This is an Unexpected Opportunity

Things are rapidly developing with the coronavirus (COVID-19). Over the weekend I learned that one of the stores carrying my work will close until the end of this month in order to protect customers and staff from being exposed. I support their decision. I suspect they aren’t the only stores taking this approach.

As I write this, the uncertainty and volatility of this situation is troubling. I think it is better to reduce stress and worry by focusing on other ways I can use my time as I self-isolate. I have made a conscious decision to view this as a wonderful opportunity for me to explore my creativity, finish items and build inventory. I will also add that I have not been exposed to the virus and I have no symptoms.

I would like to share a few of my plans in the hopes this will encourage others to find ways enjoy this time.

A new series. I have been exploring ideas for Signs of Faith. The cross shown below is a prototype. I want to make jewelry that can be viewed as an expression of ones belief.

Five days prior to Christmas I was given the inspiration to make this cross for my husband as one of his gifts. While I know it has tons of flaws as my Chasing and Repuossé skills are quite rusty, it still conveys beauty in the ‘brokenness’ represented.

Quality book time. As you can see by this stack, I have plenty to read, use for practice lessons and learn. These are the books on my short list that I will use to motivate, inspire and push me to become a better artist.

The Alan Revere book takes you through a total of 35 projects, starting with basic to advanced and I have been looking forward to using this to add to my metalsmithing skill set.

The Art of Stamping was a recent acquisition as I have started to make some custom tools working with fellow metalsmith John Wirth.

Jewelry Illustration will help me with my drawing skills.

Creative Stonesetting covers techniques I want to learn, along with some I want to improve upon.

Bandersnatch for pure inspiration.

Lots of Studio Time. Because my plan is to remain home most days (except for weekly grocery shopping or the occasional appointment), I will be spending even more time in my studio. I have some other projects in my work queue that I should finally be able to get to and finish.

Music. It feeds my soul, calms and helps me to focus. Thankfully I have a wide variety of playlists that I can enjoy.

I am doing my best to stay away from 24/7 news channels as they can and will raise my stress levels. No one needs that. Prudent awareness is more important to me.

Please join me in finding the positives during this time. Enjoy your days in the safety of your home and find ways to make the most of it.

I truly am grateful for this unexpected opportunity to delve deeper into so many of the things I love to do.

Until next time, I aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

 

Safety In the Studio

Safety in the studio is of utmost importance to me. I have decided to start a series of posts that will discuss my safe practices in the studio. I will add the disclaimer that I am not presenting myself as an expert on this subject at all. However, my goal is to share information that I have received on studio safety from what I consider to be reliable sources.

For this first post on the topic, I am going to describe something I recently read in a post on one of the Facebook Metalsmith Groups (I cannot remember which one). There was a discussion about the use of a #4 Smith acetylene air torch head with a size B acetylene tank. The statement was made that the use of that particular torch and tank was considered unsafe; actually it was considered dangerous. However, there was no explanation about why this opinion was given.

Below is a picture of the Smith acetylene air torch, size 4, and a typical size B acetylene tank. It is my understanding that these two should no longer be used together as it is not considered a safe practice.

I rely on Google when doing research, but I couldn’t find anything specific about this until I contacted Rio Grande’s Jewelry Tech Team (another metalsmith suggested I contact them). They confirmed what I had read, telling me it is true, no one should use the #4 Smith acetylene air torch head with a size B acetylene tank. They said the reason this is considered dangerous is because the #4 torch is so large it requires a tank size of 65 cubic feet or greater to operate safely.

I get my tanks from General Air. Information about tank sizes can be found on their website. Please take the time to discuss the correct tank size with your supplier. I have found the people at General Air to be knowledgeable and extremely helpful so you will have the correct set up for your torches. I believe your local industrial gas supplier can provide accurate information for the tank(s) you use.

I would also recommend that you discuss the tanks used in your studio with your insurance agent/carrier so you know what their policies will cover in your state/locale.

When I started my research, I wanted to know if what I had originally read on Facebook was accurate or the start of an urban legend. I must admit I was surprised that there was no information about this on the web. As a result, once I was able to confirm the authenticity of the recommendation through Rio Grande’s techs, I felt it was important to get the word out. Please consider this a public service announcement and share the information with your fellow metalsmiths. If you have any additional questions or need more specifics, I would recommend contacting Rio’s Tech Team too.

