A Quick Tutorial on Adding Patina to a Copper Ball Chain

I love the warmth of raw copper, it’s very similar to Rose Gold probably because Rose Gold picks up it’s rosiness from Copper :) and with todays  Gold prices copper is VERY affordable. Put a little patina on it and it takes on a calm earthy feel, put a lot of color on it and it takes on the appearance of a relic.  

Today’s blog post shows you how I added a little depth to the copper ball chain I used in last weeks Year of Jewelry post “Charmed I’m Sure”

1: Liver of Sulphur works best if warmed first so I always start by warming some water in the microwave.

2: The metal will take the color faster if it’s clean and warm too so before I add the LOS I drop the chain in the hot water while getting everything ready.

3: Pull the chain out of the water and add a drop or two of the LOS gel.

4: Give it a quick mix and drop your chain back in the LOS mixture. 

It won’t take long at all for the color to appear. 

5: Pull it out to check the color and dunk a time or two, or until you’re happy with it.

6: Rinse it off and buff back the high spots with a little steel wool - I’m using an SOS pad, but you can also use ScotchBrite or 3M products.

If you take it too far back, give it another dunk or two and and start again. Sometimes the color comes up first try and sometimes it takes a couple rounds until you’ve got the depth you’re looking for. 

That’s all there is to it, it’s really very simple. You can play with it some and get a rainbow of colors. I’ve found if you heat your metal and make a weak solution the colors are easier to manage, make sure you seal them once you’re happy though as the patina will continue to darken naturally otherwise.

Week 7 of Year of Jewelry: 

Still on a feather kick with a simple wrap bracelet this week. Turquoise from my favorite purveyor of turquoise MagPie Gemstones, more from my BFF  Moonie, and Coral from House of Gems. Silver hearts and feathers are repurposed from an estate sale find and are most likely plated or “toned”,  vintage seeds (I can verify their age as I bought them new lol) as well as new. A sweet look for an easy on easy off wrap.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dana

OctoberFest Blog Hop!

Welcome to October Fest! Our fearless leader is indeed fearless, having just endured an impromptu yet necessary household move. I do hope our autumnal offerings brighten her spirits and yours as we hop this weekend. Thank you Rita for hosting and for the opportunity to stretch my creativity.

As I type this our local Fall Fest is underway, I may have to swing by later if I still have time! The theme for the hop is October fest, anything goes as long as the inspiration is autumnal. Living on top of a hill in the River Valley my favorite thing in the fall is watching the leaves turn, it can be the most gorgeous thing, to see the trees in their splendor across the valley, along the bayou, and up along the mountain ridges. The Ozarks to the North and the Ouachitahs to the south makes for some pretty gorgeous views out my window. It's early yet and we're only just starting to pick up some yellows so my thoughts of inspiration turned to the harvest and cornucopias otherwise known as horns of plenty.

OctoberFest Inspiration found on Pinterest

I just happened to have this sweet little pumpkin from BonEcho lamp works out of Canada and as much as I loved this little guy I really hadn't any idea what to do with him, until now. He became my centerpiece for the entire design and in the spirit of a cornucopia I filled the spaces with  happiness and thoughts of prosperity. The leaves are from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, the crystals come from House of Gems, the tiny Tohos from Lima beads and those sweet little roses were fabricated by me.

Cornucopia Inspired Necklace

I played with a little bit of filigree and some of my copper to create the bail and added some reclaimed vintage beads to finish the look.

Well then, there's mine now lets go peek at everyone else's!

Rita is Our Hostess over at Toltec Jewels

and the rest of the hop can be found here.....

