New blog post for IndigoBlu

Here is my Lest We Forget challenge card inspiration for IndigoBlu, want to know how I did it? Pop on over and take a lookie!

Lest We Forget

New blog post for IndigoBlu - Kroma card fun

Hi everyone, this week I got the most amazing news ever! I am not allowed to talk about it but all I can say is watch this place in January for a HUGE reveal!

My blog post for IndigoBlu is late today as I was pre occupied with finishing my skirt for my costume and we had 30 mins of emergency services flying past this afternoon and then the air ambulance turned up and landed in the field across the road. No idea what happened but word is a rock slide in the quarry and someone got crushed! Hope it isnt true that would be awful!

Anyhow, rabbit trail! as Dede would say. here is a peek at my post so head on over and let me know what you think!

Thanks for visiting
Clare

First Hammered Copper Ring

Hi everyone, today I want to share with you my very first ring completed in Silversmith College. I made it on Monday from a piece of scrap copper that was all twisted and mangled up, pretty proud of my achievement really. I finally got the whole soldering with a blow torch down too and worked out what I have been doing wrong with the help of the wonderful tutor Mark.

I cut, filed and shaped the scrap piece into a ring form, it is alittle uneven at one side but hey, for a first go I aint complaining! I sanded and cleaned and sanded and cleaned some more, then after 3 failed attempts to solder nailed it on the 4th go!

After the soldering came the whacking, my favourite part to add in the hammered texture and to make the piece large enough to fit on my finger, it was quite small. Then came more sanding and cleaning and it sat in a pickle bath for 10mins too. The final part was to get it on the polisher which is quite a beast of a machine and at one point took it from my hand and flung it across the room! Luckily it didn't hit anyone on its flying lesson but it did get a little miss shaped from being slammed into a wall then the ceiling and then the floor. After the final reshape and a wash with fairy liquid to get any polishing residue off, here we have it. My first hand made completely hammered copper ring. Cant wait to get making some more. My etching fluid has now arrived so I will be having a play with that this weekend too! Cant wait!

Thanks for visiting
Clare

Steam Costume For Though Bubble - The Necklace

Hi everyone, as quite a few people know I am a bit of a nerd so it will come as no surprise this year that me and my fellow nerds are going to the comic book convention in Leeds called Thought Bubble. This year however is different from previous years, we are going dressed up, specifically as The Court of Owls.

For my costume I am steampunking it up a bit, just coz! So my first piece is a bought piece and it is a corset. I really wanted to make it myself but I value my back so without proper guidance from an expert I erred on the side of caution and bought one. I am not showing it yet until the final reveal of the whole piece all together.

Today however I am showing my necklace. Made from scratch with my own hands and 2 beading needles. I am extremely pleased with the outcome and it fits me perfectly!

I am not a beader so I have no idea what the stitch is called, I just know I had a pattern, I altered that pattern and made the base of my choker. I received some small cogs and gears from a wonderful friend in the USA and added them to the bottom. Pretty simple really but I love it!

Here it is laid out flat on my table.

Here is the fine detail of the piece.

And here is me wearing it about 30 seconds after I made it, in my PJ's, not my costume!

The next piece I am working on is my skirt and these beauties, if I get the time, I hope I do my head is whirring with things I want to do to these goggles, firstly to seal them as they came like this and are what seems to be permanently tacky in feel.

Thanks for visiting!

Clare

Happy Movember for IndigoBlu!

Hi everyone! Being the 1st of November means that it is that time of year again.... all the men turn into hairy apes! But it is for a good cause. the Movember cause!

Here is a sneaky peek of what I did for IndigoBlu, pop over and let me know what you think!

Thanks for visiting
Clare