Until next time, I aspire to be more as a person and an artist.

Embracing Change

First I would like to welcome you to my new blog simply named, Kathleen Krucoff.

During the last week of February 2020, it became apparent to me that I needed to update my website and with that a snowball effect occurred resulting in this new blog. I have wanted to switch my blog from Mystical Mythical Metalwork for a while and the updated website provided the impetus.

The good news is I was able to import all of the blog posts from the old site. Feel free to explore the Archives.

I tend to embrace change. As an artist, I’m always looking for new ways to express myself in my metalwork.

My foundation series, Treescapes, has continued to evolve over time. In addition to piercing the metal to create the tree shapes, I have started to add tiny leaf cutouts. When I incorporate flush set 2mm faceted gemstones, I love the pop of color they add.

Several years ago as I was ‘fighting’ with a piece during the fabrication process and my Celestial Collection was ‘born’. It was as if this beautiful turquoise stone did not what to comply with my original design. I started over and it became the first Celestial (not the kind from the Guardians of the Galaxy movie). The intent with that collection is to represent some aspect of the Universe; stars, meteors, planets, comets and more.  That idea rooted in my mind during an evening stroll in Bandon Beach OR with my husband as he was photographing the Milky Way. The great expanse of the night sky with the ocean providing a musical backdrop left me in awe. I wanted to add my own interpretation of that beauty in my art jewelry.

Below are some of my latest works that were sent to Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery in the past week. They are having their annual 20% off sale both in store and online March 6, 7 & 8th in case something calls to you.

These show a bit of the recent evolution of my work in the placement of a gemstone slightly off center or the mixture of textures and metals.

Celestial Earrings – Flush set Poppy Topaz in sterling suspended from Mokume Gane Shields

Treescape Earrings – Flush set garnets in sterling with 24kt Gold Keum Boo Accents

Treescape Earrings – Textured back tear drop with matte finish smaller drop. Sterling.

Treescape Pendant – Flush set Paraiba Topaz. Sterling.

As I have mentioned, I have seen a lot of change in my work which I love. Studying artist like Claude Monet, Ansel Adams & Georgia O’Keefe, one of the common threads I find is they were never completely satisfied with their work. I really understand that. Throughout their lives, they continued to grow, learn, & change, which is easy to see in the progression of their respective creations.

I share this desire for change, growth and continued learning. One of my goals is to spend time in my studio every day; even if it’s only 5 minutes. Thankfully that is easier to do now than when I was working in the corporate world. I have noticed I have an even stronger desire to improve upon each piece I make every time I’m at my bench. Working with metal brings me joy, even when I am frustrated. Many mentors have told me that if I’m not making mistakes, I’m not developing. That is very true.

Please leave your thoughts or feedback in the comment section. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Until next time, I aspire to be more as  an artist and a person.

143 Days

Yesterday, October 21, 2019, marked 143 days since I left the corporate world and became a full time artist. What made yesterday a bit of a landmark was the start of my new daily schedule to begin work in my studio at 9:00 AM. From the photo you can see the results of my efforts.

143 days ago, I did have a daily schedule and that is highly recommended when you leave the workforce. However in the past few weeks, I realized I needed to adjust that so I had a set time I would be in my studio. As strange as it sounds, I was spending less time in my studio than when I was employed.

Throughout the past months, there have been many projects around our home that have been completed. The discovery of what I could not get to when I was working outside our home has been a bit overwhelming. My husband, Dan, reassured me that it would take time. I love his wisdom and appreciate his help when he is home….you see, he still works full time.

With my schedule change, I can finally take care of what desperately needs attention, including spending more time metalsmithing. I have found that I am busier now than I ever was when working.

I have been away from posting in this blog for quite some time. A lot of changes have occurred since my last post in the summer of 2018. Some I may choose to share, others maybe not. Happily, my life is filled with so many joys, triumphs and challenges. I truly am grateful for all of it, trying to live each day focused in the present moment.

With this quick little post, I wanted to let you know I’m still creating my art. I am joyful and filled with gratitude. My goal is to write more often and to continue to discuss certain aspects of my personal life, my artistic journey, along with some review of tools I am using and why I find them valuable in my studio.

