For my final week as an electroforming goddess at
Craft Alliance, I had every intention
of going out with a bang. The instructor encouraged us to bring in whatever we
chose for our last project, and my plan was to metallicize an origami dress or
button-down shirt. (That would have been majorly cool, right?) Per usual since
I’ve begun juggling full-time work and motherhood
and pregnancy, my last minute planning was not conducive to any
origami projects. Never fear – I had a Plan B: a mini umbrella, like one you
put in a cocktail (or mocktail, as is the case for moi). Here are the before
and after pics:
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| I drilled a tiny hole in the top of the umbrella so I can wear it on a necklace or hang it from somewhere. |
When I arrived in class, I learned that my bottle and stork from
week 1 were determined to float. This meant that only a portion of the
items actually turned to metal. We ran it through the bath again, this time
with strategically placed wires to weight them down. Here’s how they turned
out. Not bad, huh?
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| After their first runs in the bath, the pinkish part turned to metal while the brown part did not on the bottle. Only the stork's feet got a good dose of metal. |
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| See how it now looks fully covered? 2nd time was the charm! |
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| This one came out much better the second time, too. Perfect? No. But interesting, conversation starter? Perhaps. |
Project #2 was the calla lily hairpin. I was most excited
about this one, since it’s not only ready-to-wear, it contains flowers from my
bridal bouquet that I’m still obsessed with. (See pics from that day
here.) It
took several tries and magnifying goggles to coat every nook and cranny with
copper paint, but the meticulous work was well worth it:
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| I would be happy to wear this on a headband or pin. |
So, there you have it! It was a blast meeting the other
artsy types in the class and seeing their clever projects. (One classmate used
the plastic pieces that hold 45’ records. Another woman used tiny animal bones
she collected from train tracks!) My future as an electroformer is
uncertain, mainly because I don’t have the space for the necessary supplies
(nor do I want tiny hands exploring the fun baths and machines). Yet, if I ever
have access to a studio, it is a fun way to make unique
jewelry and accessories. None of my projects turned out to perfection - as our
instructor frequently reminded us, the electroforming process is unpredictable
– but that doesn’t lessen the pride or enjoyment I experienced in making them.
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| Freshly painted projects waiting to go into the electrolyte bath. |
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| Students carefully cleaning off their electroformed pieces. |
Do you have any visions you have been wanting to bring to
life? Don’t let fears of
not being “creative enough” or not having prior experience stop you - get yourself signed up for a class! The folks
at
Craft Alliance maintain a supportive, down-to-earth environment. Have you
ever learned a new artistic skill? How did it go?
Thanks again, Craft Alliance and ALIVE Influencer Network
for giving me the tools to develop my delightful new artwork.
