cybik: (earring)
I made a brooch.

I'm not sure if I like it or not. I'm questioning everything I make at the moment, but this at least is finished.

It's made of sterling silver, 18ct gold and stainless steel (the pin, which you can't see).

Landscape brooch

I think it looks a little better in real life than in this photo. I may have to experiment with photographing it.

It's based on landscape, of course, but abstracted a little. Maybe not enough? Maybe too much? I don't know!
cybik: (snakebird)
Here are a couple of skeletons I've made this term. The first is a snake-bird, which I made after the other piece, which is a bird. I thought I'd posted photos of them before, but it seems as if I haven't.

The snake-bird is a piece I would be willing to sell if someone wanted it - if you happen to be interested leave a comment or send me an email. It did take me more than 30 hours to make, though, so be reasonable..


Snake-bird skeleton
My snake-bird skeleton. He's made from steel and has riveted wings. I hammered every single rib to texture it before spot-welding it on.

+4 photos )
cybik: (skeleton)
This is what I've been making lately. As always, click to get larger images.

It's a brooch made of steel that's been spot welded together. It's about 10cm square. The creature has the head of a bird, the ribcage, pelvis and right arm of a human (the arm acts as the catch for the pin), the left arm/wing of a bat (one finger of which is the brroch pin), the right leg of an ape and the left leg of a deer. It's been heated so it goes black and then sprayed with wax polish to stop it rusting.

I'm very pleased with it. It's for a competition, so I hope it does well.



and two more. )
cybik: (boots)
A quick metalwork post to celebrate uni starting for the year.

I've posted photos of this ring before, but the bracelet is new. I started it yesterday, but finished it today. Well, to be honest, I still need to sand it down a little, as there are file marks on it, and then I'll polish it again before sticking it in safety-pickle to make it slightly more matt.

Silver ring and bracelet

It's forged from the same thick, rectangular section silver wire as the ring (which might explain why the bracelet is proportionally thinner than the ring) in a similar way. I like to leave hammer marks on things: the texture makes it a little more interesting, to my mind.


And now I'm going to poke people with swords.
cybik: (Default)
Since I said I'd try to get them up, here are some pictures of what I've been doing lately.

I posted pictures of the same bowl and spoon not long ago, but they are, however, closer to being finished. That's not, as you will have no doubt noted, the same thing as finished. Shame, but I ran out of time. It's not like I didn't put any effort in. Overall I'm quite pleased.

There are also pictures of three pages from my sketchbook - two with drawings and one with a machine embroidery. I'd write more about them but I desperately need to sleep, so I'll just leave you with the pictures (click to enlarge..).

various pictures )
cybik: (infest2005)
Metalwork stuff

For our most recent project, we had to decide whether to do scoring or raising. Scoring is as you would with paper; making a line to help form folds. Raising is a process that uses hammers and stakes to gradually shape objects - usally vessels of some sort (bowls, jugs, vases etc.).

photos for your viewing pleasure )

The shapes are based on the human skeleton, but they are slightly more abstracted than in my last project. In this project we were told to make something functional. I had an idea for a vase based on the pelvis and backbone, but that will have to wait for another time.

I'm enjoying this project a lot. Raising is tiring work, but it's less frustrating (for me) than sawing out tiny pieces for jewellery or anodising aluminium over and over. It's quite a slow process to use (not least because you have to stop and anneal the metal quite often in order for it to be soft enough to work), but it hasn't bored me.

Stuff other than metalwork

Lately I've been trying to read a bit more. I have recently finished The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills, The Three Muskateers (I'd not read it before, which seems bizarre) and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Next I think I shall read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

I'm looking forward to seeing V for Vendetta, even though I'm sure I shall come out of the cinema raging. There are many films I seem to have missed, unfortunately - Brokeback Mountain and The constant Gardner to name just two. I'll just have to get them out on DVD (or wait until a friend buys them and then borrow them!).

