Mental Picture Looked Different

Or Try, Try Again

1. Learning and experimenting with the enamels - not as translucent as hoped. Succeeded in creating a muddy image, not what was pictured. Funny thing with glass, it looks one way going into the kiln and a totally different way after firing. Have to do a mental conversion ... and lots of testing.
   
   Will NOT be posting a photo of the results of last night's firing. But that's often what learning is, right? Pushing the edges to see 'what happens if' and trying it out to see! And it's only glass so it's okay to try.
   
   What was learned while working with enamels:

Do NOT use hands to scratch eyes no matter how itchy
Do NOT sneeze
Always wear an apron
Colors do not behave like inks, fabric dyes or paints
First fuse should only be a tack fuse (1300 degrees F) not full fuse (1500 degrees F)
Be sure all liquids are dry before fusing to avoid bubbles (unless bubbles are wanted)
Fired enamels do NOT scratch off (be sure colors are where you planned)Colors will be matte until top layer of clear glass is fused over

All very useful things to know.

Have drawn the blueprints for a tiny glass birdhouse. Bought hand cast pewter bird charms (lovely!) from Mamacita Beadworks http://www.mamacitabeadworks.etsy.com/ in New York and can't wait for delivery.

Will start making the tiny birdhouse while the next enameled glass piece fires.

Got inspired and feather-brained and made this 'W' is for Wren necklace, with brass components and a fused glass tile with a letter 'W' attached.

Just adorable, love it. It's folksy and quaint and has a feeling of spring, with berries and birds and warm tones.

Busy and Busiest

Hearts and Home

Doing the step-out photography for the image transfer magazine article tomorrow. Have to deliver next week.

Also have some glass-metal-found object collage projects to try, related to the 'medals' theme in mind.

Experimental fusing ideas to try.

Will post photos as things progress.

Also important, photographs for the Belle Armoire pieces that have returned, want to improve the ones on the Etsy site. Counting down to March 1 when the issue is available.

But first - here's are photos of the front and back of a 3-D house built of engraved glass and fused glass.

An idea that's been kicking around for a little while, decided to go ahead and try it out. The very dark patina took very well on the silver solder, makes the piece look very old.

From roof to floor this little charmer is an inch and a half tall. The charm on the front is fused glass with a heart shape embedded in it. The clear glass was engraved and painted before fusing, giving it that leafy look.

On the shot of the back the engraved glass shows up really well. It's totally enclosed, with roof, four walls and a floor of engraved ultra-thin glass, copper foiled and silver soldered.

Getting ideas for other things to try along these lines. FUN!

Also did two kiln fusing runs today, experimenting with enamels and more dichroic glass. Shaped the pieces, they are cooling in the kiln now.

So hard to wait until they are room temperature, but so important to let them anneal slowly.

Shell and Buttons

This lovely piece (one of my favorites) with the engraved glass and the vintage mother-of-pearl button and faceted glass dangle has found a home. I am very pleased that someone liked it. It's really a distinctive piece. I wanted to take some more photos of it before I wrap it, put it in an organza bag with its chain, and ship it out.

It hangs quite long, 3 1/2 inches from top of the glass rectangle to the bottom of the faceted glass bead.

All the silver has had a once-over, polished to a satin finish and a sunshine silver polishing cloth. It's ready to go to its new home. It and the heart earrings in the earlier post are going together. So gratifying to have someone admire your work.

Have several more pieces of engraved glass, want to make some more pieces with them.

Hearts On Fire - Doubles

Made these tiny earrings, just posted to Etsy. Love the earwires. Balled the ends, then flattened them. Different shape, like a paddle, for the dangle earrings. Made three sizes, small-medium-long.

Put a dark patina on them, some of the earring pendants made recently have a dark patina on the silver. Needed earwires to go with them.

Started to try the chain idea that's bouncing in the brain, but the wire didn't want to cooperate. The pieces are still in the pickle, need to see if anything can be used.

Trying new things means learning, but also sometimes means learning what doesn't work in real life the same way it worked in your imagination, I guess.

Another Heart, But Broken

Dichroic Broken Heart or Heartbreaker Pendant

Here's the Heartbreaker pendant after shaping and fire polishing. The shape is nice and even, and the dichroic flares like sparklers, when it is moved around the colors change from green to blue and a little lavender at the edges.

Flashy!

The cracked heart is deep burgundy red, all the colors held up in the kiln really well.

The hanging loop was made from sterling wire, fused together with the torch, then hammered with texture to make the wide link for the faceted ball chain to roll through. The rough texture of the silver is a nice contrast to the smooth glass surface.

