework stuff I have to do these days.  But today, I just got out of bed and started working.  Forget the dishes.  Leave the homework till later.  And it's a good thing I did, because orders have been stacking up!  I still have a set of stacking rings (from a repeat customer!!) and a pair of little stud earrings to make.

You can see in the photos the earrings from start to finish.  It's neat to watch them transform from a boring piece of sheet metal into these pretty textured hoops.  I designed these one day, just messing around, and they have been super popular!  I kind of love making them because the process is all my creation.  Although, I should give some credit to a fellow WOYWW-er (hi Geri!).  She ordered my usual Isis Hoops but in a smaller size.  I thought that was so brilliant that they are now listed over in the shop.

I better get back to work!  Happy creating everyone!