Friday, August 26, 2011

I blasted yesterday

For the first time since... March, maybe? It. Was. Awesome!

It has been so long since I have had a creative outlet other than blogging {{and lets face it, thats really just me whining}}. I have been working on two ideas and had them all set up on the computer for immediate use when I got everything I needed to blast again. One is a baby frame and the other was a special something I did for J for our anniversary {{yes, the one three weeks ago... but who's counting?}}

J brought home the last piece of 'equipment' I needed to get to work on Wednesday and though I was eager to get to work, I had spent the morning with an amazing group of women that live in our neighborhood. I think 4 out of 6 of us run some kind of creative business out of our home and maybe spending a morning, out of the house, with people who do {{sort of}} the same thing as I do really inspired me to get the projects done. Not only that but it was great to meet some of the ladies in the neighborhood and between them and all the kids, I think we'll be very happy here for as long as Uncle Sam lets us stay.

Whether it was having good inspiration or just being extremely prepared the WHOLE masking process went off without a hitch {{except for a *cough, cough* quarter inch of standing water in the powder room from over spray during the washout - oops}} and it was like the planets aligned for me to have an awesome first blasting experience in our new house. The hardest parts of the day were setting up some necessary equipment pieces to be used during the process. I don't have quite the flat surface space I had in our last house, yet, and so I had to move a couple pieces of equipment that are kind of heavy and awkward without having a 7 month pregnant belly in the way, much less with one.

The frame was an easy set up. I have been planning this particular piece in my head for quite a while now and finally put it into the computer and then had set up measurements and everything on the actual frame, in anticipation of it being the first piece I was going to blast. Once the mask was prepared, it went together quickly. I blasted Bug's foot print on the backside of the frame and her name and birth stats on the front, to give it some depth and interest. It turned out GREAT! I'm hoping these will be huge! By scanning the image directly from the hospital's documents, we have a permenent reminder of how tiny Bug was when she was born.



The second piece I did yesterday was a piece of granite. J always give me crap because I've made lots of different pieces for everyone else but have yet to add anything to our household other than a coffee cup. {{Wouldnt you think every blastable surface in our house would be done?}} So, I knew once we got here and settled I wanted to make us a name marker for the front walk way. I spent a lot of time going through images and trying to decided what would look the best, represent our family and not turn into some creepy-headstone project. J had suggested his family crest and after some online searching I decided to pay a researcher and get an image of his family crest.

Unlike the picture frame, the granite is much more time consuming. You have to measure and because the pieces are so large you have to print the wording out in pieces and line it all up on the granite. The granite is also harder to work with because its heavy {{again, throw a seven month pregnant belly in with this and I'm sure I would have made a very comical you tube video}}. Right as I was finishing the masking portion of the granite and trying to decide if I could manuever it to the machine by myself, my neighbor text me. I took this as a sign from God and asked if she would like to come watch and maybe lend a hand if I needed it. Turns out, I didn't, but it was nice to have the company and the extra opinion. The granite came out GREAT! And I was so excited to have gotten it done before J got home for the day.



It was a very busy day and I WAY overdid it {{known for a fact thanks to an evening full of Braxton-Hicks}}, but it felt SO GOOD to be working again and sharing my work with everyone!

Like what you see?? Find me on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sugar-Bees-Engraving/116723085047013


2 comments:

Alayna's Creations said...

how cool! I'll have to walk down and see it in person. I'm so happy you could come to the party and excited that you're in the neighborhood!

Uncork and Unwined said...

You are so talented! I LOVE both pieces!!!