Faux Fun is Real Fun

I thought I'd return to the experience I had at Artfest, now almost four weeks ago, and talk about another wonderful class I took there, showing some pictures of the finished piece. I really love how it turned out!


Richard Salley taught a class on my first day of classes to create an etched copper faux bone letter opener.

Here are some photos I took in class of his pieces, he had them available for inspiration. And the class example he made was really beautiful, too. He has a very distinctive and recognizeable style, and everything he makes has a finished and grounded look to it, which is part of the reason I wanted to take the classes with him.

They look very organic and have a weight and color that marks them as uniquely his own.


He's a great teacher, really knowledgeable and grounded, the pace of the class was just right and covered all the high points, while allowing some freedom to make the piece individual.


This is my letter opener, I wanted to make my blade look more like horn or antler than like a bone blade. And Richard had some examples of what real horn looked like, to help me reach for that look. I was very happy at the fit between the two pieces, they slide together easily and come apart with little pressure, but hold together tightly. Nice!



The design pattern etched into the copper is from one of my very favorite rubber stamps, it has lettering and intricate detail. I was happy that I didn't lose any of the detail. I used texturing hammers to create the rough patterns in the end pieces. The whole thing is darkened with liver of sulphur to make the pattern show up, and give a time worn patina to the piece.


I wanted the letter opener to look like something very ancient, as if it was discovered in a dig at the site of an ancient monastery or castle site.

I have some ideas on using the copper etched pieces to create some more things, without the faux bone.


I bought some ferric chloride etchant, I usually use a stronger etchant but decided I'd get some of the FC Etchant to play with also. When I get some time I will be doing more etching in copper, I love the look and color of the copper combined with the pewter pieces.


Later, I'll take some photos to share here with the piece I created in the other class I took with Richard, so you can see how it turned out.

It's raining here, chilly and windy. I keep an eye on the weather while working in the studio this morning, it's a gray and blustery kind of spring day. The darkened sky seems to enhance the brilliance of the ornamental pear blossoms and red buds blazing in the yard.

I slept in this morning, it is rainy and cool, good sleeping weather.

And I stayed up past midnight last night watching a period piece show on Masterpiece Classics, and I know the look and feel of the jewelry and buttons on the costumes is seeping into my unconscious - Can't wait to see what comes out ...

What Does It Say - What You Want Said

A few weeks back I made a round piece that looked very medieval, very ancient, out of polymer clay.

I finished it over the last weekend, sanding, buffing and polishing to a sheen.

It looked like carved ivory or mother of pearl to me. So I wanted to do something special with it.


I etched some copper, wasn't really sure how I would put the two of them together.

But here's the result, a pendant focal or bracelet, if you like things rustic.


With the words "HOPE" and "LOVE" stamped into the sides.

It has pairs of holes on each side. I wanted it to look very handmade, with the maker's marks visible.

It reminds me of something that might have been on the cover of an old hymnal book long ago, with an obvious patina of age and wear.

It's my attempt to keep using what I learned at Artfest, in etching and forming copper, put things to use, combining metals and faux bone, reproducing that ancient artifact look I like.

City of Lights, Transforming Gleaming Glass

Last night I took three of the fused faux gems of dichroic glass and turned them into links or connectors, added some pewter cast charms, and created this necklace. The long central oval shaped gem-like stone is one of the clear dichroic fused cabochons, with a special handmade setting and a tiny cast pewter Eiffel Tower charm on one side.

The two curved slinky links above the main focal has two of the smaller, blue-green, round gems, connected with a link of chain, similar to designs from the 1920's, with a little added sparkle of rhinestones and pearl dangling on one side.


I may be so inspired to do Paris-themed items just now because Paris is in the news so much this week. The tiny cast pewter bird charm at the bottom, sitting on a branch, seemed the perfect dangle charm for this design. All the pewter has a bronze-coppery patina on it, it looks ancient.


I also made this bracelet mock-up, using two more of the fused glass faux gemstones turned into round two loop connector links and one of the cast pewter connectors with wings with two loops on one side and one loop on the other.


My center etched metal piece has the words "Hotel Jun 1908" on it looking very old and antique, curved to fit on the wrist. The deep cobalt blue glass round links would also look good as a pair of earrings, I think, with something special as a dangle on the bottom loop.


