DEBORAHREAD.COM: January 2017

Wearing my Paper flowers /resin today

need to shorten the twisted nickel silver wire a bit but happy otherwise

need to finish the earrings so I have a set

New Toy -Jewelery Press

I so wanted one but weight and price to Canada not cheap I had my guys at work make me the die holders last year to use in a big 20 ton press I had at home but the press is so large - takes up so much room
this year they took scrap and a 20 ton Jack and made me my own that can sit on a table it's perfect

Paper Flowers - epoxy assembly

using epoxy to glue the pieces together - not sure now I like to fully shiny and wondering if I just glued them all together and sprayed them with a clear lacquer would not just have been easier
The shiny is kinda nice and is sturdy but I will have to try and easier method as well just to be sure I need to go this far

will be making earrings too

some sort of backing will need to be made -maybe a copper wire filigree of some sorts to support the necklace

Resin and Paper flowers - Basement Studio almost open for business !

Yes still working on those resin coated paper flowers to make a necklace (the metal is all done but need leaves to go with them ) they are tuning out nice with a nice shine to them

they should be hardened up enough tonight to start the assembly - I just have to figure out configuration and what I am going to attach it too - possibly a neck wire might be best but I never know till I assemble what I want

My basement studio is getting close to be used - got the tables cleaned up (they have been sitting for years accumulating dust and stuff ) so have them cleaned up enough - have to check the hose going out to the propane tank - make sure the fan is working and I'll be able to sit down and start lampworking this weekend - I brought the niobium stuff in and I think I may leave in this location to work with from now on - its bright and warm downstairs - but there is still a lot of stuff I keep pushing around that needs some spring cleaning

pick up and some vaccuuming are in order tonight - spending an hour down stairs getting garbage out so I can take to the dump on saturday - I hope to have my etching materials downstairs this weekend and started - as I can have it etching while I am either torching or playing with niobium - or upstairs with paper crafts - feeling pretty enthused

Resin assembly for paper and metal

Mixed up some resin and assembled the metal flowers by using it as glue - the coated the paper flowers with the resin to harden them up - may have to put a second coat

Nail Polish to color Metal - Copper Rose Prototype

I took the plain copper rose I made yesterday and colored it with the Sally Hansen Nail Polish

I wasnt fancy blening - next one I will do that with - just wanted to see some fast results

and I love it -

so will be making more and trying different effects

I started some original nail polish samples back in 2011

this link shows the samples

for the color chart on the left side of the blog there is a link as well - note they have not chipped or shown any wear since then

but here are the link for the chart -

It shows you on brass samplings I had -

Copper Flowers - Rose - using Heartfelt stamps and dies

copper rose

After looking at my paper flowers to make a necklace -( I still will be adding epoxy on them today) - I thought why not use my dies on thin copper - having 36g copper around for other projects -

So I stamped 36g copper with staz on using my Heartfelt stamps

then ran them through the cuttlebug

using my Heartfelt dies (for use with the stamps) and cut out the pieces

Using my paper formng tools from McGill - round ball end formers

I formed the edges and then put together

the black lines still show - planning on trying etching as well - but next is coloring - using nail polish rather than the patinas at this time

Still playing with Paper

thinking coating with an epoxy resin to harden and seal and make a necklace with and earrings?
filling the box

Keeping busy

Making more paper flowers with my scan n cut machine

then coloring and assembling for future usage

The etching is packed up ready to come to the house
The noibium set up is in the house and I should start on that mpossibly tonight as I have to make some earring wires for someone this week

Preparing for classes

WEll it seems I'll be doing a couple classes at my favorite scrapbooking store
I went today to take a Heartfelt Party class - they introduce the new dies and stamps at these classes
Made my cute fairy house card

and showed them my shoe and milk cartons

Will be preparing and setting up classes with Class Act in Oshawa

Cutting vinyl records

I really should be doing glass or metal but I have wanted to do this for so long
(these are not mine - just samples )

I finally found some vinyl records - 3 for a 1$ and grabbed 45 of them - that should do me
didnt care what they were - some I even got a 2 record set

I laughed as I even got a recorded word disc for Jane fondas original workout - I dont have a record player so it will get used up

what I want to do this

for my granddaughters room

I've watched them use the wood burning tool with sort of exacto blade head that heats up and I have seen them use a dremel tool with skinny cutter.grinder and someone with a hand saw

so will test this out this weekend - probably make the template with my scan n cut -

Getting Close

Cleaning areas and bringing things in and getting set up
got my basement area almost done and should be able to start lampworking again in the house more work than I thought

cleaned up my paper area and some kitchen area so I can set up the niobium and the etching and start working on those items this week

so freeking cold going up to the studio and dragging stuff down - but starting to feel the pull of working in glass and metal again -

so stay tuned will be working this week to get things set up and started

Also - Lori Anderson is starting up a new Bead Soup party for 2017 - I missed this and glad she is feeling better - its a huge job to take on coordinating but this should also help with the upmph needed to get the year started as well cant wait to sign up !

Getting in Gear !!!!

So planning on 3 things to get done this weekend

1
gong to clean up my basement studio so I can do some lampworking when I want - its warm in the house and I need to just make sure the hoses are ok and I have a full propane tank and clean up some cobwebs and dustbunnies

2
bringing in the niobium kits so I can make some earring wires and other things and to assemble what I already made

3
bringing in the etching solution and stamps as I need to make some earrings
so going to make sure I have all three stamps -to work with - have been using two of the zentangle to make ceramic plates with

refresher on etching for earrings

if you remember I start with my 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of rubber stamp with my own zentangle images on (available on etsy)

then I put the staz on white by patting it on - I like the white

see image of the stamp pad (the pipe is just another thing I was doing at the time )

I had copper blanks (18g) from Metalliferous

that I cleaned and then pushed downonto the coated rubber stamp

I did not want them too identical

then I put them on packing tape and suspended them face down into the etching solution -

you can fit a good few on each tape but in this case I only did 1 each - if you do put about 4 or 5 you will need to back up the tape with something solid like a nail file or a tongue depressor to give it support - I find the dollar store files work great

then after they have etched sufficiently