My new ventilation system

Over the weekend, my father-in-law and hubby helped install my rockin' new ventilation system!

I ordered the "Place-a-Vent Model #FE-500" from this company out of Buffalo NY.

It's a massive looking unit, but it's definitely a much more efficient means of exhausting fumes than the in/out window fan I've been using for the past ten years!

My father-in-law cut a circle out of a piece of plywood and mounted it securely into the basement window frame. Then they attached a section of flexible hose going from that to the blower unit which rests on a support bracket attached to the wall.

I also ordered the "Gooseneck Arm with Magnetic Base" so I could mount the hood at the right height above my soldering tray and also be able to move it as needed. I use a stainless steel Ikea table top for my soldering table and the magnetic arm did stick to the surface OK, however, I added a square of thin mild steel that I had lying around just to insure the magnet had an extra strong bond in case my table shakes or moves at all (since its actually rather lightweight.)

After a trial run giving it a good shove, the arm did break free of it's magnetic bond so I may even add a strap to the wall that can be easily unhooked as needed, just for extra added support. I definitely don't want the thing to come crashing down onto my torches!

We kept the heat resistant flexible hose (aka: the gigantic elephant trunk) a bit loose/long so that it could easily move from above my soldering station over to the table on the left where my resin station is located.

I placed another sheet of mild steel on that table for the magnetic gooseneck arm to adhere to.

After giving the unit a proper test run, I have to say, this baby really SUCKS! (which is exactly what it's supposed to do of course) Haha, but seriously though, if any of you metalsmiths out there are looking for an all-inclusive exhaust system to buy for your studio because you're too lazy to spend the time and energy DIY-ing one for yourself like I was, this unit is for you. It's awesome. It comes with everything you need (minus the gooseneck arm) and ready to install. Here's to good health and insuring clean air in my studio for the remainder of my jewelry career!

My new studio!

It took almost a month, but my studio in our new house is finally set up and work-ready. Today I'll be taking you on the official tour!

The studio is located in the basement of our new house. What it lacks in natural lighting it makes up for in size, as it's more than TWICE the amount of space my last studio occupied.

There's ample room for Barbie storage, that's for sure.

When you walk down the stairs, past the Barbie bins, straight ahead is what I call my "sorting & cutting area" this is where the dolls are sorted and organized and the station where I'll eventually be cutting out the various doll parts I need (once I get a stool tall enough to sit here that is.)

This is an overview of my fabrication/bench area…

Midge sits atop my flex shaft, as she's done in all my studios.

To the right of my bench is the "resin station" where all my epoxy magic happens.

And to the right of that area is my soldering station. (my bulletin/inspiration board is a little empty at the moment, but that will change)

You can't tell from this photo, but there's a basement window to the left of this area which is where I'll be setting up the new fume exhaust unit I just purchased. Hooray for finally having a proper ventilation system!


Looking back towards the stairs again, this countertop area is a sort-of "miscellaneous task zone" right now. It has my tumbler, my ultrasonic and various storage items.

And of course Charlie gets a comfy spot on this counter for his visits…

Just to the right of that, sits my antique pharmacists cabinet. This beauty has 96 drawers in it and the whole unit rotates!

I can't even begin to express my love for this piece. It was my grandfathers who was a pharmacist in Lake George, NY where it served him and his pharmacy for decades until eventually making it's way to my parents basement where it sat in storage for years.

It was promised to me a while back and I'm thrilled to finally have the space for it! It's the heaviest thing ever and admittedly was a huge pain in the a** to move from my parents house to here but will be SO worth it once it's all cleaned up and usable again.

I'm also fortunate to have a slop sink downstairs which is HUGELY convenient (situated right between the washer and dryer so I can get laundry done while I work… bonus!)

This new space will be great and I'm certain will serve me well for a few years at the very least. However, one of the biggest perks in buying this house is sitting detached from the house just outside our backyard…

…a HUGE 3 car garage! Someday (soon-ish we hope) it will be converted into "My Dream Studio!" The studio I've been fantasizing about, scheming and planning for since I graduated college. Two of the three bays will be converted into my studio, and the third will be kept as a regular garage door for our car/storage (we're a one-car family anyway so it's perfect.) It will be insulated/heated, with lots of windows and maybe even a skylight or two! We have some other house projects that will need to come first, but this will truly be a dream come true for me when it happens.

So that's the tour! I'm hoping to get back to a more regular posting schedule here on the blog now that we're settling in so stay tuned. I have lots of custom orders underway right now… I'll share images of those soon!

Recent Press: Gloss Magazine

Gloss Magazine from Brazil featured my work on page 28 of their April edition.

Many thanks to Clara and Gloss for their interest in my work.

ABeCeDarian

ABeCeDarian opens at Facéré Jewelry Art Gallery in Seattle, WA May 18th and will be on view until June 4th. The exhibition features the work of 26 artists each producing a piece that corresponds with a letter of the alphabet.

Facéré produced a book to celebrate the show which features an image of each of the 26 art jewelry items.

My letter was K… for Knees!

If you'll be in Seattle for the 2011 SNAG conference, be sure to stop in and check it out! More info about this exhibition can be found on their website.

Lady Parts Week 10

This is the final week of Lady Parts - the online exhibition (sniff…sniff) Many thanks to Stella Padnos-Shea for this delightful collaboration and for her incredible writing talents.

Week 10

This week's poem:
Real Barbie

Read this week's poem and if you missed any of them, you can catch up on the other nine poems in the exhibit HERE. Thanks to those who've been following along!

Recent Press: HET Magazine

Dutch lifestyle Magazine Home Entertainment Today (HET) featured my
Winged Arm Neckpiece on page 18 of their April edition.

Many thanks to Remco and HET Magazine for the press!

Lady Parts Week 9

Week 9

Lady Parts

This week's poem:

Intimate Strangers

"She brings the blizzard inside. Her phone number is the weather phone and she plans her forgetting accordingly."

Read the rest of the poem and reflect on it's corresponding image here.