Cinnamon Jewellery

I wrote a blog post a while ago where I practised making a mini synclastic bangle  using a pair of synclastic pliers and dapping punches. I thought it was about time I made a proper sized bangle! If you're wondering what on earth a "synclastic" shape is it's where the surface curves towards the same side in all directions or in the case of my bangle rather than having a flat profile when viewed in cross-section it's domed. Or if you still don't understand it...just look at the photo :D I started with a strip of copper that I'd added a stripe pattern to... Once it was soldered and the join tidied up I rounded it on the bracelet mandrel and sanded both sides to get them flat. I cut the strips of copper sheet myself so they are inevitably a bit wonky to start with but it's easy to sort out once the bangle is soldered. I decided to make a medium size bangle and cut the length longer than normal to allow for the decrease in the ins...

I first came across these cool Tucker Tool dies in a Soham Harrison video on YouTube a while ago and immediately loved the decorative balls you could make with them. Then I realized you could only get them from the US and they were a bit hard to get hold of. Monsterslayer.com  seemed to be permanently out of stock and another site I found that stocked them didn't reply to my email asking if they posted to the UK.....so I sort of forgot about it for a while. Then I noticed Monsterslayer.com did have them back in stock and in a moment of over-indulgence ordered one knowing full well the postage was going to be quite high and that I'd have import VAT plus Parcel Force's stupidly high {even higher than Royal Mail's} handling charge on top. So it worked out to be a pretty expensive bit of metal. You may have noticed the scratches on the plate in the photo......it didn't arrive like that - they were caused by me and a ball burr. But more of that later. I ...

I posted recently about experimenting with fold forming and enamelling - creating a definite division in the surface of the metal then enamelling both sides a different colour as seen in these disc earrings below Well I've been playing around with the idea again and made two more pairs this time leaving one side of the fold bare copper. I used transparent enamels over opaque - you can achieve some lovely colours that way.  A bit fiddly but that's all part of the fun :D Raspberry transparent over ivory Turquoise transparent over lichen green with a sprinkle of seafoam

I love browsing YouTube for tutorials on jewellery making techniques. At the moment it's soldering and in my search for helpful videos to watch I've come across some stinkers - you know the one's I mean where you can't see what the person is doing because their hands are in the way, or it's just a series of photos advertising their jewellery or the one's where they don't speak and just play some weird music instead........... So I was really happy to find a series of videos (30) from Nancy LT Hamilton , a US jewellery maker, that are a joy to watch. You can see and hear her clearly, she knows what she's talking about and she's funny too. Plus she has a workroom to die for! Nancy covers subjects including all about solder, fancy rivets, how to saw, annealing metal, how to make a ring plus some handy tips. So if you're a budding metal worker who's dying to know how to create a flush rivet or how to make your own fancy twisted wire I'd...

                                           I'm slowly teaching myself some more basic metalwork techniques. I love making wirework jewellery and torch enamelling but I think I'm at my happiest when I'm hammering bits of metal and playing with my torch! I recently bought a new metalwork jewellery book - Mixed Metal Mania by Kim St. Jean. It's a very good book with an informative tool section and easy to follow instructions and covers some basic techniques including soldering, riveting, forging, foldforming and reticulating. Her jewellery style is quite rustic - something I find hard to do being a bit of a shiny neat freak but I'm sure I'll learn to "let go" eventually!               ...

The New Year has inspired me to come up with some new earring designs. I'm going great guns at the mo - full of ideas and feeling like there's not enough hours in the day at the moment! I've even made a stock of ball-end earwires and headpins with my new torch ready for when I'm making earrings which is very unlike me, I usually make them as I need them. I love my new torch but I'm still at that "slightly scared of it" stage which I'm sure will soon pass! It's soo much better than using the ring on the gas cooker and means I can ball the end of copper wire now (the flame on the cooker isn't hot enough). Here's a selection of what I've made so far soon to be listed in my  Folksy  and  Artfire  shops. I've also just finished oxidising some heart inspired earrings ready for Valentine's Day - I said I was going great guns! Copper and riveted Sterling Silver Spiral Swarovski Pearl and Sterling Silver Wirework Lampwork Bead ...

It was such a lovely bright and sunny day today I thought I'd make the most of it and take some photos of the earrings I finished at the weekend. I'd got busy with my disc cutter again and made two copper pairs, a riveted Sterling Silver disc design and a pair with mint glass rondel beads and handmade Sterling Silver beadcaps! All oxidised and polished up while I watched the Man Utd game on Sunday!