9-26-2009

today, I finished my 210 scales for the week (3 days early) and treated them. now I"m weaving and the back is finally getting far enough along to where I can drape it over my shoulders and lean back and it stays on. how exciting! I'm really tired but I think I want to do one more row of weaving because I'm too excited to wait : x and okay yeah who was I kidding, I barely got any homework done. *sigh*

I'm looking into sources for 18 or 16 gauge bronze sheet for my armour. so far, I found a place online that sells for $35/yard, which is not too shabby! this project has cost me well over $700 so far in materials so an extra $70-$100 will be a drop in the bucket. hah.

as a test piece, I made some finger armour a few months back, which seems to not fit anymore over the thin black leather glove I purchased to go underneath it so I may end up not using it. oh well... it only took a few days to make anyway. man I love shaping metal *_*

getting ever closer to finishing!

9-25-2009

sadly, the little chirpy hummingbird passed away Wed. night in her sleep. I don't believe there was anything else I could have done for her during those four days with me. I kept her company, fed her the nectar I bought for her, and took her to flowers outside to feed her those by hand. she just never seemed to get any better. she was never even close to being able to fly again, let alone making it across the Gulf of Mexico on her annual journey south for the winter, and she was late to begin with. I've learned more about hummingbirds than I'd ever known, and she taught me a little more about life. rest in peace, tiny one.

yesterday, today, and the day before account for a total of 150 scales ready for the acid. I've done more than my usual 30 per day because I need tomorrow for a homework day (though I'll probably sneak some in anyway). going to try to get another 30 or so done before I sleep tonight.

it's been rough for me the last couple of days.

9-23-2009

this morning, I got up and put 210 scales onto strips of blue tape and then face down into a casserole dish full of ferric chloride. after that, I went to the metals room and forgot my cheesecake again while I cleaned and then treated the scales with liver of sulphur. here was the result:

after those were done, I scrubbed the tips with steel wool to mimic aging over the symbols, and then proceeded to weave about 175 or so of my batch onto the shirt. I didn't realise I wove so many until after I noticed that I only had about 40 or so scales left in my little paper nest. time sure flies when I'm weaving ("it does not" says my aching neck).

I got a skirt in the mail today, it's really cute.

9-22-2009

got through the last of this week's scales with 210 ready for the ferric chloride. I have a little more time tomorrow to work on them so I'll do the acid then and I might even have time for the liver of sulphur. a few days ago I made a cheesecake and brought a portion of it over to the metals studio but I forgot it there in the refrigerator, so I'm curious to see if it's still there when I go in tomorrow. if there's a piece left, it will be a nice treat : )

here is my cardboard slat full of scales, they're in stacks of ten. I tend to get pretty obsessive about order and counting when I do them. what's so bad about counting stairs, anyway? I count lots of things. but anyway... the red thing on the left is my etching needle (you can't see the metal point).

today was my heavy day in terms of classes so I'm glad to be going to bed now (finally).

that indian butter chicken... was epic. if you've never had butter chicken, you owe it to yourself to get some or make some.  seriously.

bedtime for me.

9-21-2009

so I did 60 scales yesterday, and my 30 for today. I'm back on schedule : )

I pinned the front and beginnings of the back of the vest portion of the shirt up on my mannequin last night. she looks pretty snazzy. I've run out of finished scales so I'm waiting on the completion of the next 200 batch to add just a little more. I'm slowly getting closer to being able to wear it, and it's exciting!

the little hummingbird has perked up quite a bit since yesterday. she's making more frequent attempts to fly and she's very chirpy. she also likes to scoot up and down her little branch when I poke her. she's such a cute little ball of fluff! I tried calling a few rehabilitation centers last night but no one seems to want to take her in. I'll keep trying.

made some butter chicken tonight. my goodness, it was delicious. ^o^

9-20-2009

last night I got through 90 scales, not 120, which is still good progress. that just means I have to do 60 today instead of 30, which isn't too bad. part of the reason I didn't do the last 30 is because I found a hummingbird in the road. she's a ruby-throated hummingbird that seems to have not been able to make the flight south so I am attempting to nurse her back to health. she has no visible injuries and she seems pretty perky, but when she tries to fly, all she can do is vibrate her wings and she never gets into the air.

she's very pretty. I've been feeding her sugar water out of the spout of my tiniest teapot. I'm going to get some healthier solution later today if she can't get herself off the ground. if I can't nurse her back to health in the next couple of days, I'm going to find a wildlife rescue center that will be able to provide her better care than I can.

my ferric chloride came in the mail last night. I need to pick up a casserole dish to put it in and a funnel to put it back into the bottle when I'm done. I bought my own ferric not because my university doesn't provide me with the facilities but because the shop hours are very limited and I can speed up my process by quite abit by having it in my bathroom with the fans on and the windows open, of course. I don't think I'll be doing any etching in my room until the hummingbird has gone though, hopefully by power of her own wings.