RockBug's Blog
RockBug's blog
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Certified Handmade Artifact
Published: 11-09-2011 12:31pm
I'm excited to announce that after an extensive vetting process, RockBug has been awarded a Certified Handmade Artifact by Artfire. I want to share a little about the process and what it means to me.
To be eligible for this artifact your studio must contain only handmade items (no supplies, etc.), you must not have not have any disputes or customer complaints, your studio must be complete with policies and a bio. These 2 are the most important requirements, in my opinion: You must provide pictures of your workspace and of works in progress for all categories that you list in and you must provide detailed explanations of how you make your ... » Read More
Misadventures in metal stamping
Published: 11-09-2011 12:31pm
I'm fairly new to metal stamping and still learning, mostly by trial and error. I've found that letters are pretty easy for me but designs on the other hand take some serious practice. After receiving some great design stamps, I started hammering away with terrible results. When I struck the stamp, the steel hammer I was using would bounce like crazy. The tag would go flying across the room. After chasing them down, I saw that most of the stamps weren't showing up and the ones that did were awful.
I started researching my particular problem. I found out that achieving a proper dead blow is essential to stamping designs. I was c... » Read More
Recharging
Published: 11-09-2011 12:31pm
We just got back from camping. Now before this trip, my idea of "roughing it" was not having sweetener for my morning tea. I certainly have some perspective now. The temperatures were a little uncomfortable at night, around 35 degrees. Oh yeah, it was a bit chilly. Needless to say, the campfire was a welcomed source of warmth for us. We sat for hours by the fire, just catching up with one another. Also, the food was wonderful but I think a full day of hiking might have played a role in that.
If you're looking for inspiration, you'd be hard pressed to find a better source than the changing leaves that October in the Northeas... » Read More
Part 2 of Misadventures in hand stamping
Published: 11-09-2011 12:31pm
From the first time I picked up a hammer, I've loved hand stamping metal. It always challenging and I have a blast doing it. The picture shows one of my first oxidized pieces. My most recent misadventure in hand stamping was oxidizing sterling silver stamped tags and pendants. I quickly learned that while oxidized silver looks fabulous, it also highlights any "flaws". I was frustrated that my creations weren't coming out completely perfect. I realized that I needed to look at this from a customer's perspective. After all, I love wearing hand stamped jewelry and that's what inspired me start learning it myself. One of the things I... » Read More
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