We decided to do a time lapse as we put together “Russian Blue”. This artwork is based on a photograph of our cat Hudson who recently passed away.

Find stills of the artwork in our previous post titled Russian Blue.

While still on my Galaxy Ring high I decided I would try my hand at making a men’s copper clay ring. My first challenge, at least so I thought, was the design. I’ve never designed or made anything for a guy. So, I sat down and sketched out a few very cool rings. After getting Mr. Sahm’s input (because he’s a guy, hahaha) I picked one and off I went to create my copper ring. Oh my goodness…it looked so cool. The texture came out exactly the way I wanted it. Check it out below.

Canyon Ring - Copper Clay (unfired)

Challenge number two…(which really should have been challenge number one!) firing my wonderful little design. Yea…not my smartest move. I really should have test fired a piece of copper clay first because it was a complete disaster. It looked good at first glance. I dropped it on a metal bench block and it clinked like metal so I continued to burnish the ring and it starts shining like a new penny. Unfortunately, the copper clay shrank a little more than I expected it to so, I decided to put it on a ring mandrel and tap it down to expand it a little. This is something that I have done with silver a dozen times before. Well, on tap number three…CRACK! UGH! I can’t believe it…it snapped…and when I look inside its powdered. What a disappointment. But I should not have been surprised.

Seriously, what did I do wrong? Well, my first mistake was I didn’t test fire the copper. That really is something that I should have done. Inexcusable; I can’t believe I didn’t do it, but I figured, I was following the manufacturers directions so what could go wrong. Obviously, everything could go wrong. Maybe its because I was using a firing foil box instead of a stainless steel firing pan and the piece heated too quickly. Maybe I should have put the piece more towards the center or front to compensate for this. Maybe I used an incorrect firing schedule!?

I referred to my new friend the special edition of Art Jewelry Magazine: Metal Clay Jewelry. There is a complete guide to firing bronze & copper clays. So, I have adjusted my firing schedule using the tips discussed in the article and have since done two successful test strips. Unfortunately, my second ring attempt did not fire correctly. So, I may need to readjust my schedule again! I could stick to firing thin strips or maybe I should get a stainless steel pan. Will let you know what happens…

Over this past weekend I designed a really cool metal clay ring using a new mold I bought from one of my favorite online stores. I rolled out a bit of clay on a texture template and cut out a strip to form the ring shank. Then I fitted the clay around a ring mandrel and let it set. I then used a small ball of clay and fit that into my new mold. Once those two pieces were dry I was able to attach them pieces together.

Once the piece was fully dried, I fired it and added a patina to highlight all the little details.
I must confess that I was afraid of the shrinkage factor but it looks fantastic and it fits.

Galaxy Swirl Ring

I was surprised this past holiday season with a new piece of studio equipment…a kiln. Surprised is probably putting it mildly but I am extremely excited to have it. I know virtually nothing about kilns so this will be a huge learning curve for me. But I do love working with metal clay and I welcome the opportunity to fire larger silver pieces as well as try copper and bronze clays. There is lots to do before I attempt the new metals but first let me tell you about my first kiln firing experience.

My first silver clay firing went well. I was able to create an oval setting using fine silver bezel wire with a metal clay base. I rolled out the clay on a texture template and cut out the base shape using my handy clay pick. After I fired and cooled the piece; I used patina gel to darken it. This process gave the piece real vintage character. I used my Dremel to polish before I set a Tiger Eye cabochon. It looks good.

I did realize that I made a few mistakes like:
1) Didn’t use enough base clay. The base should have been about two cards thicker. I used 3 cards.
2) The bezel wire was not evenly pressed down. Some places it almost went through to the other side and caused the clay to crack, separate and buckle slightly. Hardly noticeable.

Overall, I’m proud of my little pendant. It’s a great starting off point.
More to come…

First kiln fired metal clay project

Recap: I had spinal fusion of the L4-L5-S1 vertebrae back in August of 2007 to correct a congenital condition called Isthmic Spondylolisthesis. I was in the hospital for six days, out of work for eight weeks and in a back brace for six months. You can read about that here .

