Silver and copper bezel stacked rings

My last metalsmithing class was on Tuesday. I've never been so happy to have a "fun" experience end.

I know now after taking metalsmithing classes for the past five months that I just don't care that much for that art. I certainly respect it and now know what goes into making rings and chains, etc., and I defintely came away with some new skills. But I just couldn't get into it.

Part of this is because I don't seem to have any natural abilities when it comes to doing metalsmith work. I could never figure out how to properly solder items and was constantly over or underheating items. Most of my items weren't successfully soldered together or melted under my watch. The only times I "succeeded" was when I had help from my teachers -- and both seemed to realize how untalented I am at this. My last teacher was just plain frustrated with me. This last one was very kind and patient, but even she sort of gave up on me in the end and just did all of my work for me. I just didn't look forward to the class and always felt like an idiot.

I think another reason that I dislike metalsmithing is because it's a very technical art. Granted, making any type of jewelry requires certain skills. However, hen I work with wire, clay or enamel, I can get lost in a project. With metalsmithing, you constantly have to file and fire things and time things ... there's a lot of labor and work that requires you to be on your toes. I just couldn't lose myself and be creative with it.

I haven't fully given up on metalsmithing. One of my jewelry class friends suggested that I get a soldering gun and practice on my own. This way, I won't be under the pressure of getting a project done in time or have to worry about a teacher evaluating my skills. I also won't have any teachers jump in to finish projects for me.

Anyway, I managed to make these silver and gold stacking rings with bezel set stones in my class. I had *a lot* of help, but I did at least 80 percent of the work and they do look cool:

On a funny note, I made up a little song as I used the easy solder (which melts at a lower temperature than hard or medium solder) to attach the bezels. To the tune of Phil Collins "Easy Lover," I sang, "This is easy solder. It'll fuse your ring, believe it. It'll meld your jewelry. Your piece finally will be complete." Hey, I had to find some way to enjoy myself!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To purchase my children's jewelry, head to MayaGirl Creations.

Metalsmithing Meltdown

My issues with soldering really got to me today in class. I ended up having a little meltdown.

It started yesterday when someone expressed some doubts about me taking this time to work on my jewelry business. That person wondered why I don't go back to a 9-5 job and just keep jewelry as my hobby. That person doesn't really understand my plans.

The thing is, I've always been an ambitious, but cautious, person. I never persued music as a career because there are a million talented flute players out there and it seemed like too big a risk. Instead, I became a journalist, which I LOVED. But this was my way of doing something creative -- writing -- only doing in a "safe" form.

And I succeeded. I was at the magazine for 14 years and had many other writing jobs prior to that. But there were a lot of things I didn't like about being in an office environment. Now that I have this time, I'd really like to see just how successful I can make my jewelry/freelance writing businesses. I'm fortuate that I'm able to do this and what's funny is that I'm working harder than I ever did at the office! I was at the mag from about 9:30-5:30, but now I usually start in the mornings and end late at night. But it's worth it if I can do well and be my own boss.

Anyway, this person's doubts made ME doubt myself and it affected my performance in class today. We were continuing work on our stacking rings and when I went to solder my silver ring, the ring just melted. It was awful. When I told the teacher, she just laughed and said, "Oops," but my mind went to a place, "You suck. You can't do this. You'll never succeed as a jewelry designer." I ran to the bathroom and began bawling. It was pretty humiliating.

Fortunately, I was able to collect myself and returned to class. I'm not sure if anyone knew how upset I was -- I hope not! But the teacher showed me what I was doing wrong and soldered my next ring with me. I then tried one on my own and I got it!!!!

I think I need to not put so much pressure on myself. I have a bad habit of wanting to get things right away, and that almost never happens. I need to just enjoy the process and stop letting others' opinions influence my work.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

Intermediate Metalsmithing, Part I

Today kicked off my next semester of jewelry making classes, and the first was Jewelry II, a.k.a. intermediate metalsmithing. The good news is, I already love this instructor. My last teacher wasn't evil or anything -- she knew her stuff and I learned a lot from her. She taught me well and I'm grateful to her for that. But she was kind of icy and tended to get impatient and was also very OCD about things. Everything had to be precise and perfect from our projects to the clean up at the end of class. She came right when it was time to start and had us leave right when class ended. I almost felt as if I were getting graded for her subject when it was supposed to be a FUN art class.

