Ash Tree Chains Handmade Chainmaille

Helm Weave in Copper and Bright Aluminum Barrel Weave in Anodized Aluminum with earrings Both of these weaves are simple and understated. They look great as stand-alone pieces of jewelry or with charms, dangles, etc.  They also add beauty to any other pieces and there are many ways to build off of them as a base for so many other things.  The Helm weave is a stable and elegant looking one (also called Parallel Chain) that is surprisingly versatile and has many, many variations.  It is a pretty open weave, which leaves plenty of ways to add connections or make changes to create these variations.  So far, I have only learned one or two of them but since I am always learning and trying to grow my experience you can definitely expect to see more!  The Barrel weave is a tad less stable but still makes a great looking piece.  The rings move a bit more freely than the Helm chains and this makes the Barrel chains a bit more slinky, fiddly, jingly, or howev...

This is the weave that most people easily recognize as Chainmaille.  It is very easy to learn and versatile.  The 4 in 1 part of the name is a sort of clue to how it is put together.  Every single ring is linked with 4 others.  There are variations that go as high as 12 in 1 and probably even more than that.  It makes an amazing feeling sheet, almost like a piece of fabric.  This is why it is used to make shirts, coifs (headpieces), other clothing items, dice bags, and inlays.  It was the most commonly used weave for armor in the Middle Ages.  Maille has been used all over Europe, down into the Middle East, up to the North where Viking Cultures adapted it, and even to the Far East where the Japanese created their own variations of mail! Cast Iron Pot Scrubbers! Stainless Steel and Brass I first learned this one when I was making pot scrubbers for cast iron.  Once I realized how easy it was I felt silly for putting it off and I'm so gl...

Here is another one of my early chains.  The Box Chain is either a variation of Byzantine or the other way around, no one is really sure which came first.  Most believe that Byzantine is the older weave and Box is one of the more modern variants.  The Box Chain is another very versatile weave and fairly sturdy. Anodized Aluminum Box Chain This is one of those chains that really lives up to its name since when it lays right, it actually makes little boxes.  It has some slink and movement but is still structurally sound enough to hold its shaping. Enameled Copper Box Chain Anodized Aluminum Box Chain Anodized Aluminum Box Chain  Rings and Kits for all pieces completed are from Weave Got Maille and American Chain Mail.

This was actually one of the first weaves I learned to make.  I don't know much about the history of it or where the weave came from, but what I can find says it was most likely decorative more than protective and probably from Italy.  It has been one of the more versatile ones I can make as it has so many variations and can be manipulated in different ways. Enameled Copper Byzantine Bracelets Here are some examples of some of the Byzantine creations I have made so far, including a couple of variations.  If anything you see interests you, please email me  here  and we can begin putting together your unique piece! Anodized Aluminum Byzantine Bracelet with long earrings Anodized Aluminum Byzantine Bracelet Anodized Aluminum Byzantine Bracelet Bright Aluminum and NuGold Byzantine Lace Bracelets Bright Aluminum Byzantine Rose with Crystal Dangle Earrings Bright and Anodized Aluminum Byzantine Rose Bracelets Rings and Kits for all...

I know I'm off to a bit of a rough start on this.  I'm still trying to work out exactly how to go about it.  I suppose since I already told you a little about me and what got me started on making chainmaille jewelry, I'll try to describe a little bit about how I'm going about running it as a business. For right now I just have Facebook, Instagram, and word of mouth to get my name and creations out there.  I am hoping that this blog will help as well and will be somewhere for those who may not have social media accounts to get to know me and see my work so they know what they're getting when they make a purchase.  My goal is to hopefully get more people interested in what I'm making and get a bigger base for sales.  I also hope to get some people interested in chainmaille in general because it's pretty amazing stuff. Ref: 1  Not only did they wear it as armor all over the world as  an effective defense against slashing blows by  edged ...

I haven't ever done anything like this before, but I wanted to try it as a way to get myself and my work out there for you all to see.  I'll start with a simple intro and soon will start posting my creations!  My name is Ashlee, I am married and mom to 5 fur-babies!   My husband is into Renaissance and Medieval things and got me into them too, (see the picture of us all decked out at our local Renaissance Festival!) so when I went looking for creative things to make my family for Christmas presents I found kits to make my own chainmaille jewelry.  Once I tried it I was hooked!!  When people saw some of the jewelry I had made, they told me I should try selling it, so here I am!  Hoping to get a small business going and trying my best to help it along and get some people interested.  For those who don't know, chainmaille (also just called Mail or Maille) is a type  of  armor  consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern...