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Enamel Experiment

I was browsing the forum on Barbara Lewis's Painting With Fire ning group the other night and saw a photo a member had posted showing how to fire an opalescent enamel correctly. He'd used what looked like a chasing on air fold formed copper disc and looking at it set something off in my brain!

I liked the idea of having a definite break in the surface of the disc which would make enamelling it in two different colours slightly easier than trying to achieve a gap or straight line by my, at times, rather shaky hand :D

So I got the disc cutter out and my torch and mallet and started playing. Made the fold, miraculously pretty well centred I have to say, into the pickle, a quick clean up then started playing with the enamel powders. I really wish I'd taken some photos along the way.......

After counter enamelling I used a small piece of card (a Moo minicard actually!) to cover one side of the front of the disc then sifted the nut brown onto the other side, carefully cleaning up any stray bits of enamel with a small paintbrush then fired it. I did try to sift both colours at the same time to start with but soon realised that wasn't a good idea - some of the seafoam got mixed with the nut brown and I had to abort and start again.

A quick clean up inbetween (enamelling isn't quick) then I sifted the seafoam and fired again. Repeated the whole process with another coat and this was the result...


I decided to pickle the discs again to remove the firescale then oxidised them to black and added some long sterling earwires with a matching czech glass bead.
It got me thinking about other designs.........like how having the fold running top to bottom slightly off centre to allow for the hanging hole would look pretty cool or just enamelling one side and leaving the other plain, textured or stamped which I would oxidise later.

I've certainly got lots of ideas buzzing round my head now. I'll try and remember to take some photos next time too :D



Labels:

Comments

  1. Barbara LewisThursday, August 04, 2011

    These are beautiful! I can see so much potential with the fold forming and enameling. You brought it home! I hope you post them on the ning. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cinnamon JewelleryThursday, August 04, 2011

    Thanks Barbara! I will post them on the ning too :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Miss Val's CreationsThursday, August 04, 2011

    Beautiful work! ~Val

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tania CovoFriday, August 05, 2011

    Really nice! They actually look tasty :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. aercraftMonday, August 08, 2011

    Love your enamel work, and thanks for the ning link - I'm a month away from setting up my workshop so that I can have a play with the enamels and glass, and everything else!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousWednesday, August 24, 2011

    I love your work! These discs look beautiful!

    Ambra

    ReplyDelete

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