So would these little connector links with the deep, beautiful green glass, the links look like horse bridles or stirrups to me, a little bit. They can face either way, or I can see them being used at the clasp of a necklace, to add some special shine to the closure.


So this is how the rough glass can be fused to make glowy faux gems that then turn into components, and components can turn into jewelry.

Such fun!

Published Jewelry Returns Home

I went to the Post Office yesterday and I had a package - the jewelry from the spring issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry has returned! It's interesting, when I send the jewelry off for photography and it's away for a while, when it comes back again it's like a whole new experience seeing it again.


I've had folks asking me about the jewelry, I guess they've seen the issue. I don't add the jewelry to the Etsy shop until I have it back. I used to do that, and then people had to wait to have it shipped to them. So now I wait until the package of jewelry is actually back before I list them, so if someone wants one I can ship it right away.


I etched the metal before I made the boxes. The article is about making the boxes using rivets, without soldering. They can be made up without etching the metal, but the etched copper and brass have a really vintage look to them that adds something special.

Both sides of the metal was etched, so if you look closely you can see the inside of the box has images in the metal, designed and etched just like the reverse side.


I remember making them now. Making the little round bezels and filling them with resin. The bird wing box has the words 'TAKE WING' stamped in the copper at the top of the box. The rectangular brass box, with medieval lettering etched on the back, has the words 'TAKE HEART' stamped into its copper banner at the top.


I'm going to take the large round pocketwatch looking necklace with me to Artfest next week, so if you see me around at Artfest I might be wearing it!


It has a seashell in resin embedded in one of the round holes, and the word 'LIFE' is visible etched in the copper backing, with a photo of a family in another round bezel on the front. The back is domed like a pocketwatch casing, with an antique image etched into the copper case.

I'm so happy to have the jewelry back! and to show it to you. Three fun little pieces of special jewelry.

Tuesday Tips - Nuggets of Darkness, Pearls of Wisdom

Liver of sulphur.
 As part of my series on fusing fine silver links, there's a post about patina and liver of sulphur.
 What is it?
 It's a patina chemical mixture that works on silver, bronze and copper metals. The metal needs to be very clean with any grease or finger oils removed so the patina will take uniformly.
 The best way to buy it is usually the dry nugget type, which is added to warm or hot water to dissolve it. Keep even the nugget form very dry and out of the light and air, as it will deteriorate and not have as much power when you mix it up. You can buy it already mixed as a liquid, but it will lose strength much more quickly.
 The chemical name is potassium sulfide. It smells like rotten eggs, so use a ventillation fan or take it outdoors. Don't breathe the fumes. You won't want to anyway, this mixture does not smell good at all.
 A little bit goes a long way. Sometimes I leave the mixed liver of sulpher at a cool temperature and instead warm the metal before I put it into the solution. When the liver of sulpher solution isn't heated, it doesn't seem to smell quite so much, either.
 Rinsing between dipping is important, to get good coverage. It's better to go slowly on how dark you go with the patina. Even if you remove it by tumbling, the metal seems to reclaim the same level of color when you re-apply the liver of sulphur solution.
 A weak solution, at a cooler temperature, will sometimes reveal a blue, green, maroon or yellow patina. To preserve the color coat the clean, dry patinaed metal with a clear jeweler's laquer to seal out the air. Otherwise the patina will continue to darken, or may rub off with long wearing and friction.
Don't put wire that already has turquoise stone beads into liver of sulphur, the turquoise often has a lot of copper in the matrix of the stone and liver of sulpher will dull your stone. I don't know of a fix for it, either.
I've also heard that it's not wise to put real pearls into liver of sulpher. It's best if you only put metal into the patina, just a word to the wise, so you don't learn the hard way.
I store my liver of sulphur solution after mixing in a small glass jar (like a baby food jar) with a tight lid, and with no airspace at the top. The air will react with the solution, so fill all the way to the top of the lid and tighten down. I keep it in a dark room out of the sunlight. It lasts a long time for me when stored that way.
It doesn't work well on brass or gold. Most Blick Art Stores will have liver of sulphur, or you can order online from Rio Grande or Volcano Arts suppliers. I have links to both on my sidebar if you need them.

Clear Depths and Twists of Fate

If you wonder sometimes how my wandering mind and hands come up with some of the crazy, impossible invented objects and faux-tiques that I make, this is an exercise in how it all happens, a little like magic and a lot of luck.

I posted the necklace to Etsy today, there are more photos over there, and here's the story behind how it was made.

