Silver Bee: This Bee made her own tools!

I'm a proud owner of four new chasing tools made with my own hands! Okay I did have some help...maybe a lot of help but the point is I made...part...of them. The big event took place during the silver smithing class where I am a student. Our instructor, Brian, was doing a demonstration on repousse...don't ask me what it is, I stopped listening right after I heard the tools could be made.

Okay I would be remiss if I didn't at least attempt to find a definition for you. Here's Wikipedia's take on it.

We were then treated to a demonstration of metal forging...specifically to make tools for repousse and chasing. I'm going to use the ones I helped make to texture silver. So several rods were put into the forge until the ends were red hot! I didn't remove them...too chicken...this time. You wouldn't believe the size of the hammers. They were heavy and huge! It kind of reminds of a fishing story when you told how you caught a whale size salmon and in reality it was too small to keep. :-) The hammers keep getting bigger with each telling of the story. The truth is they did feel twice the size after I had hit the rod on the anvil a few times...I'd better eat more wheaties if I want to do that very often.

I am so excited though...I want to make more in my next class. Actually I just want to make the blanks and then file them later to use for making patterns on silver. I don't know if I really want to make jewellery or just be a mad scientist in my workshop. <shivers> Just had a very scary image on myself...I think I'll stick to jewellery.

So it's time to unveil these pretties. Remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don't say I didn't warn you. :-)

Don't look so disappointed there's another photo.

Okay even though I'm blinded by the fact that they are my creations...I can see they need some work. I've only just begun. Life just never gets boring when you are curious and a little crazy!