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| She Walks In Beauty |
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| But son, always serve wine |
Yesterday I introduced you to a fabulous tool making company called ImpressArt, which was recently honored by CHA with an award for one of the hottest new products for 2012 (here is my review). So today, I want to show you the first couple of pieces that I made using their tools and some of their blanks. There will be more tutorials coming in the future, but I just had to start playing immediately...you know how it is when you get a new toy :-)
I've gotten all hung up on poetry lately, so two of my pieces are inspired by wordsmiths: Lord Byron's She Walks In Beauty and J. Peter Meinke's Advice to My Son.
The stamping tools, steel block, hammer, and positioning tape are all available from ImpressArt. The copper pipe, pipe cutter, copper wire, and brass brush are all available from your local hardware or art supply shop.
1. Cut tube beads from copper tube.
2. File ends and rough up each with brass brush.
3. Heat to red hot, quench, and hammer almost flat. Heating like this softens the metal. Once you've hammered them, they become work hardened again.
4. Insert wire, hammer flat, and heat again to soften the copper before stamping.
5. Use positioning tape to space letters. Draw on the marks where you want each letter.
6. Use ImpressArt letter stamps and brass hammer. I explained yesterday about how the thickness of my copper led me to bang a bit too hard and leave the circular marks. I got better as I went! The copper and brass blanks that you can get from ImpressArt are thin enough that this isn't a problem.
7. The set: she walks in beauty like the night
8. Use acrylic paint rather than markers to darken the recesses. Once the metal has been heated and roughed up, markers will not wipe back off as easily.
9. Make links from copper tubes.
10. Make gemstone links to go in between.
11. Add links at ends as needed.
12. Attach toggle clasp with jump rings.
As regards FTC disclosure guidelines: I have received tools free of charge from ImpressArt in order to write a review and/or create a project free of charge for you. I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.
Copyright 2012 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.
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