i know now...

as i was looking at my etsy shop today, i realized it has been 1 year since i put up my first listing.  wow...and have i learned a lot!!  not just about the etsy world but about behavior of molten silver, toxic chemicals, and... power tools, and so, i thought i would share some of the pearls of wisdom.  for starters, i learned that the stench of liver of sulfur hangs in the air for several hours after using it, so it goes without saying, don't use it right before guests are ringing the door bell.  it can be tricky convincing people you are not serving them sewage soaked rotten eggs for dinner when the kitchen reeks like that.  i know now!  you know the adage "measure twice, cut once"?  well it applies to metalsmithing too.  i learned to always look at an order twice (or 4 times) before irreversibly stamping letters into the precious metal.  did you know there are exactly 21 different ways to spell katelyn...or is it caitlin?  i know now!  what i have always known since my "shop" days back at central junior high school is that safety glasses, although not fashionable, are necessary when wielding high speed rotary tools.  however, i learned that a hair clip, bobby pin or even a pencil is needed to prevent that wayward lock of hair from becoming tightly wound on said rotary tool...oops!  the only pain from this incident was the humiliation of looking at myself in the mirror with a dremel knotted in my hair like one of those feather extensions, but a lot heavier!,  i know now...

peace,
k