tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90957582474006837002024-03-13T10:03:07.182+00:00Shpangle JewelleryHandmade keepsake jewellery and paperweights. Please visit https://www.shpangle.co.uk Email: mick.shpangle@virginmedia.comShpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-44704295502629731722024-03-01T09:49:00.000+00:002024-03-01T09:49:11.894+00:00Preserving Formula 1 Tyre Rubber Debris<p>I was recently sent some pieces of Formula 1 tyre rubber debris that someone managed to collect from their visit to the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in 2023. The lady wanted me to preserve the tyre rubber within a resin paperweight, and this is what I made for her:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFGld20Uj3p_LkkSf6oNK0a6wRGEka58p5ItIZSYVXCv76RLuHHAxgsd_WdakEmdLqpSe0ec8KK3REGcOxZyf0FbIWe1t6wysKsd6dQ0_17joHt3BECSvYtMAX1tqsDSXJLBeUzcm1p7wAR_e7dzLHz774DVahmkSB0n9oufOD9PCenpKhetxw54gQ2U/s4000/PC120839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Resin paperweight containing pieces of Formula 1 tyre rubber" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFGld20Uj3p_LkkSf6oNK0a6wRGEka58p5ItIZSYVXCv76RLuHHAxgsd_WdakEmdLqpSe0ec8KK3REGcOxZyf0FbIWe1t6wysKsd6dQ0_17joHt3BECSvYtMAX1tqsDSXJLBeUzcm1p7wAR_e7dzLHz774DVahmkSB0n9oufOD9PCenpKhetxw54gQ2U/w320-h240/PC120839.JPG" title="Formular 1 Tyre Rubber Paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Formular 1 Tyre Rubber Paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I set the Formula 1 car tyre rubber inside a domed resin paperweight and had it embossed with the wording ‘Silverstone F1 2023’. The tyre debris rubber pieces were bigger than I imagined. With the biggest piece of rubber measuring approximately four inches in length (which I had to cut into two to fit the paperweight), and the smallest measuring approximately one inch in length. The rubber debris left on the track is often referred to as ‘marbles’ within the racing world. I think they should be referred to ‘shredded’ in this case! <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGhs0iWxxsR9PvlQiQSdubBBseFqCRXa7Mu8KewGYzQtHfpGCHK59whBnuBaafV6lalDY0xtck9SCqRwOV55D3INeCRBsnwrRZV6fxmZqO6t5l-6DpLL0TeUw3osGbobzQO9FfdR3jb5Q5hYQyiLKxf2KwiLgaAn7bgHr2Tzo2BVpLz7h3CVIcHE2fho/s582/tyre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Formula 1 racing circuit with car and tyre debris (marbles)" border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="582" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjGhs0iWxxsR9PvlQiQSdubBBseFqCRXa7Mu8KewGYzQtHfpGCHK59whBnuBaafV6lalDY0xtck9SCqRwOV55D3INeCRBsnwrRZV6fxmZqO6t5l-6DpLL0TeUw3osGbobzQO9FfdR3jb5Q5hYQyiLKxf2KwiLgaAn7bgHr2Tzo2BVpLz7h3CVIcHE2fho/w320-h252/tyre.jpg" title="Racing circuit tyre rubber debris 'marbles'" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing circuit tyre debris 'marbles'</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The customer who sent me the tyre rubber were lucky to attend the 2023 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and during their visit managed to collect (or perhaps they were given) the tyre debris that had been left behind on the track after the race. How they managed to collect the tyre rubber is a mystery to me (or to be honest, I forgot to ask). Maybe people who attend Formula 1 races are allowed onto the track after a race? Either way, having the rubber mounted within the paperweight is a lovely keepsake and memory of what I can imagine having been an amazing day!</p><p>I must admit that I am not normally a fan of Formula 1 motor racing, I have visited our local motor racing venue (Mallory Park) on many occasions to watch classic and club motorsport, but Formula 1 has never appealed to me. However, if anyone from Silverstone or any other motor racing circuit would like me to recycle the left-over tyre rubber marbles into paperweight gifts, please let me know!!</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-27343005040169040302024-02-14T15:37:00.000+00:002024-02-14T15:37:34.490+00:00Personalised Name on Rice Jewellery
<p align="justify">
Name on Rice jewellery provides a unique and personalised jewellery gift of writing a message or name on a grain of rice. The Name on Rice jewellery is an ideal gift as it can be uniquely personalised for its recipients; with the addition of other small trinkets and memorabilia to the glass vial and of course the rice writing itself.<br />
</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRbsNZveEeraS2_tQZfwARkUTIPUzLN3IeC2giW996BKTOnVys0HhFOKBu3rM9sI2vWr7ptXt2IUbxpvlaN9NVXHWPAIl6tkvqmcnQoWmuUG24RxfEsL9lXkQ08EGvZN6yfhEPV_4KtJYyU68fY1ljo64u9DOQj6RvYjLMeq0mW6VEI-dLevJ93YGfms/s334/name_on-rice_necklace.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Personalised Name Necklace" border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="334" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRbsNZveEeraS2_tQZfwARkUTIPUzLN3IeC2giW996BKTOnVys0HhFOKBu3rM9sI2vWr7ptXt2IUbxpvlaN9NVXHWPAIl6tkvqmcnQoWmuUG24RxfEsL9lXkQ08EGvZN6yfhEPV_4KtJYyU68fY1ljo64u9DOQj6RvYjLMeq0mW6VEI-dLevJ93YGfms/w320-h240/name_on-rice_necklace.jpg" title="Personalised Name Necklace" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised Name Necklace</td></tr></tbody></table>
<h2><span><a name='more'></a></span>What is Name on Rice Jewellery?</h2>
<p align="justify">
Name on rice jewellery is based upon the ancient art of rice writing; the art and skill of writing small enough to fit a word or phrase on a single grain of rice. According to ancient legends, the writing on a grain of rice is thought to bring good luck, good fortune and also protection for its recipients. Today rice writing is thought to be one of the many wonders of the world.<br />
<br />
The grain of rice is preserved within a glass vial containing oil; other personalised items and colour can also be included. The glass vial complete with silver plated jewellery cap can then be adorned as a Name on Rice necklace, pendant, charm or even a Name on Rice keyring or phone charm.
</p>
<h2>How is Name on Rice Jewellery Made?</h2>
<p align="justify">
The art of writing on a grain of rice is an ancient tradition that requires great skill and practice to be done well. Using an extremely fine-tipped pen, the artist writes a name or message on a single grain of rice. The grain of rice is then sealed within a glass vial containing preservative oil that also protects and magnifies the grain of rice. To make the Name on Rice jewellery even more personalised, other small trinkets and mementos can also be included within the glass vial such as birth-stones, small flowers, glitter and colourings. <br />
<br />
</p>
<h2>Name on Rice Jewellery - History</h2>
<p align="justify">
The art of writing a name on a grain of rice originated in Ancient Turkey and India where artists who were previously skilled in making miniature paintings decided to turn their skills to making art with their ancient symbol of prosperity...Rice. During this time, people believed that anyone who had their message or name on a grain of rice could become extremely fortunate and prosperous; hence the tradition of giving rice art evolved.<br />
<br />
Many years ago a man wrote two hundred letters onto a single grain of rice with a single strand of hair and today this is displayed within an exhibit at a very famous museum in Turkey.
</p>
<h2>Name on Rice Jewellery - Symbolism</h2>
<p align="justify">
Rice being the staple food in the Far-East clearly associates it with prosperity, fertility and good fortune. It is often said that the more rice one has, the more prosperous you are and in some cultures rice rather than gold is considered a symbol of wealth.<br />
<br />
Since ancient times rice has been deeply symbolic of fertility and was often used during rituals as a sign of good luck and prosperity. The symbolic nature of rice led it to be incorporated into jewellery, mainly in the form of good luck pendants and necklaces. The writing of messages and names on a grain of rice further personalises these wishes of good luck to the recipients.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hO8wyxChCacPhJVgDiR0MZjFuxPU-PgDo6tiM6X0fgnw8g8gLsmSEwiZUWBy9p4rRbacJCZCkyB6Bzr8IFupl8t3lZ-Rkcz_IltuZXueAklz5SMuiVT-dh_m8IN_-T9NI0VM3H6167J33F3n17-gqvS70fVTfXfbqZ3XM2zZKa6ckPf-HUE1Vh26rfI/s334/name_on_rice_charms.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Name on rice Pendants/Necklaces" border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="334" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hO8wyxChCacPhJVgDiR0MZjFuxPU-PgDo6tiM6X0fgnw8g8gLsmSEwiZUWBy9p4rRbacJCZCkyB6Bzr8IFupl8t3lZ-Rkcz_IltuZXueAklz5SMuiVT-dh_m8IN_-T9NI0VM3H6167J33F3n17-gqvS70fVTfXfbqZ3XM2zZKa6ckPf-HUE1Vh26rfI/w320-h240/name_on_rice_charms.jpg" title="Name on rice Pendants/Necklaces" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name on rice Pendants/Necklaces</td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
If you would like to find out more about how the name on rice jewellery is made, please visit my page <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2024/01/how-to-make-personalised-name-on-rice.html" title="How to make name on rice jewellery - Keepsake Jewellery">How to Make Name on Rice Jewellery</a>
</div>
Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-56084689123335688512024-01-23T10:01:00.002+00:002024-02-14T15:43:25.870+00:00How to make personalised name on rice jewellery and charms
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Name on rice jewellery is the ancient art of writing on a single grain of rice. Once mastered, rice writing is a rewarding and personalised art-form that is also said to bring good luck and prosperity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYm2R3T_1Wa1gFNl-dlHDAZq-LAZKknZM2vfChWNqEFcUxPnIC9YElNOSe_5h3uUZaNPniBbscYCPgN2NWIV1h6dMMDunk1VjyMT_zb2huHvAD6Dwe7YxW37yXhFbDkR5Q2HyjvptRZ7YnZnjyipJgQ6mD0jSYvQmOaKJLbGYpzlwe6k7tTrtDdgXPuQ/s2288/rice%20writing.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Names written on two grains of rice" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYm2R3T_1Wa1gFNl-dlHDAZq-LAZKknZM2vfChWNqEFcUxPnIC9YElNOSe_5h3uUZaNPniBbscYCPgN2NWIV1h6dMMDunk1VjyMT_zb2huHvAD6Dwe7YxW37yXhFbDkR5Q2HyjvptRZ7YnZnjyipJgQ6mD0jSYvQmOaKJLbGYpzlwe6k7tTrtDdgXPuQ/w320-h239/rice%20writing.JPG" title="Name on rice writing" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name on rice writing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span>The following describes some of the processes involved in rice writing and a guide for making name on rice jewellery. It is intended to give a background to the art for those wishing to purchase or create Name on Rice jewellery.<br />
<br />
If you would like to find out more about the symbolism and history of the art of rice writing, please visit our <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2024/02/personalised-name-on-rice-jewellery.html" title="Name on rice jewellery - Personalised Name Jewellery">name on rice jewellery</a> page.
</div>
<h2>Name on Rice Jewellery - Equipment</h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One advantage of rice writing is that very little specialist equipment is required and most items can be purchased from art and craft stores or online. The following are a basic list of equipment that is required to enable you to create name on rice jewellery.
<br />
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0P0Twb9SSedBWgxBbf1m7TRcLIkBcTqS4IKuzFGQrjr-RfR1MRQWK0p1TulKXZOqkxqYZYbYGROHj2zQVzKPeKIMDuLbAEsihR3tcx70LOLP8kN5kgpbbkoTWdtikOi5WGNwxVWyZnoESKGl6pcMfcLEjiFAct0edWD-33gHSXIBVv9c22xrEvg61vo/s443/name_on_rice_equipment.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Name on rice jewellery - Equipment" border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="442" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0P0Twb9SSedBWgxBbf1m7TRcLIkBcTqS4IKuzFGQrjr-RfR1MRQWK0p1TulKXZOqkxqYZYbYGROHj2zQVzKPeKIMDuLbAEsihR3tcx70LOLP8kN5kgpbbkoTWdtikOi5WGNwxVWyZnoESKGl6pcMfcLEjiFAct0edWD-33gHSXIBVv9c22xrEvg61vo/w319-h320/name_on_rice_equipment.jpg" title="Name on rice jewellery - Equipment" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name on rice jewellery - Equipment</td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<li>Cleaned rice such as Jasmine or common long grain white rice. This rice has a flat cylindrical shape and because it is flat it provides two wide surfaces for writing. The rice should be kept within a sealed bag containing a small amount of oil to prevent it from drying out.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>A very fine-tipped technical drawing pen. A line thickness of 0.2mm is acceptable and this should contain waterproof and fade-proof ink and can be purchased either online or from an arts and crafts store.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Magnifying oil to fill the name on rice jewellery glass vials. This will not only preserve the grain of rice but will also allow it to freely move within the vial. I recommend purchasing the oil that is specifically sold online for name on rice jewellery making. There are alternatives that can be used however long term discolouration of the oil may occur and the grain of rice may not be adequately preserved. Oil based dyes, inks or paints can be used to colour the magnifying oil if required.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Polymer clay is used to hold the grain of rice steady whilst writing. It is also useful for holding the glass vial upright when filling with magnifying oil and leaving to set overnight.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>A small glass vial to contain the grain of rice once complete. This comes with a rubber stopper and silver plated cap. This can then be hung as a name on rice pendant from a necklace, bracelet, key-chain or phone-charm.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Small decorations used to enhance the name on rice jewellery such as Swarovski crystal beads to represent birthstones, miniature flowers or glitter and fine beads.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>A magnifying aid and light can be used whilst learning the art of rice writing. This can either be the free-standing magnifying light or the kind attached to the head using a headband. Both types are readily available from craft or hobby shops.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Superglue to fix the stopper and cap to the glass vial that forms the name on rice jewellery.</li>
<br />
<br />
<li>Tweezers, cocktail sticks or toothpicks used for handling and manipulating the grain of rice.</li>
<br />
</div>
<h2>Name on Rice Jewellery - Writing</h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This section provides advice on the art of rice writing and further information on how to make a piece of name on rice jewellery:<br />
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiL98_lbwSNJqy8gWDlIExpZwDCS8O2Ud_KbFAnKWD3k9TT3wjCURabEdLas1tZE2dtzFF9BWYsNLkHhA3DeuBIxxhiTx1PkC9ob-6N198fi8RneIAPjBJUaLpJEv4eKPvtTm8NhWx760TErubgh4dpm73gNxLBejyN37qWrzUR2R8Ko5L7usZQ3Grnk/s399/name-on-rice-writing.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Name on Rice Jewellery - Writing" border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="399" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiL98_lbwSNJqy8gWDlIExpZwDCS8O2Ud_KbFAnKWD3k9TT3wjCURabEdLas1tZE2dtzFF9BWYsNLkHhA3DeuBIxxhiTx1PkC9ob-6N198fi8RneIAPjBJUaLpJEv4eKPvtTm8NhWx760TErubgh4dpm73gNxLBejyN37qWrzUR2R8Ko5L7usZQ3Grnk/w320-h239/name-on-rice-writing.jpg" title="Name on Rice Jewellery - Writing" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name on Rice Jewellery - Writing</td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Before you begin writing on a grain of rice, it is likely that the rice itself may have been preserved within a small amount of oil. Take a small pinch of the rice and lay it down onto a sheet of paper towel and cover with another sheet of paper towel for several hours to remove any oil present.<br />
<br />
Once the oil has been removed from the rice, take a single grain of rice and lightly press it into a piece of polymer clay.<br />
<br />
You are now ready to write on the grain of rice. Holding the pen close to the nib, carefully start to write onto your grain of rice. Some mistakes can be corrected by removing the ink by a light rub with a cotton bud, otherwise discard the grain and start again with a new one!<br />
<br />
Every so often your pen may pick up oil residue from the grain of rice and this may cause it to stop writing. If this is the case, carefully blot the pen on a paper towel and it should continue to work.<br />
<br />
Once you are happy with the rice writing, leave it for an hour to ensure the ink is dry before removing and placing within a glass vial. When removing the grain of rice from the polymer clay, it helps to have a toothpick or cocktail stick at hand.<br />
<br />
</div>
<h2>Name on Rice Jewellery - Construction</h2>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This section is aimed at making a piece of name on rice jewellery once the rice writing has been completed:<br />
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixslpWTv0_unJIa4ALVs3y6HjxN3Q65YCCWtNRIDSLFe3izyMyDS0QvTlRWgPEz71lIAAb59nvKCGhsCxMkuj0E_GmqKBb2buw_dGJOJ7aCZ32cRrl3aKeOOYA1_BTlQWfm80QiLpRMtGiiWFHh4eT1mF7BusN3KIyJqWSGfyrnc0KPKOHJD0KddNsvDc/s399/name_on_rice_vials.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Name on rice jewellery - Making" border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="399" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixslpWTv0_unJIa4ALVs3y6HjxN3Q65YCCWtNRIDSLFe3izyMyDS0QvTlRWgPEz71lIAAb59nvKCGhsCxMkuj0E_GmqKBb2buw_dGJOJ7aCZ32cRrl3aKeOOYA1_BTlQWfm80QiLpRMtGiiWFHh4eT1mF7BusN3KIyJqWSGfyrnc0KPKOHJD0KddNsvDc/w320-h239/name_on_rice_vials.jpg" title="Name on rice jewellery - Making" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Name on rice jewellery - Making</td></tr></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Take a glass vial and press it into a small piece of polymer clay to keep it upright. Part fill the glass vial to approximately one third full with the magnifying oil and then add your grain of rice. To prevent air bubbles forming whilst filling and to allow the oil to enter the glass vial more easily, insert a needle into the glass vial (make sure that the needle is long enough so that it can be easily removed).<br />
<br />
Fill the glass vial to approximately two thirds full with more magnifying oil and add small flowers and glitter as required. Add more oil to almost the top of the glass vial, remove the needle and wait for any air bubbles to rise to the surface of the oil.<br />
<br />
You will probably find that the rubber stopper that fits into the end of the glass vial doesn't fit flush with the top of the vial. Cut the top of the rubber stopper off with a pair of scissors and push the stopper into the top of the vial.<br />
<br />
A small air bubble is normal and does allow the grain of rice to move around more freely within the glass vial. Larger air bubbles can be removed by popping them with a pin or needle and more magnifying oil added to prevent the air bubbles from reforming.<br />
<br />
Apply a small amount of Superglue over the plug and around the rim of the glass vial to seal the contents. Apply a small amount of Superglue inside the cap and place the cap straight down onto the vial.<br />
<br />
Apply a little pressure to the by holding the name on rice jewellery glass vial between thumb and forefinger for a minute. Leave the name on rice jewellery glass vial upright overnight to ensure the cap is securely glued.<br />
<br />
Add any jewellery findings as required such as jump rings and key-chains and you have now finished your name on rice jewellery.<br />
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2_ZPMinzRrsQxVnTO2puxw7XmV3LhnbhRJVdMWrE1YYv54kOC3Wf9uEUqp3Yfw1Z-0mFa6RfbCGZjuJIpH4In_phQD_jA-FgM7CbqskULkz0U-n_bSYF7ty10RHXCtpuMxHiQUF9TSdT-bxwTR8cIuMh6lDIm-V7hl_P62SviGOQo-BTkvvuFa68eY4/s399/name-on-rice-jewellery.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Personalised Name on Rice Jewellery" border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="399" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2_ZPMinzRrsQxVnTO2puxw7XmV3LhnbhRJVdMWrE1YYv54kOC3Wf9uEUqp3Yfw1Z-0mFa6RfbCGZjuJIpH4In_phQD_jA-FgM7CbqskULkz0U-n_bSYF7ty10RHXCtpuMxHiQUF9TSdT-bxwTR8cIuMh6lDIm-V7hl_P62SviGOQo-BTkvvuFa68eY4/w320-h239/name-on-rice-jewellery.jpg" title="Personalised Name on Rice Jewellery" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised Name on Rice Jewellery</td></tr></tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you would like to purchase our name on rice jewellery or would like to find out more about the history of this ancient art, please visit our <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2024/02/personalised-name-on-rice-jewellery.html" title="Personalised name jewellery - name on rice jewellery">name on rice jewellery</a> page.
