Thursday, April 2, 2020

Second on the 2nd: Keys please


I'm bringing back a post many of you have seen before.  It hearkens back to April 13, 2016.  Here it is unedited in its entirety:

Keys please

I decided to create at least one post about keys this week, but I thought I would start with some many of you have seen before.


Many of you enjoyed when I added a bit of bling to keys last year.



Others liked that I turned a few into hooks

then stamped words on a few.


Several years ago, when I was working on my "Hands" altered book, I added real Hillman keys to a spread that already had keys in the image.


Some may remember when I created a collographic plate from corrugated cardboard, six coats of mod podge, and several keys I arranged in what I hoped was a pleasing manner.  Yes, this is an old picture taken with my old useless camera.


I first printed on fabric, then printed on black paper.  Even though I don't show them, the fabric pieces turned out printed far better than the paper.

This year's keys will probably seem anticlimactic after what I've created in the past.


I grabbed a few keys and some nail polish I will never use (because I don't paint my nails)



and painted five keys.  I waited for the nail polish to dry, then painted the other side, too.  Note that some of the nail polish is thicker than others.



For the next two, I got out a product I had never used before:


Crayola Confetti Glue. I have no idea where I picked this up, but it has obviously been used in the past.


One pass with this glue didn't do much,



but two passes helped the technique stand out.


For my final two keys, I had some encaustic that I'd been playing with, but put away once April rolled around.  I just heated it and dipped the keys in it.

This is Day 13 and I recycled 10 old keys that had no value.  The one on the left was given to me because the person who was cutting it made a mistake.  Since the key was going in the trash anyway, I was lucky to receive it.  You might ask your local key cutter if you could have some miscuts.  Chances are, you will get a full bag of miscut keys like I did!

These will be used for embellishments on book pages, mixed media art, and/or assemblages.  However, if you are looking for a practical use, you could always use one of these ideas to distinguish your keys from those belonging to another identical key recipient.
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Actually, this is Day 2 of 22 in 2020, and I recycled various keys I altered in 2016 and before.

But wait!  I need a recycled project today, too.  I invite you to play along.  This is a very easy project for which most of you will have recyclables.


I'm never at a shortage for old, albeit modern (as opposed to skeleton), keys.   You will need at least one key, maybe more.  You will need strong glue.  I suggest E6000, but you can use any strong glue of your choice.

Most of us have old jewelry we no longer wear.  Maybe you have one earring from a set, as I had from that black and white clip on earring.  Even though I had to remove the clip/clasp, my needle nose pliers were up to the task.

Play around with your deconstructed jewelry until you are satisfied with the design.

Once you have your desired design, glue the jewelry to the key.  Allow to dry before moving, then add either a self-adhesive pin backing or one that requires adhesion to the back if you intend to turn it into a brooch.

This began with a gold piece I think had once been a hoop type earring.  I added the clip-on earring after I removed the clip. 

For the length of the key, I found a partial length of glass jewels.

Once dry, I will add a pin back to the backing and give it as a gift to a friend.

For Day 2 of 22, I altered two keys and old jewelry from my stash of junk jewelry.

Now it's your turn to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  It could even be a post that is as relevant today as it was when you originally posted it.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Then link below (direct links only, please) and Bleubeard and I, along with other Second on the 2nd friends, will be by to visit.  Please be aware this link is only open through the 6th, so linking on the 2nd is preferred.

I know many of you prefer Mr. Linky rather than Inlinkz, so today we will use Mr. Linky for our direct links.





22 thoughtful remarks:

Valerie-Jael said...

Beautiful keys, old and new. Have fun with your recycling and keep well, Valerie

Iris Flavia said...

Beautiful! And I just two weeks ago (or three?) threw away old keys. Darn it. Not that I have nail polish anyways. But argh!

J said...

Morning Elizabeth, what an amazing collection of keys, I love them , makes my plastic key fobs look very boring!
Have a great day
Jan. X

craftytrog said...

Great post Elizabeth! I have a tonne of keys in a drawer somewhere, now to find them.
Best wishes,
Alison xx

Dortesjs said...

Beautiful keys, i love this idea, wonderful inspirering

aussie aNNie said...

Fabulous makes with the keys, you sure know how to beautify things.x

Sami said...

The blinged keys are quite pretty Elizabeth, love the ones with the butterflies.
Keep safe xx

Karen said...

I love old keystoo! and you've come up with some great recycling ideas here ~ I like the jewelry idea and the added bling. Happy second on the 2nd!

My name is Erika. said...

I remember some of these keys. It is a really smart idea. And I am impressed at how many keys you have. Hope you have a great April 2. Hugs-Erika

Barbara said...

To see a box of keys I have would make one think I actively collect them. But I don’t, and I’ve often wondered how Ive ended up with so many.
Some of the ideas in this post are unique ways to put them to good use, and all ideas are creative!

Nancy said...

Very timely post for me- I have two keys sitting here on my desk just awaiting a new and blinged up life. Delightful!

Lisca said...

Great keys! I don't remember seeing any of these and I really enjoyed all your creations. Including the new one, which would make really nice 'jewelry'.
Have a lovely day,
Take care,
Lisca
PS Yes, we miss our campervan very much, but the biggest problem was that we had nowhere to park it. It was always parked here there and everywhere in the village, and people got a bit fed up with having this thing parked in front of their house, even though we would move it regularly.
The other thing was that because of its old age, we were predicting mechanical problems and having to spend money on it. But we weren't going to sell it, just keep it until it fell apart.
Then this English couple (that we didn't know) approached us from nowhere. They had seen it parked and wanted to buy it. We said no. Then they came back with an offer we could not refuse. It was just a little more than we had paid for it! So we took the money and ran!
They still have it and it is still going strong.

DVArtist said...

Wow this key art is amazing. You are so cleaver and talented.

pearshapedcrafting said...

I love what you do with old keys Elizabeth - there are some real beauties here! Hugs, Chrisx

Divers and Sundry said...

I remember those keys, and I enjoyed seeing your new ones. They'll make pretty jewelry :)

Halle said...

So many fun projects. Thanks for the look back. Makes me want to dig out my key stash. :)

CJ Kennedy said...

The keys are such fun and turned out great!

Sandra said...

These are all just amazing. I especially love the bling keys and remember the post.
Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Jeanie said...

I love what you did with the keys! They're such fun -- I should do that with my house key. Very cool.

And thanks for coming by today! Hang in there -- we're all in this together!

Meggymay said...

I remember your post on recycling the keys and how fantastic they looked.
The new ones look fantastic with the added pieces of old jewelry, great ideas Elizabeth
One day I will try this.
Yvonne xx

Rain said...

Hi Elizabeth!! Oh your keys are fantastic!!! I especially love those hooks, you're so creative. What a nice link party! Maybe when life settles down a little I can join in! I actually called the Emergency Measures departments of my province and New Brunswick...so far (fingers crossed), moving from province to province is considered "essential" travel so we should be okay. We just have to quarantine ourselves for 2 weeks when we get there. I'll call back at the end of the month to re-verify though.

Eileen Bergen said...

Lovely idea, Elizabeth. My favaorite keys are still the key hooks. Eileen xx