Showing posts with label ring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ring. Show all posts

UK holiday, days 1-3

Within 2 hours of arriving in the UK, I'd found fast food, had my train delayed and seen urban scrawny foxes scavenging through bins and teenage mothers smoking. I can't imagine why I ever left...

Luckily, the next day improved dramatically. It was half-sunny, and we went to Rochester, Whitstable and Canterbury. (Yes, these are all perfectly do-able in a day trip from London. Quite a long day though...) Photos follow when I can find a sensible way to upload them, but highlights include the largest second hand bookshop in England (it's in Rochester, which is not actually up north, as I first suspected), the Whitstable Oyster festival with dancers and drumming, and Canterbury's general prettiness. (The Cathedral costs 8 quid each to get in, so we didn't. I refuse on principle to pay to see churches, particularly that much money.) And I managed to find new trousers on sale, so I have clothes that fit again - it's amazing how much more comfortable that is! Let's hope my weight losshas finished for now, I can't afford more new clothes. (I know, I know, that probably heads the list of Things On Which No One Will Ever Sympathise With You... But it's a genuine pain when you have no money...)

Today we went to Greenwich and looked round the Observatory and the Time Museum, after walking across the park. Then we got the boat up the Thames to Embankment, where we went to Picadilly to meet my parents (yes, at the statue of Eros - when I tourist, I go all out) and we had dim sum in China Town. My scientific edification of the morning was complemented by a trip round the Royal Academy of Arts and the Sargent exhibition there, which was lovely. A very talented man, John Sargent, though one wonders how many other people might be able to be that competent, with the advantages he grew up with...

Anyway, tomorrow, the dentist, the hairdresser and other bits and pieces. The next day, wedding ring shopping and whatever else we decide to do, then down to see my parents and the doctor later in the week, as well as having my nails done. (I am having a pedicure for the first time in my life. I shall let you know how weird I find it.)

What are you all up to this week?

(Excuse any and all typos in this - the mini keyboard on this mini laptop is a tad challenging...)

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A ring

PMC being magic, I decided to play with the last trial packet I had, and make a ring. Originally intended as a present for Paul, I didn't take enough into account the shrinkage, because it ended up too small. Fits me well though - I swear it wasn't by design!

Below are a series of pictures, at each stage of the process, from raw clay to shiny silver. (Except photos of firing - not enough hands for torch and camera at the same time.)

Raw clay:
ring pre-sanding

Sanded and ready for firing:
ring post-sanding

Post-firing, covered in white crap from the firing process:
ring post-firing

White crap now gone, leaving matte finish silver ring:
ring pre-burnish

Some burnishing later, shiny silver ring:
ring post-burnish

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TAD - Day 10: silver wirewrapped ring with pearl

Today's Thing is a new thing for me. I don't make many rings, but I'm clearly in a ring mood (you'll be able to see the next one when the clay dries and is fired - I'm liking silver clay!) But today's ring is made from wire and a teeny 3mm white pearl. It's adjustable, within reason, so it doesn't matter that I don't have a ring mandrel yet...

What do you reckon?

Posted via email from Nicole - Thing a Day 2010

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Copyright Nicole Hill, 2009-2010

All photos and text are mine - ask me *before* you use them elsewhere. Don't just copy them and hope I won't notice, it's theft.

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