Vinegar, Peroxide, Sodium Solution Runoff Placed in a Bucket
Bucket Interior
Bucket Exterior
Archive for the ‘Processes’ Category
Gorgeous Gift
Tuesday, June 6th, 2023Rust Tests
Saturday, June 3rd, 2023The solution used was composed of vinegar, peroxide, and salt.
Rebar Ties
Steel Nails
Garden Copper Mesh
Accordion Fold and Cotter Pins
Accordion Fold Left a Grid on the Inside
Metal Strapping
Cotter Pins
Miscellaneous Rust
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Old Stories, Old Friends
Thursday, March 9th, 2023George R R Martin quote-Old Stories are like old friends. You have to visit them from time to time.
Old Stories is the rolled and oxidized piece. The piece next to it is one of my See a Penny pieces.
The rust on the piece did get away from me a bit. Less rust would make for an easier read of the code.
Oxidized clip to hold rolled piece.
Removed clip is tucked into one of the oxidized cotter pins at top of piece.
Piece unrolls to 125″. The piece over the lamp is from the *Eroded Contours series. It is bronze and ceramic.
Used the same fixed up paper to make a matchbook like envelope for the notes on the project.
The note paper had to be folded above tuck for the cover. Made an accordion fold with a tab at the top to easily open the accordion.
When the note paper is unfolded, it tucks into the cotter pin at the top for an easy read.
Materials–Paper, Rust, Sheetrock Tape, Fiber, PVA, Metal, Bamboo
Scale–Rolled 27″ x 3″x 4.5″; Unrolled 125″ x 3″ x .25″
Clip was oxidized in a solution of peroxide, white vinegar, and salt.
*Eroded Contours started with the idea, can fired clay embedded in wax survive the bronze casting process and how would bronze with embedded clay function during the glaze process.
Further From the Truth
Friday, March 11th, 2022Another piece that I am attempting to complete.
The quote in code is–The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.
January 10 2021
Attached code blocks to tree wrap squares with safety pins.
Drifts from Truth Layout, January 9 2021
Had thought about maybe stitching the blocks together.
March 9 2021
When I revisited the piece last week, I decided that I liked the safety pins.
Attached the blocks to a piece of thin paper with PVA. After a thorough drying, attached the blocks to a piece of roofing felt. Then I applied clear shellac. Didn’t expect the result to be so glossy.
I used the same processes and materials for the separate test piece. After a thorough drying, I sanded the exposed white bamboo areas, then applied a product that I hoped would replace roofing tar.
Not sure what I think of the result.
The second test–To dull the finish and age it a bit, I applied a thin application of Rust-Oleum 2X Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover Matte Clear Spray Paint.
Before I decide how to complete the piece, I am thinking about trying another test with paste wax.
I think that sanding the piece so that some of the code is frayed would be appropriate for the quote.
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The quote is often attributed to George Orwell, but it seems that the author is Selwyn Duke.
Materials–Bamboo paper towel (white fabric), bamboo thread, safety pins, tree wrap, roofing felt, PVA, shellac.
Fixed Up Box
Friday, March 4th, 2022Been thinking about making a piece with the quote–“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you; I could walk through my garden forever.”
When I ran across this box in my stash, thought it might be fun to combine it with the quote.
The exterior bottom of the box had a hand written price of 79¢. Made me smile. The notion of how objects are valued is a curious thing. Some would say the value is whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
Box Lid Exterior
The lid of the box has a slot for a postcard or photo that is 3.5″ x 5.5″.
I used a piece of parchment paper and bamboo fiber for the code. I applied PVA to the front and back of the code piece for easier insertion into the box slot.
To prevent the code piece from moving about, I applied some PVA to the right side back of the parchment before inserting it into the slot. Why?
I noticed the postcard was a bit mangled. I thought it was wear from being carried around.
But there are thin wood strips on the top and bottom inside of the slot reducing the space. When I trimmed the code piece, it moved about a tad in the slot. Apparently the wood strips aren’t exactly square. The PVA should prevent the parchment code from shifting.
Code Used
The code is based on an altered Masonic cipher, also know as Pigpen.
Box Interior
I fixed up the interior of the box with a bamboo I-cord, a piece of linen, and some trim that I purchased years ago.
I make a practice of gathering and drying plants to use in pieces. The interior lid has two dried Datura flowers. Why two? For the same reason I have two stacks of bound pennies inside the box.
The second part of the code was stitched onto a piece of tree wrap with bamboo fiber.
I stitched a few flowers onto the flipside of the linen with code.
I placed a beautiful malformed Brugmansia flower on top of the dried flowers to protect them. The Brug flower should prevent the dried flowers from shifting when the box is handled. It should also prevent the dried flowers from flitting away when the box is opened.
Unusual for me, but I did not count the number of flowers in the box. Even typing that makes me anxious. Should have counted them. Maybe I will.
Dried Flowers without the Protection of the Brugmansia Flower.
The bound pennies are located in the front left corner of the box. The binding is a dried Brugmansia flower tied with a bit of cotton cord. There are two stacks of two pennies–the first stack is 1963 and 2018, the second is 1973 and 1990.
Materials
Wood box, parchment paper, tree wrap, bamboo fiber, cotton fiber, linen fabric, cotton trim, dried flowers, stain, PVA
Memory Bowl Tests
Friday, March 26th, 2021Gone back to working on my knitted Memory Bowls. Ran into a problem with the bowls not being sturdy enough. Put them on hold.
