Tag: wire

Hat stand

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve needed a hat stand for awhile now, mostly to block hats after I wash them. I decided to make one using a pretty block of spalted tamarind and some hanger wire so I could use it at the craft fair where I was selling all those hats I’ve made.

Photo description: finished spalted tamarind wood block with wire hat form holding a crocheted gray beanie.

I wanted to just have the thick wire so that I could adjust the size based on the hat, but the hat looked a little strange with only vertical support. I added a spiral of aluminum wire, which helps the hat, but looks strange without the hat. Hm. It worked fine at the fair, but I will continue to fiddle with the form.

Photo description: form without the hat showing all the wire

Throwback Thursday: silver buttons

On By CarynIn Craft

I did some experiments in button making in February of 2010, tiny silver buttons for my button-collecting Grandmother. One set fashioned from sterling wire, and the other set from silver clay and cubic zirconia, which can survive the firing temperature of the clay.

Photo description: five silver wire buttons on a square printed card with my tree logo and a superimposed branch with five green circles for the small buttons. There are two looped flower buttons, and three double spiraled buttons made of square wire, twisted square wire, and round wire.
Photo description: five small buttons made from silver clay in the shape of leaves, two with cubic zirconia inserts on a square printed card similar to the other photo.

All the buttons have shank loops for sewing, rather than holes through the buttons. It was a fun project, and I think they came out interesting, although they are mostly for show. They are functional buttons, but not practical buttons.

Throwback Thursday: wire frame

On By CarynIn Craft

I was tasked with making a trophy for a duct tape contest back in December of 2009. I found a block of wood from my stash, imbedded several hanger wires, then shaped them into a chalice.

Photo description: wire armature chalice set into a finished block of wood with routed edges

I covered the whole thing in strips of standard duct tape, then forgot to take a final picture. Hm. When it was presented, though, it was deemed way fancier than the requester envisioned. That’s what happens when a crafter gets their hands on duct tape.

Throwback Thursday: iron oxide

On By CarynIn Craft

This throwback goes to September 2009, and makes me a little sad. I was fusing images into glass using fusible film printed with a laser printer. The film would burn off leaving the image in a sepia tone. The method only works with high iron oxide content toner, which of course is getting rare. I had to resource the transfer paper I was using twice, retesting each time the previous brand stopped making it. Then when I invested in a large stack of paper that worked, my printer died. I found a backup printer at a garage sale, but the print quality was poor. Investing in a printer that may or may not work was risky, and I wasn’t getting enough orders to justify the expense. So production stopped. The photo below is line art that I produced a batch of for my grandmother for a reunion. I also did portraits and sketches.

Photo description: wire wrapped glass pendants with iron oxide fused image on silicone cords in multicolored mesh bags

I was producing these from about 2009-2018.

Throwback Thursday: silver clay

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

In April of 2009 I made one of my favorite metal clay jewelry sets. Metal clay is fine particles of silver suspended in a medium to make it workable like clay. It is then fired in a kiln to burn off the organics leaving nearly pure silver in the slightly smaller shaped form, all without forging or soldering.

Photo description: silver clay pieces ready for the kiln. The cork supports burn away in the high temperatures.
Photo description: after firing the pieces need to be cleaned with a brass brush
Photo description: fired metal pieces polished to a mirror finish by tumbling with polishing media
Photo description: custom metal clay links and clasps combined with sterling silver production elements and Swarovski crystal to make a necklace, bracelet, and earring set

The metal clay does give options for designs that are difficult to achieve with traditional gold smithing tools, but requires its own set of specialty tools like the kiln.