Tiny mouse

With the left over bronze clay (used to make the ammonite pocket watch fob), I made one of my classic mice. He did melt a little but he still looks like a mouse!

And I even signed him on the bottom!

This little fellow is only a couple of centimetres tall and sits proudly on the top shelf of the mice (instead of spice) rack. All of these mice, except the bronze and knitted mouse (bottom shelf), were made during my college years. I did get on with work, honest!

Preparing for a knitted Christmas!

I thought it would be fun to knit a couple of dinner placemats as a Christmas present for my sister (sort of a joking house warming gift too!). Working out a simple pattern was complicated enough so we'll see how I go when I knit it for real!

Funky dory hat

The other month, my sister asked me to knit her a hat. nothing crazy about that, easy peasy!

Nope!

Sure it became natural to me once I was in the swing of the pattern but wow was it difficult to start! I used a sock needle, ie one of these lovely things...

...and casting on was simple enough but knitting the first row was a whole other experience! I know it's just a hat but the cast on stitches were... not so much as tight... you know, it's hard to explain unless you try it, then you will understand what I went through. They felt tight but they weren't, they were just difficult to work with for a reason I simply cannot explain. After the first knitted row, the rest of the pattern became a doddle and I'd quite happily knit another!

Small rant thing aside, here is the finished hat! The first pompom however my sister made was GIGANTIC! So here is the hat with the much smaller pompom attached, lovely!

Sorry the image quality isn't brilliant... but you get the idea!

Bear pendant... Revisited GRR!

The reason I am revisiting this small project so soon after making is simple; my fun friend unfortunately lost his necklace. Hopefully it is in his clothing somewhere or his uni room but for the time being, I have cleaned up the copper prototype as a temporary measure until the original silver one is found or I create a new one.

I have sprayed the copper pendant with varnish to prevent his chest from going green... This will also stop (to a certain extent) the copper from tarnishing... Usually anyway!

If I do end up making the the silver bear again, I will be able to redesign the arms. I wasn't happy with the arms or the paws of the bear, they were good considering the size but a designer will always find problems within their work.

So if you are in Lincoln (UK) and you find a silver bear like the one above, please oh please message me!

Thank you my lovely Moment-eers!

Ammonite Shindigs - the Final

This is it! The final bronze ammonite pocket watch fob is completed!

Phew!

I am incredibly relieved it is finished. Bronze clay is very strange stuff. It's slightly springy and it would have been incredibly useful if there were better instructions on the packet.

For my advice, watch plenty of video's on Youtube about using metal clay. Cleaning can be difficult if you don't have the proper pickling solution (dilute sulphuric acid usually) but I managed with white vinegar and salt (again, there are video's of that online). It is definitely one of those 'practise makes perfect' techniques and I'm only glad my first use of metal clay wasn't in silver!

Ammonite Shindigs 5

When the clay was thoroughly dry, I was able to sand down the surface of any rough textures and edges. I didn't spend a great deal of time on it, the piece is to resemble a fossil and not all fossils are smooth and perfect...

It is still quite heavy even when dry (that would be the bronze particles) so a constant warm space is ideal and after a couple of days, you can be sure the clay is fully dry.

Next stop, FIRE!!!

Ammonite Shindigs 4

Alrighty! I have finally started making the final pocket watch fob! About time too, my mad eccentric boyfriends birthday is on Monday...

I have made the Pleuroceras ammonite I have been going on about so this will be a short post! Possibly...

I ordered 20g of Creative Bronze Clay and here is what a 20g ball looks like against a 10 pence piece.

I didn't use the whole 20g as I didn't need the whole ball but here is the sculptured clay next to the same coin.

And finally, here is my sneaky snail logo! Right there on the outer spiral... Yay!

Once the piece is fully dry, I will be able to sand the surface lightly is is smooth. It will also shrink fractionally and then a tiny bit more when I attack it with the gas torch... It is smaller than I had planned it to be, books and other websites claim it's like regular potters clay. It is but it's quite sticky and also very springy, hence why it is smaller than intended... It kept springing back on itself! AND I discovered I didn't need to oil the work surface, my hands and tools, not to the extent they recommend anyway!

More on this to come within the week!