Showing posts with label pewter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pewter. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Casting Mania

Since my cuttlefish casting adventure meant that I had all the necessary casting equipment to hand, I decided to make some new silicone molds and cast some new jewellery components.



I used up the last of the compound I had which is good because it was approaching the end of its after-the-bottle-is-open shelf-life. I had varying degrees of success this time around - some casts were brilliant and others - well not quite up to scratch! I was particularly pleased though with how this one turned out ...



It has a rather Victorian look about it.


At this point, it has had a minor tidy up - removing overflow from the edges. Notice how rough and bubbly it is? That is because the mold is new - a few more pours will "cure" it further but hopefully it will retain some of that roughness because I really like it!


Here it is with a patina and an eye added!


It looks old and crusty - just the way I had hoped it would look!  I love to work with found objects but I have come to realise that many of the things I like to work with repeatedly are, like embroidered doileys, quickly becoming a finite resource! So, I have decided to cast some things from objects I find and hence be able to use them more than once in my work. I think it will simply add another dimension to the work - and besides it will be heaps of fun! Here is the first of my "Faux Found Objects"


This has been cast from a very sweet little key that is earmarked for use with a layered pendant I created the other week. It is a great size and shape so I have recreated it using reclaimed pewter. I have cast it with a flat back which will give it plenty of applications. I guess nothing could ever replace the truly found object but I think these reproductions will have their own aesthetic - on their own or combined with originals.At the very least, it is a more useful object than the beer mug it used to be!



Here's looking at ya -  ha ha ha - get it? there is an eye - and it's lookin' at you ..?  Well I thought it was frickin' hilarious but you may feel it only warrants a wry chuckle of amusement - either at my comedic delusions or the pun - I'm not fussed - at least I will have made you smile!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

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!