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Ataralassë_Manveri
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Post Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: October 22, 2004 05:49
I'm still working on it, and I haven't quite figured out the whole wire loop-around thingy.

Materials needed:
writing pin
Duct tape
Dark Green Nail Polish
Gold/Silver Glitter Nail Polish (optional)
Light Green Nail Polish
normal paperclip
scissors
silver gel pen for photos/scrapbooks
paperplate (to keep the "leaf" on, so the polish doesn't get on furniture while it dries)

I'm thinking this would be better with a piece of cardboard, but I had none at the time, so I will give you the current instructions.

The size of your loth pin will be limited to the size of your duct tape.
1. Cut off your selected amount of duct tape and fold in half. Cut off any piece that did not stick, there should be no expose sticky-side of the tape.
2. with the pen draw your mallorn leaf. If you are not good at drawing them, try printing one off on your computer to the right size, and carefully cutting it out, and using the remainding paper as a stencil. More tips on that will be provided if asked for.
3. Carefully cut out the leaf shape.
4. Use the paperclip to make the leaf veins. Use images to depict where they will go. Only do this on the side that will be seen.
5. On one side, coat the "leaf" with dark green nail polish, and let dry, then the other side, and let dry.
6. Repeat with the silver or gold glitter polish. If you choose to do so it should be the clear polish with the glitter.
7. Go over with light green.
(If you only use one green, just repeat with the same shade)
8. When the polish has dried, use the silver gel pen to retrace the leaf-veins you made. Leave for an hour to dry. It will dry faster than that, but this is just to be on the safe side.
9. Make a loop for the leaf by unbending the paperclip, cut with a pair of scissors, and duct tape to the back. I suppose you could use superglue, but I used tiny strips of the tape.

Here is an unfinished image:
Image



[Edited on 20/6/2011 by ~nólemë~]
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: October 23, 2004 05:48
looks real good, but I have a possible suggestion... to make the imprints of the veins clearer, and the leaf slightly stiffer, you might try using two or three layers of tape. So you'd put one layer of tape on another, so one sticky side was still sticky, then fold that sticky side in.

Oh, and one other thing, silver gel pens tend to make narrow lines, in my experience, you could try it with silver nail polish too, don't you think? and then a light glitter at the "base" of the lobes (where the veins join)-- and then a few layers of clear for the really liquid-y clear way...

This isn't to correct the way you're doing it or anything-- just to add a few ideas!

*plans trip to store for nice nail polish...*
Ataralassë_Manveri
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: October 24, 2004 07:00
Thanks for the suggestions. This is really just a prototype. I may put a piece of posterboard between the tape. Here is the leaf with the gel pen lines. Note, the actual "leaf" is about "hobbit sized"

Image
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: October 28, 2004 06:30
(I'll post a picture when I can of mine, made almost the same way) Oh, and I too suggest sticking a piece of paperboard between the layers. It bends as it is.

Okay, I've been working on mine (*glares at glue and polish covered fingers*), and I think I've found a pretty good way to make the "lobes" between the veins. Essentially, I used the shade of nail polish, put on a thick layer. Wait for it to almost-dry, but still be soft, then very carefully indent the veins with the tip of a pencil or pen. Don't drag the tip, press in little spots repeatedly until you have a line. Wait for it to dry, put silver nail polish along the lines, then wait for that to dry. Put an **extremely** thick layer along each lobe, I'm talking about an entire brushful or two lobes per brush. Literally dripping. The surface tension will keep it away from the silver. Wait for it to dry (give it a day or so). Put more silver nail polish along the veins if they've gotten partially covered. Coat it in a sealer. Superglue a safety pin to the back.

Now you've got the main leaf.

For the swirly-vine-stem-thingy (don't you love my powers of description? lol)-- what I did was take a footlong, maybe sixteen inch section of light blue/grey embroidery floss and coat it in the same silver nail polish, wait for it to dry (about ten minutes), coat in a sealer. Then use super glue (i'm talking Loctite or epoxy glue) to put the one that crosses the main stem. Glue another section to the base of the stem, where they all join in that little indent. Carefully twine it around the first thread and glue in place, twist it around the leaflet, behind the main leaf, and glue again to the top. Glue around the back. You ought to have about eight or so inches of thread left, reinforce the one you just did with another thread, glue them very close together so they just look thick. Reinforce the first thread, if you want to do more you can put a third "layer" along the first twisty part from the stem-start to where it goes behind the leaflet and glue it back there.

