Hello.

[Sausage]

Hi everyone. My name's Paul. I've always wanted to make silver jewellery and have been doing so for a few months now.

Metals have always interested me - I left school and became a blacksmith welder. Jobs changed but metals have always been a pastime. I've finally taken the plunge with jewellery and I'm loving it.
Hopefully over the next few months (and more) I'll be able to show my disasters.. I mean projects.

Cheers!

[CJ57]

Hi Paul
Welcome and looking forward to seeing your work over the coming months. You could always show some of your blacksmithing in the meantime, if I had the energy it would have been something that interested me

[Tabby66]

Hi Paul & welcome, my brother was a farrier for many years, before his back gave way.....metals are still his thing too!! Looking forward to seeing your projects!! :)

[Sammyjean]

Hi Paul!
Having a blacksmithing background must mean you have a lot of understanding of how metal behaves! Just scaling it down for silversmithing! Look forward to seeing your work.
Sam

[LydiaNiz]

Hello Paul - look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Lyd

[art925]

Hi Paul Welcome,
I always think to myself that jewellery making is blacksmithing in the minature...just for interest have you seen the e-book on the site of Herefordshire College I find it interesting
http://www.hlcollege.ac.uk/Downloads/cp_blacksmith.html
My now husband used to visit the college to run training courses some years back, I loved to visit with him.
Have fun.
Les

[trialuser]

I did the block release portions of my farriery apprenticeship at the farriery training school at Hereford in the early 80's.
It still feel wrong working metal cold though, cold blacksmiths go to hell!

[Tabby66]

I did the block release portions of my farriery apprenticeship at the farriery training school at Hereford in the early 80's.
It still feel wrong working metal cold though, cold blacksmiths go to hell!


My brother was there from the mid 80s

[metalsmith]

hi Paul, welcome along - you won't look back except maybe for ideas and inspiration. Look forwards to your stuff!

[lorraineflee]

Hi Paul and welcome from me too!

[Sausage]

Wow. I didn't expect so many replies!

Yes it's all in miniature now. The basic precesses are still there though in a way some stuff is soo hard to do (but has been done!).
I've big hands and arms which is something that stayed with me all my life. Jewellery can be kinda fiddly too but.. when something comes together and is is finished the feeling of pride is immense. It's what's firing me on.

I've made two silver rings now. No 'How it was done' pics but when I get the chance I'll post pics of them up. They're not the best but each mistake is a lesson learnt.

And thank you everyone for the lovely warm response. :)