Another Squarish-Looking Hanging Thingy

Yes, that's the little brother of my first Japanese 8 in 2 Captive 1 (J8in2C1) in blue fade.

This time, I used anodized aluminum (AA) rings with bright aluminum (BA) as captives.  Same general specs as last one, but the aspect ratios (AR's) are slightly different.

Several things to keep in mind when switching materials:

1.  The wire diameter (WD) can vary from vendor to vendor, even from batch to batch depending on when the rings were acquired.

2.  The WD of AA can be very, very different depending on the colors; yes, even from the same vendor, the same batch; this happens to even the best vendors.  My guess is it has to do with the anodizing process of aluminum, how much of the material is eaten away in order for the different pigments to enter and adhere to the voids in the metal.

3.  Well, this one you maillers out there all know already, the inside diameter (ID) changes greatly from metal to metal; the harder temper ones have greater spring back, giving bigger ID, therefore, bigger AR; and this really throws up the overall structures!!

4.  At the beginning of these shapes, the captive rings tend to pop out when I'm not looking.  Felt like I was constantly running after that escaped ring for both of these projects...  I'd imagine it may help by adding a piece of thin gauge wire to temporarily hold the first few squares together, kind of like using a piece of wire to start those pesky Half Persian weaves.

5.  At last, but not least, the whole square will get tighter and tighter as you go.  Much like many other chainmaille sculptures, the last few rings can make the toughest guys cry....  Well, not me!!  I cheated a little by slightly folding the square to make the last few connections, sort of like "folding the space", ya know;-)  Hee hee, does this sound geeky?  But you get what I mean:-)

Any how, the results are very satisfying!  I think I'll make a few more of these, maybe one in each color!

Yay!!!

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Holiday Trinket 2013 in Japanese 8 in 2 Captive 1

Yes, I know the closures on this are rather embarrassing, but I'm so very happy that I finally, finally, (wait, wait for this....) learn how to read "Maillese", that's if that is a word, or a language:-)

Japanese 8 in 2 Captive 1 is a weave that I had wanted to do almost from day one when I started mailling, because ....  well, it looked easy enough, and yet so pretty.

Well, that was over 4 years ago.  I tried many times; none worked; googled all over; no samples.  The most recent attempt was about 6 months ago; failed.  I gave up.

Then, I saw this discussion by CMB on MAIL.  OMG!!  What can I say?  If only I learned how to "read"!  I totally misunderstood what the "Captive" means......  so sad:-(

OK, so this is what I made last night; a shameless copy of Zlosk's weave entry, along with my WIP photos.

 

 

et, voila!

It's looking so, so pretty!!  And feels nice too with the weight of the stainless steel and bronze rings in a very rigid form.

Specs are exactly as what CMB said in the discussion thread: stainless steel 18 swg, 3/16" and bronze 18 swg, 1/4".  But I think I made the mistakes in using saw cut rings, which looked to be little smaller AR than the machine cut rings.  I absolutely did not "mind the gaps", LOL!!

These sure make very pretty holiday trinkets, don't you think? :-)

btw, I also made a little sibling for this trinket; wanna see?  Come over here.

More pix?  Please visit my Picasa web album.

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Purrrrrrrple PawPrints Bracelet

Purrrrrrple and sooooo purrrrty:-)

(that sounds like a sticky keyboard, LOL!!)

What do paw prints and Borg have in common? (quick!)

It is futile to resist them!  Oh, I crack myself up!  XD!!!

Same design as its little big brother, this PawPrints bracelet is all purple and very light weight.

The anodized aluminum rings keep the bracelet light as feathers (almost), while the stainless steel connector rings provide strength.

At 1" wide, 7 1/2" long, this cutie is easy on the wrist, thanks to the subtle toggle bar latching into the last paw print units on the other end of the bracelet, making it nearly seamless and very comfortable to wear.

This lovely bracelet is now available for purchase at my online studio DaisyKreates.com.  Hope to see you there.

Visit my Picasa web album for all the Purple PawPrints:-)

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PawPrints Chainmaille Bracelet

Presenting another new daisykreates' original design in chainmaille:

My PawPrints bracelet!

Although the idea of paw prints is not new, and there are plenty of images symbolizing our love for our critter friends, my PawPrints design is my tribute to all the dogs and cats who have graced our land with their paw prints, and showed us the true path to enlightenment!

This design has been quite a while in the making, tracing back to my original prototype in July of 2012.  It had since gone through several experiments using other chainmaille weaves, but in the end, I came back to the classic Japanese weave for its clarity and manga-like simplicity, because ...

Less really is more!

Made with a variety of sizes and materials of jump rings, my PawPrints bracelet presents my stylized version of paw prints using nothing but round metal rings to achieve the delicate balance between strength and flexibility.

PawPrints bracelet measures at 7 1/4 inches long, 3/4 inch wide, and 3/16" thick; is made with jewelry brass, stainless steel, and bright aluminum jump rings, fastened with a plated lobster claw clasp into the large double rings of the last paw print on the other end.  Very low profile and just the right amount of weight (0.5 oz), ensuring comfortable daily wear on the wrist.

Interested in purchasing this item?  It is available for purchase in my online studio DaisyKreates.com.

Want your PawPrints in different materials and colors?  Leave me a message here on this post's comments section and let me help you choose a combination of your own.

Check out more views of the cutie in my Picasa web album.

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PawPrints

Working on a new design.....

I call it, PawPrints.  Yes, there's definitely influence of "Stepping Stones"; can't help it, I like zigzags.

Or, another possibility which is more prim and proper, maybe PawPrints of a feline kind....

Personally, I like the first one, the more "left and right" kind.  :-)

Now we wait for the new order of anodized aluminum rings to arrive to make a complete PawPrints bracelet .....

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