Remember, hot metal looks exactly the same as cool metal.
Organic Jewelry Pickle
After much searching, I’ve finally found a recipe for pickle that’s non-toxic, and actually works! For those of you non-silversmiths out there, in the silversmithing world pickle is used to remove the coating from silver (and other metals, I’m sure) after they’re heated with a torch. It’s a necessary part of the process. But for obvious reasons, I’ve never really been fond of having sulfuric acid in my house.
I’ve tried other non-toxic pickle recipes, and they all seem to work veeeery slooooowly. This one, though, this one is fabulous. You take vinegar (just regular vinegar), heat it up in your pickle pot, and add table salt until the solution is saturated. That’s it! As far as I can tell, it works just as fast as the standard pickle from Rio Grande. The only problem I’ve had so far is that it’s a bit cloudy, so you kind of have to fish around for your pieces. I may have put too much salt in, though. We’ll see if it clears up with use.
Now if only I can find an organic recipe for etching acid……
UPDATE 1: I’ve tried it heated up in the pickle pot now, and it’s fantastic! It’s actually faster than the standard pickle. I can see my pieces turning white as I’m setting them down. And it’s not cloudy anymore, either. Fabulous!
A lovely silversmith named Kimberley Grasing tells me that the perfect ratio is 1 Tbsp salt for every 1 cup of vinegar. Thanks Kimberley!
This pickle works brilliantly on sterling silver, 14K white gold, and 14K rose gold, but I have to leave 14K yellow gold in for a long time before the firescale comes off. If I’m in a hurry, I end up hand-polishing my yellow gold pieces to remove the firescale.
UPDATE 2: After this pickle ate through the stainless steel exterior of my pickle pot, I started storing it in a covered glass container and heating it up in the microwave when I need it (2 minutes in my microwave, your mileage may vary). The microwave method works brilliantly, and as a bonus saves me about $10/month on my electricity bill.
Be sure to check out my posts on oxidizing jewelry with eggs and polishing silver the organic way, too!
Dog Days
I’ve been running around with my iPhone camera taking tons of photos every day, due to my crazy spur-of-the-moment decision to join Project 365 this year. This, of course, results in tons of photos of my very photogenic dogs. So I thought I’d share a couple with y’all to brighten up your Monday. They should be worth a couple of smiles!
This is Ditto’s favorite position to sleep in - with one leg up in the air. Presumably she’s hoping someone will walk by and pet her. Occasionally it actually happens. And Ditto is nothing if not an optimist.
Kenya with her backpack, standing sentry duty at the coffee shop. Kenya takes sentry duty very seriously. We’ve yet to convince her that we don’t need guarding. Yes, our local coffee shop allows dogs inside. It’s like a mini dog park in there. When you get to the cash register, they even feed treats to your dogs. I’m sure this violates every known Health Department regulation, particularly as they serve a full breakfast there. And I’m sure they’ll get shut down eventually. But we’re enjoying it while it lasts!
I have to say this iPhone camera is darn good for catching candid photos. No one sees them coming - not even the dogs!
This is Ditto’s favorite position to sleep in - with one leg up in the air. Presumably she’s hoping someone will walk by and pet her. Occasionally it actually happens. And Ditto is nothing if not an optimist.
Kenya with her backpack, standing sentry duty at the coffee shop. Kenya takes sentry duty very seriously. We’ve yet to convince her that we don’t need guarding. Yes, our local coffee shop allows dogs inside. It’s like a mini dog park in there. When you get to the cash register, they even feed treats to your dogs. I’m sure this violates every known Health Department regulation, particularly as they serve a full breakfast there. And I’m sure they’ll get shut down eventually. But we’re enjoying it while it lasts!
I have to say this iPhone camera is darn good for catching candid photos. No one sees them coming - not even the dogs!
Jonglier
These are Andy’s new juggling balls, in the colors of the British flag, of course.
Such a classic Andy shot - the juggling, the music, the computers. It’s all there!
So Pella Just Called…
So Pella just called.
(I bet you know where this is going.)
“You know that installation appointment you had scheduled for Monday?” asked Heather, my friendly Pella person.
