Electroforming At Craft Alliance - Week 3

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:

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?

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.

See how it now looks fully covered? 2nd time was the charm!

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:

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.

Freshly painted projects waiting to go into the electrolyte bath.

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.  

2 comments artists, diy, jewelry, st. louis fashion, stl-style

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