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulZHi9-sr80IOVTLCfdHn9K6y3t7cro2dR0BxhaLvTnPrWXjohAgNwXnQhxQuOVRLCVKm9EOq20UTfvh0Sdi6vsuHebTsF_q1VzoA-aEhJQzZZxOUDTiujojUPI-KqW1pR9iSGzWyWHU6Un6FHextCgQi5Xaw78oz0Luq7olgScBMEjssnQKNkh8IefQ/s135/signature.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="Shpangle - Keepsake Jewellery" border="0" data-original-height="86" data-original-width="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulZHi9-sr80IOVTLCfdHn9K6y3t7cro2dR0BxhaLvTnPrWXjohAgNwXnQhxQuOVRLCVKm9EOq20UTfvh0Sdi6vsuHebTsF_q1VzoA-aEhJQzZZxOUDTiujojUPI-KqW1pR9iSGzWyWHU6Un6FHextCgQi5Xaw78oz0Luq7olgScBMEjssnQKNkh8IefQ/s16000/signature.jpg" title="Shpangle - Keepsake Jewellery" /></a></div>
Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-30133638842913999172024-01-11T11:21:00.000+00:002024-01-11T11:21:52.701+00:00Resin Jewellery Making - How to Prepare Inclusions<p>Resin jewellery making provides you the ability to encapsulate objects and suspend them in the resin; producing jewellery items that incorporate materials that may not otherwise be used in jewellery making. Many items may be embedded within resin jewellery including insects, plants, pictures, and fabric.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtERXSpIBubl3jb16YOd8j12wYaL43Sjt86xVlR9KZMA_zm3sUxkhJBeCX5z-sucuoKIv6qnNX2a2XqkFWrPut1sgtRBRVwJCjj_3mxc3hk4KmXmytj6Q_LIY2jOXl9OQ9XRnoh-QdbuIq7L_bhwq3PaHUfpBQWf0eocShY3PrLzYNd-ec8dKB9Ki1e8/s2288/insect%20paperweight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A beetle suspended within a clear resin paperweight" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtERXSpIBubl3jb16YOd8j12wYaL43Sjt86xVlR9KZMA_zm3sUxkhJBeCX5z-sucuoKIv6qnNX2a2XqkFWrPut1sgtRBRVwJCjj_3mxc3hk4KmXmytj6Q_LIY2jOXl9OQ9XRnoh-QdbuIq7L_bhwq3PaHUfpBQWf0eocShY3PrLzYNd-ec8dKB9Ki1e8/w320-h239/insect%20paperweight.JPG" title="Resin paperweight containing an insect" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin paperweight containing a beetle</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>The most important thing to consider when embedding objects into resin is that the inclusion is completely free from moisture as the moisture can interfere with the resin curing process. The following explains how inclusions should be prepared before being embedded into resin.<p></p><p><u>Flowers and Vegetation</u></p><p>Flowers, leaves, and other garden vegetation must be dried and completely free of moisture. They can either be pressed (by using a press or between pages of a large book and blotting paper and left for several weeks).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA31l664pzrBiXKOSKvTt7qkiC2QoLXx5OiwV6JhlL4FRkHOwFvs0WVl6dobjn1LTetvYgllFl2bQlArCsRFmABZlAeANE8WwBIsc2sbEWml5RfIjSiX0Cgrb-yeUWvk20rHubC_s2_WyZlNUVlX6zUfcL_ZjvQtK6DX-kWJyjelw0TE_7KQO1ZH4AuoM/s2288/DSCN5338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clear resin teardrop shaped pendant containing a pressed Fuchsia flower" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA31l664pzrBiXKOSKvTt7qkiC2QoLXx5OiwV6JhlL4FRkHOwFvs0WVl6dobjn1LTetvYgllFl2bQlArCsRFmABZlAeANE8WwBIsc2sbEWml5RfIjSiX0Cgrb-yeUWvk20rHubC_s2_WyZlNUVlX6zUfcL_ZjvQtK6DX-kWJyjelw0TE_7KQO1ZH4AuoM/w320-h239/DSCN5338.JPG" title="Resin pressed flower pendant" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin pressed flower pendant</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Pressed flowers should be coated with craft or decoupage glue as darker flower colours may bleed into the resin and lighter colours may become transparent. Alternatively, small blooms of flowers can be dried by covering them with silica gel for several weeks. They can then be sprayed with clear acrylic spray before being embedded into the liquid resin.</p><p><u>Wood</u></p><p>Wooden pieces should be sealed with resin, craft or decoupage glue and cured before embedding into resin. This will prevent air bubbles from escaping from the wooden piece, which will in turn create bubbles in the resin jewellery casting.</p><p><u>Pictures and Photographs</u></p><p>For best results use mat or photocopied images as some inkjet printed images will bleed when glue is applied to seal the image. For best results, print the image on photo paper and leave 24 hours to thoroughly dry.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKTC5Y9Ihi4mYvEPHvUuLvbUze6IR86EZCqT5f6fvYSs3YV8t412NMj-hXm86LLUNJeegYR99ZggxHtWwAshsOkMrNAMCJuHPomCPoLO3p7dCoPkQH35G4GThQgmZy4bY45P9nSIhzZ8oFZmHCwWAjMu1xUmMiM1HlgeygXF7eN-8uuDff8-jUG2mpSY/s2288/DSCN3356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sterling silver and resin oval pendant containing a photograph" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKTC5Y9Ihi4mYvEPHvUuLvbUze6IR86EZCqT5f6fvYSs3YV8t412NMj-hXm86LLUNJeegYR99ZggxHtWwAshsOkMrNAMCJuHPomCPoLO3p7dCoPkQH35G4GThQgmZy4bY45P9nSIhzZ8oFZmHCwWAjMu1xUmMiM1HlgeygXF7eN-8uuDff8-jUG2mpSY/w320-h239/DSCN3356.JPG" title="Resin photo pendant" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin photo pendant</td></tr></tbody></table><p>You can often embed it like this straight away, but for extra caution, seal the image with a small amount of craft or decoupage glue. This will seal the image and prevent ink from bleeding out into the resin and the original image becoming transparent.</p><p><u>3-D Objects</u></p><p>Small 3-D Objects such as games pieces, shells and figurines can usually be added to resin with little preparation. They must firstly be washed with detergent and left to dry. For best results to avoid creating air bubbles, they should be brushed with a layer of resin prior to adding them to the liquid resin.</p><p><u>Candy</u></p><p>To prevent flavourings from candy, dried foods, and sweets from bleeding out into the resin, they should be sprayed with clear acrylic spray and left to dry thoroughly overnight. As with 3-D objects, to prevent air bubbles, they should be coated with a brushed layer of resin prior to adding them to the liquid resin.</p><p><u>Fabric</u></p><p>Most fabric can be included in resin jewellery without any prior preparation, however, to prevent any fabric dye from bleeding into the resin the fabric can be sealed with craft or decoupage glue.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqPztrizcT6x_ny2OBs5Mcu_y0hT5GgxK_I0NknkDvBYWrJVXB7tEzc92gT6lM1pYz_E9DAKmXU5wJHJvXgEe1C0AggTVNIKJES2EY-7FR3HX3jHhHv6Gz6NreuOY36HuFu3ynb-GMoGnqloUtd43dmGp4WJioTndOKvKcIX1qSeTok4lovtPULZ35SA/s2288/DSCN3453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sterling silver and resin cufflinks containing wedding dress fabric" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqPztrizcT6x_ny2OBs5Mcu_y0hT5GgxK_I0NknkDvBYWrJVXB7tEzc92gT6lM1pYz_E9DAKmXU5wJHJvXgEe1C0AggTVNIKJES2EY-7FR3HX3jHhHv6Gz6NreuOY36HuFu3ynb-GMoGnqloUtd43dmGp4WJioTndOKvKcIX1qSeTok4lovtPULZ35SA/w320-h239/DSCN3453.JPG" title="Resin jewellery containing fabric" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin jewellery containing fabric</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Alternatively, a range of fabric paper is available in craft shops that already coated so its colour will remain once embedded in resin.</p><p>Examples of other items that that may be embedded within resin jewellery and usually do not require any prior preparation include glitter, glass, metal power, beads, and confetti. These items can be included within resin jewellery for decoration or to change the texture of the object. Light objects will suspend within the resin, but heavier ones will sink to the bottom, therefore heavier items must be added when the resin has cured for a while and the resin has become firmer.</p><p>I hope these hints and tips on how to prepare inclusions for resin jewellery making are informative. I would love to know what is the most unusual object that you have embedded into resin?</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-8527427525111643062023-12-04T14:44:00.002+00:002023-12-04T14:44:35.955+00:00Paperweights containing coins<p>Recently I had an interesting request for a custom-made resin paperweight. A solicitor firm asked me to make two paperweights containing £1.62 in coins (a £1 coin, a 50p coin, a 10p coin and a 2p coin).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwuEMbWDxmse9ENMbbBvAZt0-87VmsAnAazgSgFJetSmCkOEwM4FxHKa6R0YnPU-8mCZgx9UTvqBbD9O2WIP4i5BP-Q28f6IdyUsyqCeL-Dbg-JOfU5lkboTCOQXpuz8U6GBywRxX9FQkFr2fZ3d5PZ6lYcZbyaWtOMJ9uPNoPRTabYKWsMVJFrMutU0/s4000/PA270778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Custom made paperweight containing £1.62 in coins" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwuEMbWDxmse9ENMbbBvAZt0-87VmsAnAazgSgFJetSmCkOEwM4FxHKa6R0YnPU-8mCZgx9UTvqBbD9O2WIP4i5BP-Q28f6IdyUsyqCeL-Dbg-JOfU5lkboTCOQXpuz8U6GBywRxX9FQkFr2fZ3d5PZ6lYcZbyaWtOMJ9uPNoPRTabYKWsMVJFrMutU0/w320-h240/PA270778.JPG" title="Custom made coin paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom made coin paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>The paperweights were to be given as gifts and were intended to jocularly mark the successful completion of a laborious book-keeping exercise which involved having to identify an apparent £1.62 discrepancy – eventually successfully completed! Above is the custom-made paperweight containing £1.62 in coins:<p></p><p>I love some of the more obscure stories behind the objects that I am asked to preserve within paperweights. Making these paperweights had me thinking about other paperweights I have been asked to make containing coins, and here are a few examples:</p><p>This paperweight I made contains a Queen Elizabeth II platinum jubilee £5 coin, made for a barrister to be given as a gift to his colleague.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdvN3lR5ul4D3_Fr-7rw3Us3OjPKSarfp0FNWEs1tkzVtD6BKgCRfjPEcEFt8cn3WCdvL34GFzNwZVoMjULr3nCKFci1VqfbsdWw1LxRPYyHWUHgjv6fYOZYLFiHNeh_It24RRmHun5Yonc0zeKZghLQY6eooJirpHb5LUBr9EcEsJRJGhFx1vcJjdBk/s4000/jubilee%20coin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Queen Elizabeth II platinum jubilee £5 coin paperweight" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdvN3lR5ul4D3_Fr-7rw3Us3OjPKSarfp0FNWEs1tkzVtD6BKgCRfjPEcEFt8cn3WCdvL34GFzNwZVoMjULr3nCKFci1VqfbsdWw1LxRPYyHWUHgjv6fYOZYLFiHNeh_It24RRmHun5Yonc0zeKZghLQY6eooJirpHb5LUBr9EcEsJRJGhFx1vcJjdBk/w320-h240/jubilee%20coin.JPG" title="Queen Elizabeth coin paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Elizabeth coin paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A paperweight containing a selection of United States one cent coins, presumably kept as a keepsake from a visit to the United States.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bk3X1os2T8xqZCcCtiOHE7JmXaGHkplOkIcLKKz3LrXZC60l893eLYs5_CqBpa2QcNLp6cc-4qUYM5Ulwky-2P_fahUZ9ukR2ZdS7JoTrBAokTIvLhVm0g-4GA7u4DxFMB69bf13Nsfw_0KwJ51YD7xeKc95J95vHd0dkokg3vOYoOnrUI_xB3lQlA4/s4000/P6070599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Domed resin paperweight containing one cent coins" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Bk3X1os2T8xqZCcCtiOHE7JmXaGHkplOkIcLKKz3LrXZC60l893eLYs5_CqBpa2QcNLp6cc-4qUYM5Ulwky-2P_fahUZ9ukR2ZdS7JoTrBAokTIvLhVm0g-4GA7u4DxFMB69bf13Nsfw_0KwJ51YD7xeKc95J95vHd0dkokg3vOYoOnrUI_xB3lQlA4/w320-h240/P6070599.JPG" title="Bespoke paperweight containing one cent coins" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bespoke paperweight containing one cent coins</td></tr></tbody></table><p>A New York souvenir coin, taken as a souvenir from a visit to the centre in 2001.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-O2NndYEXWeHoX1SsbZygofvdCKamEBm2Q4S5FS9K3vtO8fpRMeASV3axAkM9xbbhntJMQ6zkQmI5Q4t7b4QkXzyETgKVzvouOo56Ynfx2T3pgxtEICV00MMjXJJDPznAljB8gXAHsPYog4KwgE-HbrayCfzW9fQay5Xbx25VvVpeDpa9E4fUOu9tcE/s4160/world_trade_center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bespoke resin paperweight containing a souvenir coin" border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-O2NndYEXWeHoX1SsbZygofvdCKamEBm2Q4S5FS9K3vtO8fpRMeASV3axAkM9xbbhntJMQ6zkQmI5Q4t7b4QkXzyETgKVzvouOo56Ynfx2T3pgxtEICV00MMjXJJDPznAljB8gXAHsPYog4KwgE-HbrayCfzW9fQay5Xbx25VvVpeDpa9E4fUOu9tcE/w320-h240/world_trade_center.jpg" title="Souvenir coin paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Souvenir coin paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>These are just a small selection of the custom-made paperweights that I have made over the years containing special coins. Do you have any coins that you have kept for sentimental reasons?</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-91353121233724580442023-11-14T14:44:00.001+00:002023-11-22T11:11:05.356+00:00Remembrance Day Poppy Ring<p>This year (2023) I made this poppy ring for my wife for Remembrance Day. The ring is sterling silver and I have incorporated a 10mm glass cabochon containing an image of poppies into the ring setting. For the ring design, I wanted to incorporate an image of poppies that was not too realistic, more of an artistic impression of poppies. I even considered including a miniature poppy inside the ring setting, but finally decided to incorporate something that was more subtle. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavTj_1OhrOp1VAGXHXdNqhu7xVAK3kcrjpx0qjbvEdNdpVz2UBKGfNYJmBzGTiVL5DFjaU63e9LLjZLu03oS6g-TluA9JbxfxNJn7mhjB0yaTtepn8JvWiVKgjMPJ0DDy9-YmcVqDBgVJ-B4GlL6X0F_-h35x3ODFvw20GyAEB6P0tpcRYjAAHzPWR4A/s4000/PB140796.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Remembrance Day ring with the central cabochon containing Poppy flowers" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavTj_1OhrOp1VAGXHXdNqhu7xVAK3kcrjpx0qjbvEdNdpVz2UBKGfNYJmBzGTiVL5DFjaU63e9LLjZLu03oS6g-TluA9JbxfxNJn7mhjB0yaTtepn8JvWiVKgjMPJ0DDy9-YmcVqDBgVJ-B4GlL6X0F_-h35x3ODFvw20GyAEB6P0tpcRYjAAHzPWR4A/w320-h240/PB140796.JPG" title="Remembrance Day Poppy Ring" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remembrance Day Poppy Ring</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>I ordered the glass cabochon containing poppies from a company in Germany who handmake the cabochons. In fact, they make cabochons in many unique designs, incorporating about every type of image that you would need! I received poppy cabochons with several different images and my son, and I agreed on the most appropriate poppy image for the ring.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXfVuXWwSSejZJZ7exMftTXFdE4GgF_6p_OKXYHvIShWZU3jtAbgPnRLVeXA_7nhJteiONxGze7Ch9M0HomGLtpVxljOmNYgoAokz4HGuLBCnnVyL1r0skxawYA2JJ8PsO0zLfv_AiahzlFhnaASSblYYA9NbD1neVB18XfULlvv8yZwsfVJJTWDSUS0/s4000/PB140792.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Six circular cabochons containing images of Poppy flowers" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXfVuXWwSSejZJZ7exMftTXFdE4GgF_6p_OKXYHvIShWZU3jtAbgPnRLVeXA_7nhJteiONxGze7Ch9M0HomGLtpVxljOmNYgoAokz4HGuLBCnnVyL1r0skxawYA2JJ8PsO0zLfv_AiahzlFhnaASSblYYA9NbD1neVB18XfULlvv8yZwsfVJJTWDSUS0/w320-h240/PB140792.JPG" title="Poppy Cabochons" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppy Cabochons</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My wife loved the ring, she was born on Remembrance Day so as well as being an important day for remembering the fallen, the day has always been a day of personal significance for her too!