Last week was a slow one in terms of production because of the freezing temperatures and those resulting complications (looking at you, frozen pipes). But I did get my model from last week mailed out to be scanned and made into patterns to be cut out at a larger scale. I also had a spare hour to work on a bezel ring for a friend in the jewelry studio.

As much as I love working with metal, it can REALLY take a toll on your body. In my three semesters of studio class, I developed carpal tunnel, lower back pain, and accidentally filed my fingernails and fingertips more times than I can count. I’ve found solutions for the first two ailments, but since I’m not looking to commit a crime, I also wanted to find a way to remedy sanding off my fingerprints: enter alligator tape. I saw this self-adhesive tape being used by a lot of jewelers on Instagram, and I was curious if it would be helpful for me as well. I bought a roll on Amazon and forgot about it for a while, but broke it out a few months ago as I started working with smaller pieces. It works by adhering to itself and not your skin, and provides a textured surface to grip your work more easily. It also is very hard to saw or file through, so my fingers stay intact through inevitable tool slips.

I would highly recommend the tape to jewelers or any artist working with small, sharp tools who values the health of their hands- they are kind of important in this line of work.

Featured Image: Jill Sibio, 2019