Out On A Whim Wednesday: Rusty Nails

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  It Takes Time To Transform
Samantha from Bewitched used to be able to wiggle her nose and instantly change her surroundings, herself or others.  She made transformation look like magic!  Well, I'm no witch and my nose doesn't wiggle and create magic (I just tried...it didn't work).  What I know is that transformation takes time.  It is a process.  From grief to trying to live again.  From Summer into Fall into Winter.  From sedentary to athletic.  From anxious to relaxed.  Yes, transformation takes time.  This Out On A Whim Wednesday project was a lesson in transformation and patience.  It began with some plain stainless nails and a glass jar.  I am working on a project (thanks for the art challenge Helen!) and decided I needed to rust some nails to achieve the look I wanted.  I found a number of "recipes" on-line for transforming nails/pins into rusty treasures.  I followed this one.  I covered the nails in bleach and sealed the jar and left them to sit in the jar outside for 24 hours.

I then poured the bleach down the drain and covered the nails with cider vinegar and some salt.

I then let that sit sealed outside for another 24 hours.  Look at what happened to the liquid!

I then poured that liquid down the kitchen sink and the nails looked like this:

I was a little disappointed since they just looked like the plain stainless nails sitting in a goo of rust.  But I was patient and followed the directions and let them sit outside in the jar in the sun to dry out.  After 2 1/2 days I moved the jar inside to the laundry room to continue drying.  Now, after a few more days, here is what I found inside the jar...

AMAZING!!!!!  I am so excited to continue my project!!!!  I am also excited about trying to rust other items - small bells, paper clips, safety pins, washers and hardware from the home improvement store!!!!  Yippppeeeee!!!!!  The possibilities are endless... and the transformation is a process :)