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Post by talkingstones on Jun 17, 2012 19:16:50 GMT -5
First off, I highly recommend never giving this one a try! I've been working on it for about two weeks, can't tell you the wire I went through and my hands are killing me! This has been the state of my mind through this piece...  This is the bracelet and if you will notice, the rock is not a rock but actually a chunk of plastic that has been spit on or something with a "get rich quick" spell by a local shaman and my client just had to have it in a bracelet.... Seriously, this was a custom order and it's the last one I'm doing!     So that's how I spent my weekend. Now it's laundry and to bed! A huge thank you to Randy and Ed for convincing me to not jump off a building while I was doing this piece! Had it not been for them being there to talk to, I would not have finished it...which would not be a great loss to humanity, but would have seriously bummed out my client! Thus ends Cathy's career doing "custom jewelry orders!" From now on, I'm doing my own stuff and if people are into it, great! If not, I'll still be enjoying what I'm doing instead of feeling like I'm being slowly tortured to death! That works much better for me! |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jun 17, 2012 19:36:42 GMT -5
OMG! I LOVE this post, thank you!!! The first picture completely defines my feeling about the stainless steel, too. IT IS TOUGH TO WORK! I sooooo feel for your poor hands! That bracelet is a huge undertaking in S steel. It look great, too! I know exactly what you went through, so I appreciate it all the more.  I got the biggest laugh out of the spitting shaman!! LOL!!! All that hard work for plastic, argh! I so feel your pain. Good for you for hanging in there!! ;D |
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 17, 2012 20:13:01 GMT -5
Thanks Tela! It was either the bracelet wasn't going to live or I wasn't on this one! LOL! I did learn a ton, though! Tomorrow I start the clean up and then I think I'm going to spend a week or 10 on rocks, just to calm down and get the knots out of my back and hands!!!
Cathy
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jun 17, 2012 20:33:55 GMT -5
Bracelets are the most difficult thing to do with wire, that one turned out nice! I can't imagine using stainless, I've always used Beadsmith plated wire.
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Post by gr on Jun 17, 2012 20:45:35 GMT -5
Wow, I can't imagine do that! Give me a string and a few beads Lol
It looks very good Cathy. Way to hang in there with it and show that stainless who's boss.
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Post by mohs on Jun 17, 2012 22:00:57 GMT -5
eh maddona !!! hand's flaying :nono:
you had the shamans blues!
tangled up in wire
I'm glad you pulled through
me ? I'd jumped into the pyre
and I brought the shaman w/ me!
Its a fine bracelet Cathy
and it will grow in a profitable way
I'm spit'n sure of it :cheesy:
mostly
O you know i'm jesting
but back to the basics
rocks! tumble ! roll!
Ed
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Post by mohs on Jun 17, 2012 22:02:56 GMT -5
Its actually EXCELLENT!
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hubrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2011
Posts: 1,563
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Post by hubrocks on Jun 17, 2012 22:11:34 GMT -5
That's awesome!!! can't imagine doing a bracelet out of stainless, but your counter top looks like mine looks all the time!! nice job!
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Jun 18, 2012 0:02:02 GMT -5
Good job on the bracelet!
stainless is a finger buster and also it bites you when you least expect it. Got a few punctures from making some rings and pendants.
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 18, 2012 6:31:23 GMT -5
Thanks guys! It was definitely a tied up and twisted piece. I used the stainless because I really couldn't see wasting the silver in it. lol! In the end, I wasted so much wire on this thing I probably would have saved money just using pure silver! Live and learn!
I do like the industrial look of the stainless with it and the way the piece almost has a steam punk kind of look to it.
Challenges, I couldn't use the flat pattern with a whole band because the size of the "shamman stone that isn't a stone." It wobbled around with that. I also didn't like that the band seemed to twist with movement. The band with the central opening works a lot better for a piece like this, at least for me, and the "shamman stone that isn't a stone" is very firmly secured!
Biggest thing I learned is that, for me, this custom order stuff is really not a good option. I got really upset working on this piece, and, as I said earlier, without Randy and Ed to talk to, I would have just given up rocking altogether, I think. My biggest problem is that people keep asking me to do stuff like this. I've got boxes of rocks upstairs that people want me to do "when I get time" or "at your leisure" and because of that, I never get to my own stuff...and my stuff is where I find the joy in all of this! So, the boxes of rocks are going back to their owners over the next few weeks because, as Ed said, it's time for me to get back to the basics.
Rock! Tumble! Roll! and have a great week, guys!
Cathy
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 18, 2012 8:07:32 GMT -5
Hey Cathy, I understand totally. I can only offer the possibility of balance existing. A few pieces for you, one for someone else, a few for you, one for someone else... that kind of thing. Or... better just to give them back, LOL.
Your bracelet looks lovely and you did a great job making it work!
Jo
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Jun 18, 2012 10:21:05 GMT -5
you know you can get that bracelet dialed in by using the Para wire that is coated in titainium as it look like a silver and is sooooo easy to work with. Brass is just as easy also I have not attempted a bracelet in the stainless yet as the 22 gage was hard on the hands just doing pendants and a ring. I did purchase a bunch of 24 gage to give a go at the bracelets and rings. I will not use half round to bind the bundle of wire as its too whimpy, I think the square in the same gage will be more secure and keep things tight. The ends of the wire are the biggest pain in getting them finished and looking good. |
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 18, 2012 20:14:45 GMT -5
Hi Frog, That would entail redoing the bracelet...again...which I'm not seeing at this point. Possibly for the next bracelet, but it's going to be a while before I go there! This was done in 21 g and I agree about using the square for the binding but I can tell you already I porbably don't have the hand strength. Hardest part of this for me was the cutting involved! That was the hand killer! i'm still sore from it.
Jo, I really love making stuff for other people, on a gift level. It's the "custom" stuff that really aggravates me! This piece was a prime example of why. People hand you a hunk of plastic and expect you to turn it into the Hope Diamond...and then aren't happy with the results. I'll still be making pieces for other people, but with my own stones and my own ideas. I have a pretty high stress job and the rocks are my balance to that. It works well until my focus is taken from the process of working them to what someone else wants them to be and money gets involved.... so I think that for me, the stuff that I've just got to do up for everybody else is going back to everybody else. For pieces that I really want to do up but not keep...I'll put that stuff in the Etsy store. If people like it, great! If not...that's okay too. My point is, with the limited amount of time that I have to work on this stuff, I want to keep it enjoyable and for me, that means it comes from the heart...my heart. That's how it works best for me.
Hope that makes sense!
Cathy
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Jun 18, 2012 21:49:49 GMT -5
I meant the comment for a "new" bracelet not redoing the hand killer down the road when you feel like giving it a go again! I bought special cutters for stainless and a little bit stronger round nose pliers for the shaping |
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 18, 2012 22:33:49 GMT -5
Makes total sense Cathy and you are entitled to work how you want, dear. Jo |
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 19, 2012 6:02:13 GMT -5
Frog, do you have a link to the cutters and pliers?
Thanks, Jo! :-)
Cathy
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Jun 19, 2012 6:20:58 GMT -5
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 19, 2012 7:40:51 GMT -5
Very cool! Thanks!!!!
Cathy
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