Did You Know: Silver, Copper & Gold

Ok, so at my full time job I have this white board that I place cool facts on almost everyday. I started it because I don't like redundancy or the relentless repetition of a "normal work day". So, I decided to learn new facts everyday and to share that knowledge with my coworkers because I love to learn new things and i like it when others around me do too. It's kind of funny :-). When I first started my did you know board, people sometimes forgot it was there. But now, many of my coworkers will remind me to change the facts when I forget, lol (...a little shout out to Robert ;-P). It's great to have someone to remind you sometimes...

So, today you can join in on the fun. Plus, if you have fact you'd like to share, place them in the comment section. Or if you'd like to hear some facts about a particular subject, just let me know. I enjoy the chase for facts. For today the knowledge may seem useless, but tomorrow you'll be practicing its usage. Also, if you think my facts are wrong or out dated, don't grumble about it, comment about it!

Silver, Copper, & Gold...Oh my!

“Silence is golden; speech is silver.” ~ An American Proverb
So let's talk silver, shall we?
In Chemistry we learn that silver has the symbol Ag on the periodic table. The name silver comes from the Anglo-Saxan word seolfor. The symbol Ag came from the Latin word argentum. Silver has 47 protons ans 61 neutrons. It is the highest conductor of electricity and heat out of all the elements. It has a melting point of 961.93 degrees Celsius. And it tarnishes when when exposed to hydrogen (which is in the air). Silver is used as a precious metal, in coinage, jewelry, tableware, photography, dental alloys, and in the form of Silver fulminate it is an explosive. Sterling Silver is 92.5% Silver and 7.5% Copper.
Silver can be easily cleaned with a polishing cloth or other methods, but be careful if there are stones or gems on the piece. Porous gems normally do not like chemicals. also if you are going to use an abrasive cleaning method, remember silver is a relatively soft metal...so be gentle.

"Copper is like the sand of the sea or the clay of the earth... warm, strong, and always calm." ~Jeeks
Copper has the symbol Cu, which came from the Latin word cuprum. Copper has 29 protons and 35 neutrons. It's a good conductor of electricity and heat. it has a melting point of 1084.62 °C and it's a harder metal than silver and gold. Copper is sensitive to moisture in the air which can change the color of copper or oxidize it. The products in the darker color are copper sulfate, copper oxide, or copper cloride. Copper can be protected from moisture by using lacquer. Lacquer can be removed by using acetone (or finger nail polish), alcohol, lacquer thinner, fine grade steel wool, or by boiling 2 gallons of water w/ 1 cup of washing soda in it. If you'd rather have copper in its natural state. Non treated copper can be cleaned with a little lemon juice and salt or by using a polishing cloth. Copper has many applications:

Bacteria will not grow on a copper surface because it is biostatic. Thus copper doorknobs are used by hospitals to reduce the transfer of disease.

Copper is essential in all plants and animals. Copper is carried mostly in the bloodstream on a plasma protein called ceruloplasmin.

Copper is used in making money, jewelry, building structures and many other applications.

Some people use copper to alleviate the cramp-like pains of menstration.

It can prevent wear and tear and calcification of the joints.

“Make new friends but keep the old ones; one is silver and the other's gold”~ Proverb
Lets talk about old friend Gold.
Gold is an element with the symbol Au which was derived from its Latin name Aurum. It has 79 protons and 118 neutrons. Heat, moisture, oxygen, and most corrosive agents have very little chemical effect on gold. Gold has a melting point of 1064.18 °C. Today, at least 15% of annual gold consumption is recycled each year. Gold has been used as a component in electronics, to make jewelry, as an addition to deserts, to adorn Elvis' 3 cars, in coffee filters, in coinage, etc.

Well, that's all folks...at least for now.

Jeeks

Supporting Life: Chihuahua Rescue

Ok, let's see. I was never really good at keeping a diary, so you'll have to bare with me while I adjust. Not that this blog is my diary, but it reminds me of one because you have to keep up with it almost daily.

Anyways, Supporting Life. I've decided to make a section called Supporting life so that I can, and you can if you want to, keep up with the many good causes out there that SkySong has or will support.

Toady's good cause is the Chihuahua Rescue & Transport (CRT). When I graduated from college in 2007, I started my 'first' job at Kelly Scientific Resources. In Aug. of that year I was contracted out to Wyeth as a Laboratory Technician. There I was placed into the QC Data and Sample Management group. In this group I got to (and still am as of today) work with a dynamic and wonderfully family oriented group of women who have a soft spot for animals. Specifically, Misty spends her free time volunteering to help and raise money for the Chihuahua Rescue. (Below is a little info about CRT.)

In 1996, CRT was developed by members and friends of the original CHI-L Internet list, owned by Frank Jackson. That list is now called Chihuahua List. The original concept was to transport abused, neglected and abandoned Chihuahuas "relay-style" out of bad situations and into foster and/or adoptive homes. Over the years the focus has changed. In addition to providing transport within each region and temporary fostering, CRT is a "full-fledged" rescue organization. We are a non profit organization with volunteers who reside all over the United States. Our dogs are cared for in foster homes and fully vetted prior to being placed up for adoption. All of our dogs are spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated, heartworm and fecal tested and on heartworm preventative. We also do anything else that the dog needs such as heartworm treatment, dentals, luxating patellas, inc.

