EC Droppers & Groovy Visitors

I have some things to say about Entrecard, but I'll save that. Instead, I'd like to focus on some really great bloggers. 

Today is a celebration - I want to thank everyone who has come by my blog in the last month...especially the awesome people who drop by consistently.  I sincerely appreciate the kindness these bloggers have shown me - and I hope you take a few minutes to visit their blogs. September's Top Droppers include a wonderful variety of talented people, all of whom I am grateful to for making my lil' blog a part of their day.

Click on the icon to visit these great blogs

Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap

Duck and Wheel with String

Antique and Vintage Button Jewelry

A Rose By Name

WillOaks Studio 

Theresa's Treasures

Entreblogger

Cen's Loft

Beaded Tail

My Gypsy Goods

If you aren't on this list, that doesn't mean I don't know you've made the effort to stumble through my ramblings. Whether this is your first time - or you visit enough to be royalty - big hugs and lots of positive energy are sent your way. Thank you for making my days brighter - and my load lighter.

xx

Copper Tape, Pickle, Solder...Solutions?

I have a question for all of you amazingly talented artists - especially those who have worked with solder.

I made a small pendant with 2 microscope slides, some little flowers I dried and ribbon I stamped. I covered the sides with copper tape. I thought I'd done a good job...until I went to solder.

Using Simply Swank solder, Blu-Glass flux and my soldering iron, I made nothing but a gigantic mess! The solder kept balling up, wouldn't lay correctly, kept sticking to my soldering iron (instead of the copper tape)...it was just a mess.

I've had the copper tape and the solder for a couple of years - and while I was using my bone folder to really stick it to the glass, parts of it wouldn't stick - and I noticed some fingerprints/gunk on it. Can copper tape go bad? Can flux?

I know that the metal needs to be really clean during soldering - but it seemed silly to pickle it. Should I have pickled the whole thing before soldering? Can you do that?

I don't know exactly what the issue was...but I know my soldering iron "broke". This was the first time I'd tried using this 40w iron - and no, I didn't use a regulator - but I tinned it and all that - but by the time I had gotten this far, the very tip of the iron "melted off", and I had to use the side of the iron barrel to get it to work. I've thrown out the iron and am going back to my Weller. I didn't use the Weller because I only have a stained glass tip for it - I haven't gotten any little pencil point tips for it.

Another question...how is using a torch for solder? I think that would totally melt the solder and you'd wind up with a different sort of mess...but I know people do it. What am I missing? Can I just use my butane torch that I have for PMC?

So many questions...so little information. Reading on the Net just gets me more confused.

On the up side? I used more of my dried flowers and some sea glass (and a copper ink pad) to make a darling pin. The light coming through the aqua sea glass really sets it off - but it was had to get a good picture.

Did you do anything creative this weekend? Why isn't anyone entering my contest? Why is my blog still a mess?

What's wrong with me?