I finally started my Maple Mead a few days ago. Yay! Sadly, though, I had a bit of a mishap with the stove/boiling honey. It boiled over quite a bit, so I lost a bit of the water/honey/maple syrup that should be in the jug. Well, it will be ready to be tested in a month when I rack it (move the liquid from one jug to another to filter out the particles), so we shall see if it is the right sweetness/taste then. If not.... then it will be time to add in a bit more honey and maple syrup!
So exciting! The one thing I find frustrating with brewing though, is how long it takes to make a mead. Many recipes I have seen call for the drink to sit for a year before it can be consumed! Crazy!
In all this mead should take three to four months before it is ready. I can't wait for the taste testing!
Here is another wire wrapped labradorite pendant! This time I added in a bit of copper and I am really loving the effect!
Additionally I have been trying a new type of crafting. Recently my boyfriend has become interested in brewing. It is an interesting process, so I am going to try a bit of brewing myself. He likes to make beer, but I am interested more in wines and mead, so this weekend I am going to start the process of creating a Maple Mead. I found the recipe here. Should be interesting and I definitely can't wait for the taste testing!
Here are a few of my finished items using oxidization. I just love how it makes a wire wrapped piece look so elegant! I think I am going to keep doing this technique with future pieces I make. It gives them a depth that you don't see in a normal polished piece.
So, I think it went quite well today! My first oxidizing experience seems to be a success! It was crazy how quick the oxidizing process takes. As soon as I dropped the metal pieces in, they were already turning black! Here are some photos:
Before:
After:
Later after a bit of polishing:
I seriously love how these turned out!
It's been a bit again since my last update, but this next one should be a good one! I have decided to try oxidizing both copper and silver using liver of sulfur. This experiment will hopefully be taking place tomorrow.
I found this page here that explains the process pretty well.
I will have both before and after pictures to post tomorrow! Should be exciting!
Hee hee! Yep, been a bit since I posted last! Vacation lasted a bit longer than I thought it would, so there was a little lack of crafting.
Anyways, I am back now and have crafted a few things since my last post. I am so enamored with the labradorite cabochons, that I went on a wire wrapping spree and finished wrapping all five stones that I purchased. I'll post the three newest ones below. Two were still working from the original tutorial that I had posted.
The newest is slightly different, but I definitely like how it turned out. I would love to try it again with a thinner stone.
I am so attracted to these stones, that it is hard for me to want to try and work on anything else. I think after a few more of these, the novelty will wear off slightly and I will be able to move on to a new tutorial. I have a few already in the queue, but I am not sure which one will be next. We shall see!
I tried the wire wrapped stone tutorial again, and these are what I came up with!
These ones are probably twice as big as the first one I made. I think, personally, that I like the smaller one best, but I just love the colors in these stones! I need to work a bit more on the sizing, but I think they turned out nice.
I think that these ones will probably end up in my etsy shop since they were done nicer than the first one... I still have three more stones left that I can wrap, and I can't wait to try some more!
Let's see... I tried out the tutorial below for the Wire Wrapped Rock, but unfortunately I had the wrong sized stone. I had to do things a bit differently, but for my first wire wrapped stone pendant, I think this one turned out well! It didn't turn out quite like I had hoped, so I think I will just end up keeping this one.... Here it is!
I just love labradorite! Such pretty colors. I have a few more labradorite cabochons coming in the mail, so I will have to try this tutorial again! Also, I think for my next one I am going to try oxidizing the wire afterwards for an antiqued look. I guess I will update again when I get a chance to test this next time.
I have been looking around and have found quite a few different projects to try. Of course, I just don't have the right materials for most of them.
This is the one I would like to try next: Wire Wrapped Rock. I have most of the materials for this one, but I am waiting for a few things to come in the mail, so it will be a bit before I can get started.
The author of this tutorial, Dev Khan, has done some amazing work and I can only hope that in the future I can become even half as good an artist as her!
And now it is 4 am. Really need to stop posting so late when my writing and brain functions become fragmented....
Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention that I did finish my second crop circle pendant! Here is the finished product:
It isn't exactly like the crop circle pictured, but I think it turned out well! Need to find a new one to start on!
Wow, it has been a bit since I last posted. I'll try not to do it again!
