Craft Blog

Here are safety tips for making metal crafts. Metal crafts are a fun art to make. The items you can make are amazing and beautiful. However, the craft or working with metal is also dangerous. Using smart safety is very important. Here are a few safety tips to keep your metal crafting fun and safe!

There are some safety basics, which apply to all sorts of crafting projects that we should start with. Here they are.

1. Make sure to read all instructions prior to starting the project.
2. Have all required tools, equipment, supplies and safety gear, before starting the project.
3. If a younger person is completing the project, remind them of the safety rules often.
4. Make sure that there is no need to leave the room during the work process that is being completed. This is a prime time for accidents.
5. Make sure that small children, and pets are not in the area.
6. Keep your tools arranged near you, this way you do not have to move around a great deal.
7. Keep food, drinks and smoking away from crafts and the general area.
8. Keep the materials you have for supplies in the original containers. This way there is no risk of mixing products up.
9. Use the right equipment for the job.
10. Keep the work area clean.
11. Do not be in a hurry. Crafting is to be fun, if rushed; you will not only likely make mistakes, but can get hurt.
12. Try not to work when you are tired, or distracted.
13. Wash your hands after crafting.

Now that we have some crafting basics, there are specific safety tips for handling the making of metal crafts. Here they are.

1. Never grasp metal pieces tightly. This will help to prevent cuts and slices. A light grip is better.
2. Never run your fingers along a raw edge. Metal can cause bad cuts.
3. It is a good idea to wear gloves for protection, especially if you are a beginner in metal crafting.
4. When you need to use a tin snip, it is important to always try to keep the cutter deep in the cut as you move along. Try to make sure to use long firm cuts, not short snips.
5. Do not use your hand to brush the metal scraps away or into the garbage. Use a brush, or stiff cardboard piece.
6. If possible, use a well mounted vice grip to secure the pieces of metal.
7. Make sure that you have the right gear on.
8. Use good light so that you can see what you are doing.
9. Make sure that you have good tools. Poorly made tools, or the wrong tools can lead to damage for you and your project.
10. Use a rag to hold the metal in place, between the vice grip and the metal. This way there will be no marring to the metal.

Always take your time, read the instructions as much as you need to, and do not get frustrated. Safety is the first and most important rule to having fun with metal crafting.

When you use these safety tips for making metal crafts, you will find that your art comes out more professional looking, and you are safer from incidents and injuries.

A great project is often times ruined due to poor planning. The wrong gear, or tools is often the cause for accidents and mistakes. The best way to prevent these types of issues is to use good practices for safety.

How to find free metal/wire craft patters and ideas on the Internet? There are several places you can look on the internet to get some great ideas for both metal crafting and metal wire crafting.

These crafts are the favorite of many crafters. The reason is that you can put your own imagination and skill easily into a project with or without a pattern. Therefore creating your own work of art.

Here are a few sites you can look into. There is also a little information about what you can find for each of these sites.

Craftideas.info is a great site that has several free patterns, great ideas and much more. There are also tips, and helpful resources to help you along with your crafting adventures.

http://www.craftideas.info/index.html

HGTV has a great site that opens to several links and information about metal/wire crafting, other metal ideas, and great links with several different options of ideas.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_metal_wire/article/0,1789,HGTV_3257_1373576,00.html

My craft Book is also a great set that offers a great deal of information about metal and wire crafting. There are good samples of work, patterns and much more.

http://www.mycraftbook.com/Book_Reviews/The_Crafters_Project_Book.asp

Freepatternsite.com is a cool site that has tons of free patterns. There is instructional information, patterns and much more. This site is one of the best I found.

http://freepatternsite.com/metalworking.htm
http://freepatternsite.com/

Handcrafter’s Village has some cute metal projects for both beginners and more advanced metal workers.

http://www.handcraftersvillage.com/

Ruby Glen has several different patterns that you can work with to create great metal and wire projects.

http://rubyglen.com/crafts.htm

Aluminous Publishing has several patterns that you can purchase for use. There are other books and patterns available at craft stores, online and much more. Here is a good site to check out.

http://www.aluminouspublishing.com/

Whatever type of metal work you like to do, it is a great way to get information by going through the Internet. There is both wire crafting and metal crafting options.