Until next time, I continue to aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Emotional Attachments

The trusty Paragon Kiln

Beautiful Glass

Yesterday I said good-bye to my large Paragon kiln and the bulk of my fused glass. They went home with a new glass artist, Christy, who has a passion for the medium. As she and her brother left with everything I had carefully selected several years ago, a flood of emotions came over me and I cried.

I told myself I had stopped using any of this wonderful material roughly 8 years ago. I had moved on and all of the glass items had found a new home where they could become the art they were destined to be. I was taken back by my attachment to something I no longer used.

When my husband, Dan, came home, I shared what had just happened and started to cry again. I thought this is ridiculous, yet as he hugged me he said what all of that stuff represented to me was that was the first time I had started to take myself seriously as an artist. He’s so wise.

It’s true. I had dabbled in art my entire life. A wanna be artist. It wasn’t until my mom passed in June of 2006 that something changed in me; my thoughts about being an artist aligned and I knew I was ready. Mom had always encouraged that side of my personality from as early as I can remember. She saw something I didn’t. I guess I didn’t believe in myself. All of a sudden a switch was turned on and I was ready to be an artist.

I invested in that kiln, immersed myself into learning all I could about fused glass. I enjoyed it. There’s nothing better than opening the kiln lid after a firing and seeing the results. It’s like Christmas morning.

If you’d like to see my journey in glass, I had a separate blog called Reflections of a Glass Artist.

One of my fused bowls

One of my wire wrapped glass cabochons

As I pressed and worked with glass, I eventually met someone who started me down the path of becoming a metalsmith. After she saw my wire wrapped cabochons like the one pictured above, she felt I had potential with metal work. Thanks to her, I had found my medium and my true passion.

The time to let go of my glass was long overdue. Now it has a beautiful home with a new glass artist that loves it as much if not more than I did.

Life passages. The tapestry that is woven with emotions and intertwined lives. That’s special.

I am sharing this in case anyone else is struggling with letting go of something. It’s healthy to move on.

At the beginning of this year I wanted my focus to be on my metalsmithing. No distractions of preparing for shows; just full on working with metal, developing the skills, adapting, learning. It’s energizing. One of the byproducts of this mindset is the Celestial ring pictured below.

Celestial Ring ~ Petrified Wood Blue Opal Matrix sent in textured Sterling with Blue Diamond and gold accents.

Until next time, I continue to aspire to be more as an artist and person.

At My Bench

At the end of 2017, I made a very conscious, deliberate decision to focus on spending more of my time at my bench; focusing on the fabrication process and ensuring I amped up what I do.  As 2018 began, I felt the positive impact of that decision.

Because I wanted to continue fine tune my skills, improving on the techniques I use in my work, I started to see improvements. This intentional act of focus is giving me a great deal of satisfaction as an artist.

In April I took a workshop with Andy Copperman called Imaginative Captures. I think continued education furthers personal growth. This workshop became more than a nudge for thinking outside of the box. As metalsmiths, we are taught the basics of the craft. All of that is very important. Yet sometimes we need a challenge from a teacher like Andy to start thinking, what if I tried this?

End limitations and restrictions. I am NOT saying that any of us should throw caution to the wind and ignore the necessary aspect of safety in the studio. What I am saying is consider what possibilities may open up because we intentionally remove restrictions on our own creativity.

Yes I’m still mentally digesting what Andy covered in that fantastic four day workshop. I expect to see changes in my work. I have already made changes to my workspace as you can see in the following photos.

The picture at the beginning of this post of my bench captures a brief moment when it appeared neat and tidy. Here is how it has started to transform.

I’ve added a self-contained dust collection system by Foredom. I used to wear a fairly heavy 3M respirator, like the one shown below, when I worked. It is heavy to the point where my neck just couldn’t handle it.

One of the things Andy touched on was the importance of preventing particulates from entering our lungs. I get that. Now I have something that may even work better than wearing the bulky respirator and is kinder to my body on many levels.

In the area of self-contained dust collections systems, Foredom isn’t the only game in town, nor the cheapest. If you don’t have one or are considering it, do your research and see what works for you. I have a number of Foredom products. I know their quality and reliability played a big role in my decision. Plus this model is fairly quiet when running which had a certain appeal for me too. The beauty of this system is I don’t vent to the outside and since my studio is in our home, this was a perfect solution.

I’ve also re-arranged my peg board above the bench to have the items I use most frequently. I’m not sure it is in it’s final state yet as I’m still adjusting to what I have there. I could see additional tweaks.

