A few NEW Copper Pieces for Autumn!

These are all created with my hand formed copper wire coils, enameled with powdered glass and secured on patinaed copper or sterling silver wirework 'hangers'.  Ear wires are sterling silver. The necklace is longish and will slip easily over your head.

Warm earthy autumn colors are perfect for September and October!

An Autumn Wedding...

These pretties are ready to ship today,

on their way to Colorado -

isn't the color perfect for an autumn wedding?

 

Follow Your True North

Compass Earrings for the traveller of the world or the traveller of life!

These earrings arrive nestled in a pretty tin on the card shown.

 

happy September!

xo

Expanding My Skills - Enameling Metal

 Color on metal...a perfect mix for me! Enameling copper and silver to create earrings and other pieces has been a skill to learn on my list of new things to try for quite a while.  I mean, look at those colors ------------>                  

Who could resist?!
I signed up for a three day course at our local college art college in early July but the class was cancelled. I was so disappointed...but then decided to jump right in and teach myself. Several books and videos later, and here I am - ready to go!

 

I decided to begin with some simple but elegant domed copper disc earrings.  After cutting the discs from a copper sheet, I've domed them with my trusty brass hammer and dapping tool. Next, I drilled holes at the top of each disc for the earwires.

Sanding and polishing the edges and holes finishes the discs. Next, a layer of adhesive to help the glass adhere to the copper is brushed on each disc. The enameling process involves fusing powdered glass to metal using heat.

Several thin layers of enamel are applied and heated one at a time to achieve lovely color and a smooth coat of glass - I LOVE this stage, watching the color build and melt into such a pretty finish!

A final polishing and handmade earwires finish these pretty earrings! I've made several pairs this week and am listing them in the shop over the next couple of days - come on by and have a look!

Happy Weekend!

karon



Open Studio ~ New Copper Earrings

 

These pretties are the end result of some design ideas I've had recently, some copper wire and a 1x2 inch sheet of 20 gauge copper sheet metal.  I was so occupied with their creation that I neglected my photographs of the process shamefully -- but here are a few I did take.  I used a disc cutter to punch the circle shapes - so much more consistent than sawing (for me anyway :).



This pair is mine but are also the prototype for some I will be offering at Wild Woman in both copper and sterling when I reopen the shop in a few weeks.

Happy Weekend!

One Person's Trash...

So, this week I've had a million things to do, many of which have been those boring, mundane everyday type things that build up (since I tend to avoid them as long as possible), and just wait for you to trip over them or you know, starve to death, before you take action.  In the middle of one of these chores (aka 'For the love all that is holy, clean your workbench'), I came across some good size scraps of copper sheet metal left over from some star ornaments I made awhile ago.  Well, I think I must have blacked out or something (I'm sure it was a reaction to the cleaning or maybe a flash of inspiration) because suddenly I was cutting, filing, hammering, polishing and torching like a madwoman! I guess it's true -- one person's trash is another person's treasure... 13 pairs of earrings were the result!
Now, back to that list...

well, I've pretty much torched off my fingerprints...

...filed my fingernails to a nub, knicked and poked holes all over my fingers and hands BUT I am having a blast! (hehehe...no pun intended!)