CastAway.

Well that is a  lame title for this post - let's blame it on fatigue - and over-consumption of joyfulness. And exactly what is making me so joyful? I am glad you asked because I am busting to share my latest adventure with metal! I have had another go at casting pewter. I made the molds, melted the pewter and everything. Given my slight phobia about flame ( ah yes, that is one of the reasons cold connections are so dear to my heart ...), I have managed quite well.
This is the first go ...

This is what they looked like when I de-molded them. I am recycling the pewter that I recycle for other things rather than buying new alloys, so it is a bit grubby. I am working on a way to fix that but for now I am content to deal with the scuzzy bits. These were actual twigs that I collected and used to create a mold.

I used a paperclip topper to make the bird mold - I think it will be rather sweet ...
And here are the twigs all cleaned up ...

I am delighted with the detail from the molds - I patinaed this one to highlight the craggy bark.

And in-situ ...

Copper "twigs" and a hand-shaped crockery shard - I am not sure the photo does it justice really because you miss all the detail of the twig - sigh - never mind I bet you get the idea huh? Oh happy days - I can see this becoming an obsession!

Tinnies.

 Blogtoberfest (Day 11)

 Not the ones that hold the bevvies silly - the ones desperate to be cut up and made into something lovely! The obsession with sweet birdies continues. I can't seem to stop making them! Sunday seemed to be a brooch day so I gave in to the impulse, fished out some cut up tins and laminex and set to ...

 On the workbench ready to be cut out.

 In flight - before brooch-pin-attachment-procedure.

I love that the front one looks like a cross-stitch!

And here are the finished articles.

This last one looks like it just might be a Christmas bird - oh my, did I just drop the "cee" bomb?!

The backs are made of laminex samples and all the bits - pin and eyes are rivetted on - good and proper so they are strong and wearable!

I am not sure if you remember me posting about some vintage lino that I snaffled from atop a cupboard at the oppie but it has been sitting around cluttering up the place for yonks. It caught my eye today so I decided to try it out as a birdy too. Voila!

 

This little sweetie is staying with me. Everything went wrong with this one from whoa to go. It was difficult to cut (last one/tired hands?), had a really grubby mark that I didn't notice at first, the riveting went badly and on top of all that it had a serious 'response' to an attempted clean up of said grubby spot with eucalyptus oil! Sheesh! In the end though I rather like her shabby vintage appearance. I hope to have the others up on madeit very soon.

On the wing.

 Blogtoberfest (Day9)

I have put together a necklace using my little enamel birds. For this one, I have used a mix of blister pearls, rose quartz and a little milky briolette to swing off the bottom.

 

I collaged a vintage chandelier glass with some Asian paper - I love how it magnifies the script slightly,

 I think this is a very gentle piece. Somehow it has a very feminine and ethereal quality. I am happy.

I decided to give the red one a much simpler treatment.

 Just a few little beads and blingy bits to highlight my little red swallow.

I cut the leather thonging from a leather skirt I bought in a thrift store ages ago - it was a great colour but a really outdated design - not to mention I feel my red leather days are a thing of the past!

Now I am off to put them in my madeit store.