Midnight Dew Ring

Well..It's been a long play, but at the end I've got result that I wanted and happy with. Midnight Dew Ring: Verdigris patina (green), Antique patina (black shank) and a cute little fresh water pearl. Verdigris patina required many layers since metal clay is really very porous relatively to metal sheet. So it takes chemical as sponge. I lost my count applying it, just stopped when was close to color I wanted. After 24 hours the color intensify so I just let chemicals work their route. And here is the result.

Midnight Dew Ring

© 2012 Inga Zeitlin 

I just have found very appropriate words for that picture

 Sinks gently back upon her flowery couch   
The startled Night;—tinkle the damp wood-vaults  
While slip the dew-pearls from her leafy curtains.   
That last soft, whispering note, how spirit-like!   
While vainly yet mine ear another waits,   
A sad, sweet longing lingers in my heart.

(from:  Western States: Huron, the River, Mich.
To a Swan Flying at MidnightLouis Legrand Noble (1813–1882)

Kiln's pleasant surprises

I love kiln pleasant surprises :o) Probably I haven't expected such coloring from coconut coal, but  really ... it does look natural green :o) The first photo with natural leaf and the second with natural kiln patina. Now I'm in dilemma - to apply lacquer which probably will kill the patina, or just take as a hint that chemical patina will be equivalently nice?

Kiln update

Just short update of the post below. Remember the ugly sealed hand? Here what I've got after secondary firing. No way! I won't seal it again!

Playing with metal dough

Writing a new tutorial for bronze dangles from homemade bronze clay. First time I'd read about homemade clay at metal clay academy site. The article was written by Del Feast and there he shared his experiments with homemade bronze clay. Then the commercial glass clay appeared and Barry  Kaiser shared his point of view and recipe about glass clay making. I like experiments and possibilities. I merged these two ideas into one and tried my own formula. Then I have found an interesting article or better say patent document "Moldable mixture for use in the manufacturing of precious metal articles" , that was interesting. Couldn't refuse myself more experiments:o) So I decided to play with recipes for clay.  Bought copper, bronze and brass powder and began to "cook". 

 These colorful bronze pieces from another batch and copper just after tumbler nice and shiny

 

The brass was totally failure (didn't liked the color either, colorwise it's almost like copper, so I decided to leave it as a filler for resin), bronze got strange rough texture and a lot of cracking, but sintered well (even thick pieces) under 1550F, copper - was the best, a few cracks, but not really sintered (especially the thick pieces) so I re-fired all pieces at 1700F. So far what I see - Borax takes patina off. In the big pic there are two sets of bronze. All they were fired together and taken of the coal at the same temperature. And you can clearly  see the difference in coloring. In the mix just with CMC (pic 3) there was difference in kiln patina (I think) because one batch was taken off at 450F another at 650F. If my memory serves me right bronze dangles that I made before I took off the coal at 700-800F and the color was darker green. Conclusion for bronze - play with heat (just careful ) to get playful colors:o) 

 

B/W this hand is same colorful piece above just with lacquer. Such a bullsh*t when they say it doesn't change color!!! I'll toss it to kiln and will see what will come back?!

No-flake firing box

Long time ago I'd bought from cool tools no-flake firing box . Never needed enough so never had time to fold it. Now with all these experiments my doggie bowls ended very quickly, so I decided to try the foil box. It had one long 12x24"sheet. By instruction you need one 9x12"and another 9.5x12.5". I cut one 9x12"sheet out of piece and folded the base box (with some injuries to my fingers' flesh, this thing is reeeeeaaaally sharp!!!). Now in front of me I had one 12x12"sheet. I decided that if I use just another 9x12"I will have leftover of 6" that will work  perfectly as cover for the boxes (that will close, but not very tightly, the box). So I folded another box, just with lower walls and a little bigger base (both second folds should be shorter than half). The second box I will be able o use as tight cover for first or as a separate box, even better I can stack them one on another and have perfect size in height for my FireFly.  

Long time ago everybody would point that box should be tightly closed, then came some experiments and notes not to close or leave pre-opened lid, or perforate the lid to let the fumes out. With many years my stainless steel lid became very wavy and box never was tightly closed, but I didn't see that causing failures in firing. That means - pre-closed box is OK. Point is - now I have two firing boxes:o)

I've tested the box- NO flakes! Cool!!!

P.S. Some update for the no-flakes box. Hmmm... not sure if I like the "expiration date". Very short:o( after ~5 month of use, all box full of holes. It took ~ 4 years for stainless steel box and a year or two for dollar store steel bowls to get holes. So... my excitement ended pretty much quickly. Back to flakes:o)

Doodle troubles

My doodle decided to examine a new package of 1.5 kg wool for felting that just has arrived (and I was stupid enough to leave it in his reach). Now I just can pray that he was too busy to open and tear up everything and didn't tasted it. Can you imagine my reaction? Don't bother, it is obvious isn't it? Ahrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

Poetry time

Today I've opened Paulo Coelho's Blog  and found a beautiful poem that has led me to R.Tagore's  poetry. A few thoughts  from his "Stray Birds":

THANK the flame for its light, but do not forget the lampholder standing in the shade with constancy of patience.

*

IF you shut your door to all errors truth will be shut out.

*

HE who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good.

*

WHAT you are you do not see, what you see is your shadow.

*

That reminded me one of mine favorite Lithuanian poet V. Macernis and his triolets that I still keep in my head from high school times.

I know Google translator is terrible, but I fixed a little to get a better sense 

Once I had believed in love -
I was a fool of faith,
I wanted to find the same silly as me.
Once I had believed in love:
Ethereal and beautiful fairy tale ...
They would not dare to hurt it.
Once I had believed in love -
I was a fool of faith.
**********************
Now I am very wise -
Named skeptic myself.
Although there is a lack of faith and love,
Now I am very wise,
Stagnant in cold sorrow space,
With glacial tears in the eyes,
Now I am very wise -
Named skeptic myself.

Doggie problem tip

Something from the LIFE. Did you notice that when you have kids you became knowledgeable in babies illnesses and food prep and all these must know little things about babies. Well... when you have puppy, you became expert in all your neighborhood dog breeds, dog foods and home remedies for dogs. A few month ago we had a new addition to our family - labradoodle Archie. 

 

But before this big event I conducted a very deep research (almighty internet!!!) about breeds, theirs characteristics and of course food, genetic diseases and veterinary secrets, how to heal your dog with home remedies if needed.  Funny thing is, the more you know, the more problems you see. We had dog 16 years and just last 2 years we had acknowledge the vet existence (besides yearly vaccination, that I did just last 6 years), never had any problems, that I couldn't treat myself. Now, after a big research I realized, that I was right not over vaccinating my dog, and understood that former vet was malpracticing  when vaccinating and treating my old and sick dog. Now I'm internet smart and not being that naive client for any vet. And just got poof of that. Archie a month ago had swallowed part of pantyhose (part of my felting set not very well hidden), luckily I was close to him, and got him gagging it back and was able to pull out the pantyhose, but Archie left with damaged/irritated intestines.  Well... Archie ended up with 24 hours diet: camomile tea with honey (fed with syringe because he wouldn't take in himself), then 24 hours with probiotic yoghourt and after that he was like new:o) Today in the dog park I've heard a similar story, but the owner a young guy and didn't know what to do, ended up with 1300$ bill. Poor dog was 3 days in hospital with IV and still on meds. But at least he is happy and playful as he was again. Expensive, stressful but with good end story. You live and learn?!