Each one of my bench drawers have been decluttered. It’s nice to have things at my fingertips now.

All that being said, my bench hardly ever looks as clear as in the first photo. Now I’ve given up some bench top real estate with the collection hood and I am really ok with it. My neck became so sore that getting away from the heavy respirator was worth the space sacrifice.

One of the other decisions I made was to rearrange my studio in gradual steps because I find it too overwhelming to try to do it all at once. With each step I have taken in the process, I have managed to get some art work completed and enjoy myself.

When I am in the midst of creating all order goes out the window. Being in the zone, my attention is on the work not organization. As much as I think I would like to maintain an uncluttered workbench, it just doesn’t seem to happen. It’s the creative process that fuels what I do when I’m at the bench.

Now as I enter the studio, I find I am immersed in a new sensation. I literally feel a flow of energy through my arms and hands as I am intent on making a piece. I have always focused on excellent craftsmanship with each item. There is such satisfaction in looking at a well finished, beautifully created piece of art jewelry. But now, things are even better because I see continuous improvement in what I do.

Staying curious about the work, the process and how to fabricate things better certainly changes my approach. I think every artist looks at their work and wants to make it even better. We are our own worst critics.

The changes I am making to my work space have started to further enable my creative process. That’s truly joyous.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Until next time, I continue to aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

 

Tucson Gem & Mineral Shows 2018

This was my first trip to the Tucson Shows. I have gone to the big Denver Gem Shows in the fall, however, I wanted to experience what it was like to go to Tucson because it is the largest in the world. Dan (my husband) & I discussed going to Tucson, not just for the shows but also to see the area and have our first winter vacation in years.

Last October we decided we would go. Several of my friends recommended making reservations early, which we did.

Our plan was go to a given show in either the morning or afternoon. That would give us time for another part of the day to explore Tucson’s sights. This plan worked well for us.

Prior to going, I heard dire warnings about the crowds, that we would have to wait hours to eat at a restaurant, theft of personal belongings was an issue and the dreaded Tucson crud.  In retrospect, I think some things might be urban legend and other tales were slightly exaggerated, because we didn’t experience any of that.

Preparations Before You Go

That being said, I cannot recommend enough that if you go, be prepared:

• Inform your credit card companies of your travel dates.
• Be aware of your purse, messenger bag, back pack at all times. NEVER place them on the floor unattended.
• Consider carrying cash because some vendors only deal in cash. However, I do not like carrying cash so I did miss out on buying some Kordrite Opals from Australia. However, I would add that particular vendor missed out on more than just my purchase too because he was unable to accept credit cards.
• Carry hand sanitizers and use them liberally. Once I started to touch stones, I avoided touching my eyes, nose or mouth.
• Take Ester-C at least 10 days before your arrival and continue to take it while there.
• Pre-register for the wholesale shows you plan to attend. Not only does that streamline the process for getting your badge prior to the show opening, but it helps you to plan which shows you want to attend.
• Carry multiple copies of your resale license for the wholesale shows. I print them off and they are about the size of dollar bills so they fit easily in my wallet. The vendors appreciate it when you are able to present that license along with your business card at time of purchase.
• Business cards. Have plenty of them.
• Pre-printed address labels with your business license number. This is a big time saver during the check out process because no one has to write the information down on your sales ticket. Attach the label to the sales slip and off you go.
• Sharpie permanent markers, Post-it Notes and plastic zip-loc type bags. Some vendors do not identify the type of stones on your receipt. You can quickly mark bags with a Sharpie or Post-it Notes so you’ll know what the stones are. I only needed to do this in a couple of the tent type sites. Sometimes I would use my iPhone to take a picture when stone boxes were labeled. However, some of the shows do not allow photographs, so be aware and respect the rules.
• Have at least two pairs of comfortable walking shoes.

The Shows ~ According to the Guide – 45 Shows

There are so many locations that we had no intention of trying to cover all of them. I did purchase a guide from Interweave so I could have a better idea of where the shows were, parking, shuttles, opening dates, hours, city maps with the location numbered & marked, etc.

However, once we got to Tucson, the airport had the E-Z Show Guide, which was indispensable. These little guides are everywhere in town and they are free! If you are planners like Dan & I, you will want to get a legs up on the strategy for your schedule so consider buying a guide from someone like Interweave ahead of time.

