Anne shares with us a quick synopsis of the steps she takes to create her Torch Fired Enameled Pendant. We hope the tutorial will serve to inspire you to create! No matter if you just get out your sketch book and draw a similar project based on these challenges. It’s a place to start. It’s a way to start off your day in the right frame of mind with a creative exercise!
If you are interested in the full step-by-step tutorial please stay tuned. It will be available in July at Whole Lotta Whimsy. They will be in a handy bench format too! This tutorial looks like it will be 30 pictures with tons of detail in this #14 Tutorial!
In this tutorial you will learn:
- How to saw out metal and drill holes without a flexshaft
- How to design mixed media elements together and compensate for shrinkage
- How to torch-fire opaque enamel
- How to create secret rivets and rivets for capture
- How to capture enamel with prong-settings
- How to create a bail with traditional metalsmithing techniques
Grab a piece of 2″x2″ copper sheet. Make a circle on the copper sheet with a fine point sharpie. Using a #2 saw blade, jewelers saw frame, cut-lube and bench pin cut out the circle. Using a coarse emery board finish off the edges of the circle so it is all nice and smooth to the touch.
With a sharpie place a circle in on the copper circle that you just finished off. I have chosen to place mine slightly off center toward the lower portion of the larger outside copper circle.
Using the 2-hole punch, gently punch a hole somewhere near the edge of and on the inside of the circle. Gently twist the silver handle and pierce the hole.
Place the punched hole of the copper disk through the saw blade and cut out the interior hole to create a donut copper disk.
Using several different hammers (specifics are listed and demo’d in the full tutorial) hammer the copper circle to mimic the texture of the button.
Mark 4 spots and punch out the 4 holes next to the button, plus the hole for the bail. Using a butane torch make 4 “nail” headpins. Rivet the 4 headpins in place. These secret rivets keep the cabachon from sliding out of the copper and silver “sandwich”.
Roll out your PMC3 onto your lubricated texture. Cut out a circle and cut out an inner circle to fit the button or cabachon. Fire to 1650° for two hours in a kiln.
Mark 4 holes on the fine silver piece with a fine point sharpie. Gently punch out the 4 newly marked holes. Cut the fine silver wire and make 4 more “nail” headpins.
Sift the opaque enamel powder onto the fine silver fired donut. Remove the excess enamel leaving the high ridges of the fine silver showing. Fire with your butane torch.
After the enameled piece has totally cooled assemble the entire piece by riveting it together.
Take a piece of fine silver wire to create the bail and rivet it to the piece.
I love found object art. There are so many pieces of interesting ephemera that remind us of places we’ve been, people that were important to us, and just beautiful odds and ends. What better way to adorn ourselves than with meaningful object! This is a great way to combine original art, found art, and color.
We’d love to see you take the challenge as well to make this Torch Fired Enameled PMC Pendant. Can’t wait to see your pieces. Send them and we’ll post pictures in a future Challenge Gallery. Challenge yourself!
Don’t forget to leave a comment. We are giving away an Ice Resin Kit and some other goodies this month. How to win? Leave a comment on every blog (even older posts) or get two entries for tweeting, putting it on Facebook, the Metal Clay Yahoo Gallery forum, your blog etc. Just send us a copy of the link to support@wholelottawhimsy.com! Let your friends know how to make their Wednesday’s rock…. with of course, the Master Muse Tutorial launch!
Anne Mitchell started her creative career over 20 years ago as a professional lighting designer. Looking for another outlet for her artistic energies, Anne began teaching chain making and metal working approximately eight years ago for just pure enjoyment. During those years, Anne found that the creative outlet provided by teaching, as well as a consistent demand for her classes was too alluring to deny. Leaving lighting behind in 2003, Anne is now a full-time designer, teacher, and author. Her classes always sell out at the Bead & Button Show. She was the recipient of Bead and Button’s Excellence in Bead Artistry in 2009. She is a dynamic teacher who always pushes the technical and artistic limits with her designs.
Check out Anne’s work at www.AnneMitchell.net. You can purchase her work online. She is teaching at Bead and Button and many other venues. Treat yourself to one of her classes!
Photo credit: final piece Drew Davidson; step-by-step Anne Mitchell
Great piece, Anne! I’ve been wanting to play with torch firing enamels and this looks like a good place to start. Plus it’s a fun piece to boot! Thanks!!
Cool, Anne! Thanks for sharing this great project!
I especially like the simple bail! Good to add to detailed pieces and pieces after you’ve fired them and decided to hang later. Thanks!
Great demo, Anne!! Can’t wait to make this one. Thanks so much