Saturday, October 18, 2008

project #2


This is Project # 2 - Folded earrings. My favorite part of these earrings, which is hard to see in the photos, is the patina. This is totally just a HEAT patina. I wanted the copper to be deep red, and I'd read that if you heat the copper until glowing and then plunge it into ice water, it will turn red. I did this, but first it just turned black. So I torched it again, and this time I left the blue ice pack in the water, too be sure it was icy. The copper turned deep red with some black. I liked it! But then I wrapped the earrings in copper wire and added the copper hanging strips, and I did not like the look of the shiny new copper, so I heated the whole thing again and plunged them into water. It did not turn red - just sort of sooty gray black. I scrubbed this with lava liquid soap and a wire brush - and this is the result I got...very bronzy with a deep satin gloss.

7 comments:

Sherry Goodloe said...

WOW Connie, you are going to TOWN on this beautiful jewelry making! I love the copper a lot.

Anonymous said...

Genius the way you folded these! Nice patina too...nice job!

Joanne Huffman said...

Absolutely beautiful! You are making the coolest jewelry. You really make me want to go through this book.

Joanne

Anonymous said...

These are absolutely gorgeous! I love your jewelry and this, well, it's breathtaking!

jackie said...

OOOOH! These are to die for!! I love the folded copper - so unique! Love them!!
hugs,
jackie

A Beaded Affair said...

I adore copper and love what you did with the earrings. I will have to try heating up some of mine.
Lois
http://www.abeadedaffair.com

beautifullybrokenme said...

Connie -

This has got to be my favorite of all of the wrapped earring projects! You have really shown your creativity and individuality with these - bravo!

:-) Molly