She's like a modern superwoman...for dogs. She has adopted her chihuahua Bobo from this rescue, she transports other dogs when she can, if she can't she calls around to find others to help, she participates in bake sales to raise money or gives of her own resources, and in the 1st week of October she is going to host a raffle/drawing. (Here's a 'copy' of her flier)

501c 3 -non profit rescue
Raffle to raise money for vet bills, and all proceeds go to the rescue.
$5.00 per ticket—

purchase tickets from Misty Edwards -home XXX-XXXX
email : xxxxxxx@somewhere.net

1. 30 minute Massage from Erin Lutterloh at Hair Associates

2. Haircut by Sabrina Haymore at Hair Associates

3. Partylite Pillar 3 wick candle donated by Erika Stackley

4. Handmade jewelry by Cindy Goodwin (Imagine That)

5. Handmade jewelry by Joi Weeks (SkySong Creations)

6. 3 Handpainted stepping stones by Diane Larsen

7. Pawprints made by Sandhills Stone donated by Eva Rodgers

8. Bodyshop lotion set donated by Misty Edwards and Partylite mini trumpet candle donated by Erika Stackley

9. Handpainted mailbox donated by Nancy Gust and handmade candle made and donated by Trisha Harris

10. Oil Change and Tire Rotation at Atlantic Truck and Tire donated by Bobby Jones

11. Basket full of goodies in Cherry Blossom scent (lotions, bath salts, powder and more) donated by Misty Edwards

12. 2 sets of Premiere jewelry donated by Premiere jeweler Tonya Dew

13. 1 set of Premier jewelry and Partylite aroma melts donated by Misty Edwards

Bobo adopted from CRT

Aww... isn't Bobo cute. But yeah, can you believe it! She contacted every person or company listed in the above flier by herself. She organized the time, place, she bought the tickets, and even designated who would draw the tickets. She's definatly a woman with a mission.

In the drawing one of SkySong's creations will be given away. Yay! It's a green and orange pearl necklace with sterling silver and hill tribe silver accents.

And that concludes the write up of the 1st Supporting Life!


Oh yeah, just as a side note. Please help to support the rescues and shelters near you. Please, please, please consider these places before you decide to buy a dog from a breeder or store. Dogs left in shelters without a home are usually put to sleep.

So please support life not death.

Jeeks

Introducing... Jeeks!

Hello Everyone! My name is Joi Weeks. As you can see, Jeeks is fresh, it's new, and it's my first blog. I thought to name it Jeeks because I have never really had a nickname. You might be thinking... why would she need a nickname when her first name only has 3 letters? That is a valid point but my answer to that question would be another question... Why Not? So, Jeeks is my new nickname and also the name of this blog. Instead of Jeeks, I could have used one of the names my mom used to call me when joking around but why would anyone want to visit a blog called... Booger? ;-p

I decided to start this blog as a sister site to SkySong Creations. In 2007, my friends and family talked me into selling my jewelry creations to people we knew. So at age 22, I introduced SkySong as my first business in that year. SkySong contains jewelry that ranges from leather to hemp, from wire craft to bead craft, and even a little bit of cold connections.

I have been creating jewelry since 1999 just for fun. However, making jewelry is more than just entertainment. It’s an escape from the stress in this world. It’s relaxation, which is needed to free the mind and heart. And it is a creative outlet for a quiet dreamer. At this point in time, my favorite creation method is copper wire craft. I just love how numerous and vividly colored components can be added to it to yield the finished product.

Well, I think that's enough about that for now. If you look at my blog page you might come across a section called Finks. Finks contains my favorite links. Ha! It rhymes just like Jeeks by Joi Weeks...lol. Sorry, as you'll find out I like to rhyme and to make portmanteaus. In case you haven't encountered this word before, a portmanteau is a large leather suitcase that opens into two hinged compartments. However, that's not the definition I am putting into practice. A portmanteau can also be a blend or rather a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings. For example, chortle = chuckle + snort.

I slightly apologize for the above English lesson. In no way am I a word whiz. However, I believe that knowledge is a form of power. And I enjoy sharing that power. If you are wondering or asking yourself... Where did she pick up this philosophy? Well, I would have to say that I picked it up in college. I graduated from Carolina (UNC-CH) with a BS Chemistry in 2007. And while I was there, I realized that if the community knew what I know (even though it's not a whole lot) about cancer, biodiesel, the effect of plastic bags on our environment, or even about processed foods, then maybe that knowledge could save lives. And when I say save lives, I mean not only the lives of many people but also animals and plants.


OK, lets get back to the subject at hand... Jewelry. My Jewelry seems to continuously change. Which is good... because I love to experiment and learn new things. So, in this post I'll post my newest pieces, however I'll show some of my older pieces in the slide show.

Introducing the Seahorse Line....

Of course, these pieces don't look exactly like seahorses. However, they do have the essence of a seahorse dancing in the sea. So, that's where their names came from. Well, until another time... I'm signing out.
Jeeks