Edited a lot

I didn't really have a surge of inspiration tonight but I did force myself to do the things I should have done last night.  I posted two new rings to my jewelry shop.  One of them is two fingerprints forming a heart on a ring and the other is an infinity symbol ring.

Infinity

 

Two Fingerprints Form a Heart

 

So I was happy to have gotten them listed. 

I also edited more than normal.  I did a chapter and started the next chapter (worked as far as a page into the next chapter).  The reason for my overachieving was because I saw that I only have two more chapters (now one chapter and about 2/3rds of another chapter) before I catch up with where I made notes on my PDF version.  So when I catch up, I can recompress the manuscript with all the updated edits and start from there on my iPad again with a stylus and my Goodreader app.  I'm just looking forward to the change.  It has felt good to have a mixing up of editing methods.  Keeps me looking forward to shorter term goals instead of just the overall goal.

So I'm at...
Page 65 of 155

Yay...Getting this thing polished up...FINALLY.

Jewelry and Writing

I got my first rejection from this new batch yesterday.  That was a bummer.  I need to just stay positive though.  It was a nice rejection at least (not at all personal, but not a form letter either).
After that, I spent most of the evening making a charm I have to get in the mail today.  I wanted to write a quick bit about what it entailed because if anyone needs help making a fingerprint stamp using the Imagepac Stampmaking Kit (or Teresa Collins stampmaking kit), they might find it useful.  If I were still searching for help, I'd have appreciated this blog post a lot.

First off, I took the original fingerprint, sharpened it, and inverted it (all using my iPhone and a free Photo Editor app):

Then I printed it on the clear paper you buy from whoever supplies your stampmaking kit stuff (I go with Metal Clay Supply because they have the best prices I've found).
Next comes the tricky part (that I haven't seen a helpful online post about ANYWHERE)...
I cut it down to size and put it in the little magnetic glass thing that comes with the stampmaking kit, then add the gel pack.  At this point, I'm working really fast because the gel packs get messed up if they're exposed to light for very long.  I follow the instructions provided in the kit all the way up until the times the gel pack is in the fluorescent lights.  This is where I've had a lot of trial and error come into play.  The times I've found that work the best for making a defined fingerprint stamp:

16 seconds on the first side 

(I know, it's about 6 seconds longer than the suggested time...10 seconds longer than some suggested times!)

52 seconds on the second side

(such a random time, but I've used these two times for 4 or 5 stamps thus far without fail)

 

So if you're like me, and wasting gel pack after gel pack, try these times.  They just might work for you!!

Sorry for any of you who read this blog and don't make jewelry (and if you DO make jewelry, you should totally look into working with Precious Metal Clay...it's freakin awesome)

 

This is the final product by the way...