Why I like stainless steel..

So I have been asked more then once why I like stainless steel as a medium for my jewelry. Well it is one of the most hypoallergenic metals out there. Some mixes of the alloy more then others. It is also very very corrosion resistant which really helps with the longevity of a piece. Nothing is worse then haveing walked into a shower with out relizing you didn't take all your jewellery off. With stainless steel you are covered and really all you will do is easily clean the item. Which for me is a nice perk. I have an anklet I never take off, and knowing that it won't get ruined is a huge bonus for me. Add in its cost effectiveness and its a pure win.

When it comes to other metals I will work with them but I am not at all impressed by how they handle time. Copper will change colors over time so will Bronze, while amazing looking this change in color often triggers allergic reactions to many. Silver requires a lot of up keep as goes Gold to keep is nice and shiny. This is not to say I won't work with them. I will.

But what about colored metals?! Well I won't work with enameled copper. It is far to soft and the coating peals off far to easily in my book. Then there is anodized Aluminum. Yes I do work often in this metal. My only issue with it is over time the color will fade and the unprotected Aluminum will turn skin black. How long the color last has many variables. How was it anodized, how will a person take care of the item and so on. But the colors are really amazing.

Titanium and Niobium I like working with as well. They are great for anyone with allergic reactions to even a hint of nickle. And they can be colored. The colors are not as bight as with anodized Aluminum but I have found they stay longer over all. And the color fading doesn't turn your skin black. They are more pricey then Stainless and Aluminum. Niobium has the same kind of wight as stainless while Titanium has a much lighter wight like Aluminum.

Niobium Starburst in a rainbow pattern.

Aluminum festival bag.

Swooping Chains Stainless Steel Anklet.












You can find both the bag and the anklet on my Etsy store.

Tuesday fog

Oh it has been a long long weekend. Not just fore memorial day. No mine was spent mostly in a hospital with my best friend. I still did manage to get the leash done. It is happily on its way to its new owners. 

I think today I will work on an interesting style of necklace. I may use different colors then the ones shown. That one already sold. So here you go if you want to make one like it! Blessings!

If it won't go bigger you and look here http://pharewings.deviantart.com/art/Chainmaille-Ikea-Tute-457104329

Strange mind

Have you ever just gotten what I call fog brain. 1,000,000 things to do and you sit there with the durp face wondering how long it will take for that one flower to bloom. Yeah ... caffinee is needed. Well on the desk today is a custom leash I am makeing.

Stainless steel (of course and it will be four feet long. I will finish it today really. Here is what it looks like!

Sorry for the crappy picture. But it is coming along nicely. If all goes well I will be making a video or a tutorial for some of the weaves I do in the next coming days.

Happy Memorial day weeked!

Blessings-

B

7 am and I am awake

Sleep is over rated. Unless you're tired, and then that in turn is nullified by coffee. Yay Coffee! Today is going to be a busy one. House work and then working on a custom order that I have. I think I love custom orders the best really. It means some one really really wants an item and so it is going to be loved that much more. On the flip side it also means they are more hyper critical of my work. Which is good because it makes me better at what I do.

As I stated before I work in stainless steel. Lots of it. Why? Stainless steel is a metal that has been used for a long time by companies for many purposes like in the fabrication of kitchen appliances it is also used for watches and now for jewelry. It is often chosen by many manufacturers because it is a very strong, solid and durable metal that will not rust. For these same reasons, stainless steel is now popular in the making of jewelry, other fashion accessories, and some forms of art work. It will not tarnish or discolor your skin and cleans easily in soapy water. It does not contain any cobalt that oxidizes or any nickel that would cause allergy. Stainless steel is one of the most biocompatible (hypoallergenic) element known to man and should not irritate even the most sensitive skin.

They say only 1% of the world actually has an allergy to stainless. I do not work just in Stainless. I will work in other metals such as aluminum and copper on request. Here are some of the custom items I have made.

Red Garnet Capture in Stainless Steel

Full Collar necklace with matching earrings in Stainless Steel

Dragonscale in Aluminum.

Triforce in Stainless Steel

Ankh set in Stainless steel












Okay time to get busy. Have a great day!

Blessings.

Many roads lead here.. again

Ever have an idea and you think okay cool. Then you think.. "Oh wait this one is better?" and then you go.. oh.. wait.. maybe that first idea was the one I needed to do! Yeah.. we will go with that. But they do say mistakes are the best thing to teach us. And lets call this a lesson learned.

The same goes with crafting. I am a chainmaille artist by trade. I have the nicks and scars on my hands to prove it. What is that saying? Wisdom is learned by how much we mess up? Well on this finger here I learned to hold my tools better...

Maybe I should back track just a tiny bit. Chainmaille? Isn't it Chain mail, or Chainmail, better yet isn't it Chain maille? What about Chainmaile? Yes. That is the easy answer. Yes they are all talking about the same thing. ((Even if Chain mail is often also mistaken for "If you share this email the love of your life will come tickle your toes while tiny elves weave gold to the bottoms of your shoes for the low low price of 19.99."))   Okay now that we have that established? Isn't that the stuff knights wore when they were fighting?! The jiggly stuff with the round rings? Yep that's it! So you make Arrmor?!?!

No. Well.. I can. I know how. I use this age old craft for other applications such as Jewellery and accessories. Like this:




Stainless steel and rose quartz.












And even this:

Stainless steel and Hematite.









And so much more! Okay more tomrrow!

Blessings!

-B