I wish I could say that I do extensive research, many rough sketches and prototypes before I create the finished piece, but it rarely (how about almost never!) happens that way.

I might have been walking around with an idea in my head and an image of something vague in my mind, but most of the time it happens more organically than systematically.

I've had this image transfer in my workbox for quite a long time, several months. I wanted to use it for something special, because I really liked the way the image came across.

The three figures look like a father, grandfather and daughter. The girl looks too young to be a wife, and the standing man could be an older brother I guess. The mother is apparently missing from the photo. It made me puzzle about the people in the photo, what were their relationships to each other, what was their story?

Every so often I would pick it out of the workbox and try to think what I could do with it.

Yesterday I etched a bunch of copper to make shallow shadowbox bezels with. I made the shadowboxes various sizes, just kind of random.

I cut the copper based mostly on how the etching came out, so that the best images and the pretty visuals would show up in good locations on the shadowboxes.

And then I noticed that the image transfer was the same width as the box I was making. The back side of the box has an old, floral vintage design etched into it, and there was a stripe of bright copper on the inside of the box. When I put the photo transfer into the box, something went 'POP' in my head.

I didn't want the image all the way down laying at the bottom of the copper box, so I elevated it about halfway up. Before I put it in in permanently I glued on the front of the photo a clipping from the old shabby book I've been cutting apart that said 'one of the old-timers' because it seemed to fit the photo somehow.

I mixed up the resin and poured in two pours, to make sure the bubbles were under control. Once it started setting up last night, I covered it with a box to keep dust out, and let it cure all night. It's the only way to keep myself from messing it up by touching it before it's ready. I don't have a lot of patience - it's the same way with the fused glass in the kiln. Best put in before bedtime, so it's ready in the morning for a surprise viewing.

I drilled the three holes this morning. I had to find the right drill bit to fit the eyelets I wanted to use so I could string wire through to hang the piece. I polished the copper up, and lightly sanded the resin so it wasn't so very glossy. Then I started thinking about what kind of a necklace this could be when it was all assembled.

Sometimes I will post the bead and someone else can create the necklace. But this time I wanted to pull everything together, as the photo had been in process for so very long.

I used both steel darkened annealed wire and brass wire for the wirework, along with the copper in the box.

I decided to use as many of my handmade components on this necklace as I could. I had some fused glass beads that look like little gears, wheels and mechanical items, so I wire-wrapped those into the chain. And the polymer clay beads with red-and-black marbleized colors, I wire-wrapped them into the chain. And some hand dyed costume pearls and faux metallic beads.

I've spent most of the day on this necklace. I don't know why I'm so slow. But I finally finished it.

The necklace chain has an adjustable length, just by hooking the hammered brass clasp hook into one of the links of the brass chain. The dazzler at the bottom of the chain has a glass bead in the shape of a black cat - for some reason it made me think of fireworks. The necklace hangs very long when extended all the way out, but it's very fun and different.

Here's a photo of another of the resin pieces I made last night, it's a little brass bevel charm, with a replica clock face on it and some fun glass beads to turn it into a dangle.

I'm enjoying working with the resin, along with the etched metal and fused glass. I like combining all different components together to create the finished piece.

Drilling the holes was very fun, I used my dremel. The big drill came out of storage too, in case it was needed.

What's your creative process like? Are you a serious planner? Or do you reach into your bowl of beads and pull out what's on top and work around that?

I'd love to know what you think about these pieces, and whether you have a different way of creating that works for you.

Breaths of Fresh Air

I have some new pieces down in Studio B today, finishing their curing.

Yes, like so many, I have been lured into trying the use of resin in my jewelry.

I etched some metal and made box bezels, then lined with designs and filled with resin. I have them covered now, to protect against dust while they cure.

Tomorrow I'll drill some holes so I can wire wrap them. I hope they turn out well, they looked good when I took my last little peek.

I found this tutorial on different ways to use two-part resin. I've been etching metal and knew I wanted to make some shallow shadowboxes to put images into.

It was the perfect day to do it, because the etching and the resin both make smelly fumes. The weather was mild so I could open the windows and turn the ventillation fans on high speed to clear out the smell and fumes.

I also made a little seashell charm with resin, using one of my own molds. I added it as an accent to this little pendant with images of seashells on both sides under glass. I like the clear glowing effect of the resin charm.