See in the earlier photos how the cabochons looked when they came out of the kiln the first time, the shaping and fire polishing really makes a difference.

Birds and Burners

Dark and Soldering Dawn

Up before dawn, getting cabochons out of the kiln after shaping and fire polishing. One did decide to take a leap off the kiln shelf and will need to be re-done, a first. Now has an odd kind of texture on the top, of course it would leap and land face down. Like jelly on bread when dropped on the floor, must land jelly side down.

Got the custom order for the tiny girl's post earrings wrapped in silver and the posts and backs applied today.

Very cute, not too small so the hearts don't show. Not too large for small ears. Hope they go over well. Put reserved on Etsy.

Shipped out two orders this morning, the Belle Armoire package arrived yesterday. Was able to package up the pieces that sold but couldn't be shipped. Slipped in a 'thank you' gift for the patience.

Need to re-photograph the other pieces and add to Etsy, need better photos. It's like seeing old friends, had forgotten how nice some of the pieces were. Can't wait to see the article in March '08.

Thinking of setting up a second shop for the invented vintage pieces, and keep the glass pieces separate, as they are different in style, more contemporary. Not sure yet.

Teeny Tiny Hearts

Studio Day

Going to use the thin new sheet of clear 90 COE glass to make some teeny tiny heart earrings. Also want to punch out some words with steel letter stamps and embed in glass. Love to have sayings between glass sheets.

Forgot to ask about the diamond carbide hollow bits when the frit and glass enamels were bought yesterday. May have to get those online or mail order, need to drill holes in glass.

Fusing, soldering and punching day.

Here's a photo of the studio with the grinder and the soldering station showing. The messy end of the room.

Need to test the new dichroic to see what it does. Shiny!

Here's the kiln, venting and about to open and unload the new pieces.

The kiln is about 300 degrees F, so gloves are needed to pull the kiln shelf out.

So hard to wait until it's room temperature.

The pieces are sitting on thin fire shelf paper. Can't get more than one firing out of it, since it's going up to 1500 degrees F for fusing.

The colors of the cabochons don't show very well in the webcam photos, but there are dichroic shiny pieces in this group.

This is the new dichroic that was fired first time today. Very softly reddish dichroic sparkles, behind the bright red heart shapes.

Made one cabochon with a 'broken heart' design in it. Sitting on top of yellow glass with the dichroic on top.

Need to create the bezels and wrap in silver, attach the sterling silver loops and make the earwires for earrings. Fun! Might get one more firing in today, after grinding, shaping and fire polishing these pieces.

Studio A Safety

Getting A Shine On - Safely

Since the hot studio rules were mentioned, it's good to also discuss the other area. Jewelry tools do require care.

Buffer Safety Rules

• No sleeves longer than elbow
• No jewelry, rings, bracelets or dangly items on hands or wrists
• No necklaces around neck - choking danger
• No long tailed shirts or strings on clothing necklines or pants waistbands
• Safety glasses required
• Empty box located behind the buffer to catch flying objects
• Good lighting in buffing area
• Turn buffer wheel off when turning away or bending down to pick up dropped items
• Hold onto items with both hands very tightly to prevent flyaways and flingings
• Get up every hour and stretch and walk around the studio for five minutes
• Never walk away from a running buffer wheel, always turn off
• When fatigued, do something else for a while
• Take time, don't rush
• ENJOY the process, seeing the results is the payoff of all the work that went before

The buffer used on front, back and sides gives a beautiful flawless finish. Very graphic and striking.

Studio Safety

Playing Safely with Fire
A few rules reign supreme in the hot studio, Studio B (Basement).

• Safety glasses required
• Pull back hair and bangs
• No sleeves below the elbow
• No long dangly necklaces or other jewelry to get caught on something
• Fire extinguisher nearby and ready to go
• No food or drink in the hot studio ever (no one ever died of hunger or thirst while working)
• If the kiln or hot pot are turned on, the small lamp is also on, as a reminder to turn them off
• Keep the heavy gloves near the kiln, as a reminder to put them on before venting the kiln
• Never leave the room with the soldering iron turned on
• Always use both hands when venting the kiln and opening the kiln door
• Turn on the exhaust fans when creating fumes with solder or burnout in the kiln
• Keep bowls of cold clean ice water nearby. In case of small burns, stick affected part in cold water immediately. Reduces the pain and likelihood of blisters
• Pay attention to locations of anatomy when holding a hot soldering iron
• Don't bend over to pick up dropped items without checking that head clears the table with hot items on it
• Use brush to remove glass shards from cutting table frequently
• Wear latex gloves when working with patina chemicals and pickle solution
• Wear leather or vinyl apron and protective layers to minimize skin exposure to heat and chemicals
• Practice active awareness when handling or working with hot tools
• #1 Rule - ENJOY the time and the process. Don't rush.

