6 Torches. 3 Dresses. 2 Days. And Soldering Like a Lady.

Back at the beginning of December, I took a trip to the F&W headquarters in Ft. Collins, CO. The task at hand was filming 6 complete metalworking DVDs each one featuring a different portable torches.

Over two days. That's like 16-hours. Which leaves little room for error.

I like tight deadlines. Seriously. A cross-country jaunt involving fire, film, lots of tools, and intense prep worked for me. So I hopped on a plane and headed for the bright lights of the Interweave production studio in Colorado.

I am really excited about this project. I chose the torches specifically because they are easy to find, straightforward to use and work with small spaces. Some of them may be familiar and some may be completely new.

A few of my torches.

The projects took a little more planning. I wanted to create projects that were contemporary, interesting and adaptable. A place for viewers to have a jumping-off point. I don't want you to make cookie cutter projects...I want you to take the ideas and run! (Thank you Emily Miller and Kriss Silva... project assistants, extraordinaire! Without the two of you, these projects just would have been jumbled pieces of wire. Bathed in my tears.)

Six projects. One for each torch.

On the first day we jumped right in! I had a camera on me all day. It was a mix of behind-the-scene footage and on-camera instruction. And lots of bright lights. And red lipstick (MAC Ruby Woo.) And coffee.

Behind my bench.

I did a lot of off-the-cuff quips and the footage was used to create a couple of promo videos. Here is one where I discuss my biggest on-camera screw up...



Now you can join me and learn to "Solder Like a Lady." (Read as "like a kick-ass lady, in red lipstick and pretty dress, with a torch.") Thanks to my dear friend Mary Cravens, I was well dressed and my three frocks were comfy and camera-ready. Custom apron on and ready to fire things up. Go stylish or go home. It's a great motto for just about everything.

The Interweave/F&W gang were terrific! They made everything go super smoothly and the resulting videos are gonna be great. Here is one more promo...

They are set to release in late Feb/early March. Stay tuned to the blog for more info when they are available along with a special tie-in project coming up soon in Step-By-Step Wire magazine. 

I also just hosted a webinar about small-space jewelry soldering. Find it here. I discuss a few of the torches that I used in the DVDs and cover everything you need to solder in your home studio. It's a great companion piece. A few more webinars are coming up soon that will tie in as well. I'll keep you updated about those, too. Thanks for watching!

Crochet Flowers & Soldering Copper

I started a little project on the 4th of July.

I love to crochet and have had crocheted flowers on the brain lately. I found this pattern on Pinterest. You can check out the original tutorial here.

I filled my basket with a variety of yarn and got to work.

I am using Debbie Stoller's Alpaca Love. Read all about it here, if you are interested. It's a nice yarn and not too spendy.

You just need a few tools and you are ready to go.

They may become this bag. I really like the looks of that pattern. Or they just might become a simple tote or even a pillow cover. We'll see what happens.

Also on a jewelry-related note my latest post is up on Jewelry Making Daily. It's all about soldering copper, brass and nickel. Read it here. And you can buy the copper solder right in my Etsy Store.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Micro Torches 101, Part 2

Hello! Hope you all had a great weekend. I wanted to share a couple of things with you this morning. First a quick reminder that I will be choosing a name from the entries on my Maker Faire Giveaway later today, so there is still time to enter. Click over and enter...there is a prize for you non-locals, so everyone can win.

And for your Monday morning reading pleasure, check out my latest article on Jewelry Making Daily.

It's the second part of my article on using a butane micro torch. Part 1 is here in case you missed it.

I'll be back later today to announce a winner.

Jewelry Making, Daily!

I am really excited to share some news with you. Guess who is the newest contributor to the Jewelry Making Daily blog. Yep. It's me.

My torches.

My debut article is all about the ins and outs of butane micro torches. I am pretty proud of it if I do say so myself.

If you don't read Jewelry Making Daily, I suggest that you jump on over and check it out. Sponsored by Interweave, it is a wealth of information for the jewelry designer.

You'll see my wit and wisdom over there a few times each month, sharing projects, know-how and special tips and tricks all related to jewelry making. I want to give a special thanks to the editor, Tammy Jones, for inviting to join her team.

This is going to be fun!