I got some good news yesterday, I found out that an article with a proposed submission to Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine was accepted. The article will come out in the Spring 2009 issue, the working title is "Riveting and Writing" - and it's about making the little bevel boxes I was working on today.

Tomorrow I need to spend some time in the basement studio soldering some pieces I made earlier, especially the dichroic fused glass. It is so pretty, I need to get it finished so it's wearable.

Words and Music

I decided to etch some metal yesterday. I had some thoughts and words in mind, and putting them into brass and copper seemed like a good way to fasten them down.

I am keeping one square of copper for myself, to use to make a box. The others are in the Etsy shop, they would be great on the front of a bookbinding project, or to divide to make charms.

They have words - 'HOPE' - 'FLY' - 'WINGS' - 'LAUGH' - etched and buffed into them.They look like a collage of images, with astronomical designs, leaves and vines. I was trying to make them look very vintage and antique, as though they came from an old metal tin found in the attic. As though they were in a cigar box, stored and saved to be used in a collage or assemblage art project.

There's a hint of a skeleton key outline, some sheet music behind the Eiffel Tower on the brass piece, and lots of victorian scroll designs. The words 'LAUGH'-'JOURNEY'-LOVE' - on the one copper piece would make a great front for a travel journal. All of them have etching on the back, too, but it's very faint and rustic looking similar designs on the copper. The reverse side of the brass piece is leaves, vines and scrolls, but very well-worn looking.

I got a lot of detail in the etching this time. It's unpredictable, sometimes it is very faint and other times all the complex lines show up perfectly. I don't know if it's the weather, the metal, or what makes the difference. I really wish I did know.

The brass kept its golden glow under the patina, and the copper is a warm ruddy color. Both have been polished and sealed, so the shiny and darkened parts will stay. I can think of several ways I'd like to use them, but I'm going to add them to the shop instead. I can make some more for myself later.

If you are interested in etching metal using muriatic acid and hydrogen peroxide instead of the formula used for etching copper circuit boards, be sure to read my safety tips on the sidebar on the left. It's so important to wear gloves, a heavy apron, safety glasses and closed toe shoes. And have good ventillation because the fumes are no fun, besides being not good for you to breathe.

I think I'll make a box of out the one I'm keeping, and put a patinaed skeleton key I got from Patina Queen in it, and possibly coat it all with resin. I also got some cool little Eiffel Tower brass charms from her that would work well with these. We'll see how it works out!

Boxes of Hearts and Wings

Take Heart, Take Wing

These little boxes are made from etched brass. Inside are hearts and wings, riveted into the boxes. Attached with rivets are copper word tags stamped with metal letter stamps with 'Take Wing' on one, and 'Take Heart' on the other. Longfellow wrote a Psalm of Life in 1839, and quoted here is part of it:

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
a forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us then be up and doing,
with a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Engrave this quote in Our Store!
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Psalm of Life, 1839

Some time ago I did a little rough sketch in my sketchbook, a winged heart with the words 'Take Heart' above it and 'Take Wing' below.

That drawing has been the inspiration for these little handmade brass and copper boxes.

'The moment is short, but love lasts an eternity ... let it take wing and fly through your hearts' --R.M.

Celestial

Blue Moon Keep On Shining, Shine On The One I Love

Have enjoyed creating these little etched copper charms and wanted to make at least one of them up into a necklace.

These irridescent glass pillow beads have been in a little film container for some time, saved up for that 'special' necklace or bracelet that would be made from them 'someday' - decided to put them together with the etched and patinaed copper charm. They have that same color and sheen, and what good are they all loose inside a firm container? Time to get them out and enjoy using them. Had to make the hook closure three times, kept making it too large for the size of the necklace.

Put irridescent seed beads on loops behind the neck - really don't like wearing necklaces myself that have big lumpy bumpy beads on the neck, so this one has tiny seed beads on bead wire. Much more comfy!

Mental Metal Images

Copper, Tinker, Brass

Cut some pieces of brass, copper and german silver sheet into various sizes.

Prepped the metal sheet with images to resist the etching, getting everything all set for an etching session.

Then after all the metal pieces were ready and set to go, mixed up fresh etching solution. Boy that stuff has fumes. Turned the exhaust fans on high to clear out the smell.

Very pleased with the results. The copper looks very dark and rich and the designs are very clear. What do you think?

Want to take some of the circular shaped designs and use the dapping block to make some half circle lockets.