Here are some tips to remember once you have found the pattern you want to use, before you start your project.

1. Make sure you read the pattern completely. The reason is that you do not want to miss something, nor do you want to start a free pattern that may not be complete.
2. Make sure that you have all the supplies you are going to need to complete your project.
3. Get the right tools. These tools need to be in good condition, and need to be what the pattern calls for.
4. Use a clean working area. The patterns can instruct you on how to create a project, however a cluttered work area is a breading place for error.
5. Take your time. If you are in a hurry, or if you feel rushed, you will be more inclined to make mistakes.

You can find patterns for all the different seasons, holidays and much more. Some of the cutest metal working projects is like the birdbaths, tissue boxes, and jewelry. The creativity you use will make your projects not only more original, but work more in value.

These sites are some great places to find quality patterns for metal/wire working for free or at a very low cost. For the most part you can get them for free. Just be sure to read the information completely before starting the project. The information appears to be complete. However is it up to you, to make sure that the information is what you need.

With all the craft options today it can be overwhelming when deciding what type of craft to try your hand at.  Craft stores literally have thousands of projects and the needed supplies lining their walls.  The clever crafter can follow the already put together designs or branch out on their own.  One of the cleverest new types of crafting is using wire hangers to make different craft ideas.  While it may be surprising that such a simple thing as a metal wire hanger can be a craft the real surprise may be how many projects there are that make use of this common household item.  Here is just a couple-

• A Christmas Reindeer

Materials needed:

One metal/wire hanger
Several pairs of panty hose (if you are making these for a family you may want to make one for each child)
Construction paper or felt
Something for the eyes (plastic googly eyes work especially well)
Something for the nose (suggested item- a small red pom pom)

Step one-Bend the hanger so it is in the shape of a diamond.  Leave the hook part on it since this will make it easier to hang later. 

Step two-Pull the leg of the panty hose over the hanger and tie it closed around the hook.  Repeat this step for each leg/hanger combo you are doing.

Step three-Cut out antlers from the paper or felt and glue them on.  Place the eyes and the nose and then glue them on as well. 

This is a fairly easy project that even preschool children could help do.  With a little ingenuity and creativity each reindeer can be personalized for each family member. This results in a really cute Christmas decoration!

• Apple Slices Wreath

Materials needed:

Juice of approximately 10 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
8 – 10 large firm apples
8 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
1 metal/wire hanger
1 – 1 1/2 yards of a 1" ribbon

Step one-Place lemon juice in a large bowl and then stir in salt.
Step two-Peel and core apples.  Then slice apples into ¼ inch thick circles horizontally.  For approximately 6-10 minutes soak the slices in the bowl with lemon juice and salt.  While soaking make sure that each side of the slices has a chance to absorb some of the lemon juice.

Step three-Mix the cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a bowl and blend well.

Step four-Take the slices out of the lemon juice and salt mixture and place them on paper towels to dry.  Pat the tops of the apple slices with paper towels to help absorb any extra moisture.

Step five-Sprinkle the apple slices with the spice mixture.  Cover them liberally and then turn the slices over and repeat on the opposite side.

Step six-Bake the apples in a single layer on a baking sheet for 6 hours or until completely dried.  Oven should be set at 150-200 degrees.  Apples should be slightly pliable at the end of the baking time.

Step seven-While the apples are baking undo the wire metal hanger and straighten.  Then form the hanger into the desired shape for the wreath.  The wreath could be simply round or perhaps a heart shape. This is only a preliminary shaping the final shaping will be done later. When the apples are done fold each apple slice in half and then into quarters.  Then simply thread the apple slices onto the wire. Continue placing the folded apples onto the wire hanger until the wire is completely covered.  For the best look the apples should be placed tightly together.

Step eight-When the hanger is completely covered use pliers to bend the ends into hooks so that they can connect and close. Finish bending your wire hanger into the desired shape of the wreath.

Step nine-Use the ribbon to create a hanger for the wreath.

This can really be a special gift for someone with a minimum of time, effort and money. 

So you decided to learn how to work with wire!  In wanting to work with wire you join a craft that is practiced throughout the world.  Wire working has a long history of use stretching back over 400 hundred years.  Yet the techniques and tools needed are virtually the same today as they have always been. It is only the types of projects that have changed.  Today there have never been more choices of projects that can be done using wire working.  If you are confused about where to start with wire crafts here are a few suggestions for wire crafts for beginners.

