More Torched Earring Pairs Ready to Assemble

New Fall Enamel Color Combinations

I was up to the task yesterday. I cleaned some copper and fired up the torch to try and get some fall color combinations made. I really love the browns, reds and yellows. It puts me in the mind of fall.
Have a great short week!

New Enameled Pieces

Enameled Red Squares with my handmade clay heart drops.

Turquoise clay Drops to use as accent pieces for enameled earrings. I glazed with a newly formulated glaze.

two pair handmade clay drops

white orange and green enameled earrings

I’ve been playing with my clay and creating “drop” pieces to use with my torched copper earring pieces. I love the turquoise glaze effects on the sphere drops and, of course, the red squares with the white heart drops.

I’ll make more of these this weekend and will list some soon on my Etsy shop, which is “on vacation” right now. So many ideas… so little time. 🙂

Deb

New Enameled Pieces

Prepared for enamel – both sift and immersion technique used

Some pieces – finished!

I love enameling! Here are some new pieces that I just finished today. The process is so instantaneous…unlike my clay work in the kiln…all that waiting for the kiln to cool down. Who needs it? 🙂 Seriously, I love working with both the clay (my old friend) and the enamel (new “party” friend).

More finished pieces to come. I just received some annealed wire in the mail today. Can’t wait to try it out.

Deb

Enameling Studio Now Organized! Ready for 2015

Enameling Studio

There are a few tasks left to complete before I will begin torching enamel this new year. I now need to complete the organization on the clay side of my home studio. Currently, it’s weekends only for my art since I began Monday through Friday childcare for my grandson (8 months) and great-niece (11 months). The answer to your question: “are you a little bit crazy?” is “Yes. Yes I am.”

If I am able to get back into the studio and create in the next few weeks, all is well in my world. You may notice my sign in the photo “Creations from the Heart.” That was the name of my art business when it officially began in 1988. A lot has happened since then…

There is nothing quite like a toothless grin (well, maybe a few teeth now) to greet you in the morning. I will optimize my weekend art time. But above is a photo of my jewelry/enameling space. I have a good idea of what I have for beads, findings, etc. Torching to begin again very soon!

Handmade on Charles Street – my yearly home show which is a collaboration of 8-10 local artists and crafts people – will be May 1 & 2, 2015. More on that in later posts!

Thanks For Visiting My Fall Shows!

Magnetic Closure Leather Wrap Bracelet with Enameled Copper Disc

Our last few shows were very well visited this past two weeks! I met many new customers and had very successful sales… THANK YOU FOR THAT!

I hope to post monthly photos of some new enameled projects after the New Year, so stay tuned to this blog as well as my sister clay blog, CREATIVE CLAY CAFE.

SMILING TURTLE ART SPOT is hosting an Open House this Saturday, December 13th, from 11am-4pm. I will have some of my enameled earrings as well as some clay items for sale there as I am a participating artist at this gallery. I will likely have enameling classes in the new year, so let them know at the Smiling Turtle if you are interested!

Thanks, again, for your support in 2014! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Enameling Copper – The Process

Cleaned copper earring pieces.

All pieces have to be cleaned thoroughly to remove any debris or oils from your fingers. Don’t even pick them up at this point! I then coat them with Klyr Fire to allow the cleaned surface to accept the copper soon to be torched onto the surface.

Enamel has been torched onto the pieces. It takes practice to get the two pieces to match.

Each color is a separate torching unless you get to the point of trusting your firing technique enough to know what the colors will look like if they combine. I do it both ways now, but I still like the randomness of the color results.

Pickling the pieces for removal of the fire scale.

I use an eco-friendly, safe-for-your-skin pickle: vinegar and salt. I let the pieces bathe in the solution for several hours. The fire scale lifts off and the surfaces can be cleaned further with a green scrubby pad if needed.

I use a two-part cured acrylic finish for the backs

Although many artists counter-enamel the backs of their enameled pieces (torching a layer of enamel on the underside) but I just cannot get myself to do this! I love the look of the bright shiny copper after the surfaces are cleaned. So… I have found that a layer of a quality two part acrylic de-stresses the enamel of the opposite side. No cracking or slivering off of the enameled surface (ask me how I know about this :)) I love the finished pieces that have the bright copper on the back. It just looks nicer this way.
Here are some assembled pairs from this group of work:

Handmade Omaha Winter Art & Craft Bazaar November 29th & 30th

Incorporating Colored Wire in earring design

I am super excited to be included as an artist at the Handmade Omaha Winter Art & Craft Bazaar coming up November 29th and 30th! The venue is wonderful and welcoming at 10th and Bancroft in Omaha.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION!!: Handmade Omaha

I will have my copper enameled jewelry as well as my handmade clay items!
See you there!!

Next Enameling Class: Thursday, October 23

Handmade – Torch-Fired Earrings

small enameled copper earrings

Colorful Torched Enamel Earrings ready for assembly

Smiling Turtle Art Spot will have me there next Thursday, October 23rd from 6:30-8:30pm for the next Copper Enameling class. We will sift various colors (of your choice) onto raw cleaned copper and torch them… Very cool — as it melts right in front of your eyes!

You leave class with a pair of earrings and a pendant or two pair of earrings.
Sign up now! – there are still spots left! Classes are limited to six people.

Here is who you call to check on availability: DORI @ Smiling Turtle – 402-315-9452
Cost : $35

Enameled Copper (Clay) Pendant

Copper Clay Pendant – dried, torched, cleaned and enameled

Well, I enameled one of the copper clay pieces that were shown in my last post. I’ve had it finished for awhile and kept it for myself (it is my first copper CLAY pendant after all…)
I used one of my clay stamps for texture and transparent enamels when I torched it. To me, it looks like a storm on a lake – rain in the top portion raining on a darker blue (water?) lower area.

I think I have worked out the bugs in my torching of the copper clay. I use butane, not MAPP gas as is used for the enameling – but it takes a long time for each piece… So if I like this well enough, time for a small digital kiln that can hold a temp. (Not like my ceramic kiln which has a kiln sitter.) The copper clays on the market are probably better off used in a kiln, but this brand was ok torched.

Back to work! Have a good week.

Torched Enamel Classes Available

CLICK on PHOTOS FOR A CLOSER LOOK!

Many of my show customers have expressed an interest in learning to enamel onto copper and creating exciting jewelry. Not a lot of people have worked with this medium and because I love, love, love it, I am now teaching classes on the process. You leave the class with a pair of earrings and a pendant. The class costs $35 and I limit the participants to 6 per class. (Great for a girls’ night out!)

The class schedule is viewable at the Smiling Turtle Art Spot website. Just click on the classes and you will find one offered on September 23, October 23 and November 13. The site will give you location information and answer some questions about other classes there for upcoming months.
Thanks for visiting my enameling blog!

Deb