Metalsmithing class finished (for now)

I took a bit of a break from posting so that you all could spend more time on the red carpet posts. And because I was tired.

There have been two more red carpet events - the MTV Movie Awards and the CFDA Fashion Awards - but I wanted to take a bit of a break from the red carpet posts. I don't think there were quite as many people on either of those red carpets as the Cannes events so they shouldn't take nearly as long to write up. I'll try to both of those done by the end of the weekend starting with whichever event was first.

Not much has been going on here. My metalsmithing class is finished but I haven't finished any of my projects: - Ring with a bezel-set stone: I have to shape the ring, flatten the area for the bezel, and set the stone.
- Cuttlefish-casted pendant: needs more filing, cleaning, and ring attached so it can be hung from a chain.
- Chain bracelet: needs a bar-and-toggle closure made and attached.
- Marriage of metal project (a bunch of rings soldered onto silver sheet and flattened): I'm going to make a ring out of that, I think, and because the metal is so thin I'll need to sweat-solder it onto another sheet and then form it into a ring.
- Photoetching project (a stylized tree with oval shapes forming leaves): needs to be sanded, pierced, and cut out. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it... I see it on a handmade box, really, but I don't know when I get to learn how to make them. I may leave this project until I do learn how to make the boxes.

I didn't realize how much I have left to do until I wrote out that list! Fortunately, my instructor is holding open studio nights on Tuesdays throughout the summer at a cost of $30 + HST for three hours with access to all her equipment and her help, so I'll finish them then. I think I'm going to need at least two nights just to finish.

In addition to finishing up my projects, I'd like to try to make a chain mail-style bracelet, cuttlefish-casted earrings to match my pendant, and to take my silver wire scraps and melt them into an ingot which can then be flattened or drawn out. However, I won't start on anything new at the open studio nights until I've finished all of my current projects.

My instructor is also holding a class this summer on setting faceted stones and I'm going to take that as well. I'm quite excited about that class; hopefully I'll actually finish all of my projects.