Not condusive

I am coming to terms with the fact that I need a dedicated workspace. The only place in our house I can really do this is in the garage. This is currently what "my space" in the garage looks like. This is NOT CONDUSIVE to creativity much less getting anything done. In the coming days I will be working to remedy this.


I found the praying mantis this morning on the window in the living room. I opened the window for him to make an easy escape to freedom, but he didn't seem to understand. Fly, little dude, fly away! Be free!


So I gave him a little nudge with a newspaper.

I had my silver smithing class tonight. I am currently working on a two-layer ring in silver. Here I am sawing out my design in the studio at the Art Centre.


I used the rubber hammer and the ring mandrel to shape the ring, then I soldered the edges together, then more shaping until it was perfectly round. This is how far I got tonight. It still has a bunch of sanding, filing, shaping and polishing to be done, but it fits my pinkie finger perfectly!


It's a bit hard to see the detail in this photo, but I really like it! I'll post another photo next week when it's done.

I found a cocoon for a Monarch butterfly on the ground in my garden. I imagine it got knocked loose in one of our big winds lately. So I picked it up and taped it to a long twig and now it is in the house. I am hoping it will develop properly and hatch so I've been whispering words of encouragement to the butterfly within.

Today, McMurdo Station, down in Antarctica and where Antz is, closed for the winter (well with the exception of that one April flight). Have a great winter you guys!