I Need Sheet Metal

I've been playing again in my craft room and normally when I play I'm painting or doing one of my other hobbies but yesterday and today was actually playing with sheet metal and wire. I wanted to make some copper bangles but didn't have any sheet copper but did have some sheet metal the color of copper and silver in 24 gauge. It is a little thin for bracelets but thought I would work up some ideas anyway. I really like how the copper colored one came out and I think in a heavier gauge metal it would work really well.

Funny thing that while I was at the craft store buying fake flowers (see last paragraph) I just had to go over to the jewelry and beads section and I found some sheet metal with patterns embossed. So, I got to play a bit more. Here is the set I created with the antiqued gold tone metal pieces.

I think for the other metal pieces I'll get out the big guns (the Dremel) to help with the filing and polishing as doing this with a little jewelry file was time consuming. The bracelet is my favorite piece but they all work well together but I do have to change up the necklace a bit as I just don't like the chain dangles from the top.

Since I was playing and there was no pressure to create something fantastic, at the home improvement store hubby bought me a copper tube cutting tool. This is too cool. I already had the copper tubing but had no way to cut it and never even thought about cutting it up into little pieces for beads but this was so much fun.

It's just this heavy chunky chain and I love it. I may have to make more. I think I'm obsessed.

To take a break from jewelry making, I decided to redo my front porch... ha ha, those of you that know me know that I can not grow flowers at all. In fact, plants and I don't get along and they seem to just wither and die a slow death. Well, last Fall I got the bright idea to put fake (silk) flowers in my flower pots out front. So, I planted sunflowers and mums. It looked so much better than the dead flowers and lasted all Winter. Well, it has been past time for me to update the porch for Spring/Summer. So, off to the craft store I went and found all kinds of silk flowers for my pots. My front porch is now ready for warm weather and I don't even have to water them.

On that note, I'll wish everyone a happy Memorial Day and let us all remember the Veterans who have given their life so that we may have freedom. Thank a Veteran today.