Tidying up

©2019 Barry Smith - Long spirals of silver-plate from the edges of round placemats

The tidying up of my garage-studio continues as I'm determined to divest myself of stuff I don't use; and make the garage-studio space a bit more creative friendly. A couple of photos of the rearranging follow.

©2019 Barry Smith  - Space sorted, cleaned and ready for a more efficient set of recycled cupboards

©2019 Barry Smith  - Looking more organised on the other side of the garage - still aways to go

I'm also determined this year to use some bits that are sitting on the worktable to enable me to keep the clutter down. This means using offcuts as soon as I can - this includes using the spirals of metal left over from the Tree of Life bowls and bits I salvaged as part of the silver-plated tray cutting episode I did quite some tome ago. I was able to cut 'tiny pages' out go the edge of one of the spirals to make some tiny book jewellery and other bits to make some earrings and pendants.

©2019 Barry Smith  - Punching holes in salvaged cut bits including round tray handles

©2019 Barry Smith  - Small silver-plated 'metal chips' for the smelting collection

©2019 Barry Smith  - Tiny book pages - 12mmX20mm - cut stamped and ready for drilling

©2019 Barry Smith  - Punched and reward for grinding and polishing

©2019 Barry Smith  - Stamped and drilled and ready for grinding and polishing

Because I ran out of time the bits need to be ground, polished and assembled - a job for the weekend.

Small metal books

©2018 Barry Smith - Reflections, shadows and rust - looking down on the three freestanding books - casting their own light and shadows in the sun

I have used a bit of the time over the weekend to progress the making of some small metal books inspired by Maleny Celebration of Books next weekend.

I planned to do: a couple of small (pages are 50mm high and 30mm wide) freestanding sculptural books; and a number of small (pages are 19mm high and 13mm wide) book earrings.

As you see from the photos below I managed to get the freestanding books completed.

©2018 Barry Smith - Opening pages of the small metal books in the vice with tap to protect the silver-plated metal

©2018 Barry Smith - Each metal book has its own content (word - in the car of these three shine, breathe and wonder)

©2018 Barry Smith - Shiny covers still in a need of a little cleaning to get rid of the marking used for opening the pages of the books

And I made a pair of the books for the book earrings. These are tiny siblings of the larger small metal book.

©2018 Barry Smith - Tiny earring books - with their own words (stamped with 1.5mm metal stamp)

©2018 Barry Smith - This photo shows just how tiny the books for the earrings are

I hope to get more of the book earrings done during the week and blog on that later.

Plans of their own

Fiona and I hosted three young women today for an art "workshop" day. Fiona to do calligraphy and bookmaking; and I to do various bits of metal work.

I thought I'd do a bit of resin jewellery; a bowl each; and a leaf. Instead they decided - yes to the resin work; yes to a leaf if it could become a pendant and be shiny; plus a pair of book earrings each and a couple of pressed earrings.

Fiona and I shared the day - with me starting with resin; and then after lunch doing the leaf and book earrings - with Fiona supervising the day and playing a great support in the metal work area. Some photos of a very successful day follow.

©2016 Barry Smith - Hands of the maker - opening a silver-plated leaf

©2016 Barry Smith - Pressing domes

©2016 Barry Smith - Riveting book earrings

Now officially tired so I will stop and enjoy a drink with Fiona and a friend on the breezeway deck.