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.

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