Bad Day for Enameling

Scottish Thistle necklace, Butterfly Kisses Necklace, tray of bracelets to assemble
tray of earrings to assemble, tray of Viking Knit, and part of a piece for a
challenge.

Out in the garage mom has the tables set up to work on the inventory (have to relabel them for the Frankfort show) and we have custom orders to finish and several pieces that need to be put together for the show.

This is a Sugar Skull plate that mom just finished sawing out.  She has finished filing and now she is sanding the piece.  Needless to say I am NOT enameling this today after the problems I have been having.  I SOOOOOO don't want to ruin this piece.

I only had one table set up today for the enameling session - I just had some circles to enamel for earrings, two clasps, a kokopelli pendant and pendants for the October ABS Challenge Piece.

These are pieces with transparent enamel on them ready to go into the kiln.  This is when I first started this morning.

These are pieces that are out of the kiln, have been cleaned and are about ready to be enameled on the other side.  There are three pendants that I was going to enamel next week (guardian of the wood pendant, bird pendant and a heart pendant).

First disaster

This is my first disaster of the day.  I used the wrong type of enamel on these circles (enamel for boro glass).  I thought something was wrong when I started to sprinkling the enamel on, but I just kept going.  As you can see the enamel is popping off.  Mom had to take a hammer to the circles and I have to start from scratch.

The second disaster of the day.  The larger circles I was going to use for the ABS Challenge piece.  I had enameled the front side and mom was cleaning them so I can do the other side.  All the enamel broke off.  I have no idea what is going on but I am done for the day.  I am really pissed off and it just isn't fun right now.  Mom is still filing and sanding pieces so I will try again next Saturday.  I will give myself two days to enamel so if I am having another bad day at least I have Sunday to make up for it.  UGH!!!!!  This totally ticks me off.  Just a really, really, really bad day in the studio.

I think I will head home and just veg on the couch.  I know we only have one more weekend before the show, but if it isn't fun then it isn't good to be working in the studio!

I hope you are having a better Sunday than me.  Have a great week everyone!