The project that I started in May is finally complete! Having never done anything that involved bone before it involved some trial and error but I’m glad it’s finally complete.
First, skull was stripped and dipped in acetone.
I then had the idea of filling in the eye orbits and nasal cavity with a putty filler, but after sanding it down realised that it would not withstand any sort of impact or moisture so I had to take it all off and clean it again. Then I used a moulding epoxy which did the trick.
I then painted it in a similar base colour to match the Swarovski crystals I picked out. In hindsight I could have done a better job with the epoxy and sanding down.
These are black diamond Swarovski crystals.
After that it was a long process of gluing the crystals on. I used E-6000 glue which is the best glue I could possibly have picked out for this project.
Finally complete! The small cavities were the hardest and takes a lot of patience.
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Once in a while me and my friends get together and cook. We had a Japanese night recently at Adrian’s - oishii!
Raymond making chicken teriyaki sushi
My karaage chicken - really simple to make and one of my favourite Japanese dishes of all time! All it takes is some grated ginger (I use old ginger for an extra kick), mince garlic, soy sauce and salt and pepper for a basic marinade. I also add a bit of mirin and use a mixture of arrowroot and tempura flour for frying. I also prefer using chicken thigh over chicken breast for texture.
Joseph sneaking some sushi :)
Dinner - still in progress. Siti is chopping up some chives in the background for the veal tataki with truffle salsa and Adrian thoughtfully stocked up on plum wine. There is also a whole heap of food not in the picture - we made way too much food but managed to devour most of it. The okonomiyaki and tataki were my favourites.. I ate until I couldn’t move!
Have had so much of Miss Chu lately I may be turning Vietnamese. And I still can’t get enough – but trying not to overindulge my obsession otherwise I will be sick of it by next week. I may or may not have worked my way through 80% of the menu by now and wish I had some pictures of the food to share with you. Instead, here are Miss Chu’s electric delivery bikes:
There is also another reason for the mountain of tuna sashimi salads and peking duck pancakes I’ve been eating - I’ve decided that for three weeks I’m reducing my carb intake to minimal - meaning no rice, bread or pasta which, before I decided to do this, happen to make up 99% of my meals. It’s a lot harder than I thought. I don’t really like fresh greens. I don’t know what to eat for breakfast anymore (I normally do a bowl of Weetbix or raisin toast). I’m about a week into it and craving for homemade pork belly stew on a mountain of fluffy white rice have increased about a thousandfold over the week.. it’s just not the same without the rice to soak up that delicious gravy. I wonder how I’m going to survive the weekend. In about ten minutes I’m headed to the airport!
Have a wonderful weekend guys! x
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I was reading this article last night on how the advent of 3D printing technology has opened many doors for small studios and indie designers. No longer are they limited by production costs and minimum quantity orders.. with something like this so much is possible! I’m still totally fascinated by 3D printing and came across these amazing applications of the technology by a company called .MGX I had to share. These designs are generated from a computer file, which is then manufactured using rapid prototyping technology. This 3D material printing process using a range of thermoplastics allows for freedom of design far beyond the capacity of traditional manufacturing technologies.
OpenCube Table Lamp; Design: Jiri Evenhuis
Quin Table Lamp; Design: Bathsheba Grossman
Volume Table/Floor Lamp; Design: Dror
So pretty!
Related link: MGX on Northern Icon
Saw these pix from Signe’s blog this morning and fell in love with Stockholm-based label The Local Firm with its updated urban silhouettes and dominant use of greys - perfect for Fall, except it’s going to be Spring in Sydney soon!
Love the spiky braids. LOVE. I wish I had longer hair just so I can wear it like this. If I was a video game character, I would have long spiky braids that double as chain whips. They also remind me of these guys:
Spiky braids = Bowser x Stegosaurus
I love Bowser!
