ACRYLIC ENAMEL COPPER FLOWER EARRINGS!!

Looking through the many classes and videos I've purchased, I saw one on Craftsy I wanted to try ... "Torch-Fired Enameling: Luscious Color & Design" by Barbara Lewis. I ordered the acrylic enamels in a set of 9 and the decals used in the video. I loved the flower Barbara made ... but I think she used an enlarged version of the decal for the video. I'll ask her if I can order a larger set.

The first thing I did was copy the sheet of decals and then cut and glued the flowers onto my copper sheet. In the video she used double-sided tape and adhered the decal directly to the copper to saw out the form. Here's a photo of part of the sheet of decals and my cut copper pieces.

Then I torch fired several coats of white enamel to each copper flower. The next step was to add each flower decal to water until it started to slide off the sheet and then try get it safely onto the copper flower. It got easier. I found if the decal folded, I could slip it back into the water and miraculously it opened up ... so I could try again. Each finished piece was then blotted with paper towels and left to dry.

Later that day I fired on the decals with my torch until I thought they were done. For some reason I didn't take a photo, but I liked the effect with the sepia tone on the white background. Then I painted each flower with the acrylic enamels, trying to follow her example. Ha. They were left to dry overnight.

This morning, I torch fired each piece and they aren't bad! They don't look like Barbara's, but I like them. The last step was to add a transparent enamel which gave the pieces a glossy coat. They did improve, but they don't show the lines of the decals. So my enamel was too heavy (not "painterly") or I overfired. Next time. I lost one copper piece back when I fired on the white enamel, so I have three pairs of earrings. What do you think?

My Latest Disc Project

If you read my earlier post last week where I shared my Birthday Present to myself, you saw the discs I cut with my new Swanstrom Disc Cutter. The inspiration came from Barbara Lewis's torch fired pieces in her video and book.

Let me tell you ... it wasn't as easy as it looks. I would like to say that I am not a mechanical person, but usually find a way to make the piece work. My pieces below look like they came out of a war zone, but I'm not finished yet! And hopefully the opaque enamels will cover a lot of the marks made by hammering. In this case, my idea of etching is out. Here are some of the pieces I worked on.

The main problem I had was my dapping blocks. They didn't have the correct cavity size to make the last deep "dapping". Those little cups really suffered with lines around the edges because the cavity was too small for them, as well as getting stuck in the hole.

The two photos above show the pieces from the top with the domed disc sticking through. The two photos below show the back. I will smooth the edges of the domed pieces so they will look and fit better. Poor things. Both front and back will be torch enameled. The domed discs will adhere to the outer pieces with enamel acting as a "glue". What a great design! And such an inspiration for future projects.

Fold Forming Projects

A few days ago I mentioned a friend and I were working with copper and trying our hand at fold forming. It's been so much fun, and no smashed fingers yet! This pendant is not finished, but it is looking good. There are scratches that need to be sanded and then patina to be applied. This photo taken with my phone looks pretty large here; the pendant measures 1-1/2" x 2-1/4".

I visited the local jewelry supply store last week because my liver of sulfur was no longer working.  I'm referring to the small chunks in a can and you use only a small piece in warm water.  Well, they told me they no longer carry the can with the chunks ... there is a new product for us to try, liver of sulfur in a liquid form that is supposed to last a long time. We experimented a little yesterday, but my piece doesn't want to be dipped yet.

I worked on this heart wall hanging yesterday and finished it today.  The center heart is raised about 1/4" with cut tube pieces and is attached to the bottom piece with rivets.  Then the little bird's nest with turquoise beads added a nice touch. The coiled hanger is done with "The Coiling Gizmo". This simple gadget is amazing and so easy to use!   Do you have one?

All the coloring on this piece was done with the torch.