I am putting off "real" metal work today in an effort to finish my year end accounting. I only have to do the final counting - or weighing of my metal inventory so I can figure out what I used through the year.  Yes, I was lax in recording what I used but not in what I bought, this year. By doing a final weighing of the silver and counting of various other metal components, I can then subtract what I have, from what started the year with and what I bought to know "what I used".  I can then give this to the accountant  for tax purposes. 

Yesterday though I did start to planish the copper dish I made two weeks ago.  I am using two of the new stake heads I bought last week along with the arm and  the vise holder 

Yesterday I was planning on finishing my year end accounting, working on the tool canister, and of course the weekly putting away of tools from last weekends project.

But then… Karen H. ( a FB friend and fellow metal head) posted that Bill Fretz was at the Orange County Fairgrounds, at the Bead show , selling his tools plus there was a show discount of 30 PERCENT!!!

I dropped everything, got my self dressed and was out the door and into my car in less than 30 minutes.  But before I left I grabbed two items that I wanted to talk to him about (more on what these were below so keep reading) .

WHY? 

Well, first off, lets all admit we really, really, REALLY like Bill's tools.   Secondly, I had been in contact with Bill recently about getting several of his chasing hammers that my students would use in the workshops I would be giving (starting) next year. I had thought that I would get then next year while at Tuscon so finding out that he would be in So. Cal. this weekend was a shocker and yet an opportunity to go get them and talk to him.  So, out the door I flew and no, I did not get a speeding ticket on the way to OC Fairgrounds though it was a 50 minute drive for me. 

After I arrived and parked my car,  I saw that the bead show as in 3 connected building and there was NO vender list - now to find him. I decided to go in the building on the left and walk my way through the rows of vendors until I found him. Once I entered the building, I went down the row that was furthest to the left - one must be systematic in the search!  I had passed only about a half dozen vendors, scanning left and right when THERE WAS THE FRETZ BOOTH. Yes, all caps, because that was how excited I was. 

Bill was there, as was his son who runs the manufacturing facility in Vietnam; I walked up, introduced myself (initially no recognition) and how I had emailed him about the hammers (yes, there was a glimmer of remembrance, whew!) . So we discussed hammers and I selected the one I wanted and we set 4 aside.

Then I wanted to talk to him about his larger stakes, not the small/miniature stakes he has for jewelry, I wanted to talk about the newer, larger forming stakes (you can look at them here: Otto Frei) that are for cuff bracelets and what I do - smaller hollow  forms.   I then took my two raised vessels out of the bag I was holding.  

I might be presumptuous, but I really do think his eyes lit up!  For several minutes we talked about raising and how not many metal smiths are raising these days. I explained that I brought my vessels because I wanted to make sure that these new larger stakes would allow me to finish these and his miniature stake set that I had bought, were not the correct size, plus that I don't have the many of the stakes in my studio to go where I was going with my work and would some of the the other Fretz stakes fit my need. 

We then spent some time, matching the complex and simple curves to the two vessels and found those that would work. I also had to get the stake holder and extension arm…. AND just for good measure, a few more based upon vessels I had in my head.  

After all of this, and over an hour had gone by, we talked more about other silversmiths, other stakes he is planning on having made plus much, much more as he told me a few pieces of information that would help me solve a few minor situations that I had come across. 

My head was in the clouds. 
My heart was actually racing I was so excited. 

At that point I had to pay the piper and so, I pulled out my credit card and settled my bill, took my new tools and headed home.

All I have to say is that IF one day you get a chance to talk to Bill Fretz, DO IT. He is a wealth of knowledge, information and is very helpful and willing to share what he knows.

Here is what I bought - enjoy and don't drool too much.  (images stolen from the Rio website) 
 

(say it with a bad French accent an you will get the pun, eventually).

Today was " Teach Diane how to sink a bowl" day. 

We normally get together about once a month to do some chasing & repousse and today was a side of that. Diane wanted a small ring bowl that she could put a leaf design on.  Since she did not have a bowl per say, we decided last month that this month I would teach her how to make a shallow bowl which she could then do the design on.

I was going to work on my tool canisters while she was banging away on the metal but I was not in the mood and I ended up making a small tray which I will do a design on. 

Over lunch, we both talked about our ideas for the Year of Repousse (yes Diane will join me in the project) and we agreed that these vessels and the finished items would qualify as our first pieces. 

Here are pictures of the process. Diane was able to get her bowl planished and sunk into the pitch so she can start lining next week. I did not have the correct planishing stake, so I will do mine next week.

I am at a cusp with my metal work; either I continue practicing or I go for it.

I have made the decision to do the latter not the former.

I am done planning how I will accomplish this and one of the first things that had to be made was the decision to give myself more time, in my studio, doing metal work that consisted of making objects and then decorating those objects with chasing & repousse. To give myself that extra time, meant that something else had to be set aside. My first choice would have been the day job, but since that is what pays the bills in this family (I am also known as the Pig Slayer, cause I bring home the bacon) that was not an option.  I also can't give up sleep so that left weaving and what a hard decision that was. 

This post is titled 'A Year of Repousse' because that is the challenge that I have given myself. I spent a good bit of my travel time, on my way home from NYC, pondering if I could do it and with more pondering and talking my husband and to some of my friends, it seems the thing to do.  

So what is it, this Year of Repousse? 

Let me refresh your memories of those challenges that were going around about 2 years ago called 'A Year of Jewelry' where a person or a community would challenge themselves to do A YEAR OF JEWELRY, and each week they made a new piece to stretch their boundaries. The weekly piece was to either fit a theme or use a specific material, etc. Then everyone would post a picture of the piece they had made and the process that went into making it.

Great idea, but with chasing & repousse and making the object to put the design on, you can't really do a piece a week; certainly not with a regular day job.  Then I thought about what would be a reasonable time period for making a piece and I figured that about a month (plus or minus) would be possible and it would certainly stretch my limits.

I now have what I call the Chinese Menu - two columns of ideas. Column A has the ideas of the designs to be worked and so far I have 14 items in this list. Column B has the ideas for objects to be made, that I can do the chasing & repousse on be it silver, brass, copper, or bronze and this list has 12 items on it.  

Can you see where this is going?

I am now going to pick one item from column A and one from column B and that will be what I will work on and try to complete in a month. Sometimes, it will take me a bit more than a month or I will be away at workshop; other times, it might take me less time than a month to design the piece, make the object, and then do the chasing & repousse on the object, and then finish it.   When I am done with the object I will then take good pictures, write up the description, price it,  and put it up on this website for sale. 

So this is the challenge that I have given myself.   

If you want to join me in this challenge you can, the ride should be interesting.