Zzyzx

 

 Soda Springs California, aka Zzyzx, here I come.  I am packing up my tools, sorting through my gemmies and laying out projects to get ready for my trip to the Desert Studies Center with CFMS (California Federation of Mineralogical Societies).  I will be taking workshops in enameling, soft stone carving and lapidary and working on as many jewelry projects as possible.  Heaven!

Jewelry Workshops

Studio DeLucca in Long Beach, California has a great line up of classes for March and April.  I have taken several workshops at the studio and enjoyed the diversity of classes, informative and helpful teachers and cheerful environment.  The calendar includes beginner and intermediate classes for rings, earrings, necklaces, soldering and metal etching. 

You can also find Studio DeLucca on Facebook.

Entertaining Blogs Worth a Read

NC Black Co, follow their travels over the next 264 days as they cross the country and teach micro forming jewelry and engraving classes.  Stella a NC Black K hammer is ready to get her wings and go on a road trip.  "Every time an anvil rings, another hammer gets its wings."

 







Rockchaser writes about their rock collecting adventures in San Diego County including links to regional collecting blogs, online resources and rock and gem shows.  Follow Sesame Pooch the rock sniffing hound as she finds new mine shafts and survives her encounters with killer dog eating rocks.

insectes éthérés

It arrived.  Last week.  The most amazing hammer in the world.  Okay that is a bit of an exaggeration but not by much.  What is it you ask?  Insectes éthérés is a custom engraved macro spiculum hammer for jewelery fabrication.

How did this happen?  It is sort of hard to explain how one falls in love but it went something like this.  I took a workshop led by NC Black, they teach micro forming for jewelry fabrication.  I made my first spiculum, then a furry bracelet and other cool shapes and jewelry bits.  The spiculum hammer was my favorite tool of the workshop.  I thought it was the most unique of the tools used for micro forming and when you look at the hammer shape you know it is something special.

Then I took an engraving workshop from NC Black.  While I did a good job for a beginner I am years away from being proficient.  The teacher, Les Byrant, was amazing.  An excellent, patient teacher with a great sense of humor and a huge amount of creativity and talent.  You can see Les' work on his website Le Graveur De Vol or on his etsy page Fluffy's Corner, be sure to check out the Bad Kitty cuff bracelet.

So I fell hard and wanted Les to custom engrave a hammer for me and I requested it to be in the theme of a cabinet of curiosities. 

If micro forming metal sounds appealing to you, I highly recommend NC Black's workshops and you can find dates for a workshop near you on their NC Black website or their updates under NC Black on Facebook.

So here it is, insectes éthérés with a beautiful Wenge wood handle, and the last photo is that of the first spiculum I made.

If I Had a Hammer

23.  Not my age or my favorite number.  23 Hammers.  That doesn’t include the one in my household toolbox that would make 24.

Made from wood, nylon, rawhide or steel.  Each with a different task for riveting, shaping, forming, raising, planishing and chasing. 

I can not explain how this gathering has happened, except to say that what one can do with a hammer to make a simple sheet of metal twist into a complex shape is awe-inspiring.  

My all time favorite hammers are from NC Black and designed for micro forming.  They teach amazing workshops not to be missed.  Tools and workshop schedule can be found on their website www.ncblack.com

But the one hammer that holds a special place in my heart is the one pictured above that my dad gave me.  It is just 8” long and 2” across, he made it himself when he was in high school metal shop. 

All roads lead to Zzyzx

 

You have seen this sign before and thought "I wonder where that road goes?" or "they must have ran out of street names".  When I was a kid this sign 50 miles past Barstow was always a landmark on the way to my uncle's house.

I am so excited I get to find out what is on Zzyzx Road in March.  I signed up for California Federation of Mineralogical Societies' (CFMS) Earth Science Seminar.  It will be held at an area designated for desert studies and is off the grid! 

My classes will include soapstone carving, scrimshaw, enameling, lapidary and hopefully a few great field trips into the desert in search of treasure.  So what is on my mind right now?  More tools!