Thing-a-day: Feb. 28 (Workshop Clean-up)

Todays thing - is not really a thing.
I would have liked to end with something fabulous, but instead I ended up cleaning up my workshop.
It was needed too, and now I am ready to jump flying into march and the rest of the year.
My pictures today is before and after the cleanup. It feels great, and seeing it in pictures makes me realize ... I need some inspirational art on that wall!
My gosh it's barren. That needs to be fixed.







Well - today is the last day of this years Thing-a-day. It has been a great experience to be a part of this project, and I have learnt several things.
It is indeed possible for me to blog a lot more frequently than I usually do.
It is also possible for me to make a 'thing' on an almost daily basis.
It is possible for me to get up early, to torch before going to work.
It is possible for me to produce more than I thought, if only I put my mind to it.
So - I should probably quit complaining about being tired and not having enough free time, and just decide to take action and work towards my visions :)

This has been great, and I look forward to joining next year as well, and also to take some time to look at all the entries I have missed over the days.

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb.27 (S-Clasps)

Today I made a couple of S-clasps.
I shaped them simply with pliers, and hammered them afterwards, which gives the metal a nice finished look.
I like them :)


P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 26 (Silver Core Failure)

I am afraid todays thing didn't quite happen.
I wanted to core a couple of beads, but the sterling tube kept splitting, even after I sanded it smooth and pressed it very gently.
I startet over 4 times, and it is very odd, because the other bit of tube I got in the same order worked perfectly and easily, and I didn't do anything different this time. I think I will have to order some more fresh tube and hopefully it will go back to being easy again ...

So I give up for tonight on the coring, but before I go to bed I will make an S-clasp since I am so fond of the one I am wearing. I'd like to sell bracelets to go with my beads, but I wasn't satisfied with the toggle clasp I had before. Now I have a much better feeling about it, so I'd better get to work :)
Good night all, and have a nice weekend :)

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 25 (Beads & Sculptures)

New beads!


All made yesterday. This is what I usually make in a productive week (or two).
I could so use more days off ...

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 24 (Bracelet Clasps and Pics)

Excellent productive day. Yay!
Unfortunately my beads are stil in the kiln being annealed, so they will be tomorrows thing.

I do have a pic though, of my bracelet. I had first made it using a toggle clasp. I have never worn one of those, just seen them being used for bracelets all the time. After a month of testing I'm not sure I like it though, so today I changed it for a S hook I had made a long time ago and never used. Oh what a difference, I love it! It is a 100% better. It is so pretty, easy to use and generally lifts the over-all appearance of the bracelet. Super!




I did get to go shopping for materials today. I got the soldered jumprings on either end of the S which made it possible for me to assemble the piece. I also got some sterling wire for making fibulas, and got carried away and got some agate beads. They have a large hole that will fit on 1,5mm wire and are the first semi.precious stones I have seen with this size hole. Yeah, I don't get out much :) I look forward to working with them.

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 23 (No Thing Today)

So - it appears I have begun to slack.
I have made no thing today, so I have nothing to show.
I did have at great day though, and I have taken tomorrow off from work, which means lots of torchtime!
I might even go shopping for some sterling wire. Can't make jewelry without it :)
Yay!

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 22 (Working on Banner)

I have been working on a banner today, for a new online shop that will open this summer.
It is a place like Etsy, but in danish, and has just a front up for now with a bit of info and a lot of pictures.
Anyway, the banner - not finished and not worth presenting, so no pic today.

Hmm, that sounds like I am building a website community Etsy thing.
No, just a banner for my own little shop in the sea of handmade.

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 21 (Lego)

Today I spent the day with my children at the 4 day Lego World show. We had a great time :)
I spent most of the time watching the kids, feeding them or trying to keep them together, but I also got to build a few things, and here is a pic of one of those.


P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 20 (Bead Pics)

I haven't been doing much today, feeling very tired, but I did get some pics edited which is nice.
I shot them yesterday, and now they are ready for use.










P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 19 (New Beads)

Todays thing is more beads. I got a bit into purple as you can see.
I did manage to get the redish hue I were after to appear, but not as easily as I had thought it would be.
I have cored a few of them already, but one broke because I weren't paying attention :/
I am pleased with the lot though :)



P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 18 (Fancy Banana)

For todays thing I decorated a banana :)




I scratched the peel of the banana with a knife and shortly after the lines had turned dark. The markings got darker as the day progressed, and I am looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 17 (Emergency Haiku)

No new thing today,
an emergency haiku
must step up again.

No beads have been made
as well as no jewelry,
now the time is up.

Another day looms,
will the morrow show a thing?
I surely hope so ...

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 16 (Silver Cored Beads)

Today I have cored all of the beads I made last night.
It's a great feeling, getting things done.
I am very pleased that I decided to join Thing-a-day :)


P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 15 (Bead Photo)

Today I shot pictures of my beads so I can post them online for sale later.
Alas, it seems that they all have dust on them or are unfocused, so I'll have to redo them after all.
This one is allright though ...


