Thinking About the Next Challenge

I don't know if any of you have this problem, but I have all these ideas in my head, but when it comes to the execution, nothing comes out as planned, or something altogether different comes out. By way of example, the post before last I mentioned an idea I had for a piece of nickel I have. Well, Sunday, at my first jewelry opportunity I made hoops, headpins and ear wires. The closest I got to the etchant was to move it off my bench. The real problem is cutting metal. I don't have a bench pin and my tin snips don't cut the nickel silver I have worth a darn. It seems I'm always running into an inferior equipment or lack of equipment problem. That brings me to my new dilemma. Do I go for the gusto and buy the materials I need to jump into metal clay. It so does speak to me, despite its twitchy nature. I know it will kill me if I waste it, but unlike a pile of cut up fabric, I can sell my scrap back to Rio Grande. Oh the possibilities...

Here are two pieces I made last summer with a master metal clay teacher. The texture comes from an elastic band - try that with sheet silver. I know on some level this is bastardization of the silver smithing industry, but who cares!