What a Great Day!

Today my friend, Cathy T. and I went downtown Toronto. We had a blast.

The drive down was slushy and it was extremely cold, but the sun was shining and company great. Parking was a breeze since it just wasn't very busy where we were looking/shopping!

I had only one goal. Find ferric chloride to etch copper. Canada and chemicals.... in the States I'd probably be able to find ferric chloride in the corner store, but even The Source I checked didn't have any. Anyway, we stopped at T.G.W. on Victoria St. to check and they said they didn't handle it. Of course I can't go into a jewelry supply without poking around and I found this on a shelf: Mordant for Etching.

I don't have a clue what it is, how old it is or how toxic it is. It says it contains muriatic acid and to chase it down with milk of magnesia should I feel the urge to taste it! I know the company that manufactured it is owned by Grobet, so I sent an email to them asking for information. Time will tell... I also got a sheet of 24 g copper. I would have preferred 22 g, but I take what I can get!

We left the wholesale district and headed over to Queen St. W. and I couldn't believe that Arton was closed. Arton is the candy store of inexpensive findings/beads (cheap and cheerful). We passed up The Beadery since it is just too overpriced and went into Bling Bling. They were having an end of year sale and I picked up some plastic shaped beads that appealed to me for my Little Princess line. Cathy said there was a newer bead store down the the street and we found it.

It is called Bead It and it is a clean/bright shop with the usual fare. I wasn't planning on buying beads... I was on a thwarted quest for ferric chloride... but I had to bring these home. I wanted a strand of every color, but stopped at a strand of hearts and the lemon candies. The hearts are foiled with frit floating on them under a smooth glass cap. I got the burgandy based ones. The lemon squares make me think of Dick and Jane readers, summer days and candy.... How could I leave anything behind that evoked those feelings? LOL Anyway, they are supposedly Italian. In this day and age, I wonder, but the line does have murrini encased in them and they don't "look" Chinese.

Anyway, what a great day to end the year.... shopping for jewelry supplies. Life is good.