January 31, 2010
Need a tumbler for your Jewellery making? Check out my tips on buying and using one!
So, talk about major research! Getting one locally was of course out of the question. I am in Alice Springs and there isn’t even a bead store here, it actually closed down about 2 years ago despite there being a large art and craft community here.
So, having decided upon what sort of tumbler I wanted the next step was obviously finding an Australian supplier. Turning once again to Google I found this great company – http://www.aussiesapphire.com.au/ and their customer service is brilliant. Very friendly and knowledgeable, I was very happy to get my tumbler from them. I got my tumbler within a week, which is some kind of miracle as the post is notoriously slow if you are trying to send anything to the good old Alice. I also purchased a starter kit containing the stainless steel shot (mixed pieces per the urban maille instructions) a burnishing compound as I dont believe you can buy Dawn dishwashing liquid locally, and some plastic pellets although so far I havent needed to use them.
Now, where I will digress from the Urban Maille instructions is the cleaning of your tumbler before first use. Urban Maille recommends that you put in your shot, enough water to cover, your Dawn and then tumble for about 2 hours before using it the first time.
Because I dont have the Dawn, perhaps that made a bit of a difference but I actually put in my shot, covered it with water and then put in a teaspoon of my burnishing compound. I let it run for 2 hours but not a great deal seemed to happen so I left it running overnight. When I woke up this morning and went to empty the tumbler, the water was absolutely filthy. So I decided I would repeat the process, (clean water, teaspoon of burnishing compound) this time running for about 2 hours. Again when I opened the tumbler the water was filthy so again I put in clean water and new burnishing compound and ran the tumbler for another 2 hours.
Then, voila! the water was clean. This way I knew that my tumbler was ready for having jewellery placed in it for the first time. I have read quite a few blog posts and forum posts where people have put their jewellery in a new tumbler and it has come out black. Knowing what I know now, I would suggest that it may have something to do with the tumbler not being fully clean before the first use. In any event, it can’t hurt to ensure your tumbler is completely clean before it’s first use.
I ran a test run with a couple of tarnished items and was very impressed with how they turned out.
I hope some readers will find this helpful. I will do my best to answer any questions that you have, so please don’t hesitate to ask – I have a strong belief that there is no such thing as a silly question.
Leanne xoxox
January 30, 2010
Hello world!
Ok, well here I am my first ever blog post. Today I am enjoying the weekend to myself as my husband is at work, so I have the local radio going in the background, the air conditioner running and am thinking of all the great things I would like to do with my blog. Today I have been doing a bit of research into the different kinds of blogging tools and seeing what others have been doing with theirs.
I guess the predominant theme is that so many people start out with the best of intentions and may continue to update their blogs for days or even weeks and then completely fizzle out into nothing. If you dont like to talk about yourself or the things around you then I think some bloggers might find it a chore.
Me, on the other hand, I love to type, I am a little pedantic when it comes to things like grammar and spelling – any American friends please note I am an Aussie and we spell some words differently in the land Down Under 
and I love to talk about the things that I love and am passionate about. A perfect example being that I have spent many years training horses and teaching people how to ride. Put me in front of an audience and I wont shut up because I love what I do and strive to impart that joy and knowledge to the people that I teach.
Alice Springs is a beautiful place – albeit surprisingly so because unless you have been here you instantly form an impression that the place is a barren desert. Not so. The scenery is absolutely stunning and just recently the Todd River was in flood for the first time in a year. Most of the time the Todd River is dry and sandy but when we get lots of rain it can start flowing in spectacular fashion. I’ve got some wonderful photos in my flickr that I will link to. My husband and I are going to be putting a pool in the backyard this year (another irony I know) and doing a few bits around the house. I have some great ideas for my jewellery and have been invited to display some in the local Araluen Arts Centre. I will be opening my Etsy store in a matter of weeks and am looking forward to the challenge of working on my line of jewellery that has been racing around in my brain for some time.
Just two weeks ago we lost our beloved little dog Chloe, whom I’d had from a tiny little puppy to the great age (for a Chihuahua) of 13 years. It was absolutely devastating, something I dont think I will ever recover from. Those of you who have lost beloved pets will completely understand. She is buried in the backyard where we can go and visit her any time, which I understand is a luxury that few are able to enjoy – people who rent or live in apartments it just isnt an option. My husband said that eventually he would like to get another dog but I am in no hurry. Here is a picture of her doing one of her favourite activities – sunbathing in the backyard. Miss her so much 
I wouldnt wish such devastating loss on anyone but all the good, happy times and unconditional love she gave I wouldnt trade for anything in the world.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to many more posts to come.
Leanne xoxoxo
