Barb Baur

Yesterday it was time to finally tackle the paperwork mountain that builds up for Jack’s medical bills. This involves comparing EOBs from the insurance company, checking dates on bills to make sure the insurance has gone through, etc. Five and half hours later I was done. Then dinner out with friend/family. A wonderful time.

I had some old files from over 10 years ago that my sister had been storing. I didn’t want to get rid of them without at least going through them. Well I found the missing savings bond for Wendy. Since she decided to start saving for a computer this could help her out now. Now I have plenty of stuff for a bonfire in the cauldron with the discarded file. Too much to shred.

Then I sorted two trash bags of fabric scraps and ribbon. I consolidated what I was going to keep with the fabric I had and put it all in a big box.

Then it was time to make room for the big box in the storage area near my shop. Which meant cleaning, clearing and rearranging my shop. This was to make room in my shop as well to make room for the extra work bench for Wendy. In the process I decided that extra piece of linoleum would take up less room unrolled on my shop floor that standing up in the storage area near the shop.

Also this afternoon, David was looking for some files on CD and we came across my Complete Pressure Cooker Book archive CD. To my delight, I was able to import it into Adobe InDesign. Looks like I may be able to get that 2nd edition out in 2010, only about 10 years after the first edition. The original was in an old edition of QuarkXpress and I thought I would never see it on a screen again.

I stopped to make dinner and came back downstairs to finish the other custom ring order to match the one from a few days ago. I took pictures of the two rings together, took pictures of my picture setup and I’m now ready to call it a night and head to the hot tub.

My daughter Wendy joined me at the Hanukah event where I vended last weekend and I realized it’s time for her to start apprenticing for real.

She’s been around my jewelry work her whole life and seems to understand very well how things are made. In fact she had a very early interest in gemstones and still is quicker at identifying stones than I am. (”Damn it Jim! I’m a metalsmith, not a gemologist!”)

She had fun talking to people at Pagan Festivals telling them she wanted to be a gemologist or an astronaut. One fellow told me later that after she told him that, he asked what stone he was wearing. She didn’t even hesitate to tell him it was snowflake obsidian. Of course he had to run and tell me. She was all of about 9 or 10.

Back in 2004 she first learned to use the jewelers saw on old AOL CDs and made some interesting things then. So last week at the show, (in between customers- of which there were none) I gave her the saw and the lesson I was given on the first day of my apprenticeship. Cut Lincoln from the penny. With an 8/0 sawblade.

She did well only broke about 4 blades in the process and started on a second one before we had to go. So I promised her I would figure out a bench for her so we could work together in the shop. She’ll be 13 in two weeks, seems like a good time to start an apprenticeship.

I set up a portable workmate with the tabletop I made for pagan festivals when I set up my shop, set up a light, bench pin and a catch tray and I now have an apprentice in the shop.

It’s nice to have another person to talk to while I work. It’s nice to start passing on these skills. And to be perfectly honest, to my astonishment, the kid is a natural.

Tonight she was given a sheet of sterling silver. I explained how to figure ring size, had her do all the math and measurements. She practiced soldering with a old piece of ring stock I had laying around, I explained about seams, had her reading The Complete Metalsmith by McCreight and about 3 hours later she had a ring. The little butane torch I use for traveling is perfect for teaching soldering. I learned on oxygen acetylene and I remember how scary it was. She didn’t melt anything. I remember so much from my apprenticeship, I felt like everything I touched melted.

It ended up about a size too small. We discussed stretching, etc. But she wants to do it the right way and learn how to size the ring properly and put a piece in. That’s for tomorrow.

And I’m still getting work done. I’m on my second custom order this week and just being in the shop gives me more ideas. In between I have her watch me and then try it herself. Mostly trying it herself because she learns like me, by doing.

It’ll be fun checking off today’s homeschool hours. Science, math, geometry, safety. We covered a lot.

I am opening my home and studio to friends and family for a special event on Saturday December 12, 2009 from 3pm to 5pm.

This promises to be a fun event with a demonstration on how jewelry is made, tours of my studio, free jewelry cleaning and a showing of some of my latest work.

And while you are looking through your jewelry box for items that need to be cleaned, bring along any broken items. I will be happy to assess repairs that might be needed or undertake any ring resizing you might need. Look your best for the holidays wearing your favorite jewelry!

Bring a friend. And of course, goodies will be served!

Hope to see you there!

This is what my bench looked like last night. The four pierced pieces are all finished and are in the tumbler along with the ring which I straightened out and now have to re-black after polishing. I added a bail to the star of david on the left, the two heart designs have had bezel set mother of pearl cabochons and the tiny star of david has had a hexagon stone set in it. I think it’s a crystal, but I can’t remember because I bought it so long ago. I have to dig out the receipt before I price it.

This was a custom piece I actually created in two different sizes. I can tell that I’m only beginning to enjoy using Illustrator for my design work.

So the last 4 days I’ve spent at least 3 hours a day in the shop, with 8 and 10 hours yesterday and today.
We’ve managed to get coverage now for most of Jack’s care schedule. So although I am still the main caregiver in terms of making sure Jack’s needs are met, it’s now more of a management position rather than hands on.
And my soul is rejoicing. I’m spending more time and energy on my jewelry. More time and energy than I have for many years. I exhibited at a craft show on 10/31 that really got me energized although I didn’t sell anything.
I really needed that customer contact and lots of people took my cards, I got several decent leads on custom work and my display looked the best it ever has.
I have a Hanukah gift event on Sunday and another Holiday craft show scheduled for Dec 6.

Then I’m scheduling my own event here at the house for December 12. I want to invite people to bring their jewelry for a free cleaning, repair assessments and a brief demonstration on how jewelry is made and other information that will help make them a better jewelry customer as well as showing my work. This is the first phase of a new marketing model for my work utilizing home shows and I’m offering a free custom pierced piece for anyone who books a show.