• Wire Chandelier-Believe or not if you have ever bent up a paper clip you have the essential skill to make a hip chandelier.  You will only need for this project a common light kit, a pack of clothesline wire and some small ornaments. You can use any ornaments that reflect your creativity.  These could be anything from beads and small stained glass pieces to upholstery tassels or even small Christmas ornaments.  You could even swap out the ornaments on the chandelier to suit a special occasion or change up a room’s décor.

Materials needed:

14-gauge clothesline wire (100 ft. package)
hanging light kit
precut mirror tiles
glue
monofilament smaller-gauge wire
beads, tassels, chandelier crystals, other small ornaments

Note: Hanging light kits are available at stores that sell paper lanterns.

Step One-Begin by threading the end of the clothesline wire around the threads on the outside of the light kit socket. Curl the wire over to hold it in place.

Step Two-Twist the wire around in large loops however you would like to form the chandelier.  At the point where several wires come closer together gather the wires together and tie tightly to hold them.  This also has the added bonus of giving your chandelier structure and stability.  Once you have secured your chandelier in several places and feel that it is stable you can begin adding the ornaments. 

Step Three-Add the ornaments by working from the center of the chandelier outward by wiring the selected ornaments securely to the structure.  Be creative in your choice of ornaments to add the flavor of your own design.  You can create your own mirrored ornaments from precut mirror tiles by simply gluing two small pieces back to back using special mirror mastic glue.  Be sure and sandwich them around your wire for ease of hanging.

Step Four-Add a globe bulb and your chandelier is ready to hang!

• Beaded Wire Basket-Another easy choice for beginning wire workers is to make a beaded basket.  You can impress your guests with just a little work and a lot of creativity.

Materials needed:

Mechanic’s wire
16-gauge copper wire
heavy work gloves
wire cutters
glass beads

Step One-Always wear work gloves for safety.  Begin by cutting two 24 inch long pieces of mechanics wire using wire cutters.

Step Two-After placing the wires in a cross twist them together at the center.

Step Three-Repeat steps 1 and 2 with two more pieces of wire.  Wind a piece of 16 gauge copper wire around the centers to secure both sets of wires together.  This should create a configuration like an eight spoke wheel.

Step Four-You can then begin shaping bending the wires up from the center to form the basket.

Step Five-After cutting a long piece of mechanic’s wire attach it to the center bottom of the basket with 16 gauge wire.  Weave this between the wire spokes around and upward to the desired height of the basket. You can weave this as tightly or as loosely as you may desire. 

Step Six-To finish the basket cut a small piece of 16 gauge copper wire.  String two or three glass beads on to this wire.  You can then attach this wire to the top edge of the basket for decoration.  Your own design and creativity can shine here by adding as many beads around the basket as you like.

When browsing the aisles of your local craft store you will see literally hundreds of craft kits.  These kits contain everything you will need to produce the finished project usually shown in a lovely photograph or drawing on the front of the package.  After browsing aisle after aisle searching for that craft project you want to take on you become discouraged not finding anything you really want to do.  Its then that it hits you!  You will put together your own craft project and produce something of your own design.  If your imagined project includes wire in the design this can be a daunting task to figure out what you really need. The types of wire offered for wire crafts can number in the hundreds and seem almost insurmountable in making a decision on which ones to use.   Here are a few tips on how to choose your wire for wire crafts.

• If your selected craft project is jewelry it is essential that you choose the right jewelry wire. Not all wires are considered jewelry wire so using the right type of wire will be critical in the success of your project.  In addition you must consider the size of the jewelry wire.  If you choose wire that is too big it becomes much too hard to work with.  If you choose wire that is too small it will easily bend out of shape with wear.  Remember in designing your own jewelry projects consider not only the finished look of the piece but the function as well. If the jewelry piece is uncomfortable or hard to wear because of the size of the wire than the results certainly will not be what you have envisioned.

• On any project that you are doing always consider where the sharp end and the flat end are on your cut wire.  When you are done making a wire component, all of the sharp ends need to end up in the trash can.  Your finished piece should have only the flat ends of the cut wire. This will be achieved successfully by making sure you are using the correct type of wire for your project.  Wire that is unsuitable for your project will not produce the finished look after cutting that you are looking for.  Don’t be afraid to ask an experienced crafter for their advice on wire type for your specific project.  Most sales people in a craft store can guide you successfully towards the type of wire you will need for the right finished look.

