Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A soft spot for hardware

Patina.
When I am looking for hardware bits, patina is one of the characteristics that captivates me the most.
Even though there are many products on the market which can alter or enhance patina, finding a piece of hardware with decades of authentic patina developed onto it holds its own special magic.

These are some of the interesting bits of hardware I found on a recent antiquing trip here.  The shop had bins, boxes and trays full of hardware treasure.

I went looking with the intent on finding fresh vintage components for jewelry making.  However, some might eventually be used in other repurposing projects.



Check out the oxidation and style of this keyhole plate.
Isn't it grand?  I don't think I will change the patina a bit.
The one to right definitely needs some cleaning so it might be a fun piece to experiment with painting and altering.


I love the bits of paint on some of the pieces.  
For the pieces which have peeling paint, I like to give them a gentle cleaning and use Krylon matte sealer to protect as much of the original patina as I can.


A quick share of the simple vignette I made using the cabinet card found in the above referenced post.
I am still tinkering with it so I am not sure this is how it will stay for now.
That is the fun of it, isn't it? :-)


Thank you for visiting!
xo ~ Heidi



2 comments:

Sugar Lump Studios said...

these are all just luscious! You sure have some great treasures down that way! Happy Tuesday m'dear! :)

Heidi said...

Your little set ups are so creative! I wished I was as skilled at composition as you

PS my name is Heidi to lol