We arrived in Tucson on Sunday morning January 28, a couple of days before the main wholesale shows opened. I was offered a pre-show appointment by Mark Lasater of The Clamshell for that Sunday afternoon. It was nice to be able to have ‘first pick’ options with him. Not everyone can or will do this. It gave me a jump start on my stone shopping and I was able to get some of the prized stones for this year, the Petrified Wood Blue Opal Copper matrix. That’s a mouthful!

Some of my finds at The Clamshell – Clockwise Variscite, Chalcedony, Petrified Wood Matrix, Sugilite, Azulite/Malachite

If you know Mark or his son Gavin, they are already scheduling appointments for next year’s pre-show at a new location. Give them a shout to set something up if you are planning on Tucson in 2019.

— To Bead To True —

This show was at a new location this year according to what I read. Nice venue. Primarily beads and some tools. I went to meet Melissa Muir in person and seeing her was well worth it. She’s a delight. Watched her demo the Pepe Automatic Rolling Mill, which she sold! It was wonderful to catch up with her. Check out her YouTube channel for great tutorials too.

— GJX —

GJX was one of the major wholesale shows I wanted to see. No photos were allowed inside this show, so I was only able to capture the scene at the registration center just prior to the doors opening. This was early morning on the opening day.

My first stop was Gary B. Wilson’s booth. I came away with so many perfect little stones that I’m currently using in my Celestial ring series.

Treasures from Gary B Wilson

While there I enjoyed finding some new vendors too. Thankfully the number of people in attendance the first day was quite reasonable. We easily walked the show and were able to see the display cases without lining up behind people.

After a lunch break in downtown Tucson, we decided that we had enough energy to walk over to the AGTA show and explore that in the afternoon.

— AGTA —

AGTA was the second major wholesale show I attended on its opening day. I was delighted to find some new suppliers like Rare Earth Mining and Out of Our Mines. There were lots of quality vendors there, including Mark Lasater of The Clamshell. Since I had seen Mark earlier in the week, I did cruise by his offerings but elected to explore what others had.

Again, this show was not super crowded and we easily saw things. It’s big too so lots of walking, but that felt great after lunch.

— JOGS —

Another large show, lots of specimens and a bit difficult to navigate due to the layout of the booths/tables. My impression of this show was I really needed to be careful if I bought anything because what I saw didn’t look like the best quality. I had pre-registered for this show and had my badge, however, I was still required to check in. There was a bit of confusion between the security guards and the registration desk about my badge; should it have another sticker, shouldn’t it? I found the process odd and inefficient. Suffice it to say, this isn’t a show I would go back to again.

— 22nd Street Show —

This was the last show we attended. It really met my expectations of what I envisioned with fossils, rocks, a few gems and nice lapidary work. I found a number of things at great prices and quality. This was the eclectic mix of vendors. Large and small fossils of all varieties. Crystals, rocks, geodes and more.

One of the vendors that came from Australia had some super nice Koroit opals but he was not set up to take credit cards. This was the only supplier I encountered that needed cash, so my plan to not carry cash actually worked out well with this one exception.

Parking at the various show locations

Maybe the stars were perfectly aligned for us, but parking was never an issue. On the day of the two big wholesale shows (GJX & AGTA) opening, we got downtown around 9:00 AM an found plenty of parking in one of the city’s parking garages. If we had parked at the Tucson Convention Center parking garage where the AGTA was located, the cost would have been $20. However, we were just a few blocks away from both shows and only paid $8 to park for the day.

Tucson does have a great shuttle system set up for these shows. We had planned on taking the shuttles, however, parking access for each of the shows we attended was very simple and not costly either.

The Scenery ~ Exploring Tucson

Monday morning, we visited the Eastern Saguaro National Park. Let me tell you, there are cactus EVERYWHERE in Tucson. The National Parks (both East and West) do them justice, of course. I was amazed by seeing so many cactus.

I found this warning sign amusing and spot on accurate. People were cycling through the park and you have to pay attention or you could really hurt yourself.

We explored the Botanical Gardens. That was one of the highlights of the trip for me. They had a nice Origami exhibit throughout the gardens. And yes they had more than just cactus!

Their butterfly and orchid pavilion was very special.

Our last day we visited a Mission, The Patronato San Xavier, dating back to the 1600’s. Our tour guide was great and his love of history apparent. They are restoring this facility and it is a active Catholic church on the reservation today. Incredible work; truly inspiring.