I have been baking lots in the last few days. I have made buns and biscuits, and here are the recipes. )

I have also been a bit stressed about money, but hopefully eBay will help with that. I have things I no longer wear which I will collect from home in April and then put up for auction.

I recently went to the college library and found a copy of Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh. It has patterns for various historical corsets (and crinolines, who'd have thought?), a couple of which I have photocopied and enlarged. At some point I plan to make an Edwardian corset for myself as well as a lovely 1860s pattern one (from a pattern not in the book) which is actually the right sort of size for me. Making them may have to wait until I have the money to buy the busks (solid front piece which, one later corsets, opens) and until I have a sewing machine again. I would like to make one of them, at least, out of some beautiful silk I have at home. I think I still have a piece of shot black and blue grey dupioni somewhere.

I'm sure I've forgotten various things, but, as this is turning into a bit of a monster update, it can wait.
cybik: (infest2005)
Another tentacle ring, this time in polished copper. It's been curved a little more than the silver ring I posted before.

This (and much of the other stuff I've posted) has very little to do with my course at the moment. I have spent most of my time in the last six months doing course stuff, though! Some of the things I've made are small and uninteresting experiments and some I just haven't photographed yet. I keep meaning to take a camera in, but I always forget things in the morning.

only one picture )
cybik: (Default)
Lately I've been very busy at uni, but unfortunately I had a cold/cough/random illness last week that meant I didn't spend as much time in the workshop as I would have liked.

a new thing and three old things )

Other than uni I've not been up to an awful lot. I did go to London at the weekend to see the ever lovely Sarah and boyfriend. Other than that, I've mostly been sitting around doing not very much.

I have hardly read a word in six weeks. This is Bad and Wrong and will hopefully be rectified by me going on a reading spree. I have several books lined up already but please feel free to recommend books you think I must read at all costs. Currently I'm halfway through "Sophie's World", a book I've been meaning to read for something like eight years.

Life is good. It'd be better if I saw more people more often. I have not that much money (bah) and I work Saturdays (also bah) but seeing people is quite high on my list of priorities.
cybik: (Default)
Another tentacly thing, this time a ring.

ring )

Again, if you want one, pay me and I shall make you one! ;)

My current project at uni might well end up with me making a sort of spine out of bits of aluminium which'll be bright colours. That's the plan, anyway. I'll take photos once it's finished.
cybik: (Default)
College is going all right, although the lack of one of our teachers doesn't help. She's not around and noone seems to know why. Even the technicians haven't been told! I hope she's okay..

Other news: I got a job! It's only a Saturday job but then again, that's pretty much exactly what I wanted. It's at a framing shop just aroudn the corner (literally) from my flat. They phoned me last week after I had an interview saying I hadn't got it, but then they phoned me today and asked if I was still interested. Woo!

Continuing my theme of only updating when I have work to show, here are some spoons. Yes, I'm going a bit spoon mad, but they're great fun to make!

spoons! )

If anyone wants I'll make you one for £25, though it would obviously not be identical to the ones pictured.
cybik: (infest2005)
So, lately I've not had a lot to do at college. We had a "reading week" that was a bit of a joke, since we didn't have any reading to do. The workshops were, however, open as usual, so I went in a couple of days and played around with some stuff. I've only got photos of one of the things, though; a forged copper spoon. I'll take photos when the things are finished (a silver ring and two silver spoons).

Spoon! )

We've been given our new project, which is based on the RT blanking system (google it) which means you can cut several pieces out of sheet that are identical more easily than cutting them out individually. We also get to colour them by anodising them, which is going to be interesting I think. So, that's all good.


Also, for anyone who is into any of Jhonen Vasquez's work, there is video footage of him speaking at Comic Con. Go to google video and search for Jhonen and the three sections come up.

Profile

cybik: (Default)
cybik

April 2017

S M T W T F S
      1
2345678
910 1112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30      

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 9th, 2025 04:28 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios