I Made That...

 Often times when doing shows and explaining the process of making things, the comment I hear most is, "You made that?"  So I thought that I would show you a little sneak peek into just how I made it!

So, I bought some of these druzy quartz stones from one of my gem dealers, I initially thought that I would electroform them, which is a process of coating them with a metallic compound and dipping them into a special solution with an electric current, but I am seeing that type of thing all over and wanted them to be a little different than that, so I decided to set them the old fashioned way!  I started the process by making bezels out of different wires to fit each stone perfectly.

I then solder the bezel onto a sheet of sterling silver using flux and solder, the flux helps the solder flow when it gets really hot with the torch and the solder joins the bezel to the silver sheet.

The silver then gets a "bath" in warm acid to remove fire scale and get it nice and clean.  I use a jewelers saw with a tiny saw blade and carefully saw the new bezel away from the sheet.  I file the piece carefully and double check to make sure that all joints are secure.  

 Then I decide how I want the new piece to be used, for this picture I am showing how I am attaching an adjustable ring band to the newly formed bezel and it goes through the whole bathing process again and then gets a tumble in a tumbler with steel shot to polish the piece.

 

The stone is now ready to be set which I do carefully with a burnisher to make sure that I keep the delicate stone safe.  Now they are ready to be worn and enjoyed!!!  

Come and see these beauties this weekend at Shop Hop in Bexley, don't forget Mother's Day is Sunday and Graduation!!    
http://www.bexleyshophop.com/

It is a happy coincidence that the Shop Hop is on Mothers Day weekend this year! Come shop, relax and take care of mom while supporting local business.

http://www.bexleyshophop.com/index.html

Hope to see you there!

Happy Earth Day all!  In honor of the occasion, I'd like to share one of my prettier recycled projects.

 

On FaceBook, I belong to a local group referred to as FreeCycle.  I understand there are many of these in Columbus alone, so I am sure if you search in your area you could easily become part of that group.

 

Anyway, another user had posted two of these chairs.

 

I quickly offered to take them off her hands, although I did let her know that I rehabbed and resold furniture as a little side business.  She was fine with that, just hoping to see them get some love again!  I say this only because you probably don't want to mislead people if do find a freecycle group near you. 

 

You can sort of see from the photo that the rattan is broken in the back.  It was this way on both chairs. 

 

So, once home with me, I ripped out all the rattan and started painting with my knock-off AS chalk paint recipe.  There was of course cleaning and a light sanding involved. But this is what it looked like after those initial steps.

I also used AS dark wax on this set.  The creme was just too pale and really too fresh.  I wanted the upholstery to the real pop! For that, I chose  a heavy linen blend from Waverly.  It has a beautiful shimmer to it!  I would probably redo my entire house in it if I didn't live with the 3 boys!  

 

Here is the right before, I hadn't added the trim yet.  I wouldn't actually make you suffer through this, but I loaded it, and can't figure out how to delete it :(

 

READY NOW??  OK, good, here you go!

 

Can you see that shimmer?? I love this!  And no, I didn't end up selling this one.  I had to keep it. I am almost done with the other one, and am using an Ikat on the back for it with the same shimmery fabric on the seat.  I'll post that when I'm done.

 

So Happy Earth Day Everybody!  And be good to your Mother! ~furbished

 

Time to get your Bike Bag On

Spring is here and it is time to get those bicycles out!  This year at Bexley Shop Hop (May 10th and 11th at Jeffrey Mansion), Sol & Son will be featuring adorable bike bags to hook on to your handlebars.

I am busy making these bags in a variety of oilcloths (for a vintage look) and laminated cottons (for some fresher, more modern patterns).  Ok, well so far I have just been busy ordering a beautiful selection of oilcloths and laminated cottons and working out the kinks in my pattern.  But all these lovely reams arrived on my doorstep today, so I will get busy sewing and posting more pics!

These bike bags will be available in a small size for kid bikes and in a large size for adult bikes.  They hook on with simple velcro strips, so the bags are easy to remove and take with you.

So, come on!  Get your bike bag on!  Happy spring and happy riding, everyone! :)

Crafty B Objet Adapté new Adapted Object Line

Look for Objet Adapté's new line of bags - Adapted Objects. These bags feature unique graphics inspired by vintage Americana. They are designed, sourced and screen printed locally in Columbus and printed on recycled cotton with new, vintage and recycled details. Be sure to check them out at our upcoming shows!

Granville Art Affair & Wine Festival

The Crafty B's of Bexley are excited to have been selected for the 2013 Granville Art Affair & Wine Festival!  Come join us for a great two day show, shop, enjoy picturesque Granville and enjoy some wine too!

http://granvilleartaffair.com/

We Go Together Like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong

Now that the song is in your head, I am sure that you get the point!

We ladies of the Crafty B's feel very lucky to have found one another, we love sharing ideas with each other, love talking business and love to set up shop together!  Not only do we feel that We Go Together Like... (you know the rest!) but we feel that our crafts go together just as well...