About a month ago my orthopedic surgeon told me that I no longer have to wear my back brace. This was huge! I can’t explain the level of excitement those words created in me. He said that I’m recovering well and he sees lots of bone growth and did I mention…I can stop wearing my back brace? Getting rid of this brace is the most wonderful news. I am usually a very shy person but I found myself talking to everyone on my way out of the doctor’s office. Telling them about my surgery and how my brace was horrible…OK. I’m exaggerating. I really only talked with two people who asked about the brace I was carrying. There is no exaggeration about how big, clunky, and uncomfortable it was to wear the brace. It went against my fashionista tendencies. The brace was not exactly the perfect accessory.

FINALLY! A little more than three weeks ago I started physical therapy. Generally PT is one the most difficult steps in recovery because you have to start using muscles that were previously restricted. I have not felt this sore in a long time. I’m going about 3 times a week for the next 6-8 weeks. They start me off by having me lay down on my stomach with a heat pad on my lower back. This is to relax the muscles. Then the physical therapist comes in and helps me stretch. So, basically she turns me into a human pretzel before putting me on the bicycle for 5-7 minutes. Followed by some leg/back exercises with weight machines then onto some floor exercises and more stretching. Once finished, its back on my stomach for some ice and muscle stim. I think I walk into PT better than when I leave but it should get better…I need it to get better. But right now its just kicking my ass.

Mark & I would like to extend a great big THANK YOU to the host of the B-Sides Concept Album show – Josh Hathaway, who was gracious enough to invite us on his program last night. We had an absolute blast. If you didn’t have a chance to check it out live you can listen to it right here…

Don’t forget to visit Josh at his blog – Confessions of a Fanboy and tune into the B-Sides Concept Album show on Blogtalkradio every Thursday @ 10PM EST.

It’s Valentine’s Day… again! Usually, I’ve had a sort of love/hate feeling about the day in general. Well, hate is a strong word— let’s just say dislike or even indifferent. But today, I’m going to shed my negative ideas and embrace the love. Yes, love: how corny is that?

Anyway, I have been listening to our wedding music all day. Before the wedding, Mark and I put together a compilation CD and gave these to our guests. These songs were chosen to appeal to everyone and were actually used during the ceremony and reception (as noted below). While I was planning our ‘joyous event’, I initially cringed at the idea of having gift CD’s. It’s usually a collection of overly sappy or clichéd music with no real meaning or reason. Mark and I decided that if we were going to do a CD, it would have to reflect ourselves, the music was too important. The entire wedding was pretty much planned the same way, and we get complimented on the mix to this day.
Read more…

I intended to post this on my birthday but got sidetracked…

On January 17, 2008, Mark said to me: “Birthdays are a good day to think about the future!” But today, I can’t help but think about the past.

Here is my version of events since my birthday last year:

January 2007: SUCKED ASS!!! I spent my 30th on my living room floor in so much pain. That’s why I celebrated both my 30th & 31st last week.

February: Physical therapy and visits to various spinal specialists along with a boatload of tests. I was still in a lot of pain. On a brighter note, we started house hunting.

March: More house hunting and more doctors. Looked at a 3 bedroom townhouse in Stamford. Hmmmmm…

April-June: Problems x problems = more problems. Our closing date got pushed back by a month and a half – Bad. We found this out after we already gave notice re: our apartment lease – Worse. We were virtually homeless – Disaster! But thanks to Mom for her sofa bed! – Not too Bad. Worst of all, I relented to the fact that I needed surgery to correct my back condition.

July: The moving rush, set-up, unpack, hurry, hurry… need to get things done before August 7th. I can’t stand up for more than 5 minutes anymore. I’m really freaking out and Mark is not helping, because he doesn’t want me to have the surgery until 2008; I can’t do this without him. In the end, we both know it has to be done. Mark gets better and he’s trying not to freak out.