</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-55935060242798451422023-11-08T10:30:00.003+00:002023-11-22T11:15:32.253+00:00Preserving your wedding memorabilia and keepsakes<p>Weddings are a time of excitement, planning and organization. The result being a hopefully flawless and memorable wedding. However, most of the energy for a wedding is put into the preparation for the big day and once the wedding is over, the bride and groom look forward to the honeymoon and relaxing. So, it is not surprising that after wedding thoughts often go forgotten.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u>Resin preservation of wedding keepsakes</u></h2><p>Traditionally, capturing memories of the big day take the form of photographs and videos, but there are often other items which helped make the day special that the bride and groom may have kept but are unsure what to do with. These can be anything from confetti used at the ceremony or table confetti used to decorate the tables at the reception, from flowers to ribbon, wedding favours, or anything else that made the day special.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LVUVPIGbMpFM62TzOGxKnKg3-glnXxfvbJrIcTigmWRB62v90Bdc8y0jC_lCCZsXbdeXLPMXZYb4a7FwZcqBaCzmWumgCuxDz2yW2qlZVVzWXkY5NVlm9MqKNrYqOcjnBc_Bnr6oeK9XCpWr1RMlMfxnJ-ArAcfapZvevvfOkQRfvjSAB0EZSxSpv2c/s2288/confetti%20paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Clear resin domed paperweight containing wedding confetti" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LVUVPIGbMpFM62TzOGxKnKg3-glnXxfvbJrIcTigmWRB62v90Bdc8y0jC_lCCZsXbdeXLPMXZYb4a7FwZcqBaCzmWumgCuxDz2yW2qlZVVzWXkY5NVlm9MqKNrYqOcjnBc_Bnr6oeK9XCpWr1RMlMfxnJ-ArAcfapZvevvfOkQRfvjSAB0EZSxSpv2c/w320-h239/confetti%20paperweight.JPG" title="Wedding confetti paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding confetti paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>All these items can be preserved forever and even worn and enjoyed for many years to come in the form of resin preservation.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u>Preserving wedding flowers</u></h2><p>There are services provided for flower preservation in for example a picture frame. However, how special would it be to be able to wear those special flowers captured and preserved for you to enjoy, in the form of an item of jewellery. And it is not just an item of jewellery that could be made to capture flowers or those special memories. Resin preservation can be used to create many items to suit anyone, for example having the wedding flowers preserved inside paperweights.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zpjGUbp7xWf7JmTa0VxgfdBg_EEGPjPLbNJXbH6jt5B7ji0JEACfx2eabBPPSf41opK75hcEdGfORb0Hxc_QbewlDSCuGS1GkBN_DBVgqsVgDBN1yiSEfV0mlbxsvfpv2pwBZlgkGwB8bNxcWkaArD45Yh7mA1EjZCwZP35XaOpgrBLpdmtOMWysSHQ/s2288/flower%20pendant.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Clear resin teardrop pendant containing preserved wedding flowers" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zpjGUbp7xWf7JmTa0VxgfdBg_EEGPjPLbNJXbH6jt5B7ji0JEACfx2eabBPPSf41opK75hcEdGfORb0Hxc_QbewlDSCuGS1GkBN_DBVgqsVgDBN1yiSEfV0mlbxsvfpv2pwBZlgkGwB8bNxcWkaArD45Yh7mA1EjZCwZP35XaOpgrBLpdmtOMWysSHQ/w320-h239/flower%20pendant.JPG" title="Wedding flower jewellery" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding flower jewellery</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Keyrings, phone charms, bag charms, cufflinks, pendants, paperweights...there to always remind you of the special day, whether you are the bride, groom or the family members and friends.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u>Jewellery containing a piece of wedding dress</u></h2><p>The beauty of resin preservation is that it can be tailor made to any design and to your preferences, so you get that special keepsake you want. One such keepsake would be to provide a set of cufflinks for the groom, best man and other members of the family containing a piece of the wedding dress. The glass like properties of the resin have a magnifying effect on the special items within it, and it really does show off the colours of the items and their details exquisitely.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetXZNv8XSwQUb3-UEY_Tl-QwJXzfHkYTsNfKKUOCGbuXkRgPxsW1DHB2a8LgKgiHqxAj0kAySYWf_7UAqYX6HCTgW8SVFZ84g2ltlm62lwii9uOC1q3Na1MiR0aeaY_oH0ktARIHWmcleYP3Azq06o40s5gmjRIKpCFG5qmiLtOu78J7qbjwhe9lfRLk/s2288/dress%20cufflinks.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Silver cufflinks containing a piece of wedding dress" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetXZNv8XSwQUb3-UEY_Tl-QwJXzfHkYTsNfKKUOCGbuXkRgPxsW1DHB2a8LgKgiHqxAj0kAySYWf_7UAqYX6HCTgW8SVFZ84g2ltlm62lwii9uOC1q3Na1MiR0aeaY_oH0ktARIHWmcleYP3Azq06o40s5gmjRIKpCFG5qmiLtOu78J7qbjwhe9lfRLk/w320-h239/dress%20cufflinks.JPG" title="Wedding dress cufflinks" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding dress cufflinks</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u>Custom made wedding keepsakes</u></h2><p>I take pride and satisfaction in providing married couples with something special. Each piece is carefully made to their specifications, which will be completely unique. Items can be preserved at the family’s convenience so they can enjoy the wedding and after celebrations knowing they can use the service when they need it. If the bride and groom have used fresh wedding flowers, they can either let someone keep them or get advice from the florist to keep them fresh before preservation.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiRC-WFArc_UxverovhBQatW7_lKZXbhc9-bCL0GFYISmuYWSlHrstQ3-kaBtqLTU7aWmydrb_iQC1-_3OKLzhiHUpJoUXm09hGbfwSlefDF-jT60-KUUXeVYFuAVubrTBttWtlMdaKiY-rRzgSoj6FRf2De6hrUPVwWfegKReY2O_fFbAQYc4oCs570/s2288/flower%20paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A resin paperweight containing preserved wedding flowers" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiRC-WFArc_UxverovhBQatW7_lKZXbhc9-bCL0GFYISmuYWSlHrstQ3-kaBtqLTU7aWmydrb_iQC1-_3OKLzhiHUpJoUXm09hGbfwSlefDF-jT60-KUUXeVYFuAVubrTBttWtlMdaKiY-rRzgSoj6FRf2De6hrUPVwWfegKReY2O_fFbAQYc4oCs570/w320-h239/flower%20paperweight.JPG" title="Wedding flower paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding flower paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Whatever the bride and groom choose to preserve, they can be assured that it will be an incredibly unique way of capturing and preserving the special items and memories of their big day. I wish them a happy wedding day with lots of memories to cherish forever.</p><p>Mick (Shpangle Jewellery)</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-67182894367203739282023-10-03T10:44:00.004+01:002023-12-04T14:55:24.461+00:00Resin Jewellery Making - Safety Precautions and Equipment<p>Resin jewellery making is fun and easy if you follow the necessary safety guidelines. Even a resin labelled as 'low odour' will still emit fumes and therefore it is always essential that you wear the necessary safety equipment when handling resin.</p><p>As well as the general safety guidelines detailed below, you must always read and understand the manufacturer safety precautions that are provided with the product.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><u>A Respirator</u></b></h2><p>The respirators can be purchased from most hardware stores and must be worn whilst mixing, pouring, and working with resin. The fumes produced by resin are harmful and therefore the respirator filter must be one designed for the prevention of fumes and not dust.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7i1mjhabQpsmoCiRZ5SMhEMbhHTy4yymeRgBKuasR0i3p3HFyndpsiswtA_6yRXZ04xWZzCYjdM1LGy0GXqdyf6fZgVJ7LhzwEPrV0-jTskG5aEHsQl_yz_SXhfQ5qIFWGDUstwwa9b3_RMTmoHH-DpufdCxXAb6ZcoSgBLOgyju4X-cEPkndizl6YI/s1000/respirator.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Traditional respirator used when working with resin jewellery" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7i1mjhabQpsmoCiRZ5SMhEMbhHTy4yymeRgBKuasR0i3p3HFyndpsiswtA_6yRXZ04xWZzCYjdM1LGy0GXqdyf6fZgVJ7LhzwEPrV0-jTskG5aEHsQl_yz_SXhfQ5qIFWGDUstwwa9b3_RMTmoHH-DpufdCxXAb6ZcoSgBLOgyju4X-cEPkndizl6YI/w320-h256/respirator.png" title="A respirator used when working with resin" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A respirator used when working with resin</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u><b><span><a name='more'></a></span></b></u></h2><h2><u><b>Working Environment</b></u></h2><p>The most important consideration when working with resin is that the room is well ventilated. If no exhaust fan is available, window and doors should be opened to create air flow. This ventilation should remain for several hours after working with resin as the fumes do linger and continue to be generated during the curing process. The work area should also be away from any normal living area where other people or animals can be affected by the fumes.</p><p>All obstacles within the room should be removed to prevent accidents and spills, and a layer of waxed paper put onto the work surface will catch any spills and prevent the resin soaking through and damaging the work surface.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Disposable Gloves</b></u></h2><p>Disposable latex gloves must be worn whilst mixing and pouring resin to protect your skin. The latex gloves must be of the type used for medical, food handling or light-duty cleaning type, as other types of rubber gloves may allow the resin to penetrate the material and get on your hands.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Barrier Cream</u></b></h2><p>This may be used as an extra precaution to protect your skin and may be worn in addition to wearing disposable gloves. The barrier cream may be purchased from most pharmacies and will prevent the resin and/or the wearing of gloves from irritating the skin.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u>Eyeglasses or Goggles</u></h2><p>Purchased from most hardware stores the eyeglasses or goggles must be always worn whilst working with resin. A tiny drop or resin can be damaging to the eyes as can be the small particles generated when sanding the resin pieces.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8CLae_A-xMyRpCZhpWZMwaNpeLNItT-xMBTl9COj8blR7QIqb1fMKR9rHFcPIYmi8z3xb7YCV8pnSWW5-qF9jficHg_KgX34wcNWC8-rgFD4UDTGuPgZ8qXAYlfdIKj8IkSuoksrcVYVrFy6I8DjCKYS3mBnwwkcfnrGL58v905Btx4hqYNtxxNAeC4/s1000/goggles.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Goggles worn when making resin jewellery" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8CLae_A-xMyRpCZhpWZMwaNpeLNItT-xMBTl9COj8blR7QIqb1fMKR9rHFcPIYmi8z3xb7YCV8pnSWW5-qF9jficHg_KgX34wcNWC8-rgFD4UDTGuPgZ8qXAYlfdIKj8IkSuoksrcVYVrFy6I8DjCKYS3mBnwwkcfnrGL58v905Btx4hqYNtxxNAeC4/w320-h256/goggles.png" title="Goggles used when working with resin" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goggles used when working with resin</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Dust Masks</b></u></h2><p>A dust mask must be worn whilst sanding the resin pieces after they have cured, as the small airborne particles generated when sanding can be damaging to the lungs. Dust Masks can be purchased from most hardware stores.</p><p>After working with resin, your hands must be washed with soap and water and any materials used must be disposed of in the correct manner.</p><p><br /></p><p>Do not let these safety precautions intimidate or put you off from making resin jewellery. They are there to make you safe and allow you to continue making resin jewellery whilst protecting your health.</p><p>Mick (Resin jewellery maker at Shpangle Jewellery)</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-27911634952829621412023-09-28T09:08:00.001+01:002023-12-04T14:59:53.130+00:00Personalised love heart sweet paperweight<p>Over 10 years ago, back in October 2011, I wrote an article about the <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2011/10/list-of-messages-found-on-love-heart.html">messages found on love heart sweets</a>. Around this time, I also started to make resin pendants containing the sweets, and I didn’t realise at the time how popular these would be. Today I continue to make both pendants and paperweights containing individual love heart sweets.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVC_26m3ReS9-Xo8s2HNL1wMdjLVFZ00SHfTwAFVKKXnnwB3YvvRNOenc6UJsy5ciGhvtqsVCJDfTWt2nlLbIEVXOR06qmtYdp0zgKrIpCabR3bMZplBFoFIfQKdSzX_TEPiBKct__nYh7cmPUUJ-QxrkYzdQDs0BoTrTS2yz5QH4g7ZgkcsYNGRLw4Q0/s4000/love%20heart%20sweet%20paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A packet of bespoke love heart sweets set within a clear resin paperweight" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVC_26m3ReS9-Xo8s2HNL1wMdjLVFZ00SHfTwAFVKKXnnwB3YvvRNOenc6UJsy5ciGhvtqsVCJDfTWt2nlLbIEVXOR06qmtYdp0zgKrIpCabR3bMZplBFoFIfQKdSzX_TEPiBKct__nYh7cmPUUJ-QxrkYzdQDs0BoTrTS2yz5QH4g7ZgkcsYNGRLw4Q0/w320-h240/love%20heart%20sweet%20paperweight.JPG" title="Personalised love heart sweets paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised love heart sweets paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Well, recently I was asked if I was able to preserve a small packet of personalised love heart sweets within a resin paperweight. The completed paperweight can be seen above.<p></p><p>The message I received was: “<i>Would you be able to put this packet of bespoke love heart sweets into a paperweight? I had these sweets with the bespoke wrappers printed for my daughter’s wedding and would love to make a paperweight with one of them as a present for her husband. The packet is about 3 cm long not including the clear wrapper ends either side, so it would need to be a little bigger than this (I don’t know your sizes). And I was thinking a round shape so that you can see the text.</i>”</p><p>This is the first time that I have heard of personalised love heart sweets and what a great idea they are! These small packets of sweets can be given as wedding favours to the wedding guests; they are personalised on the packet labelling with the names of the married couple, along with the date of the wedding, the wording ‘Just Married’ and love heart symbols; making a lovely keepsake for the married couple, family and friends.</p><p>I set the small packet of personalised love heart sweets inside a resin domed shaped paperweight. The sweet packet was positioned with the ‘Just Married’ text facing upwards, the name of the married couple on one side and the love heart symbols on the other side.</p><p>What a lovely keepsake for the married couple, and a forever reminder of their special day!