'WHAT IF'

                                               What If? 

  What if? 

   That little two word 'phrase' runs through my head like a run away train. All the time, but most often it rears its had every time I make something. Be it a recipe, a floral arrangement, a painting, or jewelry. What if?

  What if I tried this? What IF stretches my creative energy, it calls me by name, it makes me expand and expirement...fail or not, I can never stop the 'What if?'. It's part of me. 

   What if I did THAT?

  What if what if what if. WHAT IF?????

  It almost haunts me. It's always there. It never leaves. "What If" has take up permanent residency in my brain. (stop laughing, I really do have a brain, yes functionality is somewhat questionable..but it's there. (I had an MRI....PROOF!) 

 I can't get things completed, a lot of the time, as 'What if' creeps in and I take a 90 degree turn...it's crazy. (I'd like to use THAT as a laundry excuse but, no, it doesn't apply there. Rats.  

  Okay, back to the point of the 'laying down of words'. What if. Lampwork: What if I did this? So I try it. The list is so long I'd bore anyone reading this to tears so I'll skip the list and get straight to the point..but what if I wrote about .....no no no. Stay on track, no train derailments here ...(my brain is LIKE a train ...as sometimes it totally de-rails and I lose my 'train of thought' instantly). Enough about trains, we'll talk about that later, after my trip, on a train. Alone. 

  So, I have this other 'thing' that goes along with 'what if'. It's called, 'LSNAOAP'. That is not real catchy is it? No. However it stand for 'Learn something new as often as possible'.  That's a little bit of a side tracking device in my brain. Another excuse for not completing half of what I start. (talking jewelry now btw). 

  So, I had a LSNAOAP moment and found something I wanted to learn. That something was etching on metal. I've actually been interested in this for a long time. My CF took over and I never tried it. (Chemical Fear) I used a wonderful tutorial by Harry Wood of Oscar Crow, he is in a few creative groups I'm in and he is also on Etsy, (check him out) It's a great tutorial, thanks Harry, btw.

 I was hesitant about the etching as I'm no chemist, and I have a little  'CH' or 'chemical fear' if it's anything stronger than dish soap.  I had to use an etching solution, which was recommended by Harry Wood, and is pretty safe stuff. I asked a lot of questions, got a lot of answers and then bought the stuff. It sat in my studio about a week. I looked at it, walked away, did that a few hundred times. THEN I took the plunge. 

 I etched.

  THEN IT HAPPENED: 'What if?'. Yep, it always does, why would this be any different right? Can't leave well enough alone, have to stretch it to it's boundaries, or at least find out what those boundaries are. Have to take it the length of the football field and then back again. My curiosity just gets the best of me and takes over. I wonder if there is a name for that?. I think it might be AYTTKYW? That would be 'Are You Trying To Kill Yourself Woman?'. The answer would be, possibly. Not sure. Brains are strange things. So back to the point. Etching and What If, if you don't really know what the point is here. 

 That would not be uncommon, I'm a little ' pointless' at times.

 OKAY then, etching. I did it. I did it on copper and a few other random objects due to the What if factor. HOWEVER....the biggest 'W. I?' really surprised me. I used a ton of random things while 'stretching' my limits, or 'finding my limits' (and I did find some limits btw) . Something on my work bench struck me..and the What If happened. So I tried it. Oh my gosh....I am so impressed with myself, or the creative person who invaded my body at that time, which ever. It doesn't happen real often (being impressed with myself, rare occasion, reason to throw a party, better yet, take a nap)  Not bragging, I'm sure many have done this, though I hadn't seen it. So.....drum roll please....(bare with me...I need some excitement in my life) 

  Okay, premature on the drum roll, but this is where I started. A plain 'stamping', brass, of a butterfly. 

 What if?  So I proceed to take out my permanent marker and somewhat mess up the butterfly. (photo below)  Or so I thought. It was a 'What If' moment indeed. Very novice at etching at this point.

  What IF I etched on the brass butterfly? Stretching the boundaries, not running to 'Google' to see if it would work (not that would be too easy wouldn't it? Never occurs to me)  So, her it it (well, this isn't the original, I didn't photograph that one, of course...) Here it is ready to be tossed in the etching solution. (again, the above photo)

 This is a 'comparison photo'. One etched (top on obviously) the original on the bottom. I like it. 

  It was very basically drawing on the brass with a permanent marker, as you saw in the photo. Very basic. The outcome was a bit surprising to me. I was somewhat stunned and I was really liking it! Made this baby just POP! There are a few 'oopsies' that can happen however. ( I learn by doing, always) Example:

  

 The arrow is pointing to a very thin spot. That should have been covered in tape. The etching fluid took a bite out of it, made it pretty thin. Live and Learn (LAL) comes with 'What If' very frequently. 

   End result:  Polished and shined, I really like this technique, and I encourage you too, to join the WI (not Wisconsin, though I live there, Club. 'WIC'. 'What If Club. lol. Lets experiment together. What IF you tried this on something 'random'? NO googling, no asking anyone any questions, that will NOT stretch your brain, get the juices flowing or help your creativeness grow. So go to the 'WI' confidently. It's the same direction as your dreams. "God confidently in the direction of your dreams'. (forgot who said that) When I remember I'll add his name. What if? What if YOU tried something new and rather random today? What If?????? OKAY, now, drum roll please...my finished What if I etched on this plain butterfly, finished piece.

and to all a creative day!

FROG. Linda