Iron Maiden Creations

IRON MAIDEN CREATIONS is the name of my business and my name is Sandra Livingston. I live on the shores of Lake Fork, Texas. I am an artist-welder-blacksmith. At the age of 50 I began to look for a new direction for my life and decided to combine my years of welding knowledge with the blacksmithing and my love of building things and started creating one of a kind decorative metal furniture that can be used as centerpieces in homes or business, I make custom one of a kind pieces. Each piece is stamped with my signature and numbered. You tell me what you envision and I will build it for you.

The journey has been 30 years in the making. I found myself in the world of welding by what you might say was a twist of fate. In 1972 I was a young mother of 3 children working as a waitress. I earned $1.00 an hour plus tips which at that time was around $50.00 per week. Needless to say, we were starving. I had to do something. My mother told me about a government program that would pay you minimum wage while you trained for a new occupation. In 1973 I applied for the schooling. I asked what paid the most out of all the skills they had to offer and they said welding. So, this is where my journey into welding began.

I trained for six months. After I left school and walked into the real world, I discovered what discrimination was all about. During that time, that's just the way it was. I applied at half a dozen different places and was turned down because I was a woman. One man said I did not weigh enough so he would not even give me an application. Another said that I would have to use the bathroom facilities with 125 men because they did not have facilities for women and that they only paid minimum wage. Another place said I would have to listen to "cussing" like I had not heard that before. After passing a welding test at another job interview , the foreman looked at me and said "I don't know what to do now."

Sandra Livingston
Iron Maiden Creations

At one place I was hired but when I went in to work the next day, he told me he could not keep me because his wife had kept him up all night and said he could not hire a woman. The poor man looked like he has been run through a ringer. I was told later by the men in the shop that his wife came in and sat in the office all day to make sure he did not hire me.

At that time I did not fight the discrimination because I was young and just out of school and I really did not know how. I did learn to just keep going and someone out there would give me a chance. Getting hired was the hard part. After I was hired there was never a problem. I had to earn their respect and I never failed.

Fast forward 30 years... in February of 2001 I went to Sante Fe New Mexico, where I completed a three week blacksmithing class given by a well known and respected blacksmith named Frank Turley. He is one of the best. This is where I learned to put the art into my work.

My shop is located near Yantis, Texas at my home where I do hand forged custom made home furnishings and accessories. I also give welding lessons upon request. Call me at 903-383-7625 or Email Sandra for more details. To view a small sample of my work please Click Here.

Check out our Lake Fork Props -N-More page. We are now offering prop and skeg repair. Click Here for more information or Email Sandra for more details.

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