The Restaurants

There certainly weren’t any shortages for good places to eat. For some reason our go to app, Yelp, didn’t perform well in Tucson. However, Google searches and Trip Advisor provided a wealth of information.

We liked the Union Public House so much, we went there twice!

We found  this delightful pizza / pub just off campus. It’s name is 1702 Craft Beer and Pizza. It did not disappoint with the beer selection and yummy pizza.

I will say it was hard to find a good coffee place downtown. I think with all the renovation, the one we tried to find was well hidden. Whenever we travel, we try to experience local so that is why we by-passed Starbucks, of which, there were plenty.

Barrio Brewing was a great find. Loved the atmosphere. The food and beer was awesome.

We celebrated my birthday at Brother John’s. Great barbecue. It was Whiskey Wednesday so I opted to enjoy a Basil Hayden based on our waitress’ recommendation. It was good advice and I definitely enjoyed this whiskey.

Thunder Canyon is downtown and was another place with great food and beer.

I think as most of these photos show, nothing was terribly crowded. We always got a table as soon as we arrived. It might be that if you are trying to eat at an actual show location, that’s where you run into the long waits. Overall, we found spots that were close and convenient to what we were doing. Loved exploring the local cuisine and I know we barely sampled all that we could have.

On our last night we stopped at a tap room close to our hotel called 1912 Brewing.

Very pleasant atmosphere. Excellent beer.

Back Home

We had a lovely time. Would we go back for the main wholesale shows? Probably. Only next time the trip would be much shorter with more precision for which shows I would want to attend. Dan & I think we would fly in the day before the main shows open, stay  two days tops and then come home.

Did we come down with the Tucson crud? Dan might have, although it seemed more like a bad case of allergies. I managed to escape unscathed. No matter, Ester-C and hand sanitizers are your BFFs for this type of event.

New works from show purchases

The Celestial Rings. I love making these and each one is from one of the stones I bought while in Tucson. More are on my bench waiting for me to finish them.

Thoughts on the Experience

I would say, if you have never gone to Tucson for these shows, yes make it a plan to do so. We did go with the intention to do more than just the shows. For us that was a smart decision. I have a feeling some go for a couple of weeks and try to take in all 45 shows. I just could not do that, nor would I want to.

It certainly helped that I have gone to the Denver Gem and Mineral Shows, which take place in the fall here in Colorado. I think that helped me to prepare for this and not feel overwhelmed.

Another thing to consider is know what you want, have a budget and rest when fatigue sets it. There’s lots to do and see outside of the shows. Enjoy!

Until next time, I aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

It’s the Tour Weekend!

It’s that time of year. Fall approaches. Cool, crisp mornings. Birds flock together. The leaves start to turn. And the Front Range Open Studios tour weekend is here.  September 9 – 10, 2017 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day.

Once a year, the artists on the tour open their working studios to the public. We invite you into our creative sanctuaries so you can see where we work and have an appreciation for why we do what we do.

My studio has transformed over the years, just as I have. You can see the view of a small aspen grove just outside my windows. Wind chimes accompany the playful songs of the wild birds that visit the garden.

Our mission with the tour is to educate, inform and have fun! Throughout the weekend I will be doing demonstrations involving:

• The Ancient Art of Chasing and Repoussé
• Piercing metal with a jeweler’s saw
• Stone setting
• Firing up and using a torch

My hope is you will see and understand why I love working with my hands as I create my art.

You can see the variety of tools that I use in my work, including the latest addition of a CNC Machine, the Nomad 883 Pro by Carbide 3D. As my business has grown, I found this investment to be necessary.

New this year, my husband and I have put together a video that covers the basic steps involved in fabricating a pair of my Treescape earrings. I will walk through the steps and we have a time lapsed video of the machine working. It takes a minimum of 16 steps to complete the most basic of my Treescape design, which surprises people.

 

Here’s the map to all of the studios on this year’s tour. If you go to the website, you can download Google maps to all of the artist’s locations. This year my studio is location #15.

Remember, this happens once a year and it truly is magical. I hope you can join us.

Until next time, I continue to aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

Talkin’ Tools ~ CNC Machines

Nomad 883 Pro by Carbide 3D

I thought this to be an appropriate time to resume my Talkin’ Tools segment and share my experience with the addition of a new tool I have been using, a CNC (Computer Numeric Control) Machine.