The bowls are fiber with some negative spaces within the patterns, a stiffener is in order. In the past I used sugar, shellac, corn starch, liquid starch, floor wax, microcrystalline wax, salt, and miscellaneous other stuff in the past. Wanted to spend some time thinking about how to finish the bowls.
Serendipity?
I have been following Maria Amélia Mendes’ YouTube channel. Her concrete tutorials are easy to follow, with loads of good tips. I really want to make some concrete pieces. Recently she posted a video–How to make baskets with wood sawdust. Thought I would test out her glue formula on a couple of knitted pieces.
The glue was combined with wood shavings and pressed into a form. After the pieces dried and hardened she added an application of her Finishing Glue. It is the same formula as her glue, with the addition of 100 ml of PVA.
Maria Amélia Mendes’ Homemade glue recipe:
1 liter of water
1 cup of cornstarch
50 ml of white vinegar
I made the Finishing Glue for my test pieces. I had forgotten that heated corn starch and water solution can suddenly become thick. Applied the glue to the test pieces. The thickness made it a tad challenging. If the pieces had been fragile, wouldn’t have been able to apply the glue. I refrigerated the left over glue. May try diluting it a bit if/when I use it in the future.
The first bowl is linen with a little plant fiber.
Because the glue was a bit thick, after I applied the glue I gave it a rinse with the kitchen faucet spray function. The bowl was placed over a form to dry.
The second bowl is cotton with plant fiber.
The bowls were placed over forms and left in the sun to dry.
Both bowls are firm and the appearance of fiber hasn’t been altered too much.
My next test will be with wool. Wool can be tricky. My first test using molten wax on wool changed its appearance to a plastic-like surface. Definitely ugly.
Check out Maria Amélia Mendes’ Youtube channel and her excellent concrete videos.
Completed–Be Yourself
Friday, September 11th, 2020Quote Used–Be Yourself; everyone else is already taken.
On a bazillion sites the quote is attributed to Oscar Wilde. According to Wilde folks, he did not write it or say it.
Top Portion–Be Yourself;>
I layout out the code multiple ways to make sure that I really want to use it. I often use an old version of Flash to layout my projects. I like Flash because I make symbols and it is easy peasy to replace them.
The code is based on Morse Code.
Left to Right–Dot, Spacer, Dash
Center Section is Bargello Embroidery
Bottom Portion–Everyone else is already taken.
Completed Piece
Border in rust yarn is based on tap code. The code is–Not an Oscar Wilde Quote
Tap code is a 5 x 5 code with k and c the same code.
The hanger is not a rod it is a piece of tubing that showed up after my husband did an annual on his Cessna. I believe is used for the brake lines.
I stitched on a layer of grey felt to the back of the piece to prevent seeing the wall through, but also to add a sleeve for the hanger (based on quilt hangers), and to add a pocket. The pocket is for notes on the piece. It is common for me to forget the quote used in a piece. Find myself needing to read the code to figure out the quote. The plan is to pop the information on the code and decisions made into the pocket.
Memory Pieces in Progress
Thursday, July 16th, 2020Knit and Fulled Memory Pieces in Progress
After the pieces dry, code will be added, and an application of a stiffener.
The pieces were mostly loom knitted, partially fulled by hand, then popped in the dryer on high heat with a pair of old sneakers.
Work in Progress–False Memory
Wednesday, July 15th, 2020
Used three colors of wool to embroider 1 square by 6 square pieces of 1/4″ hardware cloth. Dark brown for dots, tan for dashes, and cream for spacers.
I used oil sticks fix up the 5″ x 7″ panel.
Each letter has four rectangular blocks. To make the rows tidy, I added spacers if a letter had fewer than four dots, dashes, or combinations.
Each letter is a group of four rectangular blocks that are fastened at top and bottom with a safety pin. There are fourteen blocks–thirteen letters and one spacer.
Used thin dark grey sock fiber to bind through the head and loop of the safety pins.
The silver dots are the edges of the hardware cloth.
My hope is to oxidized the safety pins to add the feel of age.
Work in Progress–Thoughts
Sunday, February 2nd, 2020Thoughts is now bound together. Started adding jute twine for warp.
Also decided to fill the horizontals. Decided to first add horizontals, then they can be locked in with the vertical warp and crosses at the block joints.
Considered using jute-wrapped rope for border.
Decided to use jute rope for two reasons–I like the twist of the rope, and it will be less work and stress on my hand.
When I am working with yarn and twine, I always wrap my hands with waterproof medical tape. The areas that seem to get ripped up and sliced the most are the joints of fingers.
After months of illness, last year I was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease. It is important for me to protect my lungs from further damage. I tried using a medical mask, but it didn’t fit properly. It kept poking me in the eye. I taped the corners to prevent poking, but the mask was still uncomfortable.
Then used an inexpensive dust mask for most of my working session. It was okay, but still did not fit quite right.
It is better to use a mask that has two elastic bands or a respirator. I have a great two cartridge respirator that fits well, but is heavy and bulky while looking down for my stitchwork.
I stopped by Harbour Freight to pick up a better dust mask. They were sold out because of the Coronavirus scare. Then stopped by Home Depot. First looked in the building section, the area with concrete. Found a package of masks. They weren’t what I really wanted, but better than the other two I used yesterday. I found empty shelves in the paint section where masks should have been. There was a sign that stated there was a limit 10 per customer.
Are people being over cautious purchasing mask to possibly protect them from a virus in China?
There have been seven confirmed cases in California.
The best place to acquire correct information is the CDC website.
From the CDC site–
2019-nCoV is a betacoronavirus, like MERS and SARs, all of which have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.
Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by 2019-nCov in Wuhan, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread.