A chronicle of the meanderings, false starts (which in retrospect, while sort of embarrassing turned out to be highly instructive), epiphanies, selective apathy (still evolving), wild mood swings, opinions (subject to frequent change), and life lessons of an inveterate dabbler (and her latest dabblings).

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Baubles & Beads Design Team Reveal

Earlier this summer I was invited to be part of the Baubles & Beads Design Team. I accepted! First on the agenda was a challenge using a packet of supplies sent to the members by Baubles & Beads last month. Here's a picture of what I received:
I took the picture above as a "teaser" shot, so I didn't capture everything. Here are the other items:


(Yes, there was a pair of the square brass elements. I might have experimented on the other one with a hammer...) The spool is copper core wire in "Vintage Bronze."

I had intended to do two pieces with the items, but so far I have only been able to finish one of them (this one is mostly done):

Of course I can't bear to leave a piece of metal unaltered, so I flattened out the brass bib, transferred a digital pattern from Aesthetic Addiction to it with Press N Peel and a household iron, and then etched it. I love the weight of this component, it's a more than generous enough gauge (18 maybe?) for etching, and of course the edges are all nicely rounded and finished, so no grinding or sanding necessary! It's raw brass, making it perfect for etching or patina work.

After I etched it, I added holes and tube rivets at the bottom to hang things, and antiqued it in ammonia fumes:

Then I colored it with blue and green dye-oxide Swellegant patinas from B'Sue Boutiques, adding several coats of Age-It from Sculpt Nouveau to make it look a little older, and eventually sealing it with multiple coats of Permalac and Renaissance Wax:

The teal and olive green cording were the inspiration for the whole piece, so I used the cording to make tassels (my first tassels ever!). I used vintage brass beadcaps for the tassels, ammonia fumed to black and then lightly colored with gilder's paste, adding my own agate, kyanite and Russian amazonite beads. I added a couple of the brass cubes from Baubles & Beads to the dangling beads.

For the strands to hang the bib, I knotted turquoise and jade onto olive green Irish waxed linen, and finished them off with more of the little brass cubes (I love the way they look knotted onto cording). No clasp yet, but it's almost done!

I have another project in mind for the remaining items. Can't wait to get started on it! It will involve more tassels, with the other two skeins of cording (this silky, supple cording is perfect for tassels! And since it's nylon, you can even seal the ends with a thread burner if you wish), and I'm envisioning some texture and patina on the square and round lattice brass elements.

Check out the links below to see all the other designs created with the same kit in different color palettes!

You can also sign up for the giveaway to win your own kit and use the 20% off coupon code BPSEP through September 30, 2013 at the baublesandbeads.com shop.

Michelle Mach
Lori Anderson
Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp 
Erin Prais-Hintz 
Jean Yates

27 comments:

  1. Absolutely love this piece! The etching is gorgeous and I love the tassels. That's a great way to show off all that pretty cord. That brass collar had me stumped, so it's nice to see a beautiful example of what can be done with it.

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  2. Geez Louise but did you knock it out of the park! I really wanted to etch that piece...maybe you can email me about your method and the iron on stuff? I have read so many examples online but you have it down.

    Love the tassels, too! Fantastic idea. And the hex beads, I figured you'd like those as much as I did. They seem to work with every style.

    Amazing work, but I'm certainly not surprised!

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  3. This is absolutely gorgeous! Stunning... all those adjectives!

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  4. Gorgeous! I enjoyed learning how you made the collar, and the etching and pantina really makes for a stunning piece!

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  5. This is absolutely stunning! Your creations are always so fabulous.

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  6. Holy moly! You made that scallop submit! I love what you did! I wish that I was as fearless as you! That patina is awesome. I have never been able to get Swellegant to mold to my whims like that. I will look into the Age-it as well. This feels so much like you. How wonderful to see what others do with the same materials! My post is late to the party but it is up now if you want to come and see what I did. Enjoy the day. Erin

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  7. Love this! It is really well done and I love the color!!! Have a Blessed day!!!

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  8. Wow. Just Wow. It's gorgeous and I would have never pictured that from the plain brass piece. I agree with Lori - you knocked it out of the park, across the street and broke a car windshield. Wow.

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  9. amazing what you did with the brass piece. What a gorgeous necklace. Well, gorgeous is an understatement. I'm in awe!!!

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  10. Amazing!!!! I love what you did with the brass piece. I am amazed at the added element the tube rivets make to the piece (as opposed to just punching holes). You created a beautiful piece!

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  11. Oh my gosh I almost missed this incredible piece!!! You are fantastic! I love this!!! What an awesome piece! :)

    jean

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  12. Oh you are YOU! I am so thrilled to be in this with YOU!!! You are brilliant!
    jean

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  13. Fabulous!!! I love what you did with the brass bib. The tassels are way cool. Your necklace is stunning.

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  14. This is just gorgeous! So in awe & inspired.

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  15. A-MAZING! What a show stopper. Every element of this piece is just incredible - from the etching (which I'm still afraid to do!) to the colors, to the rivets, to the fringe - just awesome!! This belongs on the cover of a magazine - IMHO anyway. :-)

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  16. Well, your piece is fabulous! As always, lol.. I have a question : You describe the method you used to do the etching on the brass bib -'transferred a digital pattern from Aesthetic Addiction to it with Press N Peel and a household iron'
    Does this digital pattern method require a specific type of printer? I have an ink jet (old) so I use rubber stamps for my designs. Someday I will get a new printer but mine still works. :o(
    Thanks!
    patty

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    1. Hi Patty,
      Unfortunately the Press n Peel technique requires a laser printer--toner is the magic resist that gets bonded onto the metal. You work up a black and white design on your computer (you can buy digital scrap paper files on Etsy), print it out onto the special blue paper, and then use an iron to transfer the image to the metal. Peel off the paper, then etch! You can check out the link I provided above for more information about this process.

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  17. That bib is out of this world amazing!! I love the colors you chose for it and the techniques you used on it. Mind...blown!

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  18. That is beautiful! All of my favorite colors in one piece :)

    I was wondering about the sealants you mentioned (Permalac and Renaissance wax). How do they work with coiled or woven pieces? Would it gunk up the small spaces between wires? Sorry to ask, I just really want to start preserving the oxidized finish on my copper jewelry, but I have no clue what to use!

    Thanks!

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    1. Permalac works fine on wire wrapping and even chain, I use it all the time on all my metal (except for silver). It's actually quite thin so it seeps immediately into all the cracks and crevices and dries almost immediately. I often can't even tell by looking that it's there, I have to rub it with my finger (I can tell by feeling it if I've lacquered it.) I don't generally use the wax on wire work, just over patinas like this one (but some people do). It is harder to keep "gunk" from happening with the wax, you have to clean up the excess in cracks and crevices with a toothbrush or whatever before the wax dries, otherwise it's hard to get off. Clear Guard is similar to Permalac (I've not used it), but less expensive. It is available from MissFickleMedia on Etsy or Sculpt Nouveau.

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  19. I love what you did with the bib! It is magical.

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  20. The color and the etching are what make your piece stand out. I love the tassels and I have a bead similar to the one you used in the front. I hadn't decided what colors to put with it to show off its delicate coloring. This is perfect and intend to use it as inspiration to finish this project.

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