Enamel

Last week I ran out of PVA so I had to stop working on my box book for a couple of days. Instead, I filled my time by getting demos of processes I wanted to learn and doing some planning for my next book. I spent 3 and half hours in the metals studio getting an enameling demo and then practicing on a sample. The picture this week is what I came up with. I don't have a plan for it yet, but I want to incorporate enamel in one of books eventually. It was an incredibly fun process, so I'd love to do some more of it soon.

I spent an hour planning out what I will be doing for my next book. I found a wheel of codes in my hoard so I will be writing my next book in code and including the wheel as the object for that book. I also spent 3 more hours doing research and brainstorming.

Getting there

This projEct is taking me much longer than I expected, but I am nearing the end. I ran into a bit of a problem over the weekend. I ran out of PVA, so I have to make a trip to Hollander's sometime soon and buy more. Last week I spend 2 and a half more hours drawing, and then 4 more hours measuring and cutting pieces for the box and getting the bottom of the box pieced together and covered in paper. On the agenda for this week: Actually finish this project. I have my next book sort of figured out already and I am excited to get started.

Fall Break- Make-up Post

Well, my fall break was waaay more hectic than I expected, and I completely forgot to post for last week. Last week I spend probably 4 to 4 and half hours just drawing lines, as you can see in the photos and another 3 and half hours at home gathering tons of stuff to bring back to my studio to base books on. On the agenda for the rest of this weekend is finishing this book and conceptualizing and gathering materials for the next one.

Finished!

I finally finished my swiss army knife/ring. This week in the studio:

1 hour sharpening knife

1/2 hour attaching knife to ring

4 hours filing/sanding

1 hour polishing

1 hour working on a book

You may have noticed that the last part of the list does not have anything to do with my knife/ring contraption. That is because I am taking my project in a different direction. I have decided to make books instead. Ideally I will have a giant hoard of books by the end of this year, all dealing with connections I make to objects through memories.

Almost Done?

It is highly possible or even probable that this ring will be finished before the end of the week. This week I spent an hour soldering, another 2 hours sawing out finger holes and edges so they line up exactly, and probably at least four more hours doing cleaning and finishing work. The brass was copper coated after I took it out of the pickle (mild acid solution for cleaning), so I had to make a brass dip (pickle plus peroxide) to get the copper off. I still have to file off some more copper that the brass dip didn't get, continue filing the edges of the piece, sand the entire ring to remove scratches, sharpen the blade that will be in the center, and then attach the blade to the ring. So I still have a ways to go, I guess that's the thing with metal work-- it takes FOREVER. But my goal is to be done by the end of this week. In other news, I am sporting some great scratches and cuts from working in the metals studio, as illustrated by the slice on my thumb in the picture. I kind of forgot how gnarly metal work makes my hands look.