Beyond Excited About My Next Adventure

Can you tell what it is?  I bought an asbestos-free block, flux and silver solder.   I still have a few things to buy, including a pickle pot, pickle solution, copper tongs, a "3rd hand"...

I'm going to hone my soldering technique.  It's been years since I've taken my metal smithing class, but I still have my old notes and text book.   I'm also inspired by this book, Chic Metal by Victoria Tillotson.

Stay tuned!

Another Book I'm Enjoying: 30 Minute Earrings by Marthe LeVan

I literally spend hours at my local Barnes & Noble. I especially love to peruse the art & craft books while sipping coffee at the B&N cafe and attempting to narrow my selection to one or two books.


I really liked 30 Minute Earrings by Marthe LeVan. This book features 60 earring projects, each from a different artist -- all created in 30 minutes or less.

Really cool earrings, too: some made from recycled materials (automobile license plates, VHS tapes -- I kid you not!), others made from traditional materials, others made from budget friendly items.

I also like how the top of each project lists exactly what skills are needed to complete the project. If you don't solder, for example, you can skip ahead to the next project.

That said, my first attempt at one of the projects took about 100 minutes (85 for the first earring, 15 for the second) -- talk about a learning curve! Once I figured it out, though I was zipping along.

If you're looking for out-of-the-box ideas, consider this book. It's available at B&N, Amazon, and I'm sure other places.

So I'm Reading This Book.....

It's called How to Start a Home-Based Jewelry Making Business by Maire Loughran.  It's chock full (yeah, there's a term I use a lot - not!) of information about transitioning from hobbyist to business owner.   It's available online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.   It's also available on Google Books .

It's inspired me to get serious about the business side of my work and I've been researching sole proprietorship versus LLC, taxes, accounting, etc.   Ever read so much info you feel like your head is going to explode?   That's me.