My new teacher, on the other hand is funny, warm and Earth mother-y. She always has a smile and jokes and laughs as she teaches us. And though she acknowledges that things need to be measured out and ends need to be even, she's not OBSESSED with precision. She wears a smudged apron and seems to get that art is sometimes going to be messy, especially when you're dealing with goopy substances. I have her for my enameling class, too, and just really enjoyed my six hours of classes with her.

I'm the least advanced person in this particular class. Many students take Jewelry II over and over again so they can do different projects and work with the same instructors. So there were a lot of really skilled jewelry designers there. But everyone was friendly and no one judged me, including the teacher. The bad news is, I still suck at soldering, but I didn't feel like an idiot when I asked for help. She didn't glare at me or talk in a harried tone. She smiled and helped me, and promised that I'd get it with practice.

Right now, we're working on creating a series of little stacked rings. I'm going to do a series of four or five using different types of metal. Today, I made two small copper rings in which I twisted the wire using a vise. My first attempt went a little awry because I didn't flatten out the wire enough before cranking the handle. However, my teacher simply shrugged and showed me how to correct my problem. She then laughed and joked, "Oh well, you'll just put your own *twist* on it." This is what I mean about her not being obsessed with precision.

My next attempt went well and I got a nice, tightly-twisted wire. It looks really cool. I tried to solder both and failed, but my teacher quickly determined what I was doing wrong and gave me a little lesson to help out. She didn't seem put out by this at all. Once I get my rings all made, I'm going to add bezel set stones to a couple to finish off the series.

This teacher is very big on making everything from scratch so I learned a lot just by watching the more advanced students work on their projects. One melted gold into a ball and then put it through the roller so she could have a gold disc. Another crafted handmade wire. Meanwhile, the teacher said that she'd show us how to make bezel wire from scratch. I love the idea of starting from the beginning. I already try to make all of my jumprings and ear wires, and this is taking it to the next level.

I'm still nervous about soldering; part of me fears that I'll never master this basic skill. I need to relax and not worry about it so much, and then maybe I'll finally get it. Who knows -- with this instuctor in charge, I might end up actually learning to LIKE soldering!

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

Metalsmithing Class Part XI: What A Disaster

Well, my last Jewelry I class was last night and it didn't go well at all. I was hoping to finish my bezel pendant ... and didn't. I was hoping to finish my earrings ... and didn't And I completely SUCK at soldering. I attempted to make a jumpring to attach to my pendant. Usually, I don't bother to solder jumprings as they stay intact on their own. But my teacher insisted and I know I need the practice. I made the jumpring itself without any problems, but then the usual issues came up. The ends weren't filed flat enough to solder. I tried to file them correctly. I made them worse. I think that part of the problem is that I a) have fat fingers and b) have pretty unsteady hands. I just find it hard to hold an itty bitty jumpring still and file the ends completely flat without moving it or moving the file out of whack. My teacher has delicate, little hands so, of course, it's easy for her. I don't know what happened -- maybe because I haven't been sleeping well -- but I just SNAPPED. I seriously began to cry, but ran to the bathroom before anyone could see me. I was just so frustrated. I mean, soldering is a very basic skill and if I can't even use a file correctly, how in the hell am I supposed to make more intricate jewelry? I think the teacher could tell how upset I was getting because she told me that it was close and I should go ahead and solder it. Now I had to deal with placing itty bitty pieces of solder on the seam. Again, this is me dealing with little pieces and an unsteady hand ... and the task seemed impossible. I went to heat the piece and the solder wouldn't melt. I then put more heat on it ... and I melted the entire jumpring off. Sigh. I'm so sick of looking at this stupid, now burned pendant that I'm about ready to toss the entire thing into the fire and just start a new project. I really, really don't like soldering and it's makiing me question whether I want to continue as a metalsmith. I'm also wondering if I'd do better with another teacher. I guess I'll find out when I start my classes next week.

