Hyde Park Curb A'Faire Trophy in Progress---chicken approved

This is what happens when I have the shop door open...there is also a cat in the corner, lol

Anyway; working on the trophy for this weekend's Hyde Park Curb A'Faire event; the first annual: taking place in conjunction with the long-running Hyde Park Street Fair.  The Curb A'Faire will be a showcase of performing arts & will include a chalk art contents on Sunday.

I'm really having fun with this one; going very whimsical & using all kinds of "junky treasures" in the design.  And I'm not even close to being finished: there will be colorful graphics, sparkle, feathers, & more; hopefully capturing the spirit of eclectic whimsy that is the Hyde Park Street Fair.

Chicken-Bird certainly approves, so I must be on the right track ; )

I'll be delivering the finished piece Friday or Saturday; stay tuned for the finished pics!

-Amber-

Hyde Park Curb Affair Trophy in Progress...

This trophy was commissioned for a new event in Boise; the Hyde Park Curb Affair---a showcase of performance & chalk art; happening in conjunction with the Hyde Park Street Fair.

Keep in mind, the photos are just sneeky-peeks: there is a lot more fun stuffs to add, this is just the beginning.

For this trophy; I wanted to go completely different; with lots of antiques & artifacts--so far I have galvanized tin, bronze, aluminum, copper, stainless, steel, silver & brass... To be honest; this one has been challenging already, & I still have a long way to go...  Joining together all these different elements is crazy; I have had to redo things 3 times already to make it work; some welding, nuts, bolts, rivets, drilling, polishing, scratching my head is dismay, etc... lol

But, I know it will all come together eventually---I have plans for adding some wings, crystals, full color graphics & more: the thing is already over 2 feet tall & probably will grow over the next week :)

These organic/assemblage pieces are interesting; to say the least...  the amount of tools I have had to dig out just to get it this far is amazing, lol... as you can see--my work table is full of stuff---lots of hunting for just the right piece to make it a bit taller, add a color, etc.  

 These sort of pieces really are an experiment: I have had to take the thing apart & put it back together to get it right so many times, lol.  Re-welding, re-bolting, re-drilling; because it didn't go together quite right: but it's all part of the process--I'm happy with where it is right now: tomorrow I will begin experimenting again :)

I wonder what it will really look like when it's done?  We shall see...

Amber

Hyde Park Curb A'Faire-Boise's Newest Street Performance Event!

I'm going to be creating the Grande Prize Trophy for Boise's newest street performance event: the Hyde Park Curb A'Faire & I'm so excited!  

We have a shopping trip planned for tomorrow to hunt for treasures to create something amazing for this---Pacific Recycling, the Reuseum, Idaho Power Salvage, & a few other secret location... ; )

Not sure yet what it's going to look like, but I'm really looking forward to creating something whimsical with a bit of a steampunk influence....  We shall see.... I'll update on progress.

If you are a performer interested in this event; contact me for the application---email me at refinerii@yahoo.com & I might even be able to get the fee waived for you ; )  

This is going to be a fun new event for Boise, & I'm really excited to be involved---check out the FB event page at: Hyde Park Curb A'Faire for all the details.  

Hope to see you there!

-Amber-

Boise's World Trade Center Memorial-Progress Update

The sculpture is finished up & ready for installation at Riverside Park next week sometime.  After over a year of planning & talking & thinking--it's finally done!

Pictured here are myself (looking fat--nice pose, lol) & Montry Smith: owner of Blake Trailers & Fabrication; where the pieces was built.  We had a little unveiling today for press & those involved in the project: thanks to everyone who came out to see it :)

We got pretty close to the original design: I'm very happy with the overall look of the piece.  Looking forward to seeing it in place: the courtyard is ready & waiting for the final pieces; including the sculpture & the wall of names.     The finished project will be dedicated on September 11th: I'll be posting more info on times & details as I have them.