• Make sure you also have the correct type of tools for your needed wire.  Different wires respond to different tools.  Using the wrong tool to shape or bend your wire can result in breakage and added expense for your craft project.  For example jewelry makers need an extensive collection of tools for wire bending while scrap bookers generally use an all purpose tool for bending wires that embellish scrapbook pages.  Once again don’t be afraid to research what your project will need before making your wire purchase.

• Consider making a purchase of practice wire.  This is especially helpful if your project will need wire that is expensive or hard to come by. Choosing a less expensive practice wire will allow you to form a prototype of your project and see how the results will be before attempting the same thing on your expensive wire. This relieves pressure and allows you to fully give expression to your creativity.  By doing a little research and planning you can design that beautiful metal craft and have a lot of fun doing it!

Metalworking is the craft and practice of working with different types of metal in order to create structures or machine parts. Metalworking covers anything from building ships to bridges and oil refineries to delicate jewelry and other instruments.  It had its beginnings thousands of years in the past.  Early humankind used different kinds of metal ores to make tools and adornments.  Today metalworking is an irreplaceable craft in modern society.  Making crafts out of metal can be a very enjoyable, interesting experience.  This article will review some of the most basic types of metal crafts for beginners and maybe get you headed on your way to becoming an expert metalworker!

If you have ever watched a metal craftsman (or a blacksmith) in action, you’ve probably stood in awe as the blacksmith carefully heats a piece of iron in a charcoal forge before placing it on an anvil and then proceeds to hammer it into all kinds of unique shapes.  It looks pretty simple.  And the blacksmith, or any proficient metal craftsman, would probably tell you that it’s not that difficult to hammer & shape things from red hot metal simply because it is quite fluid.  S/he would be right in saying that it’s not terribly difficult- generally all it takes to work with metal is a small amount of knowledge and some solid practice.  Before too long even a novice will be producing good quality metal craft items.

So where should you begin?  One type of metal craft that is good for beginners is metal cut outs.  They make great decorations for many holidays, including Hanukah, Christmas and Cinco de Mayo.  Metal cut outs are simple, but you must be careful of the sharp edges once you’ve “cut out” the metal.  Here are some of the supplies you might need for metal cut outs:

A disposable pie plate or roasting pan (cleaned)
A marker
Scissors
A large nail
String or yarn
Scrap cardboard or newspaper

Another type of metal craft that is simple to start with and fun to do is making metal wire votive holders.  They can be a lovely addition to your home décor and are easy to make.  You can find instructions for making votive holders by doing an internet search for “metal wire votive holders.”  Here is a list of some of the supplies you might need:
 
12 feet of 10-gauge copper wire
1 foot of 3/8" copper tubing
shellac bond mica
copper wire mesh
glass beads
six 1-1/2" pin-head wires
votive holders and candles
tubing cutter
wire cutters
embossing heat gun
old pot holder
needle-nose pliers
ruler
craft knife

Some people enjoy making charms or figures out of metal.  This can be more difficult, but is still fairly simple and rewarding.  Metal charms that you have made yourself make excellent gifts for friends or family. 

Yet another metal craft that beginners can easily learn how to do is metal casting.  As long as you have an imagination and determination, you can learn to cast metal.  Foundry work is basically using a timber or metal pattern to create a cavity in a two-part sand mould, and then carefully pouring molten metal into the mould cavity. The more you can learn about metal casting, the better your skills & work will become. 

To find out more about the types of metal crafts that are good for beginners, go to your neighborhood’s library or bookstore.  They should have a selection of books on the types of metal crafts appropriate for beginners.  You could also search for such books online on www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com or any other site that might sell craft books.

Metalworking is the craft and practice of working with different types of metal in order to create structures or machine parts.  Metalworking covers anything from building ships to bridges and oil refineries to delicate jewelry and other instruments.  It had its beginnings thousands of years in the past.  Early humankind used different kinds of metal ores to make tools and adornments.  Today metalworking is an irreplaceable craft in modern society.  There are many different processes to shape or modify metal, including milling, turning, cutting, drilling, threading, grinding, casting, forging, welding, hand fabrication and stamping.  This article will focus mainly on what exactly metal stamping is, what it is used for and will then briefly discuss how to use metal stamping tools. 

