Monday: worked on a few special orders left by Lindsay, one pair of earrings and one necklace repair. Worked on some miscellaneous orders while enjoying the weather and people.



Fun with Lacey and Elise!
I had a great time playing with Lacey while Angie and Lindsey were out of the "office".

Thursday: Today we got down to business and I finished the metal-cut earrings I started with Angie by creating some unique findings and sanding the tips. Worked on some more special orders, including a bracelet for Natasha made from some beautiful dark amber stones. I wish I had one for myself!
The earrings are hand-cut brushed brass with gold findings. They hang approximately 2 1/4 inches. Absolutely beautiful!

March 21, 2009

Sadly, my posts from last week did not make it onto the site! I will be sure to re-post the pictures and information on Monday, when I have access to Angie's camera!

I am chugging away at my consignment line! After reformatting one of my images (before doing them all and realizing they are wrong...again), I arranged another meeting with Jerry to (hopefully) get some designs cut. An early (8:30 AM!) meeting was met with initial disappointment as they editing was still incorrect. After brainstorming how to fix the problem, Jerry agreed to edit my one image for free just so I could see the laser at work. With a quick flick of the mouse, the image was ready for cutting. Here is a design that has been properly edited (after reading several Help Tutorials- this piece is now ready to be cut)

Luckily, there were scraps of the materials I plan on using (brushed silver and gold veneered acrylic) so how the pieces will actually look.
Although the laser is capable of cutting precise curves and lines (according to whatever image is drawn), I have purposefully left imperfections in the designs to demonstrate that the images are actually hand-drawn.
Here is the first piece...More to come soon!

March 20, 2009, March 22, 2009

I designed all of the pieces for my consignment line in illustrator today. Because I wanted to maintain a hand-made quality in lasercut designs, I hand-drew all of the images using a tablet connected to my laptop. The images turned out beautifully, I cannot wait until they are all cut so I can get to work!
Here is a preview:

Jerry and I met this evening to finalize the designs and give me a demonstration of how the laser works. He was interested in my designs but it turns out that all of the work I invested in the original designs would not work with the machine. In order for the laser to read the image, I need to reformat the images but focusing on the negative space of the image and highlighting the positive space. I have quite a bit of editing in front of me. We are going to try and meet again next weekend so this project can start rolling!

March 9, 2009 & March 12, 2009

I worked with Lindsay today on some special orders, including a necklace for a soon-to-be mother and a stamped metal pendant. It was my first time cutting, buffing and stamping metal- it was a very successful day!

This was one of my most memorable days. Angie taught me how to effectively cut shapes out of metal. She drew an ellipse with a scalloped interior as an exercise in metalcutting (Angie does a great job challenging me) and set me to work with a saw. I learned new techniques from the beginning to the end of the session (choosing a blade, preparing the saw, proper cutting techniques, SANDING-and how important it is, creating a satin finish, bending the metal). When I see Angie again next week, we will create earring findings for the brass pieces and take some pictures! Thanks Angie!

March 7, 2009

I met with Jerry in Gunbarrel today to discuss the manufacture of graphic pendants for my consignment line. He was extremely receptive to my ideas and excited to get the project underway. We ended up talking for nearly and hour about common goals and observations. I am greatly looking forward to meeting with Jerry again to begin work.

March 6, 2009

Met with my internship coordinator, Sally Elliott, and Lindsey for a sit-down evaluation of my work and progress so far. The meeting was a success especially because I was able to recap all of the knowledge I have gained working at Angie Star. I am am so fortunate!
Sally stuck around and chatted while we all enjoyed her company. Thank you to Sally for taking time to meet with us!

March 5, 2009

Today, I had the privilege to work with Angie. We discussed my internship progress and planned how I could make-up some of the hours I have missed due to sickness and school obligations. Now, I have the opportunity to start a consignment line that should be done the final week in April! Luckily, I had been planning a side project for myself so I am even more encouraged to follow-through.
Additionally, I worked on the layout of a multi-strand mother-of-the-bride necklace that is full of pearls and amethyst beading.
A successful day!

March 2, 2009

Today was another bridal day!
I worked on one bailed strand of a 5-strand bracelet that will be put together by some morning interns. It turned out beautifully, I cannot wait to see the finished piece!
Lindsey had be working at the front of the store today so I could become more familiar with check-out procedures and customer service. Working in the front is wonderful because I can be easily distracted by the interesting people walking down the sidewalk.
I realized that a pair of earrings I made when I first started had sold! I took this as a personal victory and smiled for the rest of the day.

February 26, 2009

Soldering Day! I took the jump rings made on the 19th to be soldered. Having only used the torch a few times prior, I was a little hesitant with the flame. Under Lindsey's guidance, I learned how to close the rings before soldering, cut the correct solder, prepare the torch station (including proper safety precautions) and solder the rings closed. We found that soldering the lower gauges was a bit tricky as they were highly susceptible to melting under the high heat. With a little practice, I'm sure I will be a pro in no time!

February 23, 2009

Today, I started some Spring bridal jewelry. I am working with Lindsey to add to an already existing collection of jewels. Thanks so my wonderful teachers, my bailing-time has decreased so I was able to finish a 3-layer bracelet of white and pink pearls before I went home. All in all, a very successful day!

February 19, 2009

After a rough beginning of the week, I was thrilled to spend some time with the Angie Star ladies.
Today I learned how to make jump rings with Lindsey. I made several of varying gauges and sizes. They were then separated into different containers so some could be soldered at a later date.