I want to put a new old spin on my maille. Where are some good places to find old watch gears, sprockets, gizmos, and tidbits? Also looking for a decent place to find leather scraps. Any/all help is much appreciated, and you just might get a present if you help me out. :D Email me, leave a comment, twitter, etc. You know how to reach me.
Cheers!
26 January 2009
21 January 2009
Guitar Straps
I've made a couple of guitar straps, which are time consuming but very, very rewarding. Both were commissions from fellow Enforcers. The first is for a friend, BigRed, who wanted a steel strap with his name in red aluminum. This was my first attempt at a guitar strap and I think it was successful. The ends are made of a soft leather piece I found at a craft store. They are doubled over, sewn together with red rings, and grommets punched through the end to attach to the actual maille strap. This one was made specifically for Guitar Hero/Rock Band
The second is for another friend who actually plays guitar. His handle is TwoTone, and he's all about the checkerboard. This one is entirely aluminum, with the added challenge of a full inlay. The leather ends were made in the same fashion with turquoise rings vs red. I made a very silly mistake while making this one and ordered two different ring sizes. Oops! Had to remedy that.
These were very fun projects. Simple 4-in-1, but it's amazing how versatile that weave is.
The second is for another friend who actually plays guitar. His handle is TwoTone, and he's all about the checkerboard. This one is entirely aluminum, with the added challenge of a full inlay. The leather ends were made in the same fashion with turquoise rings vs red. I made a very silly mistake while making this one and ordered two different ring sizes. Oops! Had to remedy that.
These were very fun projects. Simple 4-in-1, but it's amazing how versatile that weave is.
15 January 2009
More Fun With Braceletes
I really need to get into the habit of posting regularly, so I am going to start by putting up a pic here and there whenever I get them onto Flickr. Luckily, I took a bunch of pics the other day and only showed you a few on my last post.
A lot of times when I am at work, I have a few spare minutes on my lunch break after eating to fool around with some rings. I also have a lot of small batches of miscellaneous rings leftover from previous orders.
To keep myself occupied, I have been flipping through the many, many weave pages at M.A.I.L.L.E. Artisans. I am a bit limited by the ring sizes I have on hand, but I do what I can to learn some new tricks. Very recently I've fallen for the Alligator Back weave. It is very strong looking, easy to learn, and makes a great statement.
I started with some 16g 1/4" ID AA and EPDM to make one for myself. I wanted to give it more of a punk feel and make it a good, wide band, so I strayed from pure Alligator and added a couple more rows of Euro in the middle.
The weave is very stiff in this size, but the rings are also new. The EPDM will loosen up with wear, at which time I will most likely take a bit of length out of the bracelet so it remains a snug cuff on my wrist.
This next bracelet is also stretch, 1/4" and Alligator Back weave, but it is much more flexible. The aluminum rings are 18g instead of 16g, which not only loosens up the weave but also makes the green EPDM more prominent. Perfect, since the friend I am giving it to loves that color. I was tempted to widen this one like the black/purple variant, but as I put it together it looked better than I originally hoped.
That's it for today. I will try to update regularly, once or twice a week. Poke at me on IRC/Twitter/etc. if I fall behind!
A lot of times when I am at work, I have a few spare minutes on my lunch break after eating to fool around with some rings. I also have a lot of small batches of miscellaneous rings leftover from previous orders.
To keep myself occupied, I have been flipping through the many, many weave pages at M.A.I.L.L.E. Artisans. I am a bit limited by the ring sizes I have on hand, but I do what I can to learn some new tricks. Very recently I've fallen for the Alligator Back weave. It is very strong looking, easy to learn, and makes a great statement.
I started with some 16g 1/4" ID AA and EPDM to make one for myself. I wanted to give it more of a punk feel and make it a good, wide band, so I strayed from pure Alligator and added a couple more rows of Euro in the middle.
The weave is very stiff in this size, but the rings are also new. The EPDM will loosen up with wear, at which time I will most likely take a bit of length out of the bracelet so it remains a snug cuff on my wrist.
This next bracelet is also stretch, 1/4" and Alligator Back weave, but it is much more flexible. The aluminum rings are 18g instead of 16g, which not only loosens up the weave but also makes the green EPDM more prominent. Perfect, since the friend I am giving it to loves that color. I was tempted to widen this one like the black/purple variant, but as I put it together it looked better than I originally hoped.
