'Hi' from a new forum member.

[FloWolF]

Hello folks - been reading bits on the forum for a week or so now, and been buying silver from Cookson's for a couple of years or so now, and figured it time to introduce myself with a bit of background, so you know 'who' it is asking all the odd questions or giving strange answers :~:

Will try to keep to the short version (not gonna happen I can feel it) but have a massive tendency towards 'ramble' - My name is Shaun, and after far too many years ill with panic/anxiety/depression and the like, I finally had a 'massive' mental breakdown some few years ago now - I couldn't sleep and was hallucinating, at the height of fear and anxiety 24/7 - a lot of these symptoms lasted 12 months, some I still have, but I digress! -

At the beginning this left me literally 'going mental' and I needed something to do to try and distract me, focus myself before I needed hospitalising - my wife asked me to make her some wooden buttons for some of her projects, and that's what I started to do.

Whilst making several piles of highly (obsessively) finished, totally handmade buttons from wood I found at my feet whilst out, I discovered 'spalted' wood and other highly figured or weathered woods and decided these things were gems in their own rights, and became determined to treat them as such.

I put all the energies of my breakdown into to 'hunting' local materials, research, trawling the web and studying + practising with stabilisation of porous materials and such, and started making wooden rings, which after a short while turned into mostly wood and silver rings, working with resins and making rings from cast pine cones and silver, making pendants, earrings and all sorts, and with having no money, I learned how to make/improvise a lot of my tools and such as well.

In the few years of this 'journey' of mine I've learned to do a lot of things, some of them fairly well, and decided to 'make' myself a job doing what I loved, since there was no way I was well enough mentally, emotionally or physically to 'get a proper job', and this is how FloWolFDesigns/EnchantedWoods was born.

I got myself a .co.uk domain and threw together a rough website (it's still rough!) then this April I registered self employed under 'permitted work', and few months later (well before my 12 months permitted work was up) I signed off sick benefits altogether.

So this is where I am now - doing some assembly work for my in-laws as bread-and-butter, and slowly trying to build a business, with no capital whatsoever, and all out of a tiny shed space (surrounded by piles and piles of wood), a corner on a table here and there and some very cramped space in the loft.

I just recently started renting a shipping container on a local farm - it has power and lighting and plenty of space for me to trawl through my masses of collected woods and dig out all the real gems, and generally work on larger/more involved projects - gotta start collecting more tools and machinery now, as I can find/barter/buy cheap along the way, so still some ways to go yet.

Anyway, that's me! Hope I haven't bored anyone to death yet - gives me some time! ',;~}~

Cheers, and be well folks.

Shaun/FloWolF

[ps_bond]

Hi Shaun - welcome! You sound like another eclectic...

Trying to have a look at your portfolio - the server is responding very, very slowly; I'd need to dig to work out which end it is, are you self-hosting?

[FloWolF]

Hi Shaun - welcome! You sound like another eclectic...

Trying to have a look at your portfolio - the server is responding very, very slowly; I'd need to dig to work out which end it is, are you self-hosting?


Hi Peter - read good few of your posts this last week keep the tips coming bud! ',;~}~

As for the portfolio (wow you found my websh.. website quick!) - it could well be at my end - it's hosted by go-daddy, most of the pictures are fairly large files too - I have no web/html skills at all, and it's built using their own web builder package - far from ideal, but just another thing on the list for somewhere down the line - I haven't checked it recently will do now...

It took about 15 or so (seconds) for the page to load, another 10 or so for the thumbnails and this PC is a retar... sorry so slow it's backwards.

Not much on there right now - I did have pictures of loads I'd made, but they were all poorly lit snapshots, and served only to make the site look even messier. I'm working on this with the newer photographs, but the build package is slow, PC is clunky, my patience for such things limited, plus my camera died recently so that's been another spanner thrown in.

There may be more and better pictures on the facebook page (won't post the link here but it's there on the website).

Anyway Meester Bond (don't hate me for that heheh... ) thanks for the welcome, and thanks for taking an interest. I have so much to learn yet in so many skill areas it's unbelievable - I'm hungry for it all but still, occasionally over-faced nevertheless - forums such as this one and the excellent videos on youtube have been a total godsend these last years.

Cheers Peter,

Shaun/FloWolF

[Goldsmith]

Hi Shaun, and welcome to the forum, I checked out your FB pages and I like what you are doing with wood & silver. Have you tried making walking sticks with silver handles? there is quite a custom for good quality walking sticks and lots of collectors out there looking for something different.

James.

[Lucie]

Hi Shaun. Lovely to see someone else new :~: Your pieces are beautiful - particularly love the pine cone, resin and silver combination!

The images on the site do take a really long time to load. If you're anything like me & not overly tech savy, take a look at the software from SERIF.

