I watched a performance of "Stand Up" by Sugarland recently and during the performance saw banners with "Love" spelled out with the o as a peace sign. I thought it would make a great piece of jewelry. And so began my journey in metal work. I've done a few small things in metal, but this was a challenge to me - especially my limited soldering skills. Two of the pieces were done 3-4 times before I finally got it right...my solders were not taking on the peace sign or the "L". I think the crux of the problem was that these two pieces were not fitting properly to the copper before firing. I persevered and used a leather hammer to get the fit as close as possible at diffent points. Finally, sweet success. If you are considering metal work/soldering, be patient, read up on the technique you plan to use or take a class and learn from someone more experienced. Most importantly, don't be deterred. Just do it. For your enjoyment, I am also adding the link to see Sugarland perform "Stand Up"! You'll see one of those "love" banners at the end.