Metal hand fabrication can include a variety of hand and small power tools.  Most experienced metal workers can fabricate almost any part of metal using only hand tools, although occasionally they require some advanced machinery.  Many types of tools are used, including cutting a scraping tools to remove parts of the metal, impact tools to reshape the metal, and other tools for marking, positioning or otherwise in the fabrication process.  

How what is metal stamping?  It is a process that uses conventional or progressive-type hard tools (dies) in punch presses to blank and form sheet metal products. Some familiar pieces of metal that have been manufactured by stamping are as follows: door and window hardware; hand tools; computer parts, electronic components and television parts; and telecommunication elements, brackets, chassis, plates, and connectors.  Deep drawing (a part deeper than its own opening) is included in the techniques applied in stamping. Any metal capable of being stamped such as steel, stainless steel, brass, aluminum and copper can be used to manufacture parts (such as the parts in the list above). Thicknesses of the materials being used can vary from 0.005" to 0.075".  Presses with capacities to 400 tons are used in stamping. It is usually recommended that the machinery used in this field include welders, drilling and tapping tools, saws and CNC equipment.

A full-service stamping company should provide hardware insertion, subassembly and assembly functions.  The basics of stamping, secondary operations and assembly functions should be supported by an engineering team that delivers creative solutions, personnel skilled in inspection, competent toolmakers and quality methods that inherently promote continuous improvement.

Many companies have been involved in metal stamping years.  They focus on precision metal stamping, custom metal stamping, design and manufacture of stamping dies, and die casting molds as well as custom made pressed parts for sheet and plastic-coated metals.    

Unlike many custom precision metal stamping manufacturers, certain companies make metal stamping molds and progressive dies in-house. Some have teams of metal stamping specialists together with state-of-the-art metal stamping equipment ensure that design and production are always under maximum control. By having design, the stamping companies could make and manufacturing metal stamping tool at one location.  It is in this way that the companies are able to react quickly and flexibly to meet any specification change from customers. 

Here are two of the ways you can use metal stamping tools: 

Nibbling: in which a single punch and die are used to shear small bits of material from a sheet of material.

Punch and Die: in which a punch and die can be created to stamp the blanks.

However, metal stamping can often be a complicated process.  If you’re looking to learn how to stamp metal, your best bet would be to sign up for a class or get some kind of tutorial to instruct you on the specifics of metal stamping.  Or better yet, leave it to the professionals. 

Making wire craft votive holders can be fun and exciting!  Here’s what you need and the steps on how to make wire craft votive holders.

You’ll need these supplies:

12 feet of 10-gauge copper wire
1 foot of 3/8" copper tubing
shellac bond mica
copper wire mesh
a handful of glass beads
six 1-1/2" pin-head wires
votive holders
votive candles

You’ll need these materials to make the wire votive holders:

 tubing cutter
 wire cutters
 embossing heat gun
 old pot holder
 needle-nose pliers
 ruler
 craft knife

Here are the steps to making your wire votive holders:

1. Make the main hanger: 

 Straighten the hanger, then measure and cut 1 foot of copper tubing.
 Twist 5 feet of copper wire into 2 parts and then insert each end through   the copper tubing, letting the wire extend about 6 inches outside of the    tubing.  The curl the wire ends. 

2. Make small wire hangers 

  Use 24 inches of copper wire and create a closed loop at one end with needle- nose pliers to make a hook
  Wrap the loop end of the wire 360 degrees around a scrap of copper tubing
  Remove from the tubing and twist the small loop 90 degrees so that it aligns  with the rest of the wire. 
 Open the larger loop so that it becomes a shepherd’s hook shape.