As you're pretty unique, you shouldn't really need to spend out on advertising - you should be able to optimize your site relatively quickly to land on page 1 of a search with a few decent key words and phrases.

Love James's idea about walking sticks - I made one for my dad a few years back (with a metal rod through the center of the "stick", so he could bash potential muggers with it :D

[FloWolF]

Hi Shaun, and welcome to the forum, I checked out your FB pages and I like what you are doing with wood & silver. Have you tried making walking sticks with silver handles? there is quite a custom for good quality walking sticks and lots of collectors out there looking for something different.

James.

Hi James - another poster I've read quite a few posts from already - thanks for the welcome and kind words ',;~}~

I 'made sticks' a little when I was younger (and still have one around somewhere I think), and much more recently met a stick maker at a local carving class, and it is something I want to be 'doing some of' (I have a couple or so nice un-worked sticks seasoning now), as is silver casting - it's just another interconnected branch off the tree I'm in the midst of, if you see what I mean - it's already taking me to many places at once, and with no real capital, I can only do (counts... ) about 17 different things at once right now (ok I didn't really count) , and I still have to get far, *far* better at those yet before I'll be happy enough to start exploring (uhhmm, too many) other avenues.

For the moment I'm still exploring spalted or highly figured/burred local wood, vacuum impregnation/stabilisation, vacuum and pressure casting of unusual/mixed media cast materials, cold enamelling, encapsulation, basic silver-smithing, small gem setting, knife-handling and knife blade making/sharpening, pen turning and other miniature turning, wandmaking, rune making and maybe one or two other things besides (all I started to learn over the last 3 or 4 years), but you bet your socks I'll be making pretty sticks too before I'm done LOL!

Anyway my rambling has reminded me I'm overdue my meds - thanks again James, and be well!

',;~}~

Shaun.

[FloWolF]

Hi Shaun. Lovely to see someone else new :~: Your pieces are beautiful - particularly love the pine cone, resin and silver combination!

The images on the site do take a really long time to load. If you're anything like me & not overly tech savy, take a look at the software from SERIF.

As you're pretty unique, you shouldn't really need to spend out on advertising - you should be able to optimize your site relatively quickly to land on page 1 of a search with a few decent key words and phrases.

Love James's idea about walking sticks - I made one for my dad a few years back (with a metal rod through the center of the "stick", so he could bash potential muggers with it :D


Lucie - thanks for another warm welcome and your very kind comments - I also have a special love for how the pine cone and resin pieces come out - really can be stunning, with some of the more random patterned pieces reminding me somewhat of certain jaspers and other semi-precious stones, and the more regular/fractal/scale patterned pieces reminding me of reptile skin or even imagined dragon hide in miniature.

- I recently finished a commission for my aunt - a pair of earrings using an odd angled cut to get a bookmatched pattern, from a small-ish cone cast in a bluish translucent resin with crushed oyster shell mixed in - I think they came out well - will try and get a photo and post it.

SERIF - noted and thanks.

Optimising search engines - understand the principle, never even touched it in practice - would really need a hand with that and I have someone in mind if he can be persuaded - I'm well along the road of recovery but some things still give me anxiety and sap all my patience, these sorts of things being they.

And the metal rod trick! - Wonderful and I've done this before (hardest thing getting the hole through the middle if there's no clear pith) and am conceiving of another now maybe using a fibreglass rod though, so that I may be able to make a solid but not too heavy stick out of somewhat spalted (fungal infected, full of colour and lines in the wood) stick - I love this sort of wood and it will be a fun project.

Thanks again I'll look up SERIF ',;~}~

Shaun

[Wallace]

Hi Shaun,

what an amazing way to keep the darkness at bay. My late husband loved such items and it rubbed off on me. They are gorgeous and a work of art.

I use photoscape for my stuff. It was free and recommended by a tech head friend who knows my horror of using photo software.

kindest regards,

Wallace

[FloWolF]

Hi Shaun,

what an amazing way to keep the darkness at bay. My late husband loved such items and it rubbed off on me. They are gorgeous and a work of art.

I use photoscape for my stuff. It was free and recommended by a tech head friend who knows my horror of using photo software.

kindest regards,

Wallace

Thanks Wallace. Glad you like 'my stuff' - although I love what I do I lack the confidence (or audacity?) to believe others see it as I do.

As for the 'darkness' - I still I think that the breakdown did me more good than harm, if only I can recall and hang on to the lessons learned better (patience, quietness, listening, calm, thoughtfulness and mindfulness of action and such) - unfortunately these things can evaporate when they run into my rather more excitable and frantic, energised nature.

I have a reasonable handle on Photoshop (played at psychedelic digital art back last millennium after discovering digital cameras), so basic lighting adjustments, cropping and file sizing not too bad, providing the PC isn't crawling along the floor like an overburdened slug, that is. Will have to look up photoscape now though!

