LEARNING TO SOLDER

How long have I wanted to actually know how to solder??????? Don't ask. How long have I had a soldering iron, flux and solder????? Oh, please. Way too long. I have tried several times to learn how to "run a bead", to "tack" and just to make the solder look unhorrible enough to not completely distract from the project. I'm getting there. I loved that so many people on blogs, in books, on craft shows, etc. would say, "Just keep trying. You'll get better. It takes practice." And while I haven't arrived at the nirvana of the gorgeous, thick, shiny, even solder I admire so much, I am certainly better than I was. Things I learned along the way:
-the soldering iron seems to have a "sweet spot" where the solder will melt and adhere to the iron so that you can turn your iron in the direction it needs to go
-many of the dark spots and sooty things that beginners experience can be polished off with nothing more than a towel
-Sally Jean Alexander is a genius. You really can solder on lace, on paper, on wood. The "Dream" piece is done on a piece of painted tongue depressor.

I was so eager to try soldering slides again that my collage is nothing more than pure "what was laying in front of me on the table". I was also too impatient to look for one of the one million jump rings I own, so I made my own out of wire since I was just practicing anyway. I was doing all this after I hurt my back while hauling something to Goodwill, so I really was using what was at hand. I've got a long ways to go but I'm getting there. Hooray!