Only problem, once the metal is etched, it's too hard to take the sheers to it to cut it up.

Suffering from a bad case of 'Precious Saved Syndrome' - only thing that cures it is to make a lot of them alike so they aren't all so special and unique. That way, if one gets messed up or the attempt to form the locket halves doesn't go as planned, there's another piece all ready to use.

Have some people waiting for some of the etched brass, good to get it done and make available. This is the first attempt at etching copper sheet, going to put on Etsy.

Used a small piece of the german silver (it's a nickel alloy, no silver in it) to test etch, got a pretty good image. Drilled holes in the corners to use with some beads as a charm.

Seems to take such a long time to get the results. The day has just flown by, and both hands are a mess, will have to soak them to get all the black off and out from under the fingernails.

Translations

Before Heather Powers at HumbleBeads provided encouragement to sell the beads unfinished, not as completed jewelry pieces, the thought had been that no one would want just a bead, they would expect something finished and wearable.

When the expeditionD.etsy.com site was opened for the beads, findings and components there was still doubt about whether the beads could be on their own.

If that had not happened, this piece would not have happened. This is the necklace by Lorelei, with chain and etched metal by Jennifer Stumpf.

The round, faux enamel crusader bead was made as a connector, antiqued and a faux gem embedded, and Lorelei took the different pieces and gave it her signature touch. (Lorelei provided the photo, thanks!)

There is so much collaboration in the air, want to mention one more. Wandering around looking at etched metal pieces and happened on Jen Warden's website, an artistic travelogue.

Lorelei reviewed the book 'Semi-Precious Salvage' by Stephanie Lee, it's a favorite and also came recommended by Jennifer Stumpf. Learned from the website that Jen Warden, a mixed media artist, is doing a month of June self-workshop, going through the book and doing the projects one at a time, working her way through the book. It's in the Reference section of books listed on this blog, if you are looking for it.

It's a pleasure seeing the beads finding their finished shapes created by the hands and creative minds of others. Sometimes one creation speaks so definitely that it is made up into a final design and put on the lynndavis.etsy.com shop as a completed piece. But it is even more exciting to see another artist use a creation and have it take a completely different, unique and beautiful shape.

Don't you love that necklace! And what a great-looking focal bead. Especially with all the hands and creativity it passed through to become the finished necklace.

Twilight Blue

In addition to the etching going on outdoors, in the studio the pearls were swimming in the deep blue.

Darker than robin's egg, lighter than midnight - somewhere around twilight blue.

Many sizes of costume pearls, acrylic bicones and a few faceted round acrylic beads. Will do some more with a lighter shade of blue. These vary slightly in the depth of color, will be great wire wrapped into a strand of costume pearls.

Working on patina for the etched brass, want to keep the honey-yellow shiny brass color but still have the etched designs show up well.

The photo at right shows the work in progress on the sheet brass patina. Might try a greenish or blueish patina on some of the etched pieces, might get something compatible with the blue costume pearls.

This is a large piece of brass (2 1/4" wide x 6" tall) and might be oversized for jewelry but could definitely see it in collage, bookbinding or altered book projects. Has the date 4-10-99 on it, could be April 10 or October 4, depending on how dates are written. Personally prefer to think it is a reference to April in Paris.

The reverse says 'Belle Jardinere Rue du Pont-Neuf Hotel Jun 1901'. Can also see this used as a luggage tag or the lid to a glass box. Have to explore some ideas of combining the etched brass with the etched glass, could be very interesting to put the two together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety in Storage of Metal Etching Supplies - took a large plastic storage tub, the big one-piece ones with snap on lids, and am storing the etching solutions, potions and supplies in it with the lid on tightly. If anything gets knocked over or accidently spills it will be contained inside the plastic tub. Also those tubs have holes through the handles so a lock can be put on them, may not go that far but if the tub goes to the garage or shed later might do that, with a big sign on the lid describing the contents clearly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to fuse and enamel glass, color costume pearls, solder, patina brass, torch earwires and polish polymer in several sessions throughout the day. Not sure how much of all of that can get done. The fusing is a lot of prep and then, once in the kiln, lots of downtime. The patina on the brass is setup time, then waiting; same with the pearl color.

The torching, soldering and polishing are all very hands-on. Amazing how long things take sometimes, twice or three times as long as hoped or expected.

This calls for a caffeine super-boost, maybe espresso or even a double!