</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-78637906065185976352023-09-18T10:03:00.003+01:002023-11-22T11:17:45.326+00:00Memorial tea light candle holders for ashes<p>I mentioned in March that I had introduced a latest item within my range of keepsake jewellery and memorial ornaments for hair or fur, a <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2023/03/tea-light-holder-containing-pet-hair.html" target="_blank">resin tea light candle holder for pet fur</a>.</p><p>Well, last month a lady asked me if I could set the cremated ashes from her pet dogs within a resin memorial tea light candle holder.</p><p>This is the completed tea light holder; the candle holder is cast using clear resin and is heart shaped measuring approximately 10cm in diameter. The central jar holding the tea light is glass and is removeable, allowing the tea light candle holder to be used as a trinket dish as an alternative option. The cremated ashes are embedded inside the resin and scattered throughout the heart shaped candle holder.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZqaPK7hcroccLd34rrWTlWsJee8qdvn7hLiiY2EDRhJloGrVUmJWeXaLF6Fvj-9Edl07mdYVfdcoagLTpU_7UkH9k1mMNMA-QbSW80t82mU046-nkcgzD23iTRve79vHA2wO6TLoTb8VCU6MDTiMnKSh_-4_ZeaVthVudD71SJfZ6M-OXg51EHV67Kc/s4000/tealight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clear resin heart shaped tea light holder containing ashes" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZqaPK7hcroccLd34rrWTlWsJee8qdvn7hLiiY2EDRhJloGrVUmJWeXaLF6Fvj-9Edl07mdYVfdcoagLTpU_7UkH9k1mMNMA-QbSW80t82mU046-nkcgzD23iTRve79vHA2wO6TLoTb8VCU6MDTiMnKSh_-4_ZeaVthVudD71SJfZ6M-OXg51EHV67Kc/w320-h240/tealight.JPG" title="Heart shaped tea light holder containing ashes" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heart shaped tea light holder containing ashes</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Another customer recently asked me if I could set a loved ones’ ashes inside a resin tea light holder in the shape of a flower. This is the completed clear resin flower shaped tea light holder. The holder measures approximately 8cm in diameter and the cremated ashes have been encased throughout the resin cast flower petals. Again, the central glass holder containing the tea light is a removeable glass cylinder, allowing the holder to be used as a trinket dish.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbFE5CQsDA4UFxzC-q8q_1KlxguCTpXMya7Vj0uTQHgd4-uf_OgmePdqWsrQkjZuK2ZbRtnn_DtSaSjncVBQZ60Av2PKtAlmlE2HXCUZz1TbBt9ob2BwEjXO9TRYQsMbVNszP41HSS3l694DrF52-MYRAiGM34qMneR2IZMuspYH8n5Pef3hRjHpZRRY/s4000/ashes%20tea%20light%20holder.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clear resin flower shaped candle holder containing ashes" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbFE5CQsDA4UFxzC-q8q_1KlxguCTpXMya7Vj0uTQHgd4-uf_OgmePdqWsrQkjZuK2ZbRtnn_DtSaSjncVBQZ60Av2PKtAlmlE2HXCUZz1TbBt9ob2BwEjXO9TRYQsMbVNszP41HSS3l694DrF52-MYRAiGM34qMneR2IZMuspYH8n5Pef3hRjHpZRRY/w320-h240/ashes%20tea%20light%20holder.JPG" title="Flower shaped candle holder containing ashes" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower shaped candle holder containing ashes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>These custom-made tea light holders are a lovely way to light a candle in remembrance to a loved one.</p><p>Are there any alternative tea light holder shapes that you would be interested in?</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-33168895797291572112023-06-22T17:00:00.002+01:002023-06-22T17:00:37.220+01:00Bone shaped memorial pendant for pet hair or ashes<p>Those that follow my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shpangle">Facebook Page</a> will know that I had this year’s second jewellery giveaway in April. My giveaway was for a custom-made bone shaped sterling silver memorial pendant that would be suitable for containing a pet dog’s hair or ashes. Alternatively, the bespoke pendant could be left without any contents, with the resin simply coloured and/or glittered.</p><p>The jewellery giveaway was won by Lorraine who wanted to combine a small amount of fur from her much-loved pet dog Holly with the ashes from two other fur children, Chloe and Sheba. I suggested including a small amount of her hair within the straight/horizontal section of the pendant, with a small sample of ashes from each of the fur children within the two end sections of the pendant.</p><p>Here is the completed pendant, a sterling silver bone shaped pendant containing both pet fur and ashes set within clear resin.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iDWafOyZVBHNI0JgnS9YenuKij2aY0DZFyEocqS-ZFKLJ5pXBj_gPEcedujsYwaexCue8rqdlp-TuY_Nr92VP1zHzZEC1r3_InT3RzrSeN3Wne8i9dl59kYghrhRD3N0evWeU6oHcL8aixH70uxTSbMMeqj2vrg_FZXcZlh3_E4pKADfMmPdBk8KyAI/s4000/bone%20pendant%20silver%201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sterling silver bone shaped pendant containing pet dog hair and ashes" border="0" data-original-height="2672" data-original-width="4000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7iDWafOyZVBHNI0JgnS9YenuKij2aY0DZFyEocqS-ZFKLJ5pXBj_gPEcedujsYwaexCue8rqdlp-TuY_Nr92VP1zHzZEC1r3_InT3RzrSeN3Wne8i9dl59kYghrhRD3N0evWeU6oHcL8aixH70uxTSbMMeqj2vrg_FZXcZlh3_E4pKADfMmPdBk8KyAI/w320-h214/bone%20pendant%20silver%201.JPG" title="Bone shaped pendant for hair and ashes" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bone shaped pendant for hair and ashes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Lorraine loved her bone shaped memorial pendant and thanked me for bringing her three girls Holly, Chloe and Sheba together. </p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-90070415679926099322023-05-15T15:43:00.001+01:002023-11-22T11:18:29.389+00:00Bespoke Retirement Paperweights<div>Over three years ago I wrote a blog post about a <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2020/01/custom-made-retirement-paperweight-gift.html">custom retirement paperweight gift</a> that I had made for a retiree from a company. Well recently I have been asked to make several similar paperweights for various companies and charities, the bespoke paperweights are to be given as retirement gifts to the departing employees.</div><div><br /></div><div>The following are just a few examples of the bespoke retirement paperweights that I have recently been asked to make and all contain objects that were sent to me by the business or charity for encasing inside the resin paperweight.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Refuse derived fuel pellet within a paperweight.</h3><div>For the first bespoke retirement paperweight I was asked to make, my customer sent me an unusual object to be encased inside the paperweight. To be honest, I was not sure what the object was after receiving it and I had to ask my customer to explain.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7zyrlIBmHg6UJRF67CEjinUtt6f01uTTqD-6ntI3OKeJ8Ypj_JjMqiEbSe8rr6w7q8bdoU74-rNZg7vy5S1PQXfrhcObCULwKJWvUcjeu6OOreQH7H8ZADsJdgRnJcabNkfwlPMAui52lXjn1voJPcvMk2k87H-w-lXYhQWEfXAPek6JlhVp3DfU/s4000/fuel%20pellet%20paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A square resin paperweight containing a fuel pellet and personalised with text" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7zyrlIBmHg6UJRF67CEjinUtt6f01uTTqD-6ntI3OKeJ8Ypj_JjMqiEbSe8rr6w7q8bdoU74-rNZg7vy5S1PQXfrhcObCULwKJWvUcjeu6OOreQH7H8ZADsJdgRnJcabNkfwlPMAui52lXjn1voJPcvMk2k87H-w-lXYhQWEfXAPek6JlhVp3DfU/w320-h240/fuel%20pellet%20paperweight.JPG" title="Refuse derived fuel pellet paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refuse derived fuel pellet paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span><a name='more'></a></span>The object is a refuse derived fuel pellet, made from recycled household waste (paper/plastic fractions), and it is designed to replace coal. This is a new one for me and the first time I have seen a fuel pellet made from recycled refuse, looks great inside the paperweight too!</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">MS Society badge paperweight</h3><div>This next paperweight I was asked to make for the MS Society, a UK wide group of volunteers, fundraisers, researchers and campaigners who are working together to help those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS).</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuWKTJ__EiluaH4SiBpRKM33X5_sgl2s9tlz3zCQrjrGHZ_oHyHXshLy7yAMmK9qiJw7_CkT5NJPErEuBf4JLPnDBWT0f9O812oieRb9qn5e9sXXmkYP4FE7WUvmWkw1gqj6AvMl5mRyT3K-DY6qU-USrr7zT7RaMHtEQhMSnU56MvRW_T2P54rQh/s4000/ms%20society%20badge%20paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Domed resin paperweight containing a MS Society badge" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuWKTJ__EiluaH4SiBpRKM33X5_sgl2s9tlz3zCQrjrGHZ_oHyHXshLy7yAMmK9qiJw7_CkT5NJPErEuBf4JLPnDBWT0f9O812oieRb9qn5e9sXXmkYP4FE7WUvmWkw1gqj6AvMl5mRyT3K-DY6qU-USrr7zT7RaMHtEQhMSnU56MvRW_T2P54rQh/w320-h240/ms%20society%20badge%20paperweight.JPG" title="MS Society badge paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MS Society badge paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The paperweight was to be made as a retirement gift for the Chair of the MS Society board of trustees. I was sent a small badge (the very last ‘shining star’ being awarded by the MS Society) to be included inside the paperweight.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Employee name badge paperweight</h3><div>This last paperweight contains the metal employee name badge worn by the employee who was soon to retire from the company.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg7GTpYxOJdtaeY4uef5CxozxN5h97de0G-_DjpSiGSvoLdp71ihM6mqNfuPkISnqDPrGR3ARcHCBqpqNl_INBXuXJSfoMmytnwx-tvryGr3-EQf1HYNUzaxq2TbUAPTLfOUVuKb2HzwCikdfA0NtNC6ezYfAaXTF7N-PxLSFk-JY4S1ka4QgLZwr/s4000/emplyoyee%20badge%20paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Domed resin paperweight containing an employee name badge" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg7GTpYxOJdtaeY4uef5CxozxN5h97de0G-_DjpSiGSvoLdp71ihM6mqNfuPkISnqDPrGR3ARcHCBqpqNl_INBXuXJSfoMmytnwx-tvryGr3-EQf1HYNUzaxq2TbUAPTLfOUVuKb2HzwCikdfA0NtNC6ezYfAaXTF7N-PxLSFk-JY4S1ka4QgLZwr/w320-h240/emplyoyee%20badge%20paperweight.JPG" title="Employee name badge paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Employee name badge paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I always feel honoured when asked to make these bespoke retirement paperweights for companies and charities. It is such a thoughtful gift to an employee or volunteer who has given so much.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mick</div>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-35478676381819256292023-04-19T11:46:00.002+01:002023-04-19T11:46:56.289+01:00Butterfly themed memorial jewellery for ashes or hair<p> I had a jewellery giveaway on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shpangle/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> in January, to celebrate my 14th year in business making keepsake jewellery. One lucky winner was to win a new stye of keepsake pendant that I have started making in the shape of a butterfly. The sterling silver and resin butterfly pendant would be suitable for ashes, locks of hair, horse hair or just coloured and personalised to virtually any requirements.</p><p>The giveaway winner sent me a small quantity of ashes from her pets to be incorporated into the pendant and this is the completed butterfly pendant:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD36lTlTH_o2I2LQmQvdU4va-GDUz5V1-OkkOowNK1jojbfx5VqRrPBDBrNY3Bm_Hmoe-Q_i8RtaAWifvlEliDfJoBzN74KiVAiqjxO3XqxfkUisSNrt5YnYnfTirmNzOwT2FP-CahTNCbX6mMeG0bpZ4QIONYBK8DcdZWVXHpVU9yrfmqn6Yt-6Kv/s4000/butterfly%20pendant%20for%20ashes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sterling silver pendant in the shape of a butterfly containing ashes" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD36lTlTH_o2I2LQmQvdU4va-GDUz5V1-OkkOowNK1jojbfx5VqRrPBDBrNY3Bm_Hmoe-Q_i8RtaAWifvlEliDfJoBzN74KiVAiqjxO3XqxfkUisSNrt5YnYnfTirmNzOwT2FP-CahTNCbX6mMeG0bpZ4QIONYBK8DcdZWVXHpVU9yrfmqn6Yt-6Kv/w320-h240/butterfly%20pendant%20for%20ashes.JPG" title="Memorial butterfly pendant for ashes" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial butterfly pendant for ashes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have set the ashes within purple coloured resin inside the sterling silver butterfly pendant and gave the pendant a sparkle with a small amount of glitter dust. The recipient was over the moon with the finished pendant, and I really enjoyed making it for her!</p><p>This was the first butterfly shaped memorial pendant that I have made, although I have been asked many times over the years to incorporate butterfly symbols into my jewellery. For example, there is this resin hair keepsake pendant containing a silver butterfly.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcdkID4Cf81G1Z5-vwWXPycmbDDNyotByIDci55XSQI-kr86KiDVC1OZ2BKwq3vxYfOnO0qtoMU6nUEdQ46iIjrGJ9tQmFou-b3lyzh_eYNF7tDA5mey0F6UX0bqhcFz3FmFy59DzMnl55HvIpaM3py0ow34loHNcHX5pUJkrXjQVGfX3G5Q1XrRV/s2288/DSCN5227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Heart shaped resin pendant containing a lock of hair, silver butterfly and silver initial" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcdkID4Cf81G1Z5-vwWXPycmbDDNyotByIDci55XSQI-kr86KiDVC1OZ2BKwq3vxYfOnO0qtoMU6nUEdQ46iIjrGJ9tQmFou-b3lyzh_eYNF7tDA5mey0F6UX0bqhcFz3FmFy59DzMnl55HvIpaM3py0ow34loHNcHX5pUJkrXjQVGfX3G5Q1XrRV/w320-h239/DSCN5227.JPG" title="Memorial pendant for hair with butterfly" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial pendant for hair with butterfly</td></tr></tbody></table><p>or this heart shaped memorial pendant containing ashes and a tiny, coloured butterfly.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8lRfEhwhpU3FGQ0xx2dRg0oehaQktIUnsvHMom8Pj-8xrJZQvF6lhhxIZNu2vNQDCtOGc-EIeBLvsDfFU5iuwpfxd4p938f2jB0HtEdKNL3Hbvm0oKZTPx7VqvFlmgBFCGNOuyeRzi11gGkyNS1F6G5axSoWdeX_LSzQLz27q8yPWEP0kUTBP40u/s2288/DSCN9009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Heart shaped resin pendant containing ashes, purple butterfly and text" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8lRfEhwhpU3FGQ0xx2dRg0oehaQktIUnsvHMom8Pj-8xrJZQvF6lhhxIZNu2vNQDCtOGc-EIeBLvsDfFU5iuwpfxd4p938f2jB0HtEdKNL3Hbvm0oKZTPx7VqvFlmgBFCGNOuyeRzi11gGkyNS1F6G5axSoWdeX_LSzQLz27q8yPWEP0kUTBP40u/w320-h239/DSCN9009.JPG" title="Memorial pendant for ashes and butterfly" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial pendant for ashes and butterfly</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As part of the jewellery giveaway, I also asked each participant to name their favourite butterfly. The Peacock butterfly seemed to be the most popular amongst those that entered my blog giveaway. I would love to know, what is your favourite type of butterfly?