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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

One More Way To Waste My Time


I find it amazing how many ways I can find to waste time creatively. Of course, I do make these while watching a movie..., what was the name of that now..., hmmmm..., The Forbidden City? LOL. Actually I watched that movie while making the same chain in stainless steel. I watched The Andromeda Strain, while making this particular chain and stone wrap.

At first I started out with the idea of making another keychain with the wire wrapped sandstone, but then I realized I didn't have the hardware to complete a keychain in brass. While making a few jump rings, they hooked together and the light bulb above my head turned on. Why not a chain, says I. I had all the hardware in brass and a whole coil of solid brass wire. And so it began....

Link by link, the strand went together until it was near twenty inches long and then I hooked a lobster claw clasp to the end. It was rather plain and I wasn't content with the strength of the chain, so as a solution, I decided to double link it. I'm rather pleased with the outcome, even if I do say so myself....

The second chain was made of stainless steel and a black stone off the beach was used as the pendant. Truth is that the stone will eventually make its way into a keychain setting. But for now, I'm content to leave it on the stainless steel chain. I'll put up a photo later.

Now talk about difficult to make. I became so frustrated, that it took me two movies and two days to complete it. The stone was wrapped with two pieces of wire twisted together. Lesson number one is that stainless steel wire doesn't twist very well..., it breaks before the twists tighten.

Lesson number two came with the chain and all the little links that somehow became magnetized and clung to my tools. It is no fun to hook a link in place only to have it remain with the pliers when you go to crimp the ends together. Or worse still, when you go to pick up a link and find that a half a dozen have clung to the tool.

I'll work with stainless steel again, but I don't know when. I found the frustrations I went through, made the piece not as worth it, as it normally would be.


5 comments:

Marja said...

Grear job I love stones A favorite stone here is greenstone.
Very clever how you put the wire around it

Darlin_Jo said...

Alright Gimme I may have to barrow this idea and try making a few of my own. Really pretty idea. I have the stones, wire and clasps I have just given up on trying to do anything I enjoy anymore. But you have inspired me and I feel I shall try again.

~Darlin~

AngelBaby said...

What a clever idea. You are so creative. I wish I had though of this. I am impressed. thank you for sharing this.

Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby

Menoedh said...

A unique waste of time...

Anonymous said...

Hi Gimme a Dream, you waste time in the nicest ways!

It's a small world, since I found your comment on the Tim Linden blog, and we know each other through Yuwie...