The sculpture will be on display all this week in front of Blake Trailers in Star--you will see it as you drive by.  Anyone is welcome to stop in for photos & you can see the vision board in the office.

Working on this project has been surreal from the beginning: & I'm so honored to have been able bring my vision for the beam into reality.  Everyone who has worked on this project has been so generous with time, money, etc--I think we all felt the same: privileged to be a small part of such an important moment in history; & hoping that we have created something serene that pays tribute to all those who were lost.

Amber 

And the Winner is.....

Congrats to Jenny Hansen: you are the winner of a pair of tickets to Carnevale!!

Thanks to everyone who entered; hope to see you at the Garden on Saturday :)

Omg: I'm getting so excited for the party---and I don't even have my costume figured out yet..well, I have a few things; a cute top-hat, matching spats, & a pair of big metal wings...the rest will hopefully come together next week ; )

I had wanted to reveal the trophies on Friday, but this preview pic will have to do: they are actually farther along than this, but the plaques will not be ready until Monday: so I will do the big reveal then.  I must say; I think these are going to be some of the coolest trophies I have ever made; right up there with the Nascar trophy :)  And they are big; over 2 feet tall. I can't wait to see what people think of them next week.

OK; back to work for me--busy weekend, & crazy busy next week with preparations.  Trophy pics will be coming on Monday & maybe even a sneak peek or two at my costume & wings tomorrow ; )

Amber

More Custom Trophies

This commission was for a RC Race League in California :)

 Made from scrap steel & a few engine parts.

The finishing touch; an acrylic plaque with the UF1 logo.  These are shipping out today; hope they like them!

Amber

Puzzle Piece Custom Trophy

A set of custom trophies made from aluminum puzzle pieces;  this is the beginning :)

Pieces cut by machine; soon to be polished  & colored...

 I picked up all the pieces (literally) & proceeded to polish & then color them...

Instead of Easter Eggs, I got to color puzzle pieces this year  : )  It was just as much fun, to be honest  ;)

 And after drying; all the pieces went together to make 2 trophies; pretty cool: I think :)  Lots of drilling & looking at the overall design; but I think it all came together to make a really cool design :)

The puzzle pieces are joined together to form the logo of the company who is presenting awards; lots of color & dimension; this set is probably the most unique trophy design to date (besides the NRA NASCAR Trophy)     I love the colors & the dimension of the individual puzzle pieces :)

I hope they like it too-the logo is a brain made up of puzzle pieces; do you see it???  

Amber

New Soldered Copper & Crystal Jewelry Creations

I just wanted to share some of the new jewelry I've been working on the past few days :)

This one is made from hammered copper that has been soldered to a crystal optic lens (thing).  I love the unique triangular shape of these pieces :)

 An old brass key with more pounded copper & crystal accents.

This one is a glass piece with copper, rhinestone, & silver baubles.  (not actually new: it was made for Boise Fashion Week 2012--just never got a good pic of it ;)

And; another BFW creation; this one is also copper wire that has been covered in silver solder.  I love the glass lens; it has a golden iridescence to it; very unique.

 Another lens, hammered copper & dragon-fire crystals; they change color from red/orange to purple/pink.

And a smaller lens accented with copper & silver crystals; they look like tiny disco balls :)

I'll be listing of these on my Etsy shop over the next few days.  If you see one you are interested in--email me at refinerii@yahoo.com :)

Amber

Steel Kitty-Cat Garden Stake

I finally got the first prototype kitty cat garden stake done :)  It's soooo cute!  Overall; it stands 4 feet tall & is made from heavy 10 gage steel.

I'm hoping to have this design, along with single kitty-cats in my Etsy shop soon; working on pricing options :)  I think it would be really cute in polished aluminum too.

As is; the steel is bare; it will rust naturally over time; eventually to an even rust patina.

 

Such cheery little garden cats :)

Now I'm all exited to get my chicken design done!

