Hello Again!

[Kimkie]

Hi it's been a while! I'm glad to be back here again :)

Nice to see some familiar names and I'm looking forward to getting to know more of you.

During my absence I was lucky enough to have a (short) stint on 'All that Glitters' season One. What a blast that was! It pushed me as a jeweller and as a person, which was exactly what I had hoped.

I've moved workshops and am building up my business again, hand making is still my passion, but it becomes harder now I have osteoarthritis in both hands.

I work with precious metal sheet and wire using jewellery and silversmithing techniques to create 3D life size flowers and very detailed gem rings. When it comes out just right it's a little bit of magic!

[ps_bond]

Hi Kim!
You waz robbed :)

[Dennis]

Hi Kimkie and welcome back.
No, no competitions, or prizes, But Cooksons continue to host this forum, and Dave repairs it when it goes wrong. Also ps_bond gives his time to delete spammers, and correct new members who are rude.

Our active membership is much reduced here, presumably in favour of social media, so I hope you will initiate some discussions. Dennis.

[CJ57]

Hi Kim
Welcome back. I’m still here too on occasion!

[Petal]

Hi Kim,
A warm welcome from me too and I loved watching All That Glitters and pleased you learnt so much from it. (I definitely wouldn't have liked being filmed, but would have relished the opportunity to learn from others in the JQ).
Its much quieter now, but I'm still here now and then.

[Kimkie]

lol well yes, I have to agree..my light was ON lol.

But it is what it is.

Overall a positive experience and thank you Peter

[Kimkie]

Hi Denis, Thank you. That is a big shame that the forum is less vibrant, especially with SO many new jewellers out there!

I will have to think up some questions...

[Kimkie]

Thank you Petal, it was hard to learn form the other competitors as we were all spaced well away from each other, however I did hear Sonny talking about the cuttlefish casting and how he'd made a lot of air vents. I hadn't done cuttlefish casting before so I took it on board and did an extra big vent and Lo my casting worked perfectly. To bad they didn't show that on the program lol.

I decided I had to ignore the cameras and just focus on what I was making, hence the editing where all I'm saying is 'NO' and 'Not Now' lol.

[Kimkie]

Hi Caroline, thank you!

[ps_bond]

I decided I had to ignore the cameras and just focus on what I was making, hence the editing where all I'm saying is 'NO' and 'Not Now' lol.

For the best, I think - had it been me it would have been a long session of bleeps...

[Dennis]

I will have to think up some questions...

Well, no. You are more in a position to tell us a thing or two. Just stories from your life as a jeweller, unusual venues, awkward customers, almost anything would be fine.

[Kimkie]

I do have one little story... A while back I was commissioned to make a very specific geometric pendant (unlike me I know, but the lady in question charmed me at a craft fair)
She drew out what she wanted and gave me a beautiful and large aquamarine that belonged to her father to set in the pendant.

Commission done and happy customer.

A couple of years later I saw her at another craft fair I said Hello and How are you and are you still happy with the pendant?
She went a bit sheepish.

Then she told me that although it had brought her good luck at the start, a relationship went bad and the pendant just reminded her of that, so on a trip East...

She buried it in the Sahara Desert!!

All I could think was of that beautiful aquamarine languishing in the sand for centuries to come!

[Dennis]

Very sad, but if it has your hallmark, it might find its way back to you one day.

[Dennis]

Perhaps If I post an old story of mine too, it might encourage others to join in:

A Birthday Badge.
The invitation said: You are invited to Ruth’s 60th birthday party.
Some brought flowers, some brought wine, but I spent time to make this badge, thinking it would be fun for her to wear during the party.
However when I arrived, she took one look at it, glared at me and said: I don’t want to be reminded of my age.
This happened a long time ago, when I still recorded my work on a photocopier.

[Kimkie]

That is indeed true Denis, it just made me laugh really.

[Kimkie]

Aw noo! I see her point but a little appreciation of your thought and all that work would have been polite at least!