Book pendants and inspirational metal books

 

I started making some metal book pendants and some small inspirational metal books.

I managed to cut and stamp the metal for 7 books and 5 book pendants.

I got the five pendants up to the polished stage; but still needed to add chains. The square books for the book pendants are 3cm square; and the rectangular ones are 2.5 wide and 3.5cm long.

I managed to get chains on two of them - love heart chain for a love pendant

I'm hoping to finish the books and book pendants on Sunday. 

Small book earrings

©2019 Barry Smith - Tiny book forms unopened on rust table

I have made time to finish riveting, grinding and polishing the book forms for my seven pairs of book earrings.

©2019 Barry Smith  - At the grinding wheel - nylon jaws on piers to ensue not to mark the silver-plate

©2019 Barry Smith  - Keeping the pairs separated

Opening the tiny books

©2019 Barry Smith - Bookform in the vice that has smooth faces

©2019 Barry Smith - Opening the book forms with a bone folder - appropriate for a book?

©2019 Barry Smith - Be Kind books open

So assembling can begin.

©2019 Barry Smith - Peace and love book earrings assembled

That will be finished over the weekend. Photo of the tiny 'kindness' book pendant unopened below

©2019 Barry Smith - Kindness book pendant

Fiddly bits

©2019 Barry Smith - A pair of tiny silver-plated book earrings on the anvil which is covered in gaffer tape to protect the silver-plate

I got a few hours today to progress the making of book earrings as product for sale at the upcoming Compassion Artist's Books Exhibition.

Stamping, drilling and riveting these small book earrings (12.5mm wide and 17.5mm long after grinding) does take time and patience - they can't be rushed. In all I'm making 7 pair of the earrings.  As you can see from the photos below they will have compassion related words stamped on the second leaf of the books.

©2019 Barry Smith - Forty-two tiny blanks of silver-plated brass cut from a silver-plated placemat

©2019 Barry Smith - "Be kind" - 3mm metal letter stamps

©2019 Barry Smith - "Love peace"

Each book gets two tiny rivets.

©2019 Barry Smith - Small pendant book - 15mm wide and 25mm long - "kindness" 

©2019 Barry Smith - Two pair of assembled book earrings ready for grinding and polishing

I managed to assemble 3 pair and one tiny pendant today. Once I have finished assembling them all I will take then to the grinding bench. They will then be opened and have jump rings and earn wires attached.

Pendants of love and healing

©2016 Barry Smith - Bound book - metal pages bound for filing

I was asked to make a book-pendant (a pendant with 4 metal pages) with some words of healing and love in it. The person wanted to give it to a friend who is seriously ill. Her mother had told her how I had made one for a friend of her; and how her friend treasured it and wore it all the time so she could feel calm and loved.

The words to be stamped in the book-pendant were up to me so I chose: calm, hope, healing, love and peace.

When making these book pendants I give the selection of metal special attention as I some way I want to add a touch of energy to the pendant.  As you can see from the photo below even special recycled metal can look a bit dodgy before grinding and polishing.

©2016 Barry Smith - Pages cut and page 3 ready for stamping

Fortunately I usually know that quality silver-plated metal is going to come up well as you can see from the photo below.

©2016 Barry Smith - Before the final polish - page three stamped with healing words

When I was cutting up metal for the page to be stamped I came across some heart decorations - I thought these were a bit of a metaphor of the friend in the middle surrounded by love.

©2016 Barry Smith - Found hearts

The bits were polished ready for assembly.

©2016 Barry Smith - Books and earrings ready for assembly

They look good with their chains and ear-wires etc.

©2016 Barry Smith - Pendants of healing and love

And of course I tend to make more than one to give a choice.

©2016 Barry Smith - Pendant of healing and love (5.5cm long and 2.5cm wide)

©2016 Barry Smith - Pendant of healing and love (5.5cm long and 2cm wide)

It was a calming thing for me to do these today after quite a busy week.

Moon and Metal

The sky last night was extremely clear so it gave us a good view of the moon - well half a moon. I wanted to catch the edge where it goes from extremely bright to week darkness - the Canon Powershot did quite a good job in capturing the detail.

2015 Barry Smith - Half of an autumn moon

2015 Barry Smith - Half of an autumn moon

2015 Barry Smith - Edge of half of an autumn moon

The main art task for the weekend was making another couple of stashes of silver-plated leaves. I wanted a stash to take with me to a cheque presentation meeting on Wednesday evening; and lately leaves have been selling in the 601 mvr gallery shop, so I needed to make a stash for the gallery shop. I wanted the leaves for the Wednesday event as the local rotary club (Rotary of Maleny) are presenting art4place with a sizeable grant to assist with the installation of the Peace in the Trees sculptures; and I just wanted to give the Rotary members a token of thanks for their support of the community.

As you can see from the photos below I have been successful in creating both stashes.

2015 Barry Smith - Thank you leaves for the meeting (10cm-14cm in length) - various silver-plated metals

2015 Barry Smith - Thank you leaves for the meeting

2015 Barry Smith - Leaves for the 601 mvr gallery shop (15-18cm long)

2015 Barry Smith - Leaves for the shop cut from an ornate but worn silver-plated capper tray

A friend was telling me about a friend of hers who has advanced cancer and she wanted a gift for her - I offered to make a pendant with healing type words as a gift from me and her.

2015 Barry Smith - Front and back plates of the  healing and hope pendant

2015 Barry Smith - Healing and hope pendant

And of course when one is chopping, hammering and polishing metal there are always going to be a couple of add-ons - earring made from fractured leaves and the edge of a tray.

2015 Barry Smith - Swinging half leaf earrings - silver-plate - about 6-7cm long

2015 Barry Smith - Ribbed silver-plate earrings - about 5cm long

A good weekend's work.

Finally - book earrings

Fiona and my weekend has been full with jobs on the block; and attending an artists' book exhibition in another town. There was a fibre exhibition in the same venue as the artists' book exhibition - both exhibitions are beautiful - so in the future I would like to share a few close texture shots from the day.

©2014 Barry Smith - Metal on the anvil for micro earrings (20mm long X14mm wide)

 For an hour or so yesterday and a couple of hours today I managed to squeeze in work on micro book earrings and book pendants. Following are a few photos of the earrings drilled, riveted and polished. The earrings have love stamped on one earring and peace on the other. The are about 20mm long, 14mm wide and 6mm deep. The earrings and pendants are made from recycled silver-plated EPNS.

©2014 Barry Smith - Four sets of micro books

©2014 Barry Smith - Four sets of micro books

And a photo of the book pendants - about 35mm long and 20mm wide - one is stamped with the word wonder and the other dream.

G2014 Barry Smith - Small book pendants

And this is how the micro book earrings will look when assembled. I have added a gold jumping in for contrast.

©2014 Barry Smith - Peace and Love micro book earrings

©2014 Barry Smith - Peace and Love micro book earrings

I think the pair of earring above will make their way to Carol. Several pairs of the earrings will make their way into the online shop during the week.