i am a riveting fool.

okay. i am super excited about this ring. you see, rivets have opened a whole new door for me. now i just think "could i rivet it like this?", "would rivets work for that?", "how could i use rivets to do this?", all day long... ever since my workshop, i've been picturing this:

the "rise above it" ring,

with a fully faceted, pavilion cut labradorite...

...held in place with a tension setting (riveted of course). this ring is about rising above the things that bring you down, separating yourself from the things that are not about you. creating space and distance between you, your real you, and the things in your life that threaten to pull you under. rise above it.

see how the top of the stone is flush with the silver?

it's difficult to see in the photo, but even the ring shank is riveted in place.

what do you think? jeff at the post office (see photo in sidebar) says it looks steampunk. i asked him how he knew what steampunk was. i think i hurt his feelings. but seriously, i would love some feedback from you lovely folks about my new riveted pieces. what do you think of them? just so you know, even if you all tell me that you think they're all hideous, i will continue making them. i am infatuated! it's difficult to explain, but remember how i said that the exactness and precision of rivets were what had frightened me away from them? well it turns out that is exactly what i now love about them. (isn't that the way of things?) the planning everything out ahead of time, the exact measuring, the need for everything to line up just so... because it is so different from how i usually work, i am fascinated by the process and enjoying the heck out of it.

one word describes march in southwest colorado. windy. however, on sunday we decided to brave the weather and i left the shop early to go for a hike with glenn in the girls.

we went to one of our favorite local places, sand canyon.

the girls hiked for an hour and a half, the longest we've ever gone with them. it was so awesome and makes me really excited for this summer!

signs of spring were everywhere.