A Stormy Grand Finale

Sooooo... I managed to sorta finish up a couple things last night. Kinda. Sorta. After being so excited yesterday at how my Storm piece was shaping up, I rushed right home after work to try to finish it up. I'd had it in the tumbler, getting it's polish on. and all that was left to do was set the stone. Easy Peasy.

Kinda.
Sorta.
Ok. Not really easy peasy at all. Turns out, wrapping a rectangle is totally not the same as wrapping a circle and... I totally did it all wrong.  Poor Storm was so close. Then, at the final stage... everything went awry. When I went to lock 'er in, the frame went wonky, and the bracing for the stone is... so messed up it's embarassing and can never see the light of day.

That sucked. I may have cried a little.

From the front, she looks like this...

Not too awful bad. Well, it is to me as the frame no longer being straight, even and square... sends me in to fits. From the back, it's an awful mess. I'm told I'm not supposed to worry so much about the back sides, no one sees that, but ... I do worry about it. A lot. And this can never go out. 

I need to find a better way. Eventually, I'll remake Storm since this one can't be fixed/saved. But not today. My bubble was burst and I don't wanna play anymore with it right now. Stay tuned for future episodes of Storm 2. 

After bumming myself out after mucking Storm all up, I decided to put the last inch on my necklace length Viking Knit chain I've been working on for the last several weeks. 53" of wire later and I was done. Drew that baby thru the draw plate, and my 9" piece turned into a 19" piece. 

Oh happy day.

I was almost happy about it. But the longer chain had... lumps. Or maybe they were bumps. I dunno what to call them, but it wouldn't drape right. I was dissatisfied with mah lumpy bumpy chain. I tried to work the chain to get it to even out, settle into place, but no matter what I tried... it wouldn't. 

A messed up tree and a lumpy bumpy chain and all that was left for me to do was... go to bed. 

Some times shinies are quite frustrating. 

Upon waking this morning, I remembered seeing someone say that annealing it would help. I don't know what that means exactly, or how to do it. So, I decided it was time to try to figure it out. I grabbed my cup of coffee, my lumpy bumpy chain and headed for the torch. Fired that baby up, heated up my chain, burned my hair and tried re-working the chain. And did it again. Minus the hair burn. And again. 

It seemed to be helping.

At lunch time today, I ran home... and did it all again. After much fiddling with it all, it finally worked. I haz necklace length Viking Knit chain :D :D

Yes, yes I do. And it even drapes all nice and smooth like it's supposed to. 

Have a looksee :D

19 whole inches. :D

No real clue what I want to do with it now. But I have it. I did it. I made me a Viking chain.

Go me. :D

The ups and downs of learn as you go shiny making. I haz that too.

W00T!