If you are interested in having these kitties in you garden; contact me by email at refinerii@yahoo.com.  I would like to get more cut next week; & pre-orders make it easier to do : )  

 

Amber

Colored Metal Experiments & Projects

About at month ago, I came across some automotive paint; a unique product perfect for adding color to my bouquets & other metal projects as well :)  I've been having a ball experimenting on the bio-hazard & nuke coasters, aluminum bangle bracelets & wedding bouquets: just wanted to share the latest

This bouquet shipped out today, along with 4 matching bridesmaid bouquets.

The paint is a semi-transparent color; letting the metal shine through & reflect through the color--so perfect for this application.  It's hard to see in the photo; but in real life the finish is like a candy-apple, only blue :)

The bride's dress is ivory with an indigo blue band at the top & around the the hem of the dress; I think she made the perfect choice with this bouquet--it will contrast against the ivory bodice & has tons of sparkle & shine!

To get the perfect match, I first sprayed the blue color, then did a light overlay of  "smoke" to tone it down just a bit.  Then a finish coat of the transparent blue finished it off for the perfect match.  

I am not a big color person; I tend to stay with very natural colors in my wardrobe & have always preferred the look of natural, bare metals in my work: but I will admit that experimenting with color is a lot of fun!

It's hard to see in the photo; but in real life--these bangle bracelets have such a cool finish; you can see the custom polish I did to the bare aluminum through the candy-apple colors; so cool!

The bangles will soon be available on my Etsy shop, along with lots of other new fun items :)

More to come ; )

Amber

Ultimate Frisbee Trophy

Just finished up tonight; a custom aluminum & copper trophy for the Memphis Ultimate Frisbee League :)

Lots of hardware & a polished finish; this is one of my favorite ever trophies!  I love how the sunburst pattern in the middle turned out.

It's big too; 19 inches tall, & the copper pieces on the base are thick & heavy; making the trophy quite substantial :)

Besides the base; this one was made up of a lot of little pieces that were bolted together; it was a pain to put together & get everything just right (I think I took it apart & put it back together at least 5 times).  But, I love the end result...

I hope they like it as much as I do!!

Now that I'm caught up on trophy commissions; it's turned into a wedding bouquet craze around here: all of a sudden I have a stack of big orders :)  I've been experimenting with some new techniques & colors; pics will be coming soon.

Amber

Framed Awards

Last night we sent 132 trophies with the Framed crew on their way to Las Vegas.

The awards will be presented on March 12th at the Framed Awards to the best of the best in the photography business : )

There were 32 categories for awards, & we also made 100 nominee awards as well.

Cute, eh??  The nominee awards are about 5 inches tall--just a mini version of the larger award trophies :)

These were all made from aluminum, with a nice polished finish & clear acrylic plaques to finish them off.

It was a lot of trophies to clean & polish; my right hand is still sore from running the grinder for so many hours...but, I love they way they turned out.  And, the nice thing about making them all aluminum; I could actually pick up the box with all 32 trophies: usually with steel awards that would not happen ; )

The Framed Network produces a web series that highlights professional photographers & what they do; each episode offers a sneak peek into the inspiration, set up & technique behind a photo shoot.

Amber

Catching Up: Lots of Little Projects this week

It's been a busy week...busy working & building, not blogging :)

Lots of trophies this week: the above is for an Ultimate Frisbee League--I think it's going to be one of my best trophy designs ever!   We shall see when it's completely finished.

Also made one this week for the mayor of Chicago, & just shipped 2 to California: 5 year anniversary awards :)

Also, tomorrow will be finishing up a run of 132 awards for the Framed Network: omg!  They are very cool looking: pics to come...

