Studio Sneak Peek: Hammers, Pliers & Dust

The Queens Metal studio is tucked away in a quiet New Orleans neighborhood, just two blocks from the Mississippi River. 

As I work, I can hear giant ships blowing their horns as they pass by. If I open the door to my studio, I am hit by a wave of heat in the summer and the smell of sweet jasmine in the spring. 

In short, my studio is a tiny bit of paradise. It's also the place where I design and make everything in the Queens Metal collection.

My workbench serves double duty as a soldering station and the place where i do all of my sawing, filing and forming.  

A bench pin extends from the top of my desk and allows for more freedom of movement while polishing and sawing. The slit in the center of the bench pin allows me to saw out intricately detailed shapes. 

Another shot of my soldering station.... I've got a bunch of rings ready to be soldered and turned into Friendship Necklaces. That jar of green Ecto Cooler looking stuff in the background is actually flux -- the solution that enables solder to flow between joints. 

The hammer I use the most... my trusty ball peen hammer! This hammer has two faces, a domed side and a flat side. I use mine for flaring out the side of my popular Perfect Hoops among lots of other things. 

Oh and by the way, this is what my workbench typically looks like.... dusty. cluttered, and disorganized :) 

xoxo Krista