The ear/foot glue can't have been worse. I can't feel my fingertips properly... *tries to get glue off*
superlegolas
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: March 01, 2005 01:39
i made one out of sculpy. they are really easy!
EldarChild
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: March 01, 2005 01:51
Awesome you guys, Tolkien fans are soo talented. I'll have to try the duct tape for Arwen's butterfly pin come halloween (I'm hoping to get a recreation of one of the dresses done by then)
Meltintalle
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: March 05, 2005 07:50
I, too made a Fellowship pin out of Sculpy. Beautiful and easy. I've gotten several compliments. Anyway, for the 'swirly-vine-stem-thingy' I used one of those silvery plastic twisties you get with (in my case) model horses attatching them to the box. Add a little acrylic paint so that the silver parts meld together and voila!

Just thought I'd pass it on--it should work with several of the pin/broachs designed for the movies.
Eruvyreth_Himiel
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: March 14, 2005 06:51
i made my own brooch out of tin sheet and wire. i got the raised veins by pressing in on the reverse side with just a ball point pen. used gold and green acrylic paint, and then sealed the whole thing with laquer. bent the wire in the right shape, glued them on at the back with metal glue, and added a pin, then filled the back with resin to give it weight and strength. i wear it everywhere, and it looks like it's real, not just costume!

here's the picture:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/14366668/

click on the pic to make it bigger.

thinking of making the evenstar next, and now working on my own version of the butterfly brooch.

[Edited on 15/3/2005 by Eruvyreth_Himiel]
Eruvyreth_Himiel
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:24
I made my own brooch out of tin sheet and wire.

Firstly, print out a picture of the pin in the desired size and cut it out. Then, on a sheet of tin (bought at hardware stores, craft stores... or for the budget version, cut the top and bottom off a coke can, careful not to dent it, then slice down the side and flatten out. be sure to use the coloured side on the back, and clean thoroughly) trace out the leaf (minus wires)
Leave 1/2 a cm border (1/4 inch) around the traced out areas. Cut out with scissors.

I did the raised veins by pressing in on the reverse side with just a ball point pen. place the leaf shape face down on a stack of newspaper, then "draw" the veins with a ball point pen, making nice smooth indents.
Then cut lots of little slits into the 1/2cm border, so there are lots of little tabs all the way round (like so: _l_l_l_l_). Then carefully fold the tabs round to the back, making sure to get a nice smooth edge. this makes the leaf look more weighty, and also gets rid of sharp edges. The leaf should now look like the shape in the picture you printed.

I used gold and green acrylic paint mixed together, painting by hand around the veins and leaving just a little metal edge showing around the leaf.
I then sealed the whole thing with laquer. PVA glue painted over the top dries clear and works well too.
I bent the wire in the right shape, glued them on at the back with metal glue (liquid gasket glue works well. cheap and found in most hardware and automotive stores.)
I then glued a pin to the back, then filled the back with resin to give it weight and strength. You don't have to fill the back with resin, but it helps. Filling with glue works too. If the back is a gross colour then paint over with silver paint.
I wear it everywhere, and it looks like it's real, not just costume!

here's the picture:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/14366668/

click on the pic to make it bigger.

thinking of making the evenstar next, and now working on my own version of the butterfly brooch. here's a work-in-progress pic of my version of the brooch.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/16154628/



Admin, feel free to add this to the LHH if you wish.

[Edited on 18/3/2005 by Eruvyreth_Himiel]

[Edited on 21/3/2005 by Eruvyreth_Himiel]
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:24
That's gorgeous, you've certainly got talent! I may have to go buy a can of coke and try that out myself...
RiverWoman
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:24
I really like those. I had the brooch and Evenstar necklace from New Line but I didn't like them and gave them away - they looked too much like modern mass produced costume jewelry, which is what they are. Your have a much more authentic hand-crafted but still real jewelry look about them.
Eruvyreth_Himiel
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:25
thanks. i didn't want to fork out a rediculous amount of money for a brooch that looked cheap anyway. i wanted one that looked more like in the movies.
Eruvyreth_Himiel
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:25
Another thing that i forgot to add to the main how-to, is that you can curve the leaf slightly to look more fluid. the official replica is flat too, it looks tacky.
VendeaErunyauve
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:26
Absolutely lovely! Marvelous workmanship!
ABagginsOfTheShire
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:27
It's fanastic! I might try it some day.

I don't think the admin can just add it to the LHH, but you could PM it to whoever is in charge of that, and see what they think. Also, try the creations corner.

Again, great work!
~Aranel~
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Post RE: Really Easy Fellowship Brooch
on: June 20, 2011 01:27
wow, they are truly amazing. look just like the real thing!
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