That's it for today. I will try to update regularly, once or twice a week. Poke at me on IRC/Twitter/etc. if I fall behind!
14 January 2009
A Long Overdue Update
With pics! Happy 2009 everyone. Here's a little bit of what I have been up to, including a few pieces from my previous commission list.
First up, my good ol' Pirate Bands. Still a good, simple favorite among friends. These two are shipping off to Australia.
Next, the choker with scales. A commission for a birthday gift, this is custom sized and accented with a few red TRL scales. A little bit of jingle!
If you follow my flickr, this is a repost of a previous bracelet. BUT this one was done in a semi-professional manner, instead of using a poorly-lit camera in my work office. Stepping Stones (love this weave, nagged it from the lovely folks on the TRL forum) in sterling silver. Sooo pretty.
More pieces to come soon. With that next TRL order I'll have plenty of stuff for you guys to see. My hope is to not only improve on my mailling (as always), but to improve my photography of my work and eventually get a more professional setup with lights and backdrops. Thanks for looking!
First up, my good ol' Pirate Bands. Still a good, simple favorite among friends. These two are shipping off to Australia.
Next, the choker with scales. A commission for a birthday gift, this is custom sized and accented with a few red TRL scales. A little bit of jingle!
If you follow my flickr, this is a repost of a previous bracelet. BUT this one was done in a semi-professional manner, instead of using a poorly-lit camera in my work office. Stepping Stones (love this weave, nagged it from the lovely folks on the TRL forum) in sterling silver. Sooo pretty.
More pieces to come soon. With that next TRL order I'll have plenty of stuff for you guys to see. My hope is to not only improve on my mailling (as always), but to improve my photography of my work and eventually get a more professional setup with lights and backdrops. Thanks for looking!
04 January 2009
Ordering!
Hey All. Sadly my camera battery chose the worst time to die this weekend, and I did not get a shot of the ornament I gave to my parents. So, I'll describe it to you! A frosted silver/white glass ornament from Target, captured with sterling silver byzantine and E4-in-1, and a little flourish with four dangling mobius chains. I'll get a picture of it next year when it is hanging on the tree. The visit home was great, and I got back into town today just as the first flakes began to fall again along the west coast.
Now, down to SRS BIZNES.
I am making a TRL order this week. On my plate so far is 18g 3/16" sterling silver, 18g 1/4" black AA, 16g 5/16" purple AA, same size blue glow stretch, and 16g 5/16" flat stainless. If there is anything you want, LET ME KNOW. It is better/easier/cheaper for me to do large orders. In other words, it lets me sell you awesome stuff for less. :D email me, catch me in IRC, or post a comment here. I will be checking all 3. I plan to order on Tuesday or Wednesday, so talk to me soon!
Current Commish List:
sterling elf weave bracelet (7.25")
sterling half-persian choker (15.5")
stainless belt chain (23")
aluminum kingsmaille cuff (6.5")
Pirate Band, purple w/ blue stretch glow
Pirate Band, green w/ blue stretch glow
E4-in-1 stretch glow choker
*DONE/DELIVERED* HP3-in-1 black choker w/red scale accents
Medium dice bag w/inlay, black/purple
*DONE* Pirate Band, blue w/ black stretch
*DONE* Pirate Band, pink w/ black stretch
Now, down to SRS BIZNES.
I am making a TRL order this week. On my plate so far is 18g 3/16" sterling silver, 18g 1/4" black AA, 16g 5/16" purple AA, same size blue glow stretch, and 16g 5/16" flat stainless. If there is anything you want, LET ME KNOW. It is better/easier/cheaper for me to do large orders. In other words, it lets me sell you awesome stuff for less. :D email me, catch me in IRC, or post a comment here. I will be checking all 3. I plan to order on Tuesday or Wednesday, so talk to me soon!
Current Commish List:
sterling elf weave bracelet (7.25")
sterling half-persian choker (15.5")
stainless belt chain (23")
aluminum kingsmaille cuff (6.5")
Pirate Band, purple w/ blue stretch glow
Pirate Band, green w/ blue stretch glow
E4-in-1 stretch glow choker
*DONE/DELIVERED* HP3-in-1 black choker w/red scale accents
Medium dice bag w/inlay, black/purple
*DONE* Pirate Band, blue w/ black stretch
*DONE* Pirate Band, pink w/ black stretch
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