</p><p>Mick</p><div><br /></div>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-86426498761991382372023-03-07T13:44:00.003+00:002023-03-07T13:44:36.408+00:00Tea light holder containing pet hair<p>I am often asked if I can make resin ornaments, paperweights and other decorative items containing pet hair, a loved one’s hair or cremated ashes. Well, a few weeks ago I was contacted by Faye who had been given my details from a friend whom I had made a necklace for, containing the hair from her beloved dog.</p><p>Faye had some fur from her darling border terrier Flo who was sadly put to sleep following a short illness late last year. Faye really loved the idea of having some fur preserved within a resin tea light holder. Having never made a resin tea light holder before containing pet fur but always up for a challenge, I began to look at possible designs. I managed to source suitable moulds to make several different styles of tea light holders, including star, circular and heart shaped options. </p><p>Faye decided that she would like the pet fur to be preserved within a heart shaped tea light holder. She sent the fur to me, and this is the completed tea light holder containing the fur. The holder is created using clear resin and measures approx. 10 cm in diameter.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXExDF6e2iz0DxVLNfK9J0_pYyJM9bRwD_LqzYxqx-i9anS6wEJLhxeIKJIbSXcdGuEDeEaHwRnJ8ecQPu0qKOvZUlr0uzf9IY4jAXR85RJWU3-HR1Mx2L7xhoJdu1xsN36VGhPUvIoUyUfyo2NBrXVxCkMFUJgoMyp2_CCVEgxlBfUNaD3erK6Qx/s4000/tea%20light%20lit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A heart shaped clear resin tea light holder containing pet fur" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXExDF6e2iz0DxVLNfK9J0_pYyJM9bRwD_LqzYxqx-i9anS6wEJLhxeIKJIbSXcdGuEDeEaHwRnJ8ecQPu0qKOvZUlr0uzf9IY4jAXR85RJWU3-HR1Mx2L7xhoJdu1xsN36VGhPUvIoUyUfyo2NBrXVxCkMFUJgoMyp2_CCVEgxlBfUNaD3erK6Qx/w320-h240/tea%20light%20lit.JPG" title="Resin tea light holder containing pet fur" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin tea light holder containing pet fur</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The central circular container holding the tea light candle is made of glass and can be easily removed, so the tea light holder could also be used as a trinket dish if required.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1eCHMp_B-8OW0Bd59tYmH8PfxMbwjBxgaKULX5m7KswxXo1t4pNQ9epvIYBTP_8Ygy2mDujGWt7iy4gsPVkXFqcRQ4KLDueo4oauPKpix0rd54o18ZkCiNQJb2Y4OWkL02pMGejpITDjFTiFQ5dSZX0YairWhNxmlmSexeYXUe9Hse3Yig0vax0s/s4000/tea%20light%20dish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A clear resin heart shaped trinket dish containing pet fur" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1eCHMp_B-8OW0Bd59tYmH8PfxMbwjBxgaKULX5m7KswxXo1t4pNQ9epvIYBTP_8Ygy2mDujGWt7iy4gsPVkXFqcRQ4KLDueo4oauPKpix0rd54o18ZkCiNQJb2Y4OWkL02pMGejpITDjFTiFQ5dSZX0YairWhNxmlmSexeYXUe9Hse3Yig0vax0s/w320-h240/tea%20light%20dish.JPG" title="Resin trinket dish containing pet fur" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin trinket dish containing pet fur</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Faye received her custom-made tea light holder containing her pet’s fur and loved it! She sent me this lovely message after receiving it and accompanying photo of the tea light located in her memorial space.</p><p>“Just got back from a busy morning at work to open my lovely tea light holder, I'm so happy with it, it's so beautiful and I can't thank you enough for your wonderful work. I will treasure this for the rest of my life. All the best, keep doing what you do”,</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtadGPKzYjmr2XBTkkW4bSy193KlvvqStikpFhOYqYlElPifAiYB_792Mkgoa3k-iYI8KIwc5ZkofoUXb3zBDjK_CYucLdbr6iwIVp05hVd1vopiVzjf52Qqwx8NBD2lDogwCj22TK-enVWccYp5gGgkcvl42gHYYqde_M-OFAinK7rOa6qWA5toWt/s9248/IMG20230225145010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A resin heart shaped tea light holder containing pet fur in a memorial setting" border="0" data-original-height="9248" data-original-width="6936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtadGPKzYjmr2XBTkkW4bSy193KlvvqStikpFhOYqYlElPifAiYB_792Mkgoa3k-iYI8KIwc5ZkofoUXb3zBDjK_CYucLdbr6iwIVp05hVd1vopiVzjf52Qqwx8NBD2lDogwCj22TK-enVWccYp5gGgkcvl42gHYYqde_M-OFAinK7rOa6qWA5toWt/w240-h320/IMG20230225145010.jpg" title="Custom made tea light holder memorial" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom made tea light holder memorial</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I am so thankful to people like Faye who give me inspiration for making new products. The tea light holder is an excellent idea and I am looking for to making more of them to preserve sentimental objects for people.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-5862667461302611232023-02-17T14:03:00.002+00:002023-02-17T14:03:50.942+00:00Custom paperweight for fishing flies<p> I have been making custom made paperweights encapsulating personal objects for over ten years now, and it never ceases to amaze me whenever I am asked to set something new inside the paperweights.</p><p>This happened to me recently when I was asked by Brenda from Ayrshire in Scotland, if I could set fishing flies inside my resin paperweights. It is certainly possible for me to encase a fishing fly within a resin paperweight, and I am surprised that I have never been asked to do this before. Although I do not fish, I have always found fishing flies beautiful to look at and I also admire the skill and artistry of those that make them.</p><p>Brenda sent me a photo of the fishing flies along with measurements, so that I could advise on the best size and shape of paperweight to accommodate them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydzLoZzcT9CO22v1h8sAy-LWzyQZyTnysfll7Z_MNwBa5jfPxmfC7hVfY97DDlGcQ7pKBYo19IKasYnRVkui2DZqGaNUXccu-yJdvIGE1UuCjAVz5ckrDwA-AaCSuOqS8bsX1VqA1v8S8kK-B2cb0X0xUj-d440F9USrfpjeDd6FaHhm82ccHsQw4/s4032/20230107_095910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Four colourful fishing flies with measuring tape" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydzLoZzcT9CO22v1h8sAy-LWzyQZyTnysfll7Z_MNwBa5jfPxmfC7hVfY97DDlGcQ7pKBYo19IKasYnRVkui2DZqGaNUXccu-yJdvIGE1UuCjAVz5ckrDwA-AaCSuOqS8bsX1VqA1v8S8kK-B2cb0X0xUj-d440F9USrfpjeDd6FaHhm82ccHsQw4/w320-h240/20230107_095910.jpg" title="A selection of colourful fishing flies" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selection of colourful fishing flies</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We decided that two of the smaller fishing flies would be perfect together inside the square shaped paperweight that I make. Brenda also wanted me to further customise the paperweight by including a short message; she sent me the flies and this is the completed paperweight:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhL3Z2-g6MnNET7be75AJRENMaV5ASivwjJlr3SmNOv3gYXMAvPH7OuJqrUg13GimAzGZnm4uz7hW5XGQGu5X0J1CyRKOJ01xDaLLuWvOMtcy45mIGngHmsN90uAkLjTb8YznWMYZLhh94w6GJp_IfgsOJLKSEokUCufRzXOFHU0gFTK4lrK4GcUB/s4000/fishing%20fly%20paperweight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A square resin paperweight containing two fishing flies" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhL3Z2-g6MnNET7be75AJRENMaV5ASivwjJlr3SmNOv3gYXMAvPH7OuJqrUg13GimAzGZnm4uz7hW5XGQGu5X0J1CyRKOJ01xDaLLuWvOMtcy45mIGngHmsN90uAkLjTb8YznWMYZLhh94w6GJp_IfgsOJLKSEokUCufRzXOFHU0gFTK4lrK4GcUB/w320-h240/fishing%20fly%20paperweight.JPG" title="Custom paperweight for fishing flies" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom paperweight for fishing flies</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have encased the fishing flies together with the message ‘Tight Lines’ (which is used between fishermen as a greeting or good luck wish), the phrase ‘keeping your lines tight’ means that lots of fish are being caught.</p><p>The fishing flies really do look beautiful inside the paperweight. The resin tends to enhance colour and textures, so the feathers and other materials that make up the flies look stunning. The fishing flies also look like they are suspended within water. The square paperweight being a good choice for displaying the flies because as well as being displayed flat like a traditional paperweight, it can also be displayed upright as a display piece.</p><p>I am going to now look up some YouTube videos on how fishing flies are made. Thank you so much for reading about my paperweights!</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-83596442406298669562023-02-08T15:54:00.001+00:002023-02-08T15:54:18.815+00:00Horseshoe bracelet charm containing horse hair<p>I was asked by Sharon towards the end of last year if I could set a small amount of horse hair within a bracelet charm that would be suitable for a Thomas Sabo charm bracelet.</p><p>The bracelet charm was going to be a gift for her friend whom tragically lost her horse last summer. Unfortunately, they only managed to get a few strands of tail hair at the time, however this was more than sufficient for me to make an item of jewellery with it.</p><p>After a little investigation I discovered that Thomas Sabu made a horseshoe style bracelet charm, so I suggested making something similar to contain the hair. This is the horseshoe shaped bracelet charm that I made for her, containing the hair from her friend’s horse.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKaxrhEMofqNQWMUPx6ofdXHnYMFky7ufkXhYNQp6HlvXeP0aOVid0gqQkoNFZ0zNoJd-JXviBB7Zijjq9nJ_rlcxICCDfvAMNhFKesmsyth2q0KZKw957dx1jr2Tp445mBr94vFeW_uQs2T2ZQuQOauxz5dGQFtdK9soQA3f9KZHr53R9ZYtXf4l/s4000/horseshoe%20bracelet%20charm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A bracelet charm in the shape of a horseshoe containing horse hair" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKaxrhEMofqNQWMUPx6ofdXHnYMFky7ufkXhYNQp6HlvXeP0aOVid0gqQkoNFZ0zNoJd-JXviBB7Zijjq9nJ_rlcxICCDfvAMNhFKesmsyth2q0KZKw957dx1jr2Tp445mBr94vFeW_uQs2T2ZQuQOauxz5dGQFtdK9soQA3f9KZHr53R9ZYtXf4l/w320-h240/horseshoe%20bracelet%20charm.JPG" title="Horseshoe charm for horse hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe charm for horse hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I encased a few strands of the hair with clear resin inside a sterling silver horseshoe shaped pendant bezel and then attached a sterling silver lobster clasp clip.</p><p>I have been quite busy this month making resin bracelet charms containing horse hair. Here is an example of coloured resin bracelet charms that I recently made. Again, my customer only had a few strands of horse hair that they were able to send to me however this was more than sufficient to make a couple of small resin oval shaped charms. I coloured the bracelet charms blue and green and criss-crossed the horse hair throughout the resin.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VLRH8XaW_0cBzC04vMaNUy2RuLuD7cFuUryEKpVLMcPpgIkmDkKU4CK0ezs-xrwByPjQHk8YAGmlM9EeoThsOV-FJ-bbchvo-oazwoiwLRaxTvIJWhKktR_AIdqa3ba28n2QQ4qWl9EOEL1As9qs3XNSJXve4xM_pbB2Y9VkWtLOhOoyfX0Gs7at/s4000/horsehair%20bracelet%20charms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Two resin oval bracelet charms coloured green and blue containing horse hair" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VLRH8XaW_0cBzC04vMaNUy2RuLuD7cFuUryEKpVLMcPpgIkmDkKU4CK0ezs-xrwByPjQHk8YAGmlM9EeoThsOV-FJ-bbchvo-oazwoiwLRaxTvIJWhKktR_AIdqa3ba28n2QQ4qWl9EOEL1As9qs3XNSJXve4xM_pbB2Y9VkWtLOhOoyfX0Gs7at/w320-h240/horsehair%20bracelet%20charms.JPG" title="Multicoloured bracelet charms containing horse hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multicoloured bracelet charms containing horse hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I really enjoy working with horse hair in my resin jewellery because of the amazing effects that you can create with it, for example, the criss-crossing of the horse hair in resin often resembles rutilated quartz.</p><p>Many thanks for reading!</p><p>Mick</p><div><br /></div>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-52411924929972668452023-01-05T09:59:00.003+00:002023-01-05T15:17:17.379+00:00Preserving conkers from a special tree<p>Happy New Year! So, I know it is probably the wrong time of year to be discussing conkers (Horse Chestnuts), but towards the end of last year I was asked on several occasions to preserve conkers that had fallen from special Horse Chestnut trees.</p><p>I have been asked many times in the past to preserve special flowers and even leaves within items of resin jewellery and paperweights. Several examples can be seen within my <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/p/real-flower-jewellery.html" target="_blank">real flower jewellery</a> page. These flowers and leaves are often taken from a special occasion such as a wedding or birthday, but on occasions they are also taken from a sentimental plant or tree. Maybe a plant or tree that evokes fond family memories or a memorial to a loved one.</p><p>The following are a couple of examples whereby I have been sent conkers recently for them to be preserved within resin paperweights. The conkers were obviously very sentimental to the families that sent them to me.</p><p>The first example is of a resin domed shaped paperweight containing two conkers that have been encased inside the paperweight side by side.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B2lO0OJwJtyRt9FMEwDz3Rf4AEhRaytBYHtOdx8oIwjGkfIgnRDBBIAkAXQqmXUo0sEWaCRPY59Jyr0SYMsbsawayaUZcYhgYHn0WduJBOr03flrquVjAltzWv36HN51RDysZ9PXw2ZJMLBiu37ETFIVN7UNQiz4RoCRBVlZsHWUsRsLT-B0pC-C/s4000/domed_conker_paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Resin paperweight containing conkers" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0B2lO0OJwJtyRt9FMEwDz3Rf4AEhRaytBYHtOdx8oIwjGkfIgnRDBBIAkAXQqmXUo0sEWaCRPY59Jyr0SYMsbsawayaUZcYhgYHn0WduJBOr03flrquVjAltzWv36HN51RDysZ9PXw2ZJMLBiu37ETFIVN7UNQiz4RoCRBVlZsHWUsRsLT-B0pC-C/w320-h240/domed_conker_paperweight.JPG" title="Keepsake paperweight containing conkers" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Resin paperweight containing conkers</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For the next example I have preserved two conkers within a resin square shaped paperweight. I have also included a section taken from a fallen leaf from the Horse Chestnut tree, and a photograph of the family home and the tree. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0m8JIsKtWAoUveL-k6DUSTcF2RTGzwG1W5YRtDXpjS2inO1h3kCeZSL6kfPrZDYqxeyxdAXRoj_aFKuXKgHDI6Y6ocShL0RamDFwnNNOny-Frb8PgJY_DODEtZ-m9mU3b7UbIjhXA9i-qB14vZYm9UnH0maZ_Z-G03KEbVhlgYeBRZlCEil_OPx9/s4000/square_conker_paperweight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Paperweight containing conkers and leaves" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0m8JIsKtWAoUveL-k6DUSTcF2RTGzwG1W5YRtDXpjS2inO1h3kCeZSL6kfPrZDYqxeyxdAXRoj_aFKuXKgHDI6Y6ocShL0RamDFwnNNOny-Frb8PgJY_DODEtZ-m9mU3b7UbIjhXA9i-qB14vZYm9UnH0maZ_Z-G03KEbVhlgYeBRZlCEil_OPx9/w320-h240/square_conker_paperweight.JPG" title="Paperweight containing conkers and leaves" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paperweight containing conkers and leaves</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I hope these paperweights containing the conkers are special keepsakes for the families, and they give a lasting reminder of their special conker trees for many years to come.