squirrelnuts

WELCOME to my collection of brass art metal stampings and pewter castings.
♥ If you wish to see if I have more of something you like, please let me know! ♥
♥ Read all about the differences between STAMPINGS & CASTINGS & how they are made below! ♥

STAMPINGS are made by striking a flat sheet of raw brass between two shaped pieces of steel called a die. The positive and negative shapes of the die create a 2 dimensional, flat backed or shell backed piece. Since dies rarely wear out, most of the dies used to make the stampings for Squirrelnuts are antique and many of my stampings are vintage strikes. The raw brass, vintage strikes offered have darkened with age and can be brightened with polishing. Newer strikes from original, antique dies can be ordered in multiple sets. If an item in the shop looks like gold, but costs a lot less, it is most likely just new or polished brass!

My CASTINGS are quite different from my stampings. The method of casting I use is called centrifugal casting. A piece is formed by pouring melted pewter into a two part, vulcanized rubber mold and then spinning the mold in a centrifugal casting machine. The centrifical force of the spinning machine pushes the hot metal out into every corner of the rubber mold. Since the rubber of the mold is soft, and the shape of the mold can be deep, you can make larger, 2D or 3D pieces with it! There is even a tiny allowance for undercuts, which means the items can be a little more dynamic in form. Unlike an antique die, a rubber mold has to be replaced periodically, because the heat eventually burns it out. I keep a set of master models in a safe place so that each subsequent mold made from them is of the same quality as the first.

The items in Squirrelnuts are decorative representations of things and are not meant to be functional. Unless otherwise specified, they are either stamped raw brass or cast pewter.

If you like squirrelnuts, you may want to visit my other two shops~

♥ Etsy Shop, Oobject~ My vintage shop where I sell some of the objects from my studio and home that have been my biggest influences as an artist. I credit these objects with educating me as they tell their tales. Whether it is through a wounded surface, or by the way a shape is specific to the object's purpose, there is presence & history behind all of it, with me sitting in right up front, observing.♥

♥Etsy Shop, Munafo, (my last name), is my newest shop and it is in the works. This is my handmade shop, where I will be putting my newest artwork. While Oobjects will also be carrying some of my artwork, it will either be vintage (yikes! I have been doing this a very long time!), or art studies which I use a s learning tools.♥

Please visit me in my other shops for the full experience, if you are up for it!