My First Solder!
Back to where my love of working with silver began..
4 and a half years ago, I ordered myself a blowtorch, some silver and some solder, and shortly realised I had absolutely no idea how to make those things make jewellery.
I called upon one of my friends who makes amazing sculptures by welding metal together, thinking, surely soldering is just the same, but smaller?!
Although it took a while to figure out exactly what I was meant to be doing, I certainly felt more comfortable playing with fire in his workshop, than in my parent's wooden cabin, where I was living at the time.
Funnily enough, this is now my studio!
After a bit of messing around, I managed to solder together a few rings. Of course, none of them turned out as I'd planned - which is still probably true of my work now! But that was the first glimpse of becoming a silversmith, and I was so excited!
Shortly after this, I moved out from the cabin, and in to an actual house, with an actual fireplace. This is where my confidence of working with fire, inside a building, would grow. In the fireplace.
I love looking back on how it all began.
Interestingly I never remember thinking 'I know what I'll do for a living, I'll make jewellery!' But somehow that is what's happened, and I'm glad it did.
It has been a very slow journey getting to where I am now, but I like that.
Soldering in the fireplace, while also having a fire apparently!
My first go, in my friends workshop. It was certainly a case of 'All the gear, but no idea!'
The first of many many rings!
You can probably tell I didn't have very good sizing skills at this point!
Some wiggly rings, which ended up getting caught on absolutely everything!