</p><p>Did you know that in North America, many people refer to conkers as “buckeyes.” They are named “buckeyes” because the conkers resemble a buck’s (or male deer’s) shiny brown eye!</p><p>Take care and I hope 2023 is a great year for everyone!</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-68028045128857364732022-12-01T14:52:00.000+00:002022-12-01T14:52:10.880+00:00Handmade Christmas Decorations Containing Pet Fur<p>This is likely to be my last blog post before Christmas and most likely the last post of 2022, so I thought that I would continue with the Christmas theme. Following on from a recent post I made about my <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2022/10/custom-made-and-personalised-christmas.html">custom-made Christmas snowflake decorations</a> that I recently made, I have been contacted by several people since who have asked me if I could put cremated ashes and/or hair or fur from a loved one or pet within the hanging decorations.</p><p>I was contacted by a previous customer Sarah who wanted me to set the fur from her very much missed pet Hugo within a couple of resin snowflake decorations, and these are the decorations I made for her.</p><p>The first custom made hanging snowflake decoration that I made for her containing Hugo’s fur containing a small amount of glitter and is personalised with Hugo’s name.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yn6X8Z-GSmXxNER-wiOWUsNVjtgsVwjp_jJKPAGbo2SUYVpF2hGoUTgNp91KLabgYAoCA8OBlQeoIce5fWYUU5dUooO5OhLk6bBO-dM4vH5VwGVn1fJCHs6uc09r3df-nd_Jp9JukdrpCYLpgFd6MAlLCanC5LXSjVIS9rsO84-Rx6PZ5aqjSaYd/s4000/PB010266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Personalised Christmas decoration containing pet hair" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yn6X8Z-GSmXxNER-wiOWUsNVjtgsVwjp_jJKPAGbo2SUYVpF2hGoUTgNp91KLabgYAoCA8OBlQeoIce5fWYUU5dUooO5OhLk6bBO-dM4vH5VwGVn1fJCHs6uc09r3df-nd_Jp9JukdrpCYLpgFd6MAlLCanC5LXSjVIS9rsO84-Rx6PZ5aqjSaYd/w320-h240/PB010266.JPG" title="Personalised Christmas decoration with pet hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised pet hair Christmas decoration</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And the second snowflake decoration I made for her contains the pet fur, glitter dust and a small amount of blue glitter.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bNRJDGphFPD1ADEfevVCskUVyOHgsRaU6doEekVGUwE5jYiMlTTdcKe-f9TSW2maWJKhXwzMti8jFv_CXMGFszDpZBVBWYkCyeW5oobI51gmOfBbL_Ddn6BZgCgisYCetSDFEBb5ulLLKL2jPXVuLT5fLKjadcNw7uL01JUzRKhEIHALcnaL6o00/s4000/PB010273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Christmas decoration containing pet fur" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bNRJDGphFPD1ADEfevVCskUVyOHgsRaU6doEekVGUwE5jYiMlTTdcKe-f9TSW2maWJKhXwzMti8jFv_CXMGFszDpZBVBWYkCyeW5oobI51gmOfBbL_Ddn6BZgCgisYCetSDFEBb5ulLLKL2jPXVuLT5fLKjadcNw7uL01JUzRKhEIHALcnaL6o00/w320-h240/PB010273.JPG" title="Christmas decoration containing pet fur" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas decoration containing pet fur</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After receiving her snowflake decorations containing Hugo’s fur, this is the lovely message that Sarah sent to me:</p><p>“Wow what can I say? Thank you so much for my stunning Xmas decorations! I absolutely love them. They’re beautiful (and I love the pretty packaging too, what a lovely touch.)</p><p>I am honestly thrilled with how they’ve turned out, they will be the highlight of my Xmas tree every year from now on. They are truly gorgeous. I’m so grateful to you for the lovely things you’ve created for me with Hugo’s fur, keepsakes that I will treasure forever and look at with great love and affection.</p><p>I am sure we will be doing business again soon and wish you all the very, very best.</p><p>Sarah”</p><p>I was thrilled to hear that my Christmas decorations containing Hugo’s fur will be on display, hanging from her Christmas tree every year.</p><p>Take care and I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and New Year.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-90837531746307333872022-11-09T15:27:00.000+00:002022-11-09T15:27:15.100+00:00Handmade Christmas Decoration Photography Tips<p>I blogged recently about some <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2022/10/custom-made-and-personalised-christmas.html">custom-made Christmas decorations</a> that I made and that, at the time it was a great excuse to get more creative with my photography. I initially photographed the resin snowflake decorations against quite a plain background. This really do not do them justice and I wanted something that would make the decorations look more Christmassy and bring the snowflakes to life.</p><p>Next, I thought about photographing the snowflakes hanging from a Christmas tree, or even having the tree as a backdrop to the decoration. But laziness got the better of me and the thought of having to get our artificial tree out of the garage and assembling it in October made me look for alternative solutions.</p><p>The following are some of the backgrounds that I experimented with in photographing the Christmas decorations. Let me know which is your favourite!</p><p>The first photo has the Christmas decoration set against a background of an open fire, giving a warming and certainly Christmassy feel to the photograph.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuz9i8VkMZjpLE8Ol78Pnns3ek9QCqt2pai_d_jyep-kInKdiynC4nrl-zrkzX5fg8uXaBhuDTUPFF-2R829AxnT6P3MbyF6Ymx06Ued-XOuDRe0stc0Ag7Tx6EKyn3xhHzBKASzGQqZL-yPkDtGgXNPtqqAnCXJtNtguE-TzcpgxmkccsT089yp9/s4000/P9300239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Handmade Xmas decoration - Photography tips" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuz9i8VkMZjpLE8Ol78Pnns3ek9QCqt2pai_d_jyep-kInKdiynC4nrl-zrkzX5fg8uXaBhuDTUPFF-2R829AxnT6P3MbyF6Ymx06Ued-XOuDRe0stc0Ag7Tx6EKyn3xhHzBKASzGQqZL-yPkDtGgXNPtqqAnCXJtNtguE-TzcpgxmkccsT089yp9/w320-h240/P9300239.JPG" title="Handmade Xmas decoration - Photography tips" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade Xmas decoration - Photography tips</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The second photo has the Christmas decoration set against a more colourful background of multicoloured flames.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhTbJEe35O5u_GBR5-fJvmNvRzMGe4voqaSPVNSKbLWO5YdML9Ff5ryNh49eO6KQd23qA10ulTkby_Y3DrDP5le0U0z4Y3s4np3T1auH0PMkRrGoTzpWb36vO3dsVzViFVBYhC2y2dmSONVCYw-TbfPQmiDeWu5b9iK5cbBs1aSjvHmfGyeXq0Giq/s4000/P9300259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Colourful Xmas decoration background" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhTbJEe35O5u_GBR5-fJvmNvRzMGe4voqaSPVNSKbLWO5YdML9Ff5ryNh49eO6KQd23qA10ulTkby_Y3DrDP5le0U0z4Y3s4np3T1auH0PMkRrGoTzpWb36vO3dsVzViFVBYhC2y2dmSONVCYw-TbfPQmiDeWu5b9iK5cbBs1aSjvHmfGyeXq0Giq/w320-h240/P9300259.JPG" title="Colourful Xmas decoration background" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colourful Xmas decoration background</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And lastly the hanging handmade Christmas decoration is set against a closer view of the fireplace, giving the impression of warmth, without it being immediately obvious that it is an open fire.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAIGWJ8gzwKDfmZy2wN2QJIb2sh6_PK9T5nEc0uIPxqsNFWuXiVUKrB5iz8Q9QyuIek8JnhPjXzgN3qxdUdSMpHWk01TwoZ2SeJuusJX05bLoYwlF8oBHMs7Euq1b07Bxoz1CDER7AqH4YeqPD2Myz-1RM7Ylbr9m5qLHL0bOR4ZKpVns7mjftwjV/s4000/P9300273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Artistic photography of Christmas decorations" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAIGWJ8gzwKDfmZy2wN2QJIb2sh6_PK9T5nEc0uIPxqsNFWuXiVUKrB5iz8Q9QyuIek8JnhPjXzgN3qxdUdSMpHWk01TwoZ2SeJuusJX05bLoYwlF8oBHMs7Euq1b07Bxoz1CDER7AqH4YeqPD2Myz-1RM7Ylbr9m5qLHL0bOR4ZKpVns7mjftwjV/w320-h240/P9300273.JPG" title="Artistic photography of Christmas decorations" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artistic photography of Christmas decorations</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Can you guess how I created these effects for the photographs? Read on to find out…</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How the artistic background to the decoration was created?</h2><p>OK, I must admit that I did not really photograph the handmade decorations against a real fireplace. Firstly, I searched through YouTube videos on our TV for ‘fireplace’ and I was amazed by the variety of videos, some many hours long, and very relaxing they are too! So, I selected a few and paused the video at a good moment to take the photo.</p><p>Then I began to assemble my photography ‘rig’. I taped a bamboo cane to our clothes horse and hung the Christmas decoration from it in front of the TV. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKUaP0DWj-qksSHviKTBZdlHWKIFnFVwzlumImybnC5XG7_GyrQ6rrgAWKFXjNiMz75bWPqWaXyzCyPAgmXaLWdrEMdNUwL_KvjpF8ZRpai3bdEwJ08XQ2Nq_l0HcuuiE7XM0_ctEqmvz__ZgfsPE9EsFDi9wJJw4B4fcTZ_r4ZlWmGSL3mWHjz49/s4160/20220930_134716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Setup used to photograph the handmade decorations" border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKUaP0DWj-qksSHviKTBZdlHWKIFnFVwzlumImybnC5XG7_GyrQ6rrgAWKFXjNiMz75bWPqWaXyzCyPAgmXaLWdrEMdNUwL_KvjpF8ZRpai3bdEwJ08XQ2Nq_l0HcuuiE7XM0_ctEqmvz__ZgfsPE9EsFDi9wJJw4B4fcTZ_r4ZlWmGSL3mWHjz49/w320-h240/20220930_134716.jpg" title="Setup used to photograph the handmade decorations" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setup used to photograph the handmade decorations</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I attached my camera to a tripod in front of the hanging decoration and took the pictures. Cool tip eh! Thanks to YouTube, a clothes horse, bamboo cane and a good dose of imagination I think I have created to interesting and Christmassy backgrounds to the photographs.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-6007369290850029812022-10-14T11:12:00.001+01:002022-10-14T11:12:18.183+01:00 Custom Made and Personalised Christmas Snowflake Decorations<p>I realise it is only October but after what we have all been through the last couple of years, I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit early this year! It has been great fun making these resin hanging Christmas snowflake decorations over the last couple of weeks. Making these decorations has also given me an opportunity to be more creative with my photography! These snowflake hanging decorations that can either be hung from a tree or as a standalone decoration. They can be coloured with any colour, glitter added, personalised with names, and can also include personal items such as a loved one’s ashes or lock of hair.</p><p>The first custom made snowflake Christmas decoration I made was this clear snowflake containing iridescent glitter and glitter dust, it really sparkles nicely when it catches the light.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8cYTn7OIVGwTau7RtOSXq5fmIZBBM3ljx2W0KfiygM6-gfKok7bdcU9ku_45k5aI7YO5UqaBjxRqd3xUdDNrwiDDAVA1KtvBLtUnASJAajxuBf3ReEZ4-3AnNNzFj2r2cH3IPlx7fppd8qTr0WbHngWo98Vt7Z8ZCgPhsAivabOCBwLSBajq98zE/s4000/P9300279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Custom Personalised Christmas Snowflake Decoration" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8cYTn7OIVGwTau7RtOSXq5fmIZBBM3ljx2W0KfiygM6-gfKok7bdcU9ku_45k5aI7YO5UqaBjxRqd3xUdDNrwiDDAVA1KtvBLtUnASJAajxuBf3ReEZ4-3AnNNzFj2r2cH3IPlx7fppd8qTr0WbHngWo98Vt7Z8ZCgPhsAivabOCBwLSBajq98zE/w320-h240/P9300279.JPG" title="Custom Christmas Snowflake Decoration" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom Christmas Snowflake Decoration</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The second hanging Christmas decoration is the same as the one above, but this example is further personalised with a name floating inside the snowflake.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIREV-CVMAnaE-b8DJRk11eZXqdUqoAM52cdsnywb78RFK-Be5YD3wuafBbCKgxl7EYbLjyLA2u9bH1xS2qNMunPLTR4Sz-dNFIberCSOma_1Krf92SATiongnB92xEli-HKMjzxNc57TMDG7Nw4pvBc0pfFcksFJgU6VZqZy8Ew36t14UK0-vM_r/s4000/P9300428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Personalised Christmas Snowflake Decoration" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIREV-CVMAnaE-b8DJRk11eZXqdUqoAM52cdsnywb78RFK-Be5YD3wuafBbCKgxl7EYbLjyLA2u9bH1xS2qNMunPLTR4Sz-dNFIberCSOma_1Krf92SATiongnB92xEli-HKMjzxNc57TMDG7Nw4pvBc0pfFcksFJgU6VZqZy8Ew36t14UK0-vM_r/w320-h240/P9300428.JPG" title="Personalised Christmas Snowflake Decoration" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personalised Christmas Snowflake Decoration</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The third custom hanging decoration is again a clear resin snowflake. This snowflake has a different shape to the previous examples and contains these gorgeous polymer clay snowflake sprinkles in tones of blue and white. Again, I have added a sprinkle of glitter dust to the resin to provide that sparkle.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqbVAy2Cqd7TX4iuTHL3u8mzkN19_-PrX8VTLHJMKqnRhHxdar8HVWlM0s3kqffVHvZ3GzEim_F1yxROTPjqV4H5pSDQblUZt3zcQgKqkXvzvLIXZKLB3HBVYxMUsa4DBowRANP7u9QFpiXj30l6vgrbpHQwEz2QSE_1tfXyDpyTFLJHma776xJFa/s4000/P9300275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Memorial Christmas Decoration with Ashes" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqbVAy2Cqd7TX4iuTHL3u8mzkN19_-PrX8VTLHJMKqnRhHxdar8HVWlM0s3kqffVHvZ3GzEim_F1yxROTPjqV4H5pSDQblUZt3zcQgKqkXvzvLIXZKLB3HBVYxMUsa4DBowRANP7u9QFpiXj30l6vgrbpHQwEz2QSE_1tfXyDpyTFLJHma776xJFa/w320-h240/P9300275.JPG" title="Memorial Christmas Decoration with Ashes" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial Christmas Decoration with Ashes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I can personalise these hanging Christmas snowflake decorations to any requirement, including the use of any combination of colours and glitter, personalised with names/year etc. Like my keepsake jewellery, I can even incorporate a loved one’s ashes or lock of hair into the Christmas decorations, providing a lovely way of having a loved one with you at Christmas time.</p><p>As well as having fun making these resin Christmas decorations I have also been experimenting with my photography. It really did not do the decorations justice having them photographed against a plain background and I hope you like the effect that I achieved. Can you guess how I did this?