Month: August 2004

The young man in the building center told me I was not the only one who had found unusual uses for things. I had been buying quite a lot of aluminum flashing and commented that it was not for roofing but for decoration. When I have more time I will ask him to give me examples of his experience with creative customers and wonder if it will be similar to my brother discovering that the seniors who were buying so much WD 40 in his hardware store were using it as arthritis liniment.
The flashing, in its eighteen-inch width, (it is sold by the meter) is perfect as a backsplash on the kitchen sink counter. Borrowing the idea of pierced-tin designs on old pie cupboards, I’ve used a nail set to hammer patterns against the back of the flashing sheets. If being water-tight is not an issue then a nail can be used to actually puncture the aluminum. The embossed effect against the silver is lovely.
The nine-inch width, attached in lengths to the risers, lends itself to adding interest to stairways. The three-foot width, wrapped into a six-inch diameter cylinder, half-filled with sand, anchored in a cement block and filled with tall dried grasses makes shadows against the wall beside a doorway. And on the door, a nine-inch square has the name of the house ‘written’ on it with a couple of birds. (Outdoors the aluminum pits over time but this ageing pleases me. I suppose there is some way of coating that would prevent it.)
Simple designs work best and the aluminum does tend to buckle a bit. Since it is so inexpensive, experimenting feels affordable. And usually the store cuts generously. Scored with an x-acto knife and then bent gives a clean edge. Take care, of course, the edges are sharp. I always wear safety glasses. And try different size and points of nails to make the patterns. Wonder what leather-stamping tools would produce?
Question: I find it hard to get rid of ‘stuff’. Any suggestions?
Answer: Change the position. Sometimes ‘clutter’ is too overwhelming because it has settled into place for too long whether it’s furniture, clothing in a closet, items in cupboards, things in storage. Shift it around. Loosen its hold. This may be enough to allow us to let it go, to make space for something new or more appropriate to flow in. Or we may find we see the item differently and like it all over again.