A Year of Re-Use 3rd post

Its been a couple of weeks and I've been thinking of things to get into, literally.  One thing I've had for over a year in my studio is a rectifier for electroforming.  I have all of the supplies for it, I just was terrified to try it.  So, after all this is a year of re-use right?  In short, Electroforming is the process of forming a copper layer over a piece using an electric current suspended in a liquid bath.  ( Like plating) Slightly different and on a smaller scale.  So you can see my hesitation when it came to using something with an electric current... Well.  I did it!  I decided to use an organic item which of course has to be prepared differently.  It has to be sealed, then painted with a conductive paint, etc. etc.  Last week I went through my studio and got out all kinds of goodies that I've been picking up for years, acorns, star anise seeds, hemlock cones... I sealed them with a polyurethane suspended to dry, then painted them.  I spent 2 days playing with the current on the rectifier and voila! Finally I may have gotten it right!

Finished piece, copper plated.

First day of Year of Re-Use

Update!!
I just thought I would share what I created after my last post! fitting for my re-use /clean the studio, here is my little glazed ceramic bead pendant.  I used the Tiffany Technique.  My first time and it was sooo fun!
The glaze on it even resembles a skull! Only on one side.  I didn't see it until I was looking at the photos, do you?

A Year of Re-Use

This is the beginning of a year that I may have to say, I've been reflecting on for the last few weeks since I've gone to the Caribbean Islands.  I was inspired by colors, the people and the sheer beauty of the place that it made me think... If I moved to an island, where shipping fees were high, electricity was ridiculous.  Just the supplies that I had in my studio, what I could find to re-use within my current reach?  Where would this take my creativity?  Well, I need metal clay because that is my main source for my jewelry making but beside that I have a serious horde of supplies.  So that began my thinking, and out of that, is a year long challenge for myself.
A Year of Re-Use
Its pretty much as simple as that.  I want to try to use my own resources.  I will open a Flickr and Pinterest page just for the posted items that I've made and will blog post while I'm making them and when they are completed.
https://www.flickr.com/groups/2942352@N23/pool/
https://www.pinterest.com/SinteredArtist/a-year-of-re-use/