Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Bug Bitten

I've been bitten by a new bug! More like a few bugs that go hand-n-hand. This coming Feb it will be 3 years (yeah I know it's embarrassing) since I bought an electroforming kit. I had the solution and everything needed to play with it but just never got around to it. Not surprising since I once kept an unfinished macrame wall project almost 20 years, lol. Hey...those wooden beads I salvaged from it are vintage now!

Anyway, this electroforming stuff is pretty cool! It is like electroplating except it deposits a heavier layer of metal on the pieces you have in the solution. Once they come out of the chemical bath you can patina them to different colors using homemade recipes or pre-mixed ones.



I've always loved the green weathered look copper gets when exposed to the elements. There is a copper domed roof on a church in Grand Rapids, MI that you can see from the highway... I just love the color of it. Last time I drove past it they were putting a new roof on it, it was bright and shiny again.

This process adds all kinds of possibilities for my glass work. Some of the above pieces came from nature like the mini pine cones, twig, acorns, and leaf. The ones in the photo are in various stages or being patina-ed or sealed to hold the color of the patina. Having a blast finding things to use.

Trying to decide to what to use for the blog giveaway, glass or metal? I'm way overdue for a drawing so stayed tuned to see what it will be.

3 comments:

  1. I've been bitten I like it! Nice work.

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  2. That is so cool! I love the turtle. I can relate to the unfinished projects - when my son was a baby I got a needlepoint to do during quiet times (haha). I think I've done maybe 12 rows - and my son is 14 years old now!

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  3. Lauren, your post reminded me of the time I bought all this great coordinating designer fabric and the pattern to make an adorable outfit for my girl. She was probably 5 at the time. Never made it and she's almost 21 now.

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