Confirmed Geek

I always knew I was a geek, having loved maths from an early age, and sitting down to read dictionaries for fun - but now I have had this confirmed by being asked to join Etsy's Astro&Neutrino team - a team of makers which describes itself as follows:

"Astro&Neutrino is all about the awe. That feeling of amazement when you look at the complex and beautiful structure of the universe and the things it prompts you to make.  Astro&Neutrino isn't about exclusivity or limits. It does not focus on computers, astronomy or science fiction, instead it embraces the many variants of geekiness.

We like to be in touch with other artists and crafters interested in science, science-fiction and generally geeky pursuits.  From Astrophysics to Natural History, from ferns to fossils, from dyodes to dendrites, we would love the team to be a meeting point for geeks with different interests. "

This is it!! They "got" my work! I've always seen my work as a depiction of what I see, re-worked with a touch of whimsy and a lot of humour, but as I went along I started to notice lines of similarity, similar themes running across my work, and they appear to be centred on nature, outer space, science and childhood.

Make sure you visit the team's page and the individual pages of the talented members of the group.

Happy to be a confirmed geek!

Keeping Calm

I have had a few days when I felt like I was in some crazed spin cycle.  And that lovely old wartime poster told me everything I needed to be told.  So to return the favour, I reproduced it in solid silver.  Now I just need to repeat its mantra a hundred times.

It's in the shop - here.

Too Many Projects

Hands up, who suffers from wanting-to-do-it-all-nitis?  I have a goal to be an expert at a huge list of things (yes, expert - any old experience just won't do).  On my list:

• Silver etching projects - tried it and got a large quantity of iron nitrate some weeks ago for a lot of pieces, except it's sitting on a shelf, keeping company to the other chemicals
• Laser-cut projects based on my own drawings - [note to self:  'prioritise']  
• Keum boo - some weeks ago I mentioned I ran to the gold shop to buy gold sheet, right?  I did run, and I evidently have more ideas than time
• Resin - bought all the kit, tried it and put it all back on the shelf for later
• Engraving - ditto bis
• Making my own stone settings - ditto ter (though I do set my own stones)
• Making hinges, boxes, rivets, clasps, vessels, utensils - I so want to make a spoon, I really do!
• Other metal clays - I want to know all the ins and outs of all the other clays, there's copper, bronze, steel... and before I get to grips with them fully, someone goes and brings out a glass clay.
• 3-d CAD programmes such as Rhino - the fun I would have...
• Wax carving, and lost wax casting, delft casting (oh and broom, and cuttlebone casting - add those too)  
• Gemology and lapidary
• Glass - I loved making my own cabochons, and using dichroic glass in my silver.   'Must learn more' I thought at the time.  I'm still with that same thought.
• Enamels - oh lordy I love those enamels, but I'm not sure they love me back 

I have been on a very steep metal rimmed learning curve in the past couple of years, and I have taken in a huge amount of knowledge that I never envisaged would be there, but is it ultimately a positive that the more you know, the more you need to know, when this self imposed need to learn is actually just adding more things to your to-do list and therefore, pressure on yourself?    Is it better maybe to focus on one thing and be really really good at that, or is it preferable to have a little good first-hand knowledge of a lot of things?  

To be fair to myself, the list is huge and a large number of things are not included here because they are already ticked (in pencil - full "expert" capacity is a tall order), but in the course of this blog - I expect to tick off one of those every few months.   Unless I find something else to divert my attention, like oh bugs, Palladium.

I've flown!

This is one momentuous week.  This is the week that I have given up my job to concentrate on my jewellery work.  This is the week that hopefully, will imprint itself on my memory as THE professional turning point.  This is the week that will also be remembered as one of the most exciting, scariest and busiest ever. 

And it is also a little bit of a sad week, so many goodbyes to so many lovely people...