New Tree By Sea 3 Fine Silver Beads and Findings Store is now OPEN!

To go along with the Fine Silver (.999 % pure) metal clay pendants and earrings I have been making for a while now, I decided to start making some of my own pure silver findings and beads to complement them. I seemed silly to make something out of pure silver and then use sterling silver findings & beads with it.

My guess was that other PMC/Metal Clay artist were thinking the same thing. Turns out there is actually a bit of a market by fellow metal clay artists for the pure silver findings for use with their own creations.

There are also many people who are alergic to the copper and alloys used in Sterling silver that find fine silver is more hypoallergenic who are interested in things like the pure silver earwires. As an added bonus, it's said that pure silver tarnishes slower than sterling. That's cool!

So, I decided to go ahead and market the findings. I'm just getting started but have sold several findings to a local bead store and a few findings and beads on line too.

I will be adding a lot more soon and updating my website to feature the beads and findings, so if this is something you are interested in, please check out the store today and come back again later to see even more of a selection. Thanks!

http://www.treebysea3.etsy.com/

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How to Make Microscope Slide Pendants, Part 1.5

OK. So I promised a "Part 2" post about making glass slide pendants. It has taken me a while because I have been doing a little research so I can offer the best advise and resources out there on this blog for you as a reader, but selfishly, for my own sake too.

I have two soldering irons, flux and solder from hardware stores that I or my husband bought and they just don't work for me. They are too large and not the right temp, and for all I know, the flux & solder are not right for humans to wear on their skin. The more I read, the more I realize just how dangerous it is to solder with the wrong compounds and in an area that is not well ventilated. PLEASE read all warnings on the packaging if you try this hobby.

When purchasing solder, BE SURE that it contain no lead and no antimony which is commonly used in hardware grade lead-free solders and is toxic. The jewelry you make should not make you or the wearer sick! That would be terrible!

I have made slide ornaments (thankfully none as jewelry with harmful solder), but I admit I am not as good at soldering as I would like to be and have wasted many projects that I started because I messed up. I appear to be "Solder Challenged", so, OK, I give! I am talking a soldering class next month at a local craft store and I can hardly wait.

I think it was meant to be... I was just thinking about looking for a new soldering iron set up when I saw a whole section of soldering, slides, books, etc. at my local Ben Franklin store. Right above it was a class announcement. The teacher is Lisa Bluhm, who wrote a book called "Simply Soldered Jewelry & Accessories" (see Amazon link below) and designed many products specifically for slide jewelry crafting under the trade name "Simply Swank". I almost purchased a whole kit (Around $55.00) of her stuff and the book on the spot, but I decided to wait to see how the class goes. Maybe I truly am solder challenged for life, but if that Lisa can teach this Lisa to solder better, then I will gladly buy all of her wares.

I will let you know how it goes in Part 2 of this blog saga after the class in May!

In the mean time, check out these books about soldering jewelry using glass and collage:

Light is a Crafters Best Friend - The Benefits of Full Spectrum Light

"And God said, let there be light and there was light. God saw the light and it was good." Gen. 1:3-4

Light is good. Our bodies are built to use light... We obtain essential vitamins from the light of the sun. People who live in darker climates tend to have a higher percentage of vitamin D deficiency and become depressed and are sometimes diagnosed with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Our eyes need light to focus. People who work in low light conditions consistently over time experience eye strain and tend to loose their eyesight at a faster rate than average.

For the artist and crafter, light has great importance too. Needlework, beading, and other detailed handywork requires good eyesight and precision movements to obtain the best result. It may seem obvious, but the essential tool for the aforementioned, is LIGHT.

Light is also a necessity to the artist because it produces shadow and contrast that are necessary for dimension. Also, light impacts our perception of color. All color is simply the absence or presence of color that is carried to our eyes receptors by the light reflecting off an object.

There are all kinds of light and they all impact color perception greatly. The best light for artwork mimics natural daylight which is "full spectrum light". Full spectrum light is the most accurate. Most indoor light can have a very yellow or blue cast. Florescents give a green or purple cast. Full spectrum light appears as pure white light.

The OTT-LITE is one brand of full spectrum light that seems to target towards us crafty folks. They even have models with built in magnifying glass for detail work. I have seen rave reviews in many articles & blogs I have read. They are eco-friendly products & scientifically tested per this article. There are many styles available that seem to accommodate any kind of craft room or work area. They are pretty pricey, so, until this sale, I have not ordered one. 40% off is awesome! Bulbs on sale too! Use this link to go straight to Joann and order one if you are interested. The sale ends 3/29/08. Plus FREE shipping for orders over $35 with this code SAD090 through the end of March. I think there is another sale in April too. Check back if you miss this one!