Rules aren't written down or posted anywhere. Run through them internally each time, to reinforce the habits.

Heat and Toast

Webcamera glances into Studio B in the Basement

Activities that generate fumes, shards, chemicals and wet or messy activities are set up in the basement, far away from the living area, the kiln, just popped in some cabochons of glass for pairs of earrings. Best place is in the basement for it. The kiln is firing, takes about an hour to gently bring the temperature up for the fusing and flash vent after firing, to bring the temperature down to 900 degrees F, then allow them to anneal and cool slowly down from there. There is a lot of time preparing the glass to go into the kiln on the prepared shelf, then time spent firing and waiting for cooling.

That time was spent using the torch. getting the new firing station set up. Ceramic tiles under the torch and under the hot wire balled ends. The copper and bamboo tongs are to pull things out of the pickle. Don't use anything with iron or other metal besides copper in the acidic pickle pot. Glass cutters, chasing hammer, rawhide hammer. Bench block, brass brush. Tools all lined up.

The round hammered links on the black rubber cube were fused closed using the torch also.

Pickled and polished, and shined with the brass brush. Going to use in a chain necklace, planned for tomorrow.

Like tools. Good tools make things go better. Glass cutting tools.
Toyo cutter (without oil, to use for cutting glass for fusing for jewelry) and grozing pliers. The red handled breaking pliers.
Keeping all these tools away from the soldering station, with the flux.
Flux is hard on tools. These are the good tools, keeping them oiled and wiped very clean.

Heat Is On The Front Burner

Playing with Fire

Making a wire that has a balled end, with lengths of 20 gauge sterling silver wire, four cut 1 1/2 inches long and four at 2 1/2 inches long. Had mixed up the pickle solution first, hadn't done that before. Used a coffee warmer burner to keep the cup or so of pickle hot, testing with a photography solution thermometer. Then read and re-read all the butane torch instructions, had the fire extinguisher available. Pulled up the sleeves, put ceramic tiles down on the table top to protect it. Fired up the torch. Used hemostats to hold the wire in the flame, just past the small point of conical blue stream from the butane torch.

The wire balled at the end, got good sized nice round balls. Then dropped the wire in the hot pickle. Did the same to all eight pieces of wire. Didn't have any fine silver, so the pickle was necessary to remove the firescale and return the shiny finish. After five minutes in the pickle, the remaining soot was polished off by hand.

It worked beautifully! Love the organic look of the balled wire end. Did the longer wires first, re-did them afterward to get a larger sized ball to form. Getting brave. Couldn't wait to make something with them. Made two pair of earrings. Shaped the ear wires with the balled wire, hammered points to strengthen and enhance the look.


Aren't they quaint? Very simple and so pretty. This pair used the longer wires. The bead dangles come off and can be changed. The bend at the top is hammered gently, and the ends of the wires filed to a round smooth point. Very light and delicate.

These dangles are silver beads and crystal beads on sterling wire wrap. Don't the balls at the end of the wires give just that finished touch? Very pleased with the results.

Can use the same method to make ball ends on wire for headpins. Want to try some 24 gauge and some 18 gauge wire, to see the difference. The 24 gauge will be good with pearls and stones with very small bead holes. Have two more pairs, one long and one short length, to try out also.

FUN!

Ribbons and Pins

Working out the Ruts

Good light and a firm hand is required on the buffer. This side is the stitched muslin wheel. The trick is not to be in a hurry, and to pay close attention. The wheel turns quickly and can take a quick bite out of a piece.

Focusing on the pressure is key. Usually use both hands, but one hand has the camera.


The buffer is both the best friend and sometimes the worst enemy of getting a good finish on a piece. If too much pressure is applied it causes deep ruts that send the piece back to the sanding bowl to smooth them out.

Not fun to start over.

This piece has been sanded with 400, 600, 1500 and 2000 grit wet-dry paper. Then polished on the stitched wheel and finished on the unstitched muslin wheel.

The oval is 2 inches wide at the widest point and 1 3/4 inches tall across the mid-point.

These shiny pieces are very difficult to photograph, they reflect the light. The image is exceptionally clear.

The lettering says 'Fine French Grograin Ribbon' - could hang from a fine satin cord. Or have a pin back put on, to wear on a silk scarf.

Looks remarkably like an enameled glass surface.

Starts and Fits

Color Wheels Turning

Color images transferring. After a lot of false starts and re-starts, have seemingly found a consistent way to get a clear transfer of images. Trying to be regulated in the type of clay (Kato translucent) and temperatures, baking times, thicknesses. Repetition to ensure repeatable results.

This piece is 2 inches by 2 1/2 inches long. Pretty large for a brooch. It's easier to try new things on an oversized piece than to be messing with something tiny while you learn a new method.

This piece 'Fruit Wine Cherries' has been partially sanded and polished. It takes many stages of sanding and polishing to get a mirror finish.

This piece 'Vermont Boiled Cider' has not yet been sanded. It's still in a very rough finish stage. It's 2 1/4 inches by 1 1/2 inches. Getting slightly smaller in size.

The image comes through much clearer after sanding with 400, 600, 1500 and 2000 grit wet-dry sandpapers.

Then buffing on a stitched buffing wheel and final polishing on an unstitched buffing wheel. It takes a lot of sanding and polishing to get the shine that has no scratch marks or high/low spots in the finish.It's the first transfer that was satisfactory.

After trying about four other methods that didn't work as well.

Learned a lot about baking times and temperatures. A dedicated toaster oven and oven thermometer is very important.

Have an exhaust fan in the window, helping to draw out the smell of the baking clay. Even though it's very cold outside, it's good to keep the fresh air coming in and the clay fumes going out.

The pieces are apparently not water tight. Using cold water to shock the translucent clay to its clearest has to be done carefully to keep it out of the layers of the piece.

These are possibilities for the four pieces for the summer article. Tried to find images that have a summer theme. Baseball, apples, butterflies and fruit drinks.

If all the rejections were lined up and photographed it would seem to be a much bigger thing to have these pieces coming out as successes. Maybe photos of the no-go pieces will come later.

Still more to learn. Any thoughts?

Next steps, making the settings for these inserts.

Results and Redesign

Much Thought and Trouble and This is What Happens

Still experimenting. Temperatures, products. Timing and order of process.

Will glue a pin/pendant hanger on this. One inch by one-and-a-half inches in size. Reflects light like a mirror in a window. Lots of texture in the image, some unintended. Very clear top and very smooth black back and sides.

Fun.

Have a few more ideas to test.

Created some small images to put in handmade settings to use as earrings. Getting the steps down, consistent results.

Probably won't put on Etsy. Very difficult to photograph, because of the reflectivity.

Working on these for the magazine article assignment, for the summer issue.

Need to be sent out by Jan. 15, should have four pieces completed by then.

Learning curves and sudden breakthroughs.

Stages Of Show

The Big Top

Have scheduled a Main Showcase tomorrow. Trying to tidy up the Etsy site, like cleaning house before the guests arrive.

Spent the morning trying out new things with the glass and engraving, now the trick is to get good photos.

A little nervous. Feels like going to the Etsy superbowl or something.

The soldering workshop is in a different room than the jewelry assembly station. There are glass chips and fumes, better to keep away from the main living space.

Very windy out today, have to crack a window while soldering to draw the fumes outside. Could hear the gusts.

Trying not to lose sight of the project for the article also. Transferring some images to polymer clay. Lots of things midway, need to wrap up a few.

Should go cut and layer some glass to start fusing. Love the dichroic on a black glass background, reflects the light right back up through the cabochon.

It's good to have bread in the oven, glass in the kiln and jewelry pliers in hand.

Multi-tasking.

Tool Bench Bonanza

Working Between Chores

Got the old soldering iron running today, haven't unpacked the new one with the small jewelry tip. It looks so clean and new and nice. Maybe later this week.

Big sponge full of water to wipe the tip and sal ammoniac bar nearby to keep it all coated and tinned. Protects the tip.

The coffee lid with blue folded paper shop towel is full of oil, and the pliers and other tools go into it.

The flux is hard on the tools, so keeping them in the oil and rubbing occasionally with steel wool helps clean them up.

There are the glass cutting and breaking tools, stainless steel ruler with cork on the back, and a Sharpie pen for writing on glass. Under them is a heat resistant ceiling tile, good for keeping glass shards from going all around.

Usually have more lighting, turned some off for the photos.

Don't keep any good tools in the soldering station, only the old pliers, scissors and jewelry tools. The flux is too hard on them to use the good ones.

Experimenting today with new ways to create settings for the fused glass cabochons. Want something that shows them off with a nice style to them.

Liking the results. Something new, will have to photograph for putting on Etsy.

Need to melt more glass, have to put kiln wash on the slumping forms. Takes several coats and has to dry completely between each one. Want to slump some small plates, and make more jewelry cabochons tonight.

Have dinner and a movie also - some things can be drying, fusing and cooling at the same time.

