A learning experience

Yesterday, New Years Day, I had my first trial (ya trial is a good word) with my kiln. My kiln is not a top of the line kiln, it's a tiny little starter kiln and I have to watch it very carefully to get it up to temperature and then slowly turn it down to keep the temperature until finally the last hour or so I can let it cook somewhat on it's own. Well...yesterday I wasn't diligent with my timer and I got distracted playing our new Wii game (really fun btw!), suddenly I realized it had been way too long since I checked the kiln and I ran down to the garage and it was nearly 2000 degrees (should be about 1600). I knew I'd probably fried all the pieces that were in it, I grabbed my monsterous welding gloves and opened the top and sure enough all my beautiful pieces were now big lumps. I guess I'm lucky it's the first time it's happened, I've had this kiln for a couple of months and managed to be successful with every firing. I look forward to upgrading my kiln some time in the next few years. Chalk it up to a learning experience.

I decided to throw the lumps in the tumbler and try to re-create what I'd lost. I thought who knows what these lumps of silver might look like when they are polished so why not. It would be fun to find a use for them and create lemonade out of lemons. They've tumbled all night now, what do you think?

There are 2 sets or earrings and a pendant. The pendant was my second try at using Water Etching, I wonder if it would have been a successful try. Maybe it can still be a pendant, a silver nugget pendant...a very interesting and definitely one of a kind pendant :)

I had yet another go at it after I ruined this one, it's in the kiln right now and it looks like it will be a nicer piece than this one might have been, I used nail polish this time rather than masking tape which I used the first time. I have it in the kiln now, very early this morning, before I have to go to work. I just have enough time for it to cook then I'll throw it in the tumbler and head off to work.

Here are the earring charms I re-created and listed on Etsy this morning. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19229206

Here is a picture of my newest (re-created) Water Etching experiment. Having trouble getting a pic I'm happy with but it's a much better effort than the one I fried, I'm quite happy with it.

The joys of Jewelry making. Off to exercise on my Wii, don't worry, I have the timer set and I'm getting lots of added exercise running up and down the stairs every 10-15 minutes.

Happy New Year EVERYBODY!!

Kristi

http://dreamsome.etsy.com/