Anyways, on Etsy I am a member of TeamBPAL. This week a team shop was set up where members could donate items to be sold for a cause. At the moment, the shop is filled with ocean/sea themed items. Each item sold will have all the proceeds donated to the Sea Turtle Restoration Project. I decided to donate two items of my own.
Both items are shell necklaces like those I have made in the past. The one pictured above has already been sold! Yay!
I think it is great to donate to such a cause and can't wait to participate in others for the future! Here is another item made by Elements & Artifacts on Etsy that I think is just fabulous!
So, it has been awhile since I have experimented with a new technique/tutorial, so I am going to search out one to try next. Also, I am thinking about trying to make some chainmail jewelry in the future. Haven't gotten any supplies for it yet though. Someday!
Here is a quick spur of the moment project I finished a few days ago. I only had a little bit of silver wire left, so I decided to try and craft a ring! Here is what I came up with:
It was a bit difficult to get the wire to cooperate, but I think it turned out okay in the end! I used small lapis lazuli beads for this ring since they looked so nice with the silver.
I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to post the picture of me wearing it... I always feel like my fingers look silly in photographs. Silly fingers!
Here is the video that I first saw explaining how to make wire wrapped rings: Auntie's Beads. This tutorial is quite helpful in showing the basics! And wow there are loads of tutorials up on YouTube! Will have to check out a few more later.
That is all for tonight! It is late and I should be asleep... *sigh*
Yay! I finished my first crop circle pendant and added the chain. I feel like it turned out pretty nice! Kinda big though, the pendant itself measures 2.25 inches in diameter. I guess if anyone were to wear it, it would make quite a statement! Hee hee!
Also, I just finished using my new glass etcher! I seriously love it! It is just like drawing on glass.
And lastly, my next project I am currently working on is a new crop circle! Here is the inspiration photo:
Here is what I have completed so far:
All I have to do is attach the two pieces, maybe add another bead or two... We shall see!
Getting close to finishing my first crop circle pendant! This one took quite a bit of work to make!
Looking at it now, I think it is actually a bit bigger than I had originally expected to make. I like it though! I found some pretty garnet beads for embellishment and everything seems to have come together quite well. I still plan on wire wrapping the surrounding circle as well.
At the same time, I am around halfway through knitting a scarf for my grandmother! I made a scarf for a friend at Christmas and while I was making it, my grandma loved to come by and pet it. She is a better knitter than I will ever be, having made me two blankets and a huge lovely afghan for my mom, but I don't think she has ever had anyone knit anything for her. I chose a multicolored purple yarn for her since purple is her favorite color. Sadly, me being me, I started this scarf back in January. I stopped knitting on it months ago, but now I am determined to finish it up for her! It will definitely be ready by winter! Hee hee!
I used this pattern called the Tipsy Rib Scarf. I love this pattern because since it is so repetitive, I don't need to carry around instructions. Great project for beginning knitters!
I have been having lots of fun with wire jewelry recently (for evidence, see my Etsy page...), so I think I am going to play with this medium for awhile.
So, I have been watching X-Files recently and was thinking.... What about wire crop circles? They always have such interesting designs and there are loads of different kinds out there. I can try to make them out of wire, right?
Well, I have already started! This is the first one I am playing with:
I found this crop circle picture here. Right now I have the main shapes done, but a long way to go to finish the rest of the wire wrapping. Also, I need to find some interesting new beads to add on....
That is all for the moment. Back to the crafting!
I listed my first four items on Etsy!! Yay!!
I have around 6 more finished to list, but I haven't had the chance to write up little blurbs about them yet. It actually takes quite a bit to get the pictures and everything in order to actually get the listings completed, so I will be more prepared for that the next time around.
Also, it seems that I need to learn how to take pictures specifically for Etsy... Some of them aren't centered quite right. And I need to be more creative with the naming.... *cringe*
Anyways, nothing new to report on the crafting front. It seems that I have taken off with the jewelry making at the moment. Need to actually do a few knitting projects as well. Also, on the etching front, it seems the glass etcher I ordered wasn't the kind of item I was looking for. I ordered a Dremel Engraver which is quite a bit more heavy duty than my old Inland glass engraver. I decided to return it and am going to reorder the same Inland model I used to have. It is a great little engraver that is perfect for random etching projects. It probably isn't as durable as the Dremel, but it works perfectly for etching wine glasses and such.
That is all for the moment. I have to go do the dishes now. *sigh*
