Showing posts with label junk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label junk. Show all posts

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Deconstructed Watch - Not gluing the glue-ables



Remember I said the inspiration fairy visited me after I got the Rings & Things Goodie bag, right? Well here's another fabulous project I made with the Brass Square Frame....

The Deconstructed Watch

One of the great things about this project is it can be made for $10 or less. The cost for the brass frame is $6.70. If you have the tools already and you are hoarding junk, then you're not going to spend anymore than that.

I've been haunting the flea markets and buying up old watches and keys. That set me off to buy special watch tools because I couldn't take the watches apart. This project uses the watch parts I've been able to get from the my flea market finds combined with "stitching" the parts onto the brass picture frame.



Materials:

Circular watch part approximately 29mm in diameter (to fit onto the brass frame)

Brass Frame #49-441-0
Approx. 30mm square brass picture-frame charms, 1.8-2.2mm inner diameter loop. 1.3-1.7mm thick. Fits 25mm image.

6 Glass dagger beads (14mm or so)

4 feet 28 gauge brass wire

1 6mm or 7mm jump ring


Tools:

metal hole punch pliers
small files
steel bristle brush
wire straightener pliers
wire cutter (to cut the 28 gauge wire)

Directions:

1. Cut four holes, one on each corner of the brass frame - on the flat metal not on the raised edge.

2. File the holes smooth so there are no rough edges.

3. Above filing will cause scratches in the smooth finish of the brass so use the steel brush to create a satin finish on the brass. Brush the brass frame with the steel brush in circular motions on the front and the back of the frame.

4. Cut the 4 feet of 28 gauge wire. Use the straightening pliers to take out any kinks in the wire.

5. Hold the circular watch part to the brass frame as you thread the wire ends through the two top holes.

6. Pull the left wire end to the opposite hole at the right hand side on the bottom of the frame. Pull it diagonally across the front of the circular watch part. Thread it through the right bottom hole to the back.

7. Pull the right wire end to the opposite hole at the left hand side on the bottom of the frame. Pull it diagonally across the front of the circular watch part. Thread it through the left bottom hole to the back.

8. The wire makes an "X" holding the circular watch part in place.

9. Pull the right bottom wire end over to the left bottom hole and thread through to the front.

10. Pull the left bottom wire end over to the right bottom hole and thread through to the front. You're "sewing" the watch part into place.

11. "Sew" across the front again pulling the left wire diagonally across the front to the right top hole and the right wire diagonally across the front to the left top hole.

12. Thread wire ends through the top holes and then cross to the opposite side and thread through the front.

13. Sew diagonally across the front on both sides and thread through to the back.

14. Now add 3 dagger beads to the wire on one side.

15. Make a circle with the dagger beads and hold them in place while you thread the end of the wire through to the front to the back. Secure the circle in place by threading back to front. Do the same for the other side.

16. Sew diagonally across the front and wind the end around the top ring two to three times. Do this with both ends. Trim the wire with your wire cutters.

17. Attach jump ring.

I managed not to glue any of the "glue-ables." I had alot of fun challenging myself and coming up with ways to use them in an unconventional way. Other than gluing, what might you have done with any of the glue-ables I showed you this week?

Monday, November 10, 2008

Hammering Away....


Lately, I've been developing a new relationship with my hammers. Not my carpenter's hammer but the ball peen and chasing hammers. Although I have basic hammer knowledge, I'm learning the finer points - like why are there so many choices in chasing hammers?

My ball peen hammer and I have a serious relationship that has developed from creating pendants for my sentimental junk, here a pieces of pottery found in the garden one spring day.

Filing smooth, hammering the edge and creating a texture for the brass sheet is soothing and cathartic as I pound over and over again to get just the right finish to the bowl bezel.


I'm going to add a couple of beads or charms at one end but can't decide if I should make a metal charm or if I should look for paw through my box of junk looking for a teeny tiny sentimental whatnot.

Have YOU hammered something lately? Doesn't haven't to be jewelry, it might just be hammering a loose nail. Do you think it's cathartic or do you just miss and get your thumb(OUCH!)?

(Hammer Photo Credit: Ball Peen Hammer)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Grandma's Jewelry and Kazmer's Staple



I'm going through all of my sentimental bits and pieces to work into jewelry. I spent the weekend working on the pottery shards. So I went back to my treasure box and pulled this out. It was one of my grandmother's - I think my father's mother or my husband's maternal grandmother, not sure which now. It's small, about 14.5 inches - it fits tight to the neck. They're a good example of the "staple" I see in Kazmer's Making Connections book. I'm working on trying to create some as refined as these are - the ones I made this weekend were clumsy. I know - I need to show a picture and I will - stay tuned.

Have you done any metal work? Are you trying a new technique with your work?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Score at the Flea Market


As if I don't have enough of my own junk, I made a trip to the flea market before it gets to cold to go. I found a vendor who repairs watches so he has a lot of old watches and small watch parts. He was amazed to find out that people are making jewelry and art out of the old parts. I scored some fabulous antique and vintage watch cases with crystal intact. The square watch case has an amber crystal - sooo cool!

Can't forget the other vendor I found who had tons of old brass hardware and skeleton keys.

It's finds like these that inspire me and make me want to go back!

Do you have a favorite piece of junk or junk store you frequent?

Monday, October 20, 2008

Sentimental Junk


Guess what these are?

Yep, pottery shards and they look like they came from an early 20th century dump.

You'd be right.

The dump was a garden on my father's family farm. The house I grew up in. The house my father was born and died in. I found these shards digging in the garden one year, readying the ground for planting.

My oldest brother laughed at me. Why do you want those old broken pieces of plates?

It's history, I told him. We know what kind of plates they used, we know where they were made and from what.

I'd like to work these into charms like my ABS colleague, Lynn.

What would you do with them?