Pieces and Bits

And the results are like this. Here are photos of the pieces after polishing and before assembly. Then photographs, and up on Etsy later today. These are the back sides of three of the Victorian style focal pieces.

The hanging loops have been added and patina applied to the metal. These pendants are about an inch to 2 inches in size. Some of the metal has a darkened silver finish and some has a copper tone finish. Here are the rights sides of the same three pieces.

The small rectangular charm is one of my favorites. It says 'Contiuum d'Art Soiree, La Cinquieme Annee" in french.

The faux cameo has a soft pink color background and the lacy back is white.

When the buffer is running, a close hold has to be clamped on these small pieces, so the buffing wheel doesn't grab them and fling them across the room. One piece is missing right now, it went flying and so far hasn't been found.

These Victorian stype pieces include some larger sized pendants.

The Wheat Dove piece is 2 1/2 inches tall. Plan to use wrapped pearls and a shaped chain to attach to it. Some have holes drilled for wire wrapping and others have loops attached.

When planning the pendant an idea is there - how will the finished piece be created and how does the focal piece need to be created to work with that idea.

Two types of designs were made, the Victorian style and a more Asian style. The asian pieces are large in scale and very distinctive in style. Made one that looks like a dragon or a gargoyle.

The fronts are in the photo on the right, the backs in the photo on the left.

Attempt to make sure that the backs are as interesting as the fronts, to make the pendants reversible if that is a preference, but to make sure that if the pendant rotates the back view is as finished as the fronts.

Most of the pieces have holes drilled for wire wrapping, but a few have loops added. The piece to the right is one of my favorites, the coloring and detail on it turned out so great. It has a hole drilled through the top. I don't know yet if I will list it as a bead or make a pendant necklace with it.

Can't wait to get the pieces assembled so they are finished and photographed for Etsy.

(to see more polymer clay posts, click on the 'polymer clay' label)

The Next Act

The creativity room is open

Making new molds today, to create new focal items. Have been making sketches all week on napkins, on notebooks and everywhere to preserve the ideas as they come. Will share some photos of the process.
Dedicated to creating not cooking, the calibrated toaster oven and timer sit on the table next to me.
The buffer is ready to put a polished sheen on the pieces.

The dremel is there in the background for drilling, cutting and polishing.



The pieces look like lumps of coal at first, baked and blackened. Like they were dipped in tar, down into every crevice and corner.

My left hand, the hand that holds the pieces, is the same. Fingernails embedded with dark color. But no reason to clean up now, until this stage ends.

Highlighted with silver, gold and topaz to embed the color in strategically.

The pasta machine and roller, ceramic tile and plastic grid are ready on the rolling file beside me. Odd how much of the equipment for creating the pieces are equally at home in the kitchen, but now dedicated solely to creating in another way.

Next comes the scrubbing and sanding to enhance and smooth the surface, using an old tupperware bread container to hold the water.

Having hands in the water to scrub and sand will help remove the dark embedded under the fingernails.

A process with numerous steps, the pieces change and take on their individuality during the process.
Beginning as an idea or thought, they develop a reality of their own that emerges under my hands.

It's fun to watch them become finished, and to let the ideas form for what they will be part of and be worn.

Replica Instruments and Instructions

Astrolabes and Scopes

Mariners use the astrolabe to find their positions in relation to the sun and stars in the sky when on long sea voyages. In use since the middle ages, they facinate me, like other instruments such as compasses and scales.

Want to make a replica instrument, not duplicating the function of an actual astrolabe but imitating its spirit. A tool for finding current location and identifying future destination. Wouldn't it be great to have something like that for life, to see ahead and plan.

Could be made in metal, with images and gears and directions for life. Looking worn and well-used.

The idea facinates.

Glass Houses

Tiny Charms for Christmas Ornaments To Be Polished

Made these engraved glass panels this morning to put in for the 10% sale on Etsy for Christmas ornaments. The ones on the right haven't been polished and buffed to a sheen on the silver yet.

The engraving on the glass is subtle, will be hard to photograph.

Plan to offer some embellished and ready to hang in the window or on the tree, and some just as panels if others want to use them for jewelry components or to create their own ornaments with them.

TalentDatabase.com is doing very well, the portfolio there is getting some attention and the feedback is very helpful. Lots of talented and impressive people of all genres on that site.


The Etsy-Bloggers Street team are offering 10% off, and these little ornaments are my contribution to the Etsy Street Team Christmas sale.


Love these little pieces, very fun and new to make.

Finished off with a crystal dangle and a tree hanger with an ornamental bead.

This one is going on the tree downstairs, hanging right in front of one of the lights on the tree.