Metalsmithing Class, Part X

Last night was our next to last metalsmithing class at the 92nd Street Y. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone! I remember that when I first started this class in February, I was pretty anxious about using tools I'd never used before like a blow torch, jeweler's saw and drill. Now I feel like an old expert with them. Well, not quite, but I at least feel comfortable using them. I still haven't quite gotten the hang of soldering, but I think I'll get that with practice. My teacher noted that my bezel wasn't soldered 100 percent; there was still a small gap in the piece, so I attempted to solder that section. However, it just wasn't happening. The solder pieces kept moving or just weren't melting. Finally, the teacher had to help out and explained that I wasn't heating the entire piece as I was supposed to. She assisted me and I think we finally got this thing. My poor pendant was getting pretty burned, though. I mean, it went under the fire about five times. I didn't have time to thoroughly submerge it in the pickle solution (which cleans the metal) so it was still smoldering as I left the class and I could smell the burnt metal all the way home. Yuck. I'll submerge it first thing next week so it'll have time to be cleaned. Then I'll add the stone and hopefully, it'll be finished. I'd also planned to solder a jumpring but am not sure that I'll have the time. That's OK, because I can either do that in my more advanced class which begins on May 22 or just make a jumpring with a cold connection. Meantime, I've been working on a pair of funky copper abstract earrings in class. They're going to look really cool and I'm amazed by how skilled I've gotten at sawing and filing. They have an intricate design in the center which required me to saw out small, squiggly lines, but it wasn't so hard to do. I remember when I was first making my silver ring that it was SO hard for me to even saw a straight line. Next week we're supposed to do a "show and tell" of our projects. My last two probably won't be completely finished, but it seems like no one else's is either -- and that makes me feel a lot better. But I'm looking forward to making more things during the summer semester.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. To read about my travel adventures, head to Naomi The Traveler.

Metalsmthing Class, Part IX: Works In Progress

Big news! At my metalsmithing class last night, I managed to solder by myself with no assistance. Woo hoo! I finally got around to attaching my bezel (the border wire that surrounds a stone and holds it into place) to my copper pendant. It was NOT easy, let me tell you. Because of the way my pendant is styled -- it's a copper disc with a carved out radial triangle pattern, sort of like a sand dollar -- the bezel had to be centered exactly. I figured this wouldn't be so hard because there was so much space to work with. I was wrong. For one thing, my bezel ring is pretty big, so I needed a lot of solder for it. I put pieces of solder in each corner, but my teacher said to use more. That's when things started to go wrong. Every time, I added a piece of solder and tried to push it up against the wall of the bezel, the bezel would move out of place. Then when I tried to move the bezel back into the center, the solder would move out of place. It seemed like a no-win situation. I finally solved the problem by adding more flux paste. The solder pieces stuck, but now I had a huge blob of flux in the middle of the piece. This wasn't that big of a deal because it could eventually be removed, but I knew it would take more time to clean the pendant later on. Soldering this piece was odd because you had to fire it from below, but it was really cool to watch. The bezel needed so much heat, the flame turned turquoise and the copper began to cracke, bubble and turned black. It felt a little as if I were rosting a marshmallow. The teacher assured me that the black would wash away, though, and it did when I put it in the pickle solution (though I had to keep it in for about a half hour). After all of this, though, she suggested that I add more solder because the bezel wasn't secure enough. This was my cue to take what I'd learned and do it myself. And I did! I think I added a little too much solder because there are big solder blobs on the pendant, but the bezel is centered and attached, and the stone fits into it like a glove. Now all I have to do is sand away the excess solder and polish the copper to even out the color. By next week, it *should* be finished, so I'll post a photo. I had a lot of time leftover in this class, especially when the pendant was sitting in the pickle, so I started a new pair of copper earrings. I have so much leftover hammered copper that I figured I might as well use it, right? I was pleased to see how much easier sawing them was for me. All of that practice paid off! I'm almost finished with one earring and will work on the other at home. Then I can solder the jumprings at the studio. I don't usually solder my ear wires, but I want to get the practice and this is a good skill to have. I can't believe that there are only two more Jewelry I classes left! Then it's on to my next three. There were times when this class really frustrated me. I'm such a klutz and having to work with small, very precise things isn't the easiest task for me. But I'm doing it. I made a nice ring, am pleased with the way the pendant is turning out and think these earrings will be really cool. I also learned how to saw, drill, file, texture, roll and solder metal. Pretty sweet! I may be clumsy, but I'm getting more and more confident each time I do these things. While I'm proud of my work, I'm more proud that I stuck with this class, despite having some doubts at first. I was really out of comfort zone, but forced myself to learn some new things. I don't think that my teacher had a lot of faith in my abilities, but she now sees how handworking I am, even if I'm not the best or the most skilled. The class has dwindled; we only had TWO students there last night. I think it's because this isn't really a "fun" class. Every project you make requires a ton of work and patience. I think it's worth the time, though, because I'm leaving a better designer -- and a more enriched person.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs. And to check out my travel blog, head to Naomi The Traveler.

