The Furry Belt Buckle

Not QUITE finished, but this is what I have so far for my belt buckle project. Sorry the pictures aren't the best...those were the best I could get >.<;

The underside has a belt buckle finding.

The "furry" lettering is simply cut out and then soldered to a small bit of wire, that is then soldered on to the backplate (bone), giving it a nice lift rather than being flat on there. I plan on putting on the "liver of sulfur" (black) patina behind the lettering on the bone, to give a mock-shadow, and hopefully emphasize the lifted effect.

The bone has a hammered in star pattern around the round edges of the bone. I wanted to also bevel the bone, but I have already run out of time on this project.

The fox has only been cut out and filed to shape. It needs to be hammered flat a little, sanded, also be treated with the "liver of sulfur" patina (to turn it black), then riveted on to the bone. I also want to see if I can use more patina over the rivet to hide it.

The assignment required us to make a belt buckle that helped express our identity (or the identity of another person, if it's made for them). Since the only stereotype I've ever felt I fit was a furry, I decided to make a belt buckle dedicated to that. Then I thought heck, it should be a collar buckle! (same thing, as far as the metal goes) I hope I can wear it some day!

So of course I went for an obvious route instead of a symbolic one. The bone not only relates to a canine furry, but it's also a bit of a joke. I'll bite people I like (so friends and boyfriend). I find it fun, so long as I don't hurt them. My friends used to joke that they need to get me one of those bone chew toys. The furry lettering also has the big 'tail' on the "y" because my original idea was to rivet on some real fox fur. Plus, it looks cool and fits the feel/content. Now I'm not sure if I want to attempt the fur-rivet, since the fur might get in the way and I don't want to risk it when I'll already be turning in the assignment late. But since the tail is meant to be a fox tail, I also thought it'd be appropriate to make the silhouette a fox one, running by, to take up that empty space on the bone and add a little more.

I guess the overall style I'm going for is somewhat of a logo type of feel, haha. It's a label. It's a given identity based on a stereotype. But it's a stereotype I'm proud of! I want to either work with some leather, or find someone who can work with leather, and make a collar using this that I can wear with my fursuit head

I'll add another picture when I finish this (HOPEFULLY TOMORROW!!!). Off to sand it now!