I kind of (understatement much?) defeated the purpose of having a site. My intention was to showcase my work and post entries on the process. I failed. Miserably.

So, here I am, with work to show you. As the title says it’s my final project, where we – the students – get to chose what we make. With lots of sampling and test pieces my end product is a series of brooches.

The one above is the first of the two. I’m not happy with it because the collective coffin-type-based-prisms are meant to go in a circle but it doesn’t. One of the joints is throwing the circle off. I’ll have to sort that out tomorrow. Even though the piece doesn’t look it, it is in fact made with silver and a singular 18ct yellow gold bit, with a bit of polishing the precious metals will glisten. The brooch pin will hopefully be done tomorrow.

That’s the second one I made. It’s half-polished. The barrel polisher didn’t quite do the job so I’m going to do a bit of buffing and then slap it in the polisher again. Again, the brooch pin is not yet attached.

Yep, that’s it for now. I’ve got a week left to kill so I’ll be finishing off one other project and waiting eagerly for my fine jewellery brooch. I really can’t wait to get it back.

Uni. is almost over, for the final year students that can only mean one thing. Exhibitions. My tutor and I have decided that out of the projects I’ve done, roughly, six of them will be displayed – individually 10 pieces. These include but will, potentially, not be limited to:

• Brooch of the Osaka Castle (a bit part of the castle in Japan);
• My pendant on a snake chain;
• Another brooch I made for my final first year project (the one with the window and cute little curtains);
• The hair slide which was the second piece I made for the final;
• Third brooch from the fine jewellery project. I’ll get that back next week sometime, with the stones set ;
• Cup, saucer and spoon, which I still need to finish;
• The two brooches which are a working production. Buffing is going to be the death of me, I’ve been trying the get the finish for the bits and bobs done for a couple of weeks.

I think that’s it. You’ll have to excuse this image-less post, my pieces are in my locker and I didn’t take pictures of them. *palmface* Oo, you could click on Photography Is Fun because that post will have images of some pieces I’m referring to.   If you’re a dial-up user then keep in mind that that post is image heavy, if you wish not to view it then I hope my descriptions weren’t too dire. 

I’m actually quite excited about the exhibitions because I’ll get my own display box – well, if you count one floor of a display box as a box… Apart from having to finish off this project and the silversmithing one, they’re all ready. All I need to think about now is how I’m going to display the pieces, and make a business card. I’ve pictured how I want it (business card) to look I just need my fine jewellery brooch back.

Apart from the 11th June – which is family-friends only – all exhibitions are open for all to see. Just hop to the School Of Jewellery. You’ll get to see the amazing work of the final year NDs, HNDs, MAs (?) and BAs. The next couple of weeks are going to be chaos but it’ll be worth it.

Just one question, it’s not a live or die question but do you think I should go for a landscape or portrait business card?

As a final note, all the best with your exams, everyone.

It’s just hit me that in just over a month I’ll be turning 21. In true Sweet Sixteen-er style I have concocted a list of the most dearest things money can buy. Here we go:

• A hot water bottle, which is essential for when the time of the month comes. Sod the fact that I’ll look like an idiot at university, I’ll wrap one around my abdomen so long as it calms the excruciating pain.
• A portfolio. I’m one of these people who can’t seem to let go. I know that I’ll have to eventually sell my jewellery so keeping images in a nice portfolio would be great.

And…er…well…

If I was to personify my Nintendo Wii I’d say it was at the teenage stage of depression. It must have felt so unloved.

Until last Saturday I hadn’t played on it for months (4?). The shame, the shame. My dad must have thought it was money down the drain as he brought it as a birthday present.

Looking back on the games I’ve got for the console I’ve conjured up my 3 favourite games of the ones I own. Bear in mind I only have 9 (including Wii Sports and Resident Evil, which is my brother’s) games in total, thus 3 favourites and not 5. Now, in no particular order:

• Cooking Mama;
• Super Paper Mario;
• Super Mario Galaxy.

Slightly veering off the subject but I’ll soon be out of chapters/stages (…planets?) and wondered what games people would recommend?

How much is too much? How do you know when you’re taking on enough tasks to stop?

After trying to priorities my life, to a certain extent, I’ve come to realise that I might be trying to do more than I can handle. It started off with university and work, which was fine because it’s like having an 8-hour a day job, 4 days a week. I do also have the Charles and Colvard competition which ends on the last day of June – that’s going well as I’ve finally got the hamster wheel spinning. Now my dad wants me to use my – now extinct – Visual Basics knowledge from college (3/4 years ago) and create a program for his business. I’m not intentionally procrastinating but I’m either doing other work or I just want to relax. I’ll try and get it done ASAP though because he keeps asking about it.

Not long ago a fellow classmate asked if I could help him build a site for selling his biker jewellery. I told him I’d give it a go (knowing just how competent I am in that area).

On top of those I also have two sites to maintain but that’s not such a big issue.

Time to leave for uni. now.

P.s. No hamsters were hurt in the process of thinking. Sorry…bad joke.