Almost a year ago, I purchased the Nomad 883 Pro made by Carbide 3D. In doing so, I joined a fairly large community of people who use these in their work.

This is how I have the machine set up in my studio.

Why did I feel the need to acquire this piece of equipment? I am happy to report that the demand for my work started to increase over the past couple of years to the point where I needed to consider hiring an intern or finding another way to streamline my process. I opted for the latter and chose to purchase a milling machine.

Why did I purchase a CNC Machine?

• I felt I could let a machine do one of the mundane, time consuming parts of my fabrication process which is cutting shapes using a jeweler’s saw. In this case, the machine does that work roughly 5 times faster than I can. This frees me to focus on the more creative aspects of what I do.
• It gives me a repeatable process to consistently produce base items while I work on designs, finishing work and fabrication.
• I didn’t have to hire someone and deal with that type of overhead.
• I can utilize my computer skills when creating the files needed to communicate with the machine to do the work.
• With the machine, there is less metal waste than when I cut pieces by hand. As a result, it provides more efficiency not only with my raw materials but again, my time.

Why did I choose the Nomad?

• High rankings from a number of independent reviews.
• Carbide has a great support team. I reached out to them with questions before I purchased the machine and was favorably impressed with their knowledge, support, and commitment to ensuring people would make an informed decision prior to purchase. They answered what I considered to be tough questions. Their philosophy is they want people to be happy once the machine arrived and was set up. They want that positive feeling to continue as people use this tool.
• Carbide has a great user forum for all of their machines.
• Reliability, which I can attest to after running it since last October.
• Price. Milling machines can start at around $1200 and go up over $5000 for laser cutters. Early in my search for a machine, I did find one that was specifically designed for jewelers with a price tag of over $20,000! That was not something I could justify. However, the Nomad came in at roughly $2500, which was something that made sense for my business.
• Self contained. Whatever material you cut, there’s always going to be a waste by-product. I wanted something that was enclosed to keep all the stray particles contained while the machine is operating. In the forums, I have seen some who further enhance Nomad’s enclosure system, but for my use, the machine’s cutting compartment works very well. I can reclaim the silver shavings to recycle them.
• Desktop size. It’s footprint is 20″ x 20″. Weighs in at 65 pounds.
• Work surface area is 8″ x 8″ which is perfect for me because the maximum size of the material I use (Sterling silver, copper or bronze) is 6″ x 6″.
• Both Windows and MAC operating systems are supported
• For additional specs on the machine, click here.

Things to know prior to the purchase of a CNC Machine

• You are going to need to know how to use software that produces vector files. Some people use CAD programs. I use Inkscape, which is freeware and an alternative to Adobe’s Illustrator. Both of those programs work great with the Nomad. Inkscape runs beautifully on my MAC, has tons of user support, documentation and YouTube videos to get you up to speed quickly. It’s probably the best freeware I have used.
• Most machines have what I would term proprietary software that convert the vector files of your designs into machine language to control the tool (thus the reason they are called Computer Numeric Control machines).
• Nomad comes with two proprietary software packages: Carbide Create and Carbide Motion.
  • Carbide Create (CC) uses the vector file I generate of my design in Inkscape. In CC, I enter parameters about the type of material (generally sterling silver), the type of cutter (end mill), the depth of the material being used, and create the tool paths for the cutters to follow, which result in the shapes I use in my work.
  • Carbide Motion (CM) uses the machine code I generated with Carbide Create. CM connects to the machine and provides the instructions on what it needs to do.
• I have a dedicated lap top that is always connected to my Nomad. Carbide Motion runs on that lap top and that is what controls the machine’s operation. You could opt out of a dedicated lap top, but I do not think you will find it convenient to constantly connect and disconnect a computer from any milling machine.

As with anything, there’s always a bit more involved that just buying the equipment.

