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Total matches for wire: 125
Programming Harmony
I finally justified the beads I picked up at an antique store! Ahem. Well when I ran across a couple of circuit board pieces encased in resin, I kept digging for a few more things, then set it all aside for a while. Desert Bus for Hope 2019 was apparently just the right time to dig them out again, add a bunch of other things I had to the mix, and come out with this. Even cyberpunk uber-hackers need a little flash, right?
As for the name, the poem All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace by Richard Brautigan had a bit of an impact on me, long long ago when I was just discovering that science fiction had an endless clinging hold on me.
OP Material Necklace
The commission started as a simple request: all the FFVII materia on one necklace. So I asked if all the materia meant all the materia, black, white, and Huge Materia included, and... result!
This was a fantastic project with a lot of communication and encouragement, and an overall great experience. I've also been made aware that the receiver of the gift was very appreciative, which is always a joy. Handmade geeky bling for Christmas, y'know?
As for the materia themselves, the small ones are my usual uber-glowy acrylic beads in the usual spiral wire wrap, but I wanted to do a little something different with the Huge Materia. Not just make them bigger, clearly, but give them all a little sparkle. I kind of liked keeping everything "rounded", so I used larger jade beads, dye, and so many coatings of iridescent pigments to give them a different look. Plus I both really liked the idea of the "caged" wire wrap for them, thanks in part to in-game "Huge Materia container" field model, and just the fact that the beads were a bit heavier and needed some extra security for long-term hold.
I also decided to do the spacer beads myself. They're black epoxy, hand-formed and then hand-drilled because it ain't FFVII unless it's super extra. Plus I just wanted to see if I could do it, and behold.
Reminiscence
I stumbled across the stone itself by accident, as is usually the case with these things, and... well, seraphinite tends to look so much like shiny etched feathers. So I snatched it up and put it aside for a while, finally starting to get the project going and-- There was a chocobo and a convention and a move and a whole lot happening before I picked it up again and somehow continued exactly where I left off. ...Then I made a chainmaile chain for it too, because. Well. I just did. Reasons.
I love how this silly little "I wonder if I could..." idea turned out. It was so ludicrous at the time, and yet. It worked out very well, allowing the light to bounce off of and through the stone itself to really maximize the shiny. And then I made chainmaile for some reason, I don't know.
(And if you happen to get a mild Sephiroth vibe from this... I won't tell if you won't.)
(For sale.)
Far and Away
This is a case of playing with materials and trying new things that spiraled out of control. Considering I was left with this result, I really can't find it in me to complain.
It all started with the fabric "feathers". I had some scraps and wondered if I couldn't manage to make a couple of different feather shapes and make them look relatively decent. That worked out, I think, and then I... just wanted to try a very different kind of stylized feather with beads... and naturally one can't make pendants without making a necklace, right? Yeah, sure. I had some cotton cord, recently learned the super simple macrame technique, have had these beautiful dark amethyst beads forever... and at the last moment I was handed a gold ring "for artistic uses". So, clearly, I used it. And this happened.
(For Sale)
Autumn Baby Jewel Dragon Twins
Two curious jewel dragon hatchlings, ready to explore the world! And have a snack. And take a nap. You know, the truly important things in life.
I've been making these baby jewel dragons off and on for a while now, but I'd always been a little worried about their stability. Sure, everyone ought to know to be gentle with tiny handmade things like this, and I never received any complaints, but even so I just wanted to make them overall sturdier with enhanced stability just to be sure they'd stand the test of time. These two are the fruits of testing and labor and so much cursing and complaining, but the results are spectacular and extremely sturdy. They're still a little squishy and flexible, but overall the body, wings and limbs are much more stable than previous attempts. ...The downside here is that they take an awful lot longer to make (read: much more work) than previous attempts, but it's a worthwhile trade-off.
Still, I mean. Aren't they worth it?
(For Sale)
Little Black Heart
Why wear your heart on your sleeve where no one will ever see it?
I came across a stunning golden seraphinite cabochon and could not resist setting it in stainless steel with one tiny black labradorite bead accent. And there's that byzantine variant again, but it's wonderfully sturdy while being very comfortable against the neck. And, y'know, purdy. The name comes from the song I was humming while I was taking pictures.
(Sold.)
Kaquel
Kaquel's what one might call a "world hopper"; they like to explore the galaxy by "hopping" between various planets, taking in the sights and sounds of different worlds and never really staying in one place too long. It's the nature of their species to be able to survive almost any kind of atmosphere, which is a really lucky thing as they haven't completely perfected portals and wormholes yet. That seems like a minor inconvenience, really.
I went a little "back to basics" here. There's no internal spine structure, but the legs and toes are wired. There is a criss-crossing wire down their back and tail, though, which does allow for a little posing. I started this with no particular ideas of where I wanted to go with it, so the felt horns just sort of happened. I had some leftover snake/skin agate beads, so those seemed idea for the eyes. Then of course I couldn't stop there with the shiny, so I mixed up some fabric paint with iridescent pigments, and ta-da or something. It was a nice, refreshing project. Somehow.
(For Sale)
Not So Simple Switchable Materia Bracelet
You want sleek, fancy, and mass-manufactured? Then you go see Shin-Ra about your fashion needs. You want a hand-wrought, reliably quick-switching linked materia bracelet that doubles as a defense in hand-to-hand combat? Then you come see me. It ain't pretty, but it's gonna get your rear end back home. And the rest of ya, so long as you're not an idiot. I don't work cheap, though.
*cough* So! Immediately upon the news of a Final Fantasy 7 remake, I had a thought: "I wonder if we'll finally get to see materia accessories!" And obviously that immediately kick-started my brain. This is actually the most SIMPLE of the designs I'd wanted to do, in part because I thought it would have more "universal appeal" as I was making it exclusively for Desert Bus for Hope. I started getting this image of certain "underground" materia accessory makers who had to work with what they had on hand, not really caring about making things look pretty; it was about function, utilizing the full power of materia, the ability to switch them out quickly during combat, and the added benefit of the accessory itself being used to shield its wearer if necessary.
Not even gonna pretend otherwise; this was a lot of work but so much fun to do. The rings are stainless steel, the snap is "plated steel", the "decorative bracelet bits" themselves are backed securely with felt for comfort, and this? Is not nearly as heavy as it looks. Oh it's PLENTY sturdy, alright, and that's what took me the most time: using everything I've learned through experimenting with various materials. The bulk of the materials used? Foam and cardboard. Wouldn't know it to look or to feel it; unless you're talking about the weight. And sturdy? Oh yeah, that's sturdy. I took a lot of time destroying test pieces. The great joy of materials testing, you know.
The "mechanism" itself is a simple "rod" of metal which swings down for "materia loading", then swings back into place and holds there with an exceptionally strong magnet. (It makes the most satisfying clacking noise when it's empty.) There's no danger of materia falling out or the magnet itself falling off. As for those beads themselves, they're all vibrantly dyed "candy jade", which won't lose their color in anything short of boiling water or a chemical bath. ...I assume no one would attempt either.
Thank you to badgersprite for you generosity in the final bid of $333.00!