Metalsmithing Class Part VIII: Comedy Of Errors

Yesterday was one of those days where just everything went wrong. I didn't get much sleep and then had to get a lot of blood drawn for an upcoming medical exam. And so I stumbled into my jewelry making class bleary-eyed and woozy. I didn't want to miss class because I'm almost done with that darn pendant that I've been working on.

What I didn't realize, though, was HOW out of it I was -- that is, until I began dropping stuff. First, I went to file the end of my bezel (the wire tht's wrapped around a stone in a piece of jewelry) and knocked it onto the floor. I then cut up tiny pieces of solder wire -- and knocked their container over three times! Three! I then went to solder the seam on my bezel and when I went to screw the cap back onto my flux paste, accidentally picked up the little cap in which I'd stored my solder pieces. So that's right, they were dropped again, only this time I dumped them into the paste.

And it doesn't end there. I cut more solder pieces, but they kept falling off of my bezel when I was trying to lay them out over the seam (they're supposed to stick to the paste and then you fire the piece before the flux dries out, but they weren't staying put). I finally got them to stay in place and torched my bezel ... and my teacher pointed out that the seam wasn't lined up. She had to pull the bezel apart to undo the soldering and somehow managed to salvage it. After some cursing and filing and shaping, I redid it and this time, managed to not drop anything before successfully soldering it together. But as soon as I returned to my work station, I went to sand down the edge of the ring -- and yep, dropped it right on the floor!

Bt now, everyone was pretty much laughing at me and my teacher just shrugged and said, "Look, we all have off days." I explained about having had my blood drawn. I mean, I know I'm a klutz, but this was rediculous, even for me.

Still, I managed to make my bezel and didn't accidentally burn down the studio in the process. The good news is, I'm much more comfortable working with fire. The first time I used the torch I was freaked out, but now it seems like much less of a big deal. And the fire turns all sorts of pretty colors....

In other news, I'm officially signed up for my three classes: Metalsmithing II, Enameling I and Precious Metal Clay. I'm really excited for them! My teacher says that the morning classes have a much different feel, that it's kind of like summer camp. I can live with that. I want my classes to be informative, but fun.

Meantime, I'm really glad I'm taking this class, even if I don't like every element of it. I've definitely picked up some interesting new skills and that will only serve me in the long run.

Hopefully, my bezel will be attached to my pendant by next week so I can show a pic of my final product.

Okay, bad joke time: When I attach the bezel, will I be committing emBEZELment? Haha.

To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Metalsmithing Class: Part VII