August – December: So I get into surgery prep mode. Blood banked… check. Pre-surgery MRI… check. Pre-surgery CAT Scan, blood type & screen, chest x-ray, lumbar x-rays, EMG, surgical clearance… check check check. Yet I’m so close to calling the whole thing off. Until surgery day comes and I focus on thinking positive. I don’t really remember much… my mom and Mark looking concerned… the anesthesiologist saying “this is going to make you sleepy”. Oh, and someone calling my name when I woke up after surgery. In all honesty, the rest is mostly a blur.

I barely remember anything from the last three months. I was in a lot of pain while my spine was regenerating from the procedure. Mark spent most of his time working his ass off in the basement, and bringing me things even though he’s the worst nursemaid ever. He tried.

So you can see why I have decided to take Mark’s advice and think about the future. 2008 will be our year. We are both doing well professionally. We have a nice house that we own (or will in about 20-30 years). We are definitely in a good place. I’m choosing to focus forward with hope.

An editorial by S.Rod

Every morning Mark and I wake up to the news on our clock radio. At 6:45am, it pops on and in fifteen minutes or so, I actually start listening. Today while brushing my teeth, I hear the story, “Is Santa a bad influence on children?” Immediately the clever headline piqued my interest. Damn, I’m trying to get ready here, but I stopped to listen anyway.

Basically, the acting U.S. Surgeon General feels that similar to athletes who work with children to promote healthy lifestyles, Santa should be no different in terms of athleticism. Did I hear that right? Santa is too FAT! WHAT? That is just silly!

Santa has already lost his pipe (an old man with a pipe, I’m sure every kid wants to emulate that!), he can’t have kids sit on his knee anymore (this one isn’t so bad), and he can’t say Merry Christmas (if you are going to see Santa in the first place, why would this be a problem?) or Ho Ho Ho (Santa does know if you have been naughty!) because it could offend people.

Now, they want to take away his “bowl full of jelly”. What is wrong with this world? The PC element is out of control. Come on, are kids paying attention to Santa’s tummy? I mean really, Santa is a once a year thing, and the kids just want the presents.

Begin Rant:

If the Surgeon General wants to decrease childhood obesity and promote healthy living then he should start with educating their parents. It’s the parents who are stuffing their kids full of prepackaged and fast food, they are letting them play video games for umpteen hours a day without any physical activity. Do kids even play outside anymore?

Everyone has gotten so lazy. Why can’t we take responsibility anymore? Why does it have to be the person on the TV’s fault, or the international icon for Christmas?

Another problem is that healthy meals, in addition to taking effort to make, are expensive in comparison to fast food. I was just thinking about the cost factor the other day while eating lunch. I had gotten a salad that cost me about $7 on Monday and yesterday I bought a double cheeseburger and large fries for $3. So, if I always eat cheeseburgers and fries I could eat lunch for at least 3 days on just $10. Isn’t that crazy!? We should try to find solutions for things like this, and not worry about Santa’s waistline.

End Rant…

Last Tuesday, 8/7/07 I had surgery to correct a back condition that I have had for a very long time.

About 10 years ago I was diagnosed as having Spondylolisthesis. It’s a spine condition that occurs when one vertebra slips forward on the adjacent vertebrae. It produces both a gradual deformity of the lower spine but also a narrowing of the vertebral canal. When that happens pain usually results. There are five grades, grade I is the mildest and grade V is the most severe…I was a grade IV. Basically, that means that the L5 vertebrae was slipping off of the S1 vertebrae crushing my disc and pinching the sciatic nerve root in both of my legs. My back would feel disjointed and I would ache and fatigue quickly. My spine was basically pushing against my stomach causing a “swayback” which looks very much like pregnancy. The only exception was my stomach was not “big”.

Anyway, I had a posterior lumbar fusion with instrumentation with laminecty & discetomy. I was admitted on Tuesday morning and the procedure lasted 5 1/2 hours.

Right now I have to stop…can’t sit here anymore. My meds are kicking in and I’m feeling a little sore. I just wanted to let you all know that I’m doing well.

This is what my spine looks like now: