[x]

Browse More Like This

More from ~ilkela

View Gallery · View Prints

Featured in Groups:

Not currently featured in any groups.

Details

Submitted: January 15, 2009
Image Size: 872 KB
Resolution: 2100×2810

Link

Thumb

Statistics

Comments: 35
Favourites: 62 [who?]
Views: 1,864 (4 today)
Downloads: 44 (0 today)

[x]

Ride of the Valkyriesby ~ilkela

Artisan Crafts / Jewelry

I got tired of everything being utilitarian and ugly. All through history people made everything they used beautiful in some way. I find it completely ridiculous that as it gets easier to make something, we put that much less effort into making it beautiful.

This is a fully functional set of headphones completely re-outfitted.

The wiring is encased in a rope of inverted captured ring maille of bright aluminum.

Behind-ear attachment made of aluminum tubing wrapped in cotton thread. End pieces cut from nickel sheet and set with lapis.

Ear dome cut from 18ga nickel sheet. Pattern acid etched, set with lapis.

Spring-loaded hinge attaching dome to behind-ear wire made of 22ga nickel sheet, 14ga nickel wire, and steel spring.

speaker casing (normally black foam) crocheted 50% wool 50% cotton yarn.

Entire project weighs about 2.5 times the original plastic casing, which weighs the equivalent of about 15 pennies.

I plan to do a whole series along these lines, possibly for my senior thesis.

Questions, comments, criticism are extremely welcome.

PS- Name comes from the first thing listened to with these.

Resubmitted due to DA glitchiness. Now with a better photo!

EDIT: I would just like to clarify for everyone that these are NOT steampunk. Not in intention or by definition. If anything, they were inspired by Islamic work. So there. Thank you all for your comments, but really, not steampunk.

~~love 0 0~~

~~joy 0 0~~

wow 1 1

~~mad 0 0~~

~~sad 0 0~~

~~fear 0 0~~

~~neutral 0 0~~

~callofthedeath Sep 29, 2010

RAAAAAAD

~ReticentPurple Dec 13, 2009 Traditional Artist

Very cool! I'd be scared to do anything to headphones that might require taking bits and pieces apart, but it's very inspirational and makes me want to find something I can modify in a cool way.

~Raethe Nov 23, 2009

these are great! I like your idea on utilitarianism, I've been looking into making my own pair of headphones as well!

~SilverDiamonds Aug 10, 2009

pretty little thing.

~Divulged Aug 6, 2009

Wow! That must have taken a lot of work!

~ilkela Aug 6, 2009 Professional Artisan Crafter

Thank you! It did, though I don't remember how much anymore.

~Divulged Aug 6, 2009

Oh, OK!

~mattmaus Jul 7, 2009

Very very nice.

I've seen enough chain weaves to not really be impressed by them any more, but it works really well on this piece to disguise the plain wire for the headphones.

I love the etching, particularly the depth (or apparent depth) and the crispness of the details.

I also very much like the contrast between colors on the ear bands. The dark blue thread and shiny metal very much ' pop ' but without being obnoxious or gaudy.

I just hope that it's easy enough to replace the electronics, because the (extremely pretty) case that you have made for them will last much much longer than the 'guts' I'll wager.

~ilkela Jul 7, 2009 Professional Artisan Crafter

Thank you! Actually I can't get the electronics out of these, but I plan to make more designs, and work on that functionality of it.

*elenahasdna Jun 24, 2009 Hobbyist Artisan Crafter

I love your argument and your idea. Kudos and <3

More from ~ilkela

Featured in Groups:

Details

Statistics

Ride of the Valkyriesby ~ilkela

The Journal Portal

Polls

What is your preferred drawing software?

deviantART [dee·vee·un'nt·ART]

Keep in Touch!

Deviousness

Add Media

Style