And: I've been working on some new things:

polished aluminum coasters with transparent color: so much fun!  I came across a specialty automotive paint that is perfect for adding a nice color to the metal, while still letting the polish shine through :)

I couldn't resist trying some color on the aluminum bangle bracelets :)  I only had a few available & I'm sending them out to friends for testing of the durability of the color finish.  I have always shied away from adding any sort of finish to the metals I work with, so I want to make sure that this color will hold up over time before I put these out on my online shops for sale--- I would hate to sell something & then find out later that it didn't hold up.  

I must say, though: playing with the color has been a lot of fun: the possibilities are exciting!

It's been a long week & I'm looking forward to the weekend & a few down days.  Next week: visiting some new suppliers, presenting a proposal for a human-scale birdcage for a stage performer, & getting the first kitty-cat garden stakes cut :)

I can't wait!

Amber

Cute metal trees :)

I just wanted to share the first pics of the new aluminum trees--so cute!

We just got them polished up tonight, & I couldn't wait to test out the glass candle holders: that hang off the branches perfectly!   This little grove of trees will make it's debut at the Boise Centre this weekend for a corporate event that I'm helping coordinate.  A lucky winner will get to go home with one :)

Each tree will be a table centerpiece & will have 3-4 of the hanging glass candle holders :)

I love the way the aluminum reflects the candle light: so pretty!  I think these would look amazing in the garden too--I'm hoping to build some larger versions soon to be available on my etsy shop.  

I'm also creating other centerpieces: for over 40 tables! OMG: my little shop & apartment is full of glitter, feathers, masks, & other party stuffs.  Event planning is not something I had ever thought I would get into, but when this company contacted me, I couldn't help but say yes : )  I got to build some pieces that have been on the back-burner for awhile now, & work with some of the amazing performers & artists from Carnevale 2012, along with some new faces.  It should be quite the party: looking forward to seeing everything come together.  More pics to come...

Amber

New Small Pieces; on Etsy tomorrow

Just a sneak peek at some pieces that will be listed on Etsy tomorrow :)

"Flower"--19" wide by 10" tall; aluminum, steel, & copper

"Vortex" 13" tall by 23" wide

Nuclear (small) 8.5 inches in diameter :)

Bio-Hazard (tiny) 8.5 inches in diameter...

omg; these tiny pieces are so cute!  Such a pain to put together, but I love them :)  They will be available on my Etsy shop tomorrow & I'll be sending out a Black Friday discount coupon; so stay tuned : )  

--already sold a tiny bio-hazard: before it was even listed, lol --

So much fun; I want to keep them all!  But I'm happy when they go to good homes, too.

More new stuffs to come tomorrow :)

Amber

World Trade Center Memorial project: it begins...

Today, I picked up the beam that came from ground zero; a piece of history that will become part of Boise's World Trade Center Memorial.

It's a bit surreal to have it on my truck; just outside my window right now.  The beam was part of the structure of the World Trade Center & was recovered from the wreckage.  I'll be taking it out to the fabrication shop in the next few days.  It will become the centerpiece for a new courtyard/park that will be built near the Fallen Firefighter's Memorial--located along the greenbelt on Riverside Drive.

The beam will be captured in rings of polished stainless steel & left the way it is now; damaged & broken & dented.  The rings represent ripples in water; & that theme is carried out in the design of the courtyard.

I am working with Jensen-Belts Landscape Architecture, & Lochsa Engineering on this project.  I am grateful to be working with such a passionate & talented team.  I feel very honored to have been chosen for this project--it truly is a piece of history...