P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 14 (Glass Art Sculptures)

Maybe not a forrest quite yet, but it's a beginning.
These aren't glued, just cut and ready to be.



P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 13 (Silver Cored Beads)

Freshly cored beads :)



P~
(Phew! I only just made it before the date changed :)

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Thing-a-day: Feb. 12 (Beads & Sculptures)

Success!
I did indeed manage to get myself up and into the studio at 3 in the morning, so I could get a bit of torchtime in before going to work.
It was quite an experience as I am not a morning person.
This is what I made, two lady figures and some frit tests.


I am pleased :)

P~

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Thing-a-day: Feb. 11 (The Frits Arrived!)

No thing today (again, ahem!), but ...
My frit is here!!!! Hooray!



I will go to bed now and get up in the morning before work to torch.
That is the plan anyway. I hope I can do it.
Then there will be beads tomorrow!
Yay!

P~

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Thing-a-day: Feb. 10 (Business Card?)

Todays thing is a file for a new businesscard. It's a beginning anyway, as I have doubts.


I have put only my web-address on it, and a line saying: Handmade Glassbeads, Unique Jewelry for Unique Individuals.
What kind of information do you like to see on the card of an artist?


P~

Thing-a-day: Feb.9 (Book-keeping Haiku)

No thing today, sorry 'bout that.
I have used my day well though, by finally finishing my 2009 book-keeping.
The final deadline is tomorrow, but I am all done. Yay! :)

Oh wait! I can make a haiku.
Hang on ...

Amounts big and small
must line up in perfection.
It is done - now, sleep.

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 8 (Frozen Figures)

Fun shapes of ice.
I see a flying bird, a horse and a man.







P~

Thing-a-day: Feb.7 (Fishtank Clean-up)

No beads today. It is best to know when not to torch, or you'll learn the hard way, so this weekend I have relaxed.

Todays thing then?
Well - I cleaned up and re-arranged the fishtank?
Here it is, full of happy fish :)



P~

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Thing-a-day: Feb.6 (Pendants)

All week I were thinking it would be easier on a saturday, to find time to make a thing, for shooting a pic and for posting.
And yet here I am posting in the last minutes of the day. Ah well ...

Todays thing is a couple of pendants I made. I love this shape of beads :)





P~

(PS: sorry about the bad pictures. I had to shoot them indoors at night. A re'shoot might be in order here ...)

Thing-a-day: Feb. 5 (Beads & Sculpture)

For today I have some new glasswork.



One goddess figure to display on a stand, one goddess to be worn as a pendant and 4 beads with 5mm holes for silver coring.

These were all made in one sitting, not the best, longest or most productive sitting, but how I ever got the idea that I could make a living from making beads is beyond me. Still - I'm surely going to try. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 4 (Chinese Button Knot)

Here it is again that flowery bead. What did I do you ask?
Well, I made it ready for wearing, by stringing it on a leather cord. I'm not much into ordinary knots, it's not really jewelry-worthy I think, så I made this nifty chinese button knot instead.
It looks fancy and symetrical, and it's not that hard to do. This is the tut I have been using.



So for today - a knot.

P~

Thing-a-day: Feb. 3 (Mini Sculpture)

My third piece of a thing is this, a small glass torso, now finally and permanently glued to it's foot.





I did not make the torso today, just the glueing part, something I have been postponing forever. It is the first one I have assembled completely, and I can see I have yet again procrastinated on something very worth doing.
I am really pleased with this one and I plan on making an absolute forrest of ladies. It would be fabulous :)



This assembly is just short of 12cm, the lady herself is 4,5cm high and 2,5cm wide.

P~

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Thing-a-day: Feb. 2 (Silver Cored Bead)

Todays thing is another bead I have cored with sterling silver.
Much smaller than yesterdays bead, but with lovely mild colours.



I still do not have access to post on the project blog, but I'm hoping to get there eventually.
Or I'll just run my own little (very similar) project :)

P~

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Thing-a-day: Feb. 1 (Silver Cored Bead)

Okay, so technically it's not feb 1 any more, but since I'm up I'm still counting (and backdating it a few minutes).
This is my first thing: a bead (Ta-daa!)



It's the longest I have yet cored, I used 38mms of tube for it, as opposed to usually using 12-15mms. A colleague asked me to make it, and I hope to get to make it into a nice necklace, or she might just want it on a leathercord.

Anyway - my first contribution :)

P~

PS: visit my thing-a-day post, my thing-a-day blog, or the complete thing-a-day project blog

Now I've done it!

Sometimes we just have to challenge ourselves, and even though I have known about this project since I bumped into it last year, it still came as a bit of a surprise.
Not the project as such, but how fast january has ended and February begun. I am talking about the Thing-a-day project which begins today!! and makes you commit to making a new thing each day of February, and post it in the project blog.
I will post what I make in this blog too of course, and since this is the first day, I'll better get to it!

Sign up ends today, feb. 1'st, and I don't know which timezone, so if you want to be in on it, now would be a good time to check it out

P~