• In this case, you need to have a stable base for the machine to sit on. Fortunately, I had particle board storage bins that my husband and I built. Now I have re-purposed one of them for my Nomad.
• The company also recommends that the machine sit on an anti-fatigue mat to help with noise dampening. The machine is very quiet when it runs; it almost has a pleasant, melodic tone as it works.
• Unless you have a spare lap top or are willing to use an existing one, you will need to invest in a computer that will be used to communicate with the machine. The software that runs on that computer is what provides the machine code needed to cut your design shapes out of your material.
• End mills, these are the cutters and engravers that the machine uses. Given the nature of the work I do, I have two go to end mills that I work with. My favorite supplier of end mills is Precise Bits.
• Lubrication oil. The machine needs occasional light lubrication on its moving parts.
• Cutting fluid. For the end mills that I use, the manufacturer recommends their cutting fluid to not only extend the life the end mills, but to hold the debris that is generated during the cutting process. Using this fluid also has the added benefit of reducing the amount of clean up I need to do with my machine after each run.
• Shop Vac. This is more of a nice to have, but I already had a small 5 gallon shop vac. It’s necessary for me to vacuum up any of the super small particles that I do not capture in my first clean up.
• Adhesive wax. Carbide sells two kinds of wax; each secures your material to the working surface. The blue formula is difficult to remove, but I have found some remedies. The white formula is water soluble and is my preference.

After purchase support

• AWESOME. I cannot say enough great things about the support I have received through Carbide, although I did not need much when it came to the machine itself. The primary support effort came from a wonderful technician who wanted to ensure I understood how to get up and running with the software. That happened within 3 weeks of the two of us working together and making modifications to my files. I now have a repeatable process and my Nomad is the true work horse in my studio when it comes to cutting my standard shapes.
• The Carbide 3D Forum. So much knowledge exists in that forum. If you can’t find a topic that has already been discussed, open one. They have also tied in a knowledge base in Wikipedia; while this features Carbide’s Shapeoko, plenty of this information relates to the Nomad too.
• The Carbide channel on YouTube is a wealth of knowledge too, in addition to other Carbide users who post videos there.

The world continues to change and evolve, so too do the ways in which we work. Remember what was life like before personal computers, mobile phones, on demand videos, etc? From my perspective, as a jewelry designer/maker, in order for my business to grow, I needed to take this step. I am extremely happy that I made this investment in my company. I have also found more and more jewelers are using CNC Machines; they are just another tool in our arsenal that allow us to be more productive and spend quality time on the creative part of what we do.

The Runner Up

The Othermill made by the Other Machine Co. Initially this machine was going head to head with the Nomad. It was quite the horse race. I must say the Othermill is a great machine with a strong support forum, blog, and great support staff who will readily answer questions. The reason I didn’t select this machine is that its work surface (5.5″ × 4.5″) was too small for my needs. At a minimum, because I usually work with 6″ x 6″ metal sheets, I just didn’t feel its work area would support what I needed. It was also a little higher priced than the Nomad and given the specs for each of these, I ultimately decided that the Nomad was a better choice for me.

In summary, I can not emphasize this enough….DO YOUR HOMEWORK. If you are considering the purchase of a CNC Machine, please research, compare, look for those independent reviews, and ask questions. No one understands what your requirements for a CNC machine are better than you, so understand how you intend to use the machine. This is a substantial investment and you want to be happy with your choice. I can assure you I am extremely happy with my choice and heartily recommend the Nomad 883 Pro.

Until next time, I continue to aspire to be more as an artist and a person.

 

 

A Fashion Show, Where?

In the barn!

Barb Ziek, of Wild Hair Alpacas, and I are joining creative forces again (it’s our third year to do this) for The Fashion Show in The Barn. We collaborate by carefully selecting garments Barb has made from her alpacas fiber and finding the right piece of my art jewelry that compliments the article of clothing.

The show does take place in the alpaca barn. Rows of hay bales form the bleachers for the audience. There are some folding chairs too for the crowd overflow.

Barb is the master of ceremony and I will contribute to discuss the various jewelry the model wears.

Barb’s husband, Peter, will bring out the alpaca that provided the fiber for the garment being worn.

Occasionally, a baby cria will accompany its mother on the ‘runway’.

 

In addition to all of this, the alpaca boys look on and definitely show their enthusiasm for certain alpaca girls.

I have lots of new works to preview at this such as, earrings, rings and pendents from my Celestial series.

Treescapes has been a part of my creative life for close to 7 years now. It continues to evolve and you can see some new Treescape variations at the Fashion in the Barn too.

This is such a fun, educational event. Great for the entire family and it happens once a year. We hope you can join us.

Wild Hair Alpacas LLC

5815 Mountain Shadow View 
Colorado Springs, CO 80908
719-495-6693

Until next time, I aspire to be more as a person and artist.