Posted by mandarific on Nov 7, 2009 in
Featured Artists It’s Iron Pour day at East Carolina University today – I just got back from helping some of the students unload and reload the low melt that had been full of molds to be cast, and in just a few hours the furnace will be heating up to bring the iron to a molten, bubbly liquid. My fiancé was nice enough to walk us through the mold making process – not exactly a “Do it Yourself” project, but it’s certainly interesting to see how it’s done.
After what can be a few hours to a few weeks of working on detailed wax molds, the sculptors pack their “blanks” in a fine sand to create the mold. After this, the wax is melted out in a special kiln so that the leftover space in the packed sand can be filled with metal to create a casting.
It’s a detailed process that you can read all about at Landon’s blog, as well as check out some of his other work. As for me, I am off to get some sleep – I’m looking forward to today’s pour and can’t wait to bring you all some of the pictures of the process! :)
Tags: casting, iron, sculpture, tutorials, wax
Posted by mandarific on Oct 29, 2009 in
Featured Artists The last few days have been fairly busy for me – getting ready for Halloween and working on getting several new design projects off the ground, this blog has been a blessing to be able to relax and enjoy some good art. One of my favorite hobbies that I don’t have nearly enough time for is needlework – I love cross-sitch and embroidery, and am often looking for new ideas beyond the pre-packaged patterns available at most craft stores. I was pleasantly surprised today to see that Apple and Eve had posted a wonderful tutorial for her satin stitch.
Eva’s designs are gorgeous – she creates personalized dolls, bunnies, and other such characters that are decorated with beautiful embroidery. All lovely keepsakes in their own right, the critters are decorated with swirls and flowers reminiscent of traditional embroidered patterns, but so that they stand out against the spikey edges of a hedgehog or the floppy ears of a bunny.
Eva’s Satin Stitch Tutorial gives us several large, clear images of how she completes her stitch, as well as reference for how much thread she uses for the stitching. She’s also welcomed anyone to ask questions of her work and how she completes it.
Though she refers to this style as being “challenging,” it seems like a nice basic style that can be added to anyone’s repertoire, and a must-know for those looking to do more detailed embroidery and “filled in” areas. Are you an embroidery guru, or just learning how to stitch? Share with us some of your favorite projects and needlework tutorials!
Tags: crafts, diy, embroidery, tutorials