I remember that morning vividly; I was a Flight Attendant for Horizon Air, at the time; based in Seattle.
I was scheduled to check in at 9am at the airport; woke up early, as usual; & turned on the TV; & caught a few initial reports of what was happening...called Crew Scheduling; just got a busy signal, so decided to just go to the airport anyway---it was walking distance, & I figured that I could get a better report of what was happening there...   As I walked up to the lower check-in stations of the airport: it was obvious things were chaotic---there was a long line of cars waiting, way too many people milling about, & the atmosphere was very tense; frightened & desperate; no one was talking; everyone was watching the TV monitors--I was scared...   I made my way through Security & then down to the Crew check-in/break rooms; it was the same; everyone was watching the TV's & I did the same; we watched in horror as the 2nd building was hit, & tried to make sense of all the reports coming in....   It was still unclear at this point, but the airport was shut down, & we were all told to evacuate...  I spent the next few days with a very generous friend who happened to live in Seattle (at the time, I lived in Lewiston, ID, & just commuted in for flight assignments) We watched in horror as planes crashed into buildings, & the Pentagon: & waited to hear if anyone we knew was on those flights---my Best Friends & my Mother were working for the major airlines at that time & I was so scared!!

It turned out that everyone I knew was OK: all stuck in some city, as I was: waiting for flights to be opened up again. 

The friend I stayed with for 5 days had a lovely home & family---we put up a tall flagpole together; set it in concrete in the front yard: it was just a small way of showing our support for our country & those who were lost or suffering as a result of the  9/11 attacks.  I still remember the emotions of that day & that week--& I will never forget....
 

I'll post more photos as the project moves forward---installation will be sometime in the spring.

Amber

Another proposal for public art :)

Yesterday I turned in a proposal for new public art in Meridian :)  

Truth be told: I was racing to City Hall at the last minute; with paint on my hands & dirt on my face--yikes--just barely made it in time!  And being rushed; there are a few details that I didn't have time to address; not overly happy with myself about that, but it's in & done & can't worry about it now.  I vowed yesterday to not procrastinate on the next one: we'll see how that goes, lol ;)

Anyway;

the proposal is for 2 big sculptures along Meridian's main street; one near the railroad crossing & City Hall & one at the corner of Main & Fairview.  Both will be in the triangle area made by a merging turn lane.

This one; called "Curve" is the larger of the 2; larger triangle & also will have pedestrian access.  It's all about circles & patterns; recycling, traffic patterns, community, etc. Materials will be raw steel, polished stainless steel, copper, & brushed aluminum for the structural pipes that surround each shape.  About 18 feet tall in the center; I am proposing to have the sidewalk pass under the middle of the piece :)  Also, I proposed to add a strip of solar film to the surface of the middle piece; to power batteries that would illuminate the piece at night: colored lights that would shine on the polished stainless; changing colors from blue to pink, purple, green, etc---a different look every time you drive by :)

The companion piece is called "Shift"; representing change--in direction, consciousness, action, etc.

The triangle area is smaller for this one & there is no pedestrian access; so it would just be viewed by passing cars.  Same shapes & materials put together in a different way: & this one would have the solar & lights as well.

I'm really crossing my fingers on this one; I'm up against 2 other artist proposals: we will find out who wins the project in mid-November.

Even though I think my proposal could have been a lot better; overall the presentation is nice & the ideas for the artwork are good (as I see it ;)  So, we'll see what happens.

All three proposals will be on display next week in City Hall: stop in to vote for you favorite & give your comments on the designs.

Amber

Sneak Peekings: new work soon to be available :)

I just wanted to share a peek at some of the new pieces that will be available on my Etsy shop & in some local galleries soon :)   Above: the "Fat Lady" vases; from about 5 feet tall to just under 2 feet; made of steel, with a custom patina & bronze accents.  These are so cute! The big ones would make such a nice set for the entrance to a home; on the deck or porch; filled with seasonal branches etc....

The smaller versions are so much fun! Great for indoors or out: they are made of heavy gauge steel so they won't tip over :)

I'll be offering sets of 2, or the set of 3-one of each size, or singles: I have some other finish options too :)

And, I'm so excited about these small, table or desk-top pieces; just over 12" tall & made from mixed metals; more design options coming :)  They are so cute!  & these come in a larger, sculpture version as well...

Look for updates in the next week--I'll be photographing & listing starting tomorrow :)

Happy Friday!!

Amber