Thanks again,

Shaun.

[FloWolF]

5166


5167

Please forgive fingerprints and dust - hastily taken shots (just now-ish) and they've not had their final polish yet either.

Made as a commission for my wonderful raag singing, globe-trotting aunt Nilam (who's due to collect them any week now) the front is cut from a solid block; a single pine cone cast in aquamarine coloured resin with pieces of crushed oyster shell, 2 pieces cut out and faced to mirror each other, then shaped into the long pear drop much as a stone cabochon would be, then set into a 999fine silver rub-over bezel.

The sterling silver plate beneath the 'cabochon' has a dimpled/hammered finish facing the back, and was set half way up the bezel - the 'back' was filled with blue, green and aquamarine resin poured in over the hammered finish at different points and again, with some crushed oyster shell added at the lower end.

After it cured the resin was ground down flat and thin, then brought to a gloss with all the grits plus buffing.

I love them but every time I see them close-up I'm reminded that my silver work needs some practice to say the least!

Shaun.

[medusa]

Welcome from me, too.

Lovely work!

[lorraineflee]

and welcome from me as well. I agree, some lovely work on your site and on Facebook!

[FloWolF]

medusa, lorraine - thanks! I was afraid I would be posting out of my depth here but so far I've been made to feel most welcome and everyone's been really kind.

',;~}~

Shaun

[LydiaNiz]

Hi Shaun,
I *Love* your wooden rings (and the pinecone ones especially)
This has been a very interesting read. My husband has bipolar type II, so mostly depressive, and has been very unwell for the past 5 years. In fact, one of the reasons I became self employed was it meant I could work around the kids, and the illness, as he was unable to work.
Anyway, he has had a few merciful 'well' periods recently, and has also started working with wood and stone (He was a photographer in his 'past' life). (He also goes 'stone balancing' when he wants to empty his thoughts).
There is something lovely about wood I think.
Anyway, enough babble from me, lovely to see you here :-) Have 'liked' your facebook page too.

[Truffle & Podge]

Hello Shaun, Im somewhat similar to you, have suffered from bpd with associated severe depressive and severe anxiety disorder since i was very young. I struggled to cope for many years before having a breakdown and spending some time in hospital. Doing something creative has always helped, I have a degree in fashion where i took a brief option in jewellery (6 days over 6 weeks) and recently decided to see what i could learn a few months ago. I still have absolutely horrendous days and im not sure i will ever be cured or learn to live with it completely but you have to have hope in order to carry on. Its so good and refreshing to hear others openly admit the troubles they go through with mental health, so a very warm welcome from me & if you ever want a chat im here :o
Tasha
X

[FloWolF]

Hi Shaun,
I *Love* your wooden rings (and the pinecone ones especially)
This has been a very interesting read. My husband has bipolar type II, so mostly depressive, and has been very unwell for the past 5 years. In fact, one of the reasons I became self employed was it meant I could work around the kids, and the illness, as he was unable to work.
Anyway, he has had a few merciful 'well' periods recently, and has also started working with wood and stone (He was a photographer in his 'past' life). (He also goes 'stone balancing' when he wants to empty his thoughts).
There is something lovely about wood I think.
Anyway, enough babble from me, lovely to see you here :-) Have 'liked' your facebook page too.

Glad you like the rings Lydia <G>

I saw your 'like' on FB thanks very much!

Photography can be excellent medicine, and working with wood or stone is very healing. As for the balancing it is indeed very Zen - I have a friend I see every now and then in Cumbria who likes to do this but mine always fall over - if you ever saw me carry a coffee you'd know why LOL!

I hope I manage to become another regular face around here - thanks again for another warm welcome.

Be Well!

Shaun.

[FloWolF]

Hello Shaun, Im somewhat similar to you, have suffered from bpd with associated severe depressive and severe anxiety disorder since i was very young. I struggled to cope for many years before having a breakdown and spending some time in hospital. Doing something creative has always helped, I have a degree in fashion where i took a brief option in jewellery (6 days over 6 weeks) and recently decided to see what i could learn a few months ago. I still have absolutely horrendous days and im not sure i will ever be cured or learn to live with it completely but you have to have hope in order to carry on. Its so good and refreshing to hear others openly admit the troubles they go through with mental health, so a very warm welcome from me & if you ever want a chat im here :o
Tasha
X

Thanks for yet another lovely welcome!

It sounds indeed like you've had it rough - the inner worlds can be horrendous places.

I've been very lucky to stay out of hospital I think - between the massive support of my wife and family, and walking through the wonderful countryside here in the Ribble Valley, well I think that's what helped most.

Take care and be well Tasha! See you around the forum ',;~}~

Shaun.