Last night, I started working on my bezel set ring. I've realized something important about metalsmithing: I really don't like soldering. I know, this doesn't bode well for me if I plan to continue my studies in metalsmithing techniques. But I find the process time consuming and tedious. I think it would be different if I were doing it at home with a soldering iron because it is rather neat to watch the metal melt into the seam. Then *I* could determine when my pieces were ready to be put together and wouldn't have to get the teacher's approval. But this particular teacher is very exacting; she makes us file the ends until they're *exactly* lined up, which can be a pain. And she always makes me change the size of my soldering pieces. I know, I know, I need to learn how to do this and she's showing us the absolute best technique. I appreciate it. I just don't find it fun. Then again, when I took flute lessons I didn't like doing warmup drills. I guess every craft involves some process that's a little dull. I was really surprised when she showed us how to make jumprings and a chain... and expects us to solder each individual piece. I've been making chains for a while and always use a cold (non-soldered) connection. She did say that there are many ways to make chains and just wants us to practice soldering techniques. That makes sense. What's weird is that I enjoy a lot of the other processes. I find sawing really relaxing. I don't mind filing so much; it just gets a bit frustrated when I have to file the ends to be 150% even. A lot of times an end will look perfectly straight to me and my teacher will note that the planes are uneven -- and I just don't see it. I guess her eye is way more trained than mine. I feel like such a spaz using the files, too; she's able to do it in such a smooth motion and I'm always dropping the file. I think what this really comes down to is me being impatient! When I have a beautiful piece in mind, I want to see it completed! Call it the five year old in me, LOL. I am glad I'm learning these new techniques, though. The thing is, with my own jewelry, I don't *have* to solder my pieces. I can learn beading, how to work with metal clay or continue using cold connections with wire. I just figure it's good to learn different things in case I *want* to use these methods. By the way, I signed up for Jewelry II and enameling for the summer semester. I'm still deciding on a third class, but am stoked that I got into enameling. My teacher says that it's very popular and there are only 10 slots. But I signed up for the morning summer class, so there were openings. It's only six sessions (they abbreviate the summer classes), but this will put me on the priority registration list for fall if I like it and want to take the longer version. Sweet! To purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Metalsmithing Class: My sterling silver ring with flower design

Here it is! Here is the mythical silver ring that I have been talking about all semester:

While I don't think it's my best piece, I'm proud of it. For a seemingly simple ring, a lot of work went into making it! First, I had to carve out the silver strip using a jeweler's saw, then I had to drill and saw out the flower design. Next, I had to file the entire piece. I then annealed the ring by torching it so that I could make the metal more flexible; next, I bent it into a ring shape.

Next, I soldered the ends together, then annealed it a second time. Finally, I sanded, polished and buffed it.

So there were a lot of steps in making it -- and it doesn't even fit me. It's about a half size too small (though it's sligtly big on my pinky). So if anyone reading is a size 8 1/2 ring wearer, you can buy it on Etsy.

To purchase more of my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs.

New Jewelry Making Skills

I had my second metalsmithing class tonight. It went well, though the instructor goes at warp speed and the other students aren't very friendly. But I did learn some new jewelry making skills!

First, I got to use a drill so I could put holes in my ring design. I was ervous about using a tool that could, well, put a hole in me, but it went smoothly and there were no injuries.

Next, I had to use a jeweler's saw to cut out my ring and the interior design. It took me a few tries (and a few broken blades) to get the hang of it, but once I did, it was fun -- very relaxing.

We'll be soldering our rings in the next class (and I'll get to use mor scary tools), but in the meantime, I now know how to saw shapes out of metal. This is really cool because I can now make pendants and charms and other metal elements. I love working with wire, but I'd like to expand my repertoire. So expect to see some cool copper cut-outs sometime soon!

To see or purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.

Metalsmithing Class

Guess what? I'm now taking a metalsmithing class at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. They have a very intensive jewelry making program, so I'm starting with the class that's called Absolute Beginners. I consider myself to be intermediate when it comes to wirework, but I know squat about soldering. It should be an interesting experience.

So far, we've only had one class so we haven't done much. We had to buy about 50 items for it, though, so it's getting to be pretty expensive. Happily, I've been making more sales in the last few months so I hope to eventually make up the difference. Anyway, our instructor had us draw a pattern for a ring and then showed us how to use a drill and a saw. It frightens me a bit that I'll be handling tools that could potentially cause me to bleed if I slip up.

Still, I'm excited to be learning a new skill! If I like this course, I'll continue with Jewelry II and III, and then take a course in stone cutting. I want to know as much about making jewelry as I can. Though I sort of stumbled upon making jewelry by accident (I needed something to do while I was out with a broken leg), it's truly become a passion.

To see and purchase my jewelry, head to Naomi's Designs on Etsy.