</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-72984390542777102912022-09-23T09:53:00.001+01:002022-09-23T09:53:19.788+01:00Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Coin Paperweight<p>I was working on this paperweight containing a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee coin when we heard the awful news of the passing of our Queen. It was extremely poignant to continue working on the paperweight over the last couple of weeks, and I finally managed to finish making the paperweight a couple of days before the Queen's funeral.</p><p>I was contacted a few weeks ago by a gentleman who wanted me to encase a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee £5 coin inside a resin paperweight, and further personalised with a message. This would then be given to the gentlemen's work colleague as a surprise gift. I purchased the commemorative Platinum Jubilee £5 coin from The Royal Mint and encased it within a resin dome shaped paperweight. I set the side of the coin displaying Her Majesty the Queen on horseback facing upwards within the paperweight and added silver lettering for a message around the circumference; here is the finished paperweight.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aQChK2toN0XiaIV2RlJmFKqoiTKBARJiZ-9cC7Y8BR0p-1G8eR7M5XUgQ1hHnCt57y_cUCZnS4ta9xoAoKq3IrXepGw7mFG2u3ZYyutc7sz991VUJ3C5E_L4N2yufB7s5GY0qPYxJEkiU2wKUZuDr7HVbDCWVFgbpQK_bldVPUxOQPz6_Pd_wOqm/s4000/jubilee%20coin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Coin Paperweight" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aQChK2toN0XiaIV2RlJmFKqoiTKBARJiZ-9cC7Y8BR0p-1G8eR7M5XUgQ1hHnCt57y_cUCZnS4ta9xoAoKq3IrXepGw7mFG2u3ZYyutc7sz991VUJ3C5E_L4N2yufB7s5GY0qPYxJEkiU2wKUZuDr7HVbDCWVFgbpQK_bldVPUxOQPz6_Pd_wOqm/w320-h240/jubilee%20coin.JPG" title="Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Coin Paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Coin Paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>One of my earliest memories I have of the Queen was receiving a Silver Jubilee crown coin when I was at Battling Brook primary school, Hinckley in 1977. I am not sure if this was a nationwide thing, but I remember that the commemorative coins were given to every child at the school by the Battling Brook primary school parents/teachers association. I still have the commemorative crown coin today (pictured below), note that the date on the attached note is 28th May 1977. Now this was not the day when the nation celebrated the silver Jubilee (I think that was on 7th June 1977). Saturday 28th May 1977 is a week or so earlier, which perhaps coincided with the Battling Brook School Spring/Summer fete at the time, and the coins were given to the school children at the fete?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fIxlq4_SKhqujuUCD_IV2onwEv9BwrFxt8_e8gt71AHMvd3FUcH2AXkVxQd7ZZ6iZFFHbbz3hUPCITsJ8wgFenjxCeZK7xT-sDKJVNPvcOkk9tiVP0gboCYjr8-wmuGVVR5blADPvFkOtp8iYjciWGWhL__GwwvKyafVhhn22HO00jjZzMf0V3VW/s785/silver_jubilee_coin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Silver Jubilee coin from Battling Brook School" border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="785" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fIxlq4_SKhqujuUCD_IV2onwEv9BwrFxt8_e8gt71AHMvd3FUcH2AXkVxQd7ZZ6iZFFHbbz3hUPCITsJ8wgFenjxCeZK7xT-sDKJVNPvcOkk9tiVP0gboCYjr8-wmuGVVR5blADPvFkOtp8iYjciWGWhL__GwwvKyafVhhn22HO00jjZzMf0V3VW/w320-h232/silver_jubilee_coin.jpg" title="Silver Jubilee coin from Battling Brook School" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver Jubilee coin from Battling Brook School</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Many thanks for reading about my memories and I would love to hear about your earliest memories of Queen Elizabeth II.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-3918898296877454492022-08-12T13:47:00.002+01:002022-08-12T13:47:52.049+01:00Preserving artificial fabric flowers within paperweights<p>I was contacted recently by a lady who wanted me to preserve flowers that were displayed at her sister’s funeral within paperweights. Sadly, she was unable to dry the flowers in time, but then decided as an alternative that she would prefer artificial fabric / silk flowers to be preserved within the paperweights. The paperweights containing the flowers would then be given to her family members and would then be a lovely reminder of the flowers used at her sister’s funeral.</p><p>She sent me a large bouquet of both Carnation and Freesia flowers and asked me to produce four paperweights containing a mixture of the fabric flowers. Unfortunately, the Carnation flowers were far too big for the paperweights, so I had to disassemble the flowers and create miniature versions of the Carnations from some of the smaller petals. I think they looked lovely and were a better size when placed adjacent to the Freesia flowers.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yGjX0ERSrXPiHNnQOVfYCJ9mjqxy20FnLlB5VKscDOTST19ZTGqvrQkDE6owCqDvOJrcGMQBbngr2g1spFKDignUHd5ZJ5RsT1KFCuM7CdYFqyq7ntNzY83O5j4q0VzrVl-6ykJHjoI2X46e4hUO3W_HdntjaF_E7PTQpwAbBnEP4mgklKYMn5Rl/s4000/P6130128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fabric Carnation and Freesia flower bouquet" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yGjX0ERSrXPiHNnQOVfYCJ9mjqxy20FnLlB5VKscDOTST19ZTGqvrQkDE6owCqDvOJrcGMQBbngr2g1spFKDignUHd5ZJ5RsT1KFCuM7CdYFqyq7ntNzY83O5j4q0VzrVl-6ykJHjoI2X46e4hUO3W_HdntjaF_E7PTQpwAbBnEP4mgklKYMn5Rl/w320-h240/P6130128.JPG" title="Fabric Carnation and Freesia flower bouquet" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric Carnation and Freesia flower bouquet</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I cast the fabric Carnation and Freesia flowers into a domed shaped resin paperweight and the results were stunning. The resin really does enhance the colour of the flowers and the silk flowers also look less 'artificial' once viewed inside the paperweight.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYrNnxvp-TKMwlAzvPdh_I0C1r16ICsZzKYLqr72-cG3VRJc64Gjr7CS4A5-39dy1Z5xhr7qQ8Bortq2-iIiA3z4yTBUeul5O1_7U8ZtZaevkWNAyHpzLgVCs10IDh5s17DoWF3xBBMrRSZbRup8wNGbOtuDTST38Fy_EQinz5i_eTtIe4ubuBwK2/s4000/fabric%20flower%20paperweight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Paperweight containing fabric / silk flowers" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYrNnxvp-TKMwlAzvPdh_I0C1r16ICsZzKYLqr72-cG3VRJc64Gjr7CS4A5-39dy1Z5xhr7qQ8Bortq2-iIiA3z4yTBUeul5O1_7U8ZtZaevkWNAyHpzLgVCs10IDh5s17DoWF3xBBMrRSZbRup8wNGbOtuDTST38Fy_EQinz5i_eTtIe4ubuBwK2/w320-h240/fabric%20flower%20paperweight.JPG" title="Paperweight containing fabric / silk flowers" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fabric flowers preserved in a paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Gill received her paperweights and sent me the following message: "Paper weights all arrived safely, beautifully packaged! Thank you. I love them! I 'm sure my niece's will be pleased with them as reminder of flowers at their Mums funeral. Thank you for the leaflet, a lovely selection of ideas. Many thanks for all your help".</p><p>I am so glad that I was able to help Gill and her family by preserving the silk flowers into remembrance paperweights that they can cherish forever.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-78272450751744480022022-07-12T09:56:00.001+01:002022-07-12T09:56:30.736+01:00Football ground turf paperweight<p>Two and a half years ago I made a paperweight containing a piece of turf from Hampden Park. The small piece of turf was gathered by a Hibernian FC fan, following their momentous Scottish Cup win. You can read about the paperweight that I made for him to preserve the piece of turf here: <a href="https://www.shpangleblog.com/2019/11/how-to-preserve-piece-of-football.html">paperweight containing turf</a></p><p>Recently, I was contacted by a fan of Tonbridge Angels FC who play at Longmead Stadium in Tonbridge, Kent. He stated that Tonbridge Angels FC is installing an artificial pitch over the summer to replace the turf pitch that they have used since the early 1980s. The club invited their fans at the end of their last home match to take sections of the pitch as souvenirs to remember the good times of the club playing on the pitch, which had included several promotions and reaching the First-Round proper of the FA Cup in 2020-21 for the first time in many, many decades! </p><p>The Angels fan was able to obtain a small section of the pitch and was looking at how best to preserve it. He had planted a larger section of the turf within his garden, however, was also considering preserving a small piece of turf within a paperweight or something similar.</p><p>Knowing how well the turf is preserved within a resin paperweight, I offered to help. The Angels fan sent me a couple of small pieces of the Longmead Stadium turf to be preserved within two paperweights. The following photo is an initial design for the paperweights. The piece of turf would be set within the centre of a square resin paperweight with text 'Tonbridge Angels FC' and 'Tonbridge Angels FC', printed in the Tonbridge Angels FC blue colour above and below the piece of turf.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ldpXqGIG34iu-NAbwN8650suYCFf8KGVI0LlSDr-OIWqvWPBeTMqhFTsIrkc5cxjpKFVG2O9vzJ_Bk7TZm-jwLCy8ky79Z3ukOTWi4SVVvTZbgzhFkcSAz2CmZEi81Mx4_-ZzDP99dCZj_xaOR2dHOOkPLfYC3qyr5H1wm8dT9xFkaR-vb9yUJAU/s1000/P5230088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Longmead Stadium Turf Paperweight Design" border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ldpXqGIG34iu-NAbwN8650suYCFf8KGVI0LlSDr-OIWqvWPBeTMqhFTsIrkc5cxjpKFVG2O9vzJ_Bk7TZm-jwLCy8ky79Z3ukOTWi4SVVvTZbgzhFkcSAz2CmZEi81Mx4_-ZzDP99dCZj_xaOR2dHOOkPLfYC3qyr5H1wm8dT9xFkaR-vb9yUJAU/w320-h240/P5230088.JPG" title="Longmead Stadium Turf Paperweight Design" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longmead Stadium Turf Paperweight Design</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And here is one of the finished paperweights containing the piece of turf from the club. One benefit of having a square resin paperweight is that it can either be displayed on its flat base or upright.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xPj5nrlwd5FK21K9FivnbXRzYe5c-R0KhZorK7BgKNS7-_17Ljj3DgkERi26PxxWL2HVT20RpjeaMtleWItDxmVK-fbwtQw_KPU8WUnABvMiNwgUwgpz0MFaJ2e5I1K4k322BwNluQaXtp3ptetkc9ksnVhSLa7LDPlmHE_iAggBodpccf7cuxz1/s4000/P6130119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Football Ground Turf Paperweight" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xPj5nrlwd5FK21K9FivnbXRzYe5c-R0KhZorK7BgKNS7-_17Ljj3DgkERi26PxxWL2HVT20RpjeaMtleWItDxmVK-fbwtQw_KPU8WUnABvMiNwgUwgpz0MFaJ2e5I1K4k322BwNluQaXtp3ptetkc9ksnVhSLa7LDPlmHE_iAggBodpccf7cuxz1/w320-h240/P6130119.JPG" title="Football Ground Turf Paperweight" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Football Ground Turf Paperweight</td></tr></tbody></table><p>With more and more football clubs installing artificial pitches at their grounds, it is really good to see that some of these clubs are offering their fans pieces of turf in this way. After all, there is so much history and memories that have taken place on these pitches. I feel honoured to be able to preserve these memories for the fans.</p><p>Many thanks for reading about how I preserved a piece of the Longmead Stadium turf within a resin paperweight.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-70446455485010826892022-06-29T09:29:00.000+01:002022-06-29T09:29:41.130+01:00Converting our shed into a bar<p>Well, it is more of a summerhouse than a shed, but we affectionately call it the ‘shed’ (so not to sound too posh). We purchased this summerhouse during Spring 2016, and I began work to convert it into a family bar over the summer months.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Construction of our home-made bar</h2><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">The basic structure for the bar was to install a length of shelving around two internal sides of the summerhouse with a central island that drinks could be served from.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91BxV3VgOROZoyERSSKIPJ7Oxu1mIzm-D004q8t09bHTc8l-PBXH2DG2ZqMCz9wdJOpvUH1B1ZicBJxpufV3ajWRzWkICQ1auwqm0NsLIX-EkdkezzqvcFjdytdJgxbWGw2MMzh6dErHhp17bF1C-FJCgJJyL8obCNQTUWAHTZNkDLVW8Eyyb9KKG/s2288/DSCN7713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Summerhouse to bar conversion" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91BxV3VgOROZoyERSSKIPJ7Oxu1mIzm-D004q8t09bHTc8l-PBXH2DG2ZqMCz9wdJOpvUH1B1ZicBJxpufV3ajWRzWkICQ1auwqm0NsLIX-EkdkezzqvcFjdytdJgxbWGw2MMzh6dErHhp17bF1C-FJCgJJyL8obCNQTUWAHTZNkDLVW8Eyyb9KKG/w320-h239/DSCN7713.JPG" title="Summerhouse to bar conversion" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summerhouse to bar conversion</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">So off I went to B&Q and purchased shelving, and various pieces of wood for the central island/bar. The shelving was quite straight forward to install. The vertical support struts to the Summerhouse making convenient locations to attach the shelf supports. The following picture is taken internally to show how the shelving was attached.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9PIbNWg6RVVmRdTYV5mh_lQS_LRaCjMqcu_Rf8MId4BmDNYb2uDBVTLCQ1v0svnoAwtdfD8FF_MS2Okq_4PqqrYLfBusmmzhPBNVwPcu4-IBO1XwO3S5kWk0-lXUtnvtCpwQtn9gJVndXm-nd9ceOiMkVR7LHYQQv8mf5pHMSqp1FZQeNl03guU5/s2288/DSCN7714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bar conversion - internal structure" border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="1712" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9PIbNWg6RVVmRdTYV5mh_lQS_LRaCjMqcu_Rf8MId4BmDNYb2uDBVTLCQ1v0svnoAwtdfD8FF_MS2Okq_4PqqrYLfBusmmzhPBNVwPcu4-IBO1XwO3S5kWk0-lXUtnvtCpwQtn9gJVndXm-nd9ceOiMkVR7LHYQQv8mf5pHMSqp1FZQeNl03guU5/w239-h320/DSCN7714.JPG" title="Bar conversion - internal structure" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar conversion - internal structure</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The central island was achieved by firstly constructing a wooden frame which was clad with pine cladding. I extended the above shelving to form the bar surface and additionally to form an overhead beam. I also included a pine turned newel post to complete the look of the bar area, as well as providing some support. All very straightforward to make, and it took me a couple of weeks off and on to convert the summerhouse into a working bar.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Decorating the home-made bar</h2><p>Now the fun stuff starts, decorating the bar! Firstly, for the optics, I purchased a wall mounted spirit drinks dispenser from Amazon and a lovely bar mirror, advertising my favourite tipple, Newcastle Brown Ale. I also sourced bar drip towels, bar mats and a Carling ice bucket amongst other things.