crisis

I'm having a really rough time getting myself to make a decision about what I'm doing. I need to stop thinking and just work. That's the plan for the week. Today I made the start to a few pieces.

and the failures

First day in the Rock Cutting Lab!

I have been in contact with a few people in the department of geological sciences and was able to get access to the rock cutting and polishing lab. I'm going to go out and purchase my own grit I think so that I can take advantage of the polishing wheel without feeling bad for using their supplies. I didn't cut many pieces that I want to make jewelry out of today, but I did cut some awesome stones. Here are some pictures taken with  my iPhone.

Where I'm at now...

I'm in limbo between making physical pieces with natural elements and digitally creating them in 3d modeling software. I am going to continue doing both for the next week, but most likely will remain doing physical parts with the 3d modeling pieces on the side.

Anyway, in here I'm working on breaking up some geodes. I have shattered a ton today and also contacted UM Geological Sciences and am trying to get access to the rock cutting room. I will be in the metals studio in the morning and this weekend to make some pieces before next week :)

Here are some pictures of my geodes:

bring it on, mother nature

I went out today and borrowed a bunch of bark from a few trees. I spent a lot of time today sanding down flat edges so that I can make them into wearable jewelry once they are dry.

Ps, there are a ton of little white flat bugs on tree bark. I don't like them.

glorified woodchips

I started today with hopes of finding a method to make uncontrolled designs and patterns in wood. Last year, I needed to cut down this piece of beeswing narra and ended up with this gorgeous sliver of wood.

So, I grabbed some different types of wood and headed to the wood shop to see what I could make. I fought a lot with the bandsaw- no injuries or anything, it just wouldn't create what I wanted it to. I tried cutting the woods against the grain, with the grain, faster, slower, thinner, thicker... whatever I could do to try and get the blade to eat away or rip up some of the wood. I had *one* piece with any holes. It is paper thin and the holes suck.

I ended up with this outcome:

Some close ups:

^ Bloodwood ^

^ Macassar Ebony ^

^ Lignum Vitae ^

^ Beeswing Narra ^

I want to see what I can do to these pieces of nearly paper-thin wood. I've been trying to break them with my fingers to go along with the grain to create a natural shaped form, but that hasn't been successful yet. Any suggestions of processes to try on the wood to get my desired result?