“Had?” I said. “That sounds ominous.”
“Well, the installation guy just called, and they sent the wrong parts again.”
At this point I’m laughing. Because, you know, you just have to laugh. I mean, I ordered these things back in July. We’re well past the ridiculous now, and trundling our way through the sublime.
“When he called me, I thought he was joking,” she tells me. “I think your blinds have Murphy’s-Law-syndrome.”
I had no idea it was a syndrome. Do you think I can get vaccinated for it?
Clueless as to what’s going on? Desperate to join in the laughs? Check out the first installment of The Saga of the Pella Blinds, published back in October, or revisit the most recent installment for a quick refresher.
(I bet you know where this is going.)
“You know that installation appointment you had scheduled for Monday?” asked Heather, my friendly Pella person.
“Had?” I said. “That sounds ominous.”
“Well, the installation guy just called, and they sent the wrong parts again.”
At this point I’m laughing. Because, you know, you just have to laugh. I mean, I ordered these things back in July. We’re well past the ridiculous now, and trundling our way through the sublime.
“When he called me, I thought he was joking,” she tells me. “I think your blinds have Murphy’s-Law-syndrome.”
I had no idea it was a syndrome. Do you think I can get vaccinated for it?
Clueless as to what’s going on? Desperate to join in the laughs? Check out the first installment of The Saga of the Pella Blinds, published back in October, or revisit the most recent installment for a quick refresher.
Really, Really Tired
I am really, really tired of being sick…
The Joy of Alterations
“I’ve been gambling,” I announced to Andy.
“Gambling?” he said, raising one eyebrow.
“Yeah, gambling,” I replied. “Gambling on jeans.”
You see jeans never, ever, ever fit me. Ever. Because I’m a curvy girl, and jeans just aren’t. Curvy, that is. Or girls, I suppose.
So I finally fit the bullet, bought a fairly expensive pair, and got them altered. Yup, custom alterations on blue jeans. Which makes them unreturnable, and therefore quite a gamble.
I picked them up on Sunday, and let me tell you, it was worth every penny! Because they really, truly fit! The genius tailor took off the waistband, took four darts in the back, and reapplied the (shortened) waistband. Oh, and adjusted the length, too! I have worn them for two whole days, all day. And they’re comfortable!
What an introduction into the dangerous world of alterations. Suddenly a whole new world of shopping has opened up for me. Tailored shirts become possible. Leather jackets become possible. I have suddenly become a very dangerous shopper. I can hear my bank account groaning already.
The photo is my Project 365 photo for the day. That’s my view looking down at my ever-present iPod shuffle attached to the pocket of my fabulous new jeans (which I’m wearing). Yeah, yeah, I know I claimed to have found jeans that fit back in November. But they never did stretch that last bit to make them comfortable. And I never managed to wear them for more than a couple of hours at a time. Another complete waste of money - hopefully the last one!
Distracted by Bananas
I was off to the kitchen to take a picture of a salad when I got distracted by bananas. I’m sure it’s obvious why this happened. I mean, who could resist these babies?
What do you mean, it’s just me? Am I the only person in the world getting distracted by bananas?
Of Beer and iPhones
I’ve picked up a new phone in the usual way. You know, Andy got tired of his phone and bought himself a new one. And I inherited the old one. But this time it’s… an iPhone.Mind you, I’m not sure this is as big of a deal for me as it would be for most people. It’s nice to have my music with me and there are some really funny apps on it, too (like Moo and Shazam). But I rarely carry a phone. I hate being reachable all the time. I remember when I saw my first cell phone. I thought, what a terrible idea. Who wants to be reachable all the time? (Apparently everyone but me.)
The camera is good fun, though. I like how you can shoot from angles that would be really difficult with a regular camera, although getting the focus where you want it can be a pain. Oh, can you tell what Andy had with his lunch?
Creative Guitars
I can see already that having to take a photo a day is going to make me a more creative photographer. One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to practice guitar five days a week. So I guess by the end of the year I’ll be a better guitar player and a better photographer? Or maybe I’ll just be spending more of my time on the ground, looking up…