Month of April Round Up

Hodwy everyone! Looks like the thing a day challenge fell by the wayside. I wasn't too committed as I frankly ALWAYS aim for making one thing a day. doesn't always happen, but it keeps me sitting at my bench risiting the pull of ADD if I say, "You gotta finish this today!" I have made several items this month, lets see what we have:

One Opal, of the many

Another nice opal

First days piece! (Which I subsequently squished. note to self: use heavier gauge)

Great looking to most people, not perfect to me. Prototype of what will be a fantastic ring I can custom make with whatever stone in the center

Another prototype, the necklace looks pretty cute on her, eh?

I cut that sunstone a long time ago, and hammered that piece of silver even longer before! the silver was in my scrap box waiting to be used for the right project. This is perfect!

Great turquiose ring. I'm quite please i was able to create something that didn't look like it was copying Native art.

Wooowee. Aren't these beautiful? On my etsy, but I don't mind if they dont sell.

I cut these opal this month and set them. That REALLY counts, right?

Re-did the dog tag in gold this time. Looked even better than before.

I FINALLY got this piece finished. all I had to do was replace the chain I destoryed in the last 30 seconds of polishing (note to beginning goldsmiths: people are right when they say dont polish your chain on a mandrel! No, Wrapping it around your bench pin wont work. I almost lost a finger. DONT do it.)

My final piece for the month.  Copper and silver with Cherry Creek Jasper and a hand cut opal. That little opal is a piece I cut off a larger stone because there was teh tiniest of cracks and i didn't want it to grow. I couldn't bare to throw out the piece of opal so one day I came home and was too tired to use the torch, so i grabbed the scrap and cabbed it. purdy nice detail.

So it wasn't too bad of a month, more like a piece every other day, but at least i got stuff done! I cut alot more opals than I showed, too. Oh, and I got a job! I'm working as a line cook again, which means less time at the bench but more money for supplies/tools.

So, guys and gals, what pieces do you like the most and which ones do you think I could do better on?