3. Create the votive holder: 

  Measure 10 inches from the top of the hook and wrap the copper wire 360  degrees around the glass votive holder.
  At the joint of the loop, make a correcting bend in the vertical wires so they  continue to align. The votive loop should now be perpendicular to the vertical  wire  
  Make a 90 degree bend 1 inch below the votive loop joint so that the wire  comes forward under the votive loop. This is the "holder" for the glass votive.
  Place the votive cup inside the loop and adjust the vertical wire by hand so it  continues to be correctly aligned and the wire seat is centered underneath the  glass votive.
 Cut the wire “holder” 1 inch beyond the glass votive
 Remove the glass votive and make a small finish loop at the end of the wire.   ? Twist the loop so that it aligns with the vertical wire

4 Make two more hangers that are shorter than the first by one inch.
  Wrap the glass votives with mica and wire mesh by taking the craft knife and  ruler and cutting two pieces of mica 2" x 7" each.

5. Heat the shellac bond mica with the heating gun. Use an old potholder to protect your fingers from getting burned and then slowly place the mica around the glass votive

6. Heat mica overlap and hold with potholder until it cools and sticks together

7. Cut piece of copper mesh that is 3" x 7".  Measure and score a line 1/4 inch from the edge of one of the 7-inch-long sides. Fold mesh along the line and press the newly formed “hem” flat.

8. Take the third glass votive and wrap the mesh around it, aligning the hemmed edge with the top of the container. Wrap the extra mesh under the bottom of the glass.
 
9. Make the “bead dangles” by threading a few glass beads on a pin-head wire and then, using the needle-nose pliers, make a loop above the top bead and twist/wrap the wire tail around the stem to secure it. Trim the excess wire.

10. Place a bead dangle to hang from the bottom and top loops of each copper votive hanger.

You did it!  Now find a good place to hang your wire craft votive holder.

Metalworking is the craft and practice of working with different types of metal in order to create structures or machine parts.  Metalworking covers anything from building ships to bridges and oil refineries to delicate jewelry and other instruments.  It had its beginnings thousands of years in the past.  Early humankind used different kinds of metal ores to make tools and adornments.  Today metalworking is an irreplaceable craft in modern society.  There are many different processes to shape or modify metal, including milling, turning, cutting, drilling, threading, grinding, casting, forging, welding and hand fabrication.  It is the latter that will be the main focus of this article. 

Metal hand fabrication can include a variety of hand and small power tools.  Most experienced metal workers can fabricate almost any part of metal using only hand tools, although occasionally they require some advanced machinery.  Many types of tools are used, including cutting a scraping tools to remove parts of the metal, impact tools to reshape the metal, and other tools for marking, positioning or otherwise in the fabrication process.  

Forged metalwork has a romance and history that goes back in time, and summons up images of medieval craftsmen setting their anvils ringing with hammer and bellows. Happily, the blacksmith’s art has been revived in our time to a point where the best of today’s artisans can rival the skills and achievements of any of their ancestors in history.  Hand forged metal products are used for art, home décor, and architecture.  Some metalworkers make door hardware as their specialty. Hinges, latches, pulls and locks- all of these may be included in hand forged metal products.  Some also make fire screens, grills and a complete line of fireplace accessories.  Others make mirrors or frames out of metal. 

A good seller of hand forged metal should be a master of the craft and should pride themselves in their creativity and practicality. It should not leave the shop without passing a test of structural viability. It should be well-designed and greatly enhance the environment around it.  Some metal is forged at temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees and hammered by hand. Pliable when glowing hot, the iron is shaped into graceful, flowing forms. The hammered texture of the metal evokes an historic mode and when blended with contemporary design, makes hand forged metal work far from ordinary. Rather than produce what has been done before, metal workers create organic forms that embrace the craft of blacksmithing.

The products of the forge can be plain and utilitarian or works of art. A metal smith can make sculptural organic forms or stylish modern styles to suit your taste.  Hand forged metal products can be a great feature in your home or office.  They can add style or personality to an otherwise boring room.  First, consider what type of hand forged metalwork you would like in your home.  Perhaps a nice mirror, frame, or simply a decorative wall hanging.  Then before purchasing your preferred variety of hand forged metal, be sure to investigate the quality and style of the metal worker.  You want to be sure that you’re getting an excellent product to decorate your home.  Then, once you’ve decided who you want to purchase from, you can go ahead and tell the metal worker what you would like.  They will often tailor your product just to your tastes.  You may have the opportunity to see your product while in the making.  If so, the metal worker may allow you to make any alterations in your purchase so that you get the perfect product.  Finally, find a place to put your hand forged metal product and enjoy.