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwo2b4lqBageBJZswwy9kiQmz9uzNrY-zvQW5sEswN2uZSrS2CgQoTstH4g8eceiLHJ0xZvaJ2R9FKPZmMc2beEDDGEawnsta5ditThufUfhkN-DCViVLYBAx7hswTrVbdson4UzYFGiwBzav2zWTU_DsFnZlCPH9v7pGasaJ9gJ6EsW_Qnqy5n1n/s2288/DSCN7787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Home-made bar - decorations" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwo2b4lqBageBJZswwy9kiQmz9uzNrY-zvQW5sEswN2uZSrS2CgQoTstH4g8eceiLHJ0xZvaJ2R9FKPZmMc2beEDDGEawnsta5ditThufUfhkN-DCViVLYBAx7hswTrVbdson4UzYFGiwBzav2zWTU_DsFnZlCPH9v7pGasaJ9gJ6EsW_Qnqy5n1n/w320-h239/DSCN7787.JPG" title="Home-made bar - decorations" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-made bar - decorations</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My greatest expense by far was an Angram beer pump, complete with beer tap and engine that I purchased directly from the manufacturers.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVHnp4pO8hyFoIJk-YQvVIp1o2I6N_C833jqGWmd5eMGy_DQzNpfZNERR7FrUuPf1mMsxcmFuJr4bTVYp0LgNIgD81OkCFLO0YfDDihn413CeaFD1jgWKFJ-D_L6KnWFSoku5aJKOv1VNnqHAgx3_AnKZoFB6LEW97ftO8025ovX0Ok0WNIZZ3Mi2/s2288/DSCN7785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Home-made bar - Angram beer pump" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVHnp4pO8hyFoIJk-YQvVIp1o2I6N_C833jqGWmd5eMGy_DQzNpfZNERR7FrUuPf1mMsxcmFuJr4bTVYp0LgNIgD81OkCFLO0YfDDihn413CeaFD1jgWKFJ-D_L6KnWFSoku5aJKOv1VNnqHAgx3_AnKZoFB6LEW97ftO8025ovX0Ok0WNIZZ3Mi2/w320-h239/DSCN7785.JPG" title="Home-made bar - Angram beer pump" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-made bar - Angram beer pump</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I asked a fellow crafter to make me a bar-sign to hang on the outside of the bar, and he did a fantastic job! The sign read 'The Cluley Tavern Est 2016'.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LeTE-Tf5r7yWKeH8cgygHTatX3FxQD7Im5GFNjRh4mU6BOepUfqFeAFkksQmFedGa51goKeMZo7NaMwc_Ne5Ew96DyLYewvI0Bky0Btnaek7RzoginYr_Fr6etT9Itkx-CmUDuEJHACtIiHzyGVaYFz-JWHSBfP8ADZZtXE7-qwgsapaSjsOMAdQ/s2288/DSCN7801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="'The Cluley Tavern' home bar sign" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LeTE-Tf5r7yWKeH8cgygHTatX3FxQD7Im5GFNjRh4mU6BOepUfqFeAFkksQmFedGa51goKeMZo7NaMwc_Ne5Ew96DyLYewvI0Bky0Btnaek7RzoginYr_Fr6etT9Itkx-CmUDuEJHACtIiHzyGVaYFz-JWHSBfP8ADZZtXE7-qwgsapaSjsOMAdQ/w320-h239/DSCN7801.JPG" title="'The Cluley Tavern' home bar sign" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'The Cluley Tavern' home bar sign</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;">Connecting a bag of Ale to the pump</h2><p>I managed to get some real ale from my local micro-brewery 'The Elliswood Brewery', and the Ale was supplied to me as a bag in a box, with the Ale was aptly named 'Just One More'!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3THnToIvekQyO8_IRlf9MqugqlqtrkH02uWFHJGbx6pjLPL8xaPEledKN4d2NLiWhSevjBaDRw1KJbhrhU2iciuoKCAzB919cRXqrbn4xUiNuS151kOL8GZKfs8E4RyRjrsd91DVx3dh4UXsnZiU0eesmIEVWz2kV_tBkwqvlMuSnGphlmRZUZkT/s2288/DSCN7792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Elliswood Brewery Real Ale" border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="1712" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3THnToIvekQyO8_IRlf9MqugqlqtrkH02uWFHJGbx6pjLPL8xaPEledKN4d2NLiWhSevjBaDRw1KJbhrhU2iciuoKCAzB919cRXqrbn4xUiNuS151kOL8GZKfs8E4RyRjrsd91DVx3dh4UXsnZiU0eesmIEVWz2kV_tBkwqvlMuSnGphlmRZUZkT/w239-h320/DSCN7792.JPG" title="Elliswood Brewery Real Ale" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elliswood Brewery Real Ale</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I removed the bag of Ale from its box and placed it within a cool box, drilled a hole into the cool box lid and fed the hose from the beer pump to the bag of ale.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm_yP9KUU95hzuYCOxZvaRssahEgBhKrweu-IgXGeBsbmQTfnfMF07udGJiA7REj80iYm_XHYqYjG8mZnyIK5HlwgLe7-tp06li0PRqkfi0qsNGeeVy9EG1lFHXDl9wZ9J7TTVTj4cq1mPnlLI-AaMETCyYcYiLgfeuxKZcUSSLfJJ89l26IbcyaB/s2288/DSCN7806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Real Ale bag connected to beer pump" border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="1712" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm_yP9KUU95hzuYCOxZvaRssahEgBhKrweu-IgXGeBsbmQTfnfMF07udGJiA7REj80iYm_XHYqYjG8mZnyIK5HlwgLe7-tp06li0PRqkfi0qsNGeeVy9EG1lFHXDl9wZ9J7TTVTj4cq1mPnlLI-AaMETCyYcYiLgfeuxKZcUSSLfJJ89l26IbcyaB/w239-h320/DSCN7806.JPG" title="Real Ale bag connected to beer pump" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real Ale bag connected to beer pump</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Several ice packs were placed around the bag of Ale, and I even included a simple temperature monitor so that I could ensure the temperature of the Ale remained suitable. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The grand opening of our garden bar</h2><p>I arranged July 10th to be the Grand opening of our bar and invited close family to attend. My Mum and Dad were asked to perform the task of cutting of the ribbon, I even tied balloons to the corners of the shed, I mean bar!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoEImByXIs_4Ts8_7Myz9WkISbb6E3R1-HtZWjyqVtR5t4uT2pgKxUHvpjuDGUVumD0OLNkx6fd9pT6jo5-ahBu8nKaDyuHmFSFHobB2qP6t7fqFhtCwA6axc16VxnbzvEBF_zoqrZMRSaaMDKZGGDAG7HntLzHBsMuqI70DkMuwnBxjv7Dc8pzS4/s2288/DSCN7798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The garden bar grand opening" border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="1712" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoEImByXIs_4Ts8_7Myz9WkISbb6E3R1-HtZWjyqVtR5t4uT2pgKxUHvpjuDGUVumD0OLNkx6fd9pT6jo5-ahBu8nKaDyuHmFSFHobB2qP6t7fqFhtCwA6axc16VxnbzvEBF_zoqrZMRSaaMDKZGGDAG7HntLzHBsMuqI70DkMuwnBxjv7Dc8pzS4/w239-h320/DSCN7798.JPG" title="The garden bar grand opening" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden bar grand opening</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Everyone had an enjoyable time, and it really did feel like a real bar inside the shed, and I had fun pulling pints!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC32PcKUTW3tinN7hKGXbKPZ0FUIOP0pBBxALvLPgX0QLFEJc_okadPAuweMyytBygjFjqraVK5T769GMs7UEkaIcBZTmW8WnbOXTHkBq6Ito6SfyKmtiF8PbT3wyGlVedIutF_H1lni0A1DJSbMTndQtxxPLkw4NtHOGQTRr-DY0_FSEwHhQ_orJ/s3072/WP_20160710_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Home-made bar - me pulling pints" border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC32PcKUTW3tinN7hKGXbKPZ0FUIOP0pBBxALvLPgX0QLFEJc_okadPAuweMyytBygjFjqraVK5T769GMs7UEkaIcBZTmW8WnbOXTHkBq6Ito6SfyKmtiF8PbT3wyGlVedIutF_H1lni0A1DJSbMTndQtxxPLkw4NtHOGQTRr-DY0_FSEwHhQ_orJ/w180-h320/WP_20160710_006.jpg" title="Home-made bar - me pulling pints" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-made bar - me pulling pints</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Many thanks for reading about our home-made family bar and if you want any information about how I made the bar, please ask in the comments below.</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095758247400683700.post-35284689543842838752022-06-13T11:16:00.000+01:002022-06-13T11:16:23.688+01:00Earring studs containing hair - smallest hair keepsake?<p>I made these earring studs containing horse hair recently and they were very fiddly to make! The sterling silver earring studs containing the horse hair measure just 10mm in diameter and each individual strand of hair is meticulously positioned with resin inside the circular setting. This makes the earring studs one of the smallest items of jewellery that I currently make!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OtKQC5g0h998ACHXIOo7WbPK2UYarz2KbZArYtD89gaOtUsQV1NgcUIrWbHzvNinoXWQoaahvggUU6nUXZLLXVtjhURVYwCQQHJOPlI0_goHOJGvl7HvotZJv8GGwu6I-XyYaNCG_GN8rESXcha2to6ASaJd_X9XnplbL22-ITpXPT50zlOKwAul/s2288/horse%20hair%20studs.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Horse hair earring studs" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OtKQC5g0h998ACHXIOo7WbPK2UYarz2KbZArYtD89gaOtUsQV1NgcUIrWbHzvNinoXWQoaahvggUU6nUXZLLXVtjhURVYwCQQHJOPlI0_goHOJGvl7HvotZJv8GGwu6I-XyYaNCG_GN8rESXcha2to6ASaJd_X9XnplbL22-ITpXPT50zlOKwAul/w320-h239/horse%20hair%20studs.JPG" title="Horse hair earring studs" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horse hair earring studs</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Another example of the horse hair ear studs can be seen below. Individual strands of the hair have been set within the earring settings, forming a criss-cross pattern.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVREUBNB06lkx7FoXYz1hV_Rp19P7LxLeg5aCB0vabF_6UPLcTS6opiZv0TV459Is_OyShTJT_MME0TNYHz1Fdrr6oDH7ClfK1cczwFbbQh-XRodblvPXhcQuXSsPHsJCImUCNjcjbCwMT7IeZvEqR2cOVcVVw0xUMqqcmluVBxEFnZzxW3qAl8kkE/s2288/horse%20hair%20earstuds.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ear studs containing horse hair" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVREUBNB06lkx7FoXYz1hV_Rp19P7LxLeg5aCB0vabF_6UPLcTS6opiZv0TV459Is_OyShTJT_MME0TNYHz1Fdrr6oDH7ClfK1cczwFbbQh-XRodblvPXhcQuXSsPHsJCImUCNjcjbCwMT7IeZvEqR2cOVcVVw0xUMqqcmluVBxEFnZzxW3qAl8kkE/w320-h239/horse%20hair%20earstuds.JPG" title="Ear studs containing horse hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ear studs containing horse hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And for completeness, here are similar ear studs containing a loved ones human hair.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnqtsozLSXY0RfnGeycecfpFJtXO-QLbjUFVs99QvyC7lVdc9aNpgJQDB45WY1EI_AQDvobLlkpnC5L31Mu24VeKSTISm3vKL6kRZVQ76r64te7v1Z6xKyYC6pO8Q-5EERWkn0xjFOXuJt08FdMucA25teRYnuc2-OOFv89YcBJbkHokXrIHEhCOv/s2288/hair%20keepsake%20earstuds.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Earring studs for a loved ones hair" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnqtsozLSXY0RfnGeycecfpFJtXO-QLbjUFVs99QvyC7lVdc9aNpgJQDB45WY1EI_AQDvobLlkpnC5L31Mu24VeKSTISm3vKL6kRZVQ76r64te7v1Z6xKyYC6pO8Q-5EERWkn0xjFOXuJt08FdMucA25teRYnuc2-OOFv89YcBJbkHokXrIHEhCOv/w320-h239/hair%20keepsake%20earstuds.JPG" title="Earring studs for a loved ones hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earring studs for a loved ones hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>But the circular horse hair earring studs above are not the smallest item of jewellery that I make, this honour is awarded to my rope edged silver earring studs that can be made as small as 5mm in diameter. The example below contains the smallest curls of hair that I have ever seen, also demonstrating how the resin setting containing the hair can be coloured to any colour.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyIZcsNQQ22cb7ZhlTzKUqM2Mkwi7dxSJ5FJR4ReywBskPg3F-FAxdE65gFTUs0TjOb6AsVD4mSmhb9ihAzUbEcTaGI3KG3XLLNzTrweEGBHNqKU6zdLwrvOEGG-7F0nZP2hCUN8ylQI4kSOIRHTt4jjsnlBaUkJj8h5Ytj5K7cK7c4yMLmTIl1kq/s2288/rope%20edge%20hair%20earstuds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rope edged stud earrings for hair" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyIZcsNQQ22cb7ZhlTzKUqM2Mkwi7dxSJ5FJR4ReywBskPg3F-FAxdE65gFTUs0TjOb6AsVD4mSmhb9ihAzUbEcTaGI3KG3XLLNzTrweEGBHNqKU6zdLwrvOEGG-7F0nZP2hCUN8ylQI4kSOIRHTt4jjsnlBaUkJj8h5Ytj5K7cK7c4yMLmTIl1kq/w320-h239/rope%20edge%20hair%20earstuds.JPG" title="Rope edged stud earrings for hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rope edged stud earrings for hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And here is a picture of similar earring studs containing pet hair.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ADlODEpERVr2U28b-9ewsFtMKXJ4OV6FaxkKhpfuwxh1kZVSAX7xSVAwjxBbpkf52DA2YLcyR_BjbgIqBCyoonKKqVtV4XVbQF74rlm1fAfrFY1Qj_PW4-vGsd47s5l-qM_Yo8FMX7CM4r1QsgGfznJlMXw8q2l_dgQa6zuKR35UiO81g-ICxjJu/s2288/pet%20hair%20studs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Earring studs containing pet fur" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ADlODEpERVr2U28b-9ewsFtMKXJ4OV6FaxkKhpfuwxh1kZVSAX7xSVAwjxBbpkf52DA2YLcyR_BjbgIqBCyoonKKqVtV4XVbQF74rlm1fAfrFY1Qj_PW4-vGsd47s5l-qM_Yo8FMX7CM4r1QsgGfznJlMXw8q2l_dgQa6zuKR35UiO81g-ICxjJu/w320-h239/pet%20hair%20studs.JPG" title="Earring studs containing pet fur" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earring studs containing pet fur</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Slightly bigger, measuring just 6mm in diameter are these bead-edged earring studs. The hair or fur is again encased in resin within the circular settings and is surrounded by a single row of silver beads. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4KCIqjh1wR9fi0FsQttrwHkmszs2oJ_P-qqhoEIucbqhHLD2IuYrajhBH59QPe1_B4fkbYJCHZV3oVrVSLgrR4QICScZRSNW9ui-L-9QsurZq2ugtMZwhpCB6b9ubeV_clZsPrc7j8gHT3TLxOKwWn1b6Gr33U1VgmkK9KeJaMo1ZJtMMRGSuG_z/s4000/bead_edge_studs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bead-edged earring studs for hair" border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4KCIqjh1wR9fi0FsQttrwHkmszs2oJ_P-qqhoEIucbqhHLD2IuYrajhBH59QPe1_B4fkbYJCHZV3oVrVSLgrR4QICScZRSNW9ui-L-9QsurZq2ugtMZwhpCB6b9ubeV_clZsPrc7j8gHT3TLxOKwWn1b6Gr33U1VgmkK9KeJaMo1ZJtMMRGSuG_z/w320-h240/bead_edge_studs.JPG" title="Bead-edged earring studs for hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bead-edged earring studs for hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The earring studs can be made larger to accommodate larger locks of hair and therefore creating a statement piece of jewellery. These teardrop shaped earring studs are approximately twice the size of the above, measuring 10mm x 7mm and the locks of hair are encased within resin inside the teardrop or pear-shaped silver setting.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGbt2RC9R9TEbRC2uzGNDAgvFViywqDhEaywjlMcQdZwGeqxkP05o61SORAVhbySFKbzbvPucOVVzF5PRQnZ2ZP14R7dmSqJbVVUdcspK02-Ju1jNFiW3LompT5RT0d8psGCLZywPgi2NQ9QTu_lH0fhgZgpRbPnietr94fF1_IRvagUBMsMiXX9r/s2288/hair%20teardrop%20eartuds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Teardrop earring studs for a lock of hair" border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2288" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGbt2RC9R9TEbRC2uzGNDAgvFViywqDhEaywjlMcQdZwGeqxkP05o61SORAVhbySFKbzbvPucOVVzF5PRQnZ2ZP14R7dmSqJbVVUdcspK02-Ju1jNFiW3LompT5RT0d8psGCLZywPgi2NQ9QTu_lH0fhgZgpRbPnietr94fF1_IRvagUBMsMiXX9r/w320-h239/hair%20teardrop%20eartuds.JPG" title="Teardrop earring studs for a lock of hair" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teardrop earring studs for a lock of hair</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I am not sure if there is a world record for the smallest piece of jewellery containing a lock of hair? Although very unlikely, but if I ever make anything smaller than the 5mm setting, I will let you know!</p><p>Mick</p>Shpanglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12120509166883105818noreply@blogger.com0