Toltec Jewels                            Jewel School Friends (hostess)

Dini Bruinsma                           http://www.angazabychanges.blogspot.nl/

Marybeth Rich                          http:/forestofjewels.blogspot.com/

Mary Govaars                           http://www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com/

Mischelle Andrade-Fanucchi     http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com

Karin Grosset Grange               http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr

Andrea Zenith Glick                  http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Nan Smith                                http://wirednan.blogspot.com

Linda Anderson                        http://CherryOnTopDesign.Co

Becky Pancake                        http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger                     http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/

Lennis Carrier                          http://windbent.wordpress.com/

Sue Kennedy                           http://suebeads.blogspot.com/

Kim Dworak                            http://www.cianciblue.blogspot.com/

Jo-Ann Woolverton                  http://itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.ca

Jennifer Reno                           http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Veralynne Malone                    http://veradesigns.blogspot.com 

Lori Schneider                          http://beadaddicted.blogspot.com/

Shaiha Williams                        http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Alisa Siceloff                            http://armoredmermaid.blogspot.com

Pam Traub                               http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com/

Cryss Thain                              http://beaddragons.blogspot.com/

Maria Lourdes Rios                 http://mlourdes24.blogspot.com

Kathy Lindemer                       http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

Carolyn Lawson                      http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Blanca Medina                        http://www.peru-medesigns.com/

Debbie Rasmussen                  www.Kepirasmussen.blogspot.ca

Heather Richter                       http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/

Kathleen Breeding                   http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/

Carol Dillman                          http://dillmansdallies.blogspot.com/

Chris Eisenberg                       www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Rebecca Sirevaag                    www.godsartistinresidence.blogspot.com

Sam Waghorn                          http://palemooncreation.blogspot.co.uk

Sherri Stokey                           www.KnotJustMacrame.com

Gina Hockett                           www.freestyleelements.blogspot.com

Michelle McCarthy                  http://fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Michelle Buettner                     http://www.MiShelDesigns.blogspot.com

Dana Hickey                            You are HERE!! **waves!**

Claire Fabian                            http://saraccino.blogspot.com 

Cynthia Abner                          http://createdtreasures.blogspot.com

Renetha Stanziano                    http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com

Jami Shipp                               http://CelebratingLifewithDaMamaShipp.blogspot.com

Charlie                                     http://505indiechic.blogspot.com

Gloria Allen                             http://www.wingsandbeads.blogspot.com/

Lisa Johnson                             http://spudandmrsbutters.blogspot.com

Marde Lowe                            http://fancimardesigns.blogspot.com

Jill Bradley                                http://chat2jill.blogspot.com

Toni Gifford                              https://plus.google.com/+ToniG28

Shawnda D'Arcy                      https://www.facebook.com/JewelryByShawnda

RaMona Woolson                    http://jerseygirlsbeadwork.blogspot.com

Esterina Jagiella                        http://ekleijar.blogspot.com

Sandra McGriff                        http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com

Mary McGraw                         http://mkaymac.blogspot.com

Alenka Obid                            http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

Marianne Baxter                      http://simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com

Ann Schroeder                        www.beadlove.wordpress.com

Inge von Roos                          http://ingetraud.wordpress.com

Robin Reed                              http://willowdragon.blogspot.com

Suzanne Berk                           https://www.facebook.com/IRescueJewelryDesign

Mowse Doyle                          http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com

Diana Miglionico Shiraishi         http://jasmineteadesigns.blogspot.com

RanaLea                                  http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com

Andrea Rivers                          http://turtlesoupcreative.blogspot.com

Janine Lucas                            http://esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories

Tanya McGuire                        http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com

Anindita Basu                          http://alankarshilpa.blogspot.com

Mitzie Crider                           http://needfulluxuries.blogspot.com

Deb Fortin                               http://studiok24.blogspot.ca

Cynthia Kent Machata             http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Cheri Reed                              http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Laurel Hanson                         http://stonewingdesigns.com/blogs/stonewingdesignsblog

Ingrid Anderson                      http://lilisgems.wordpress.com/

Karla Morgan                          http://Texaspepperjams.blogspot.com

Lori Anderson                         www.PrettyThings.com

Louise Mccormick-Glazier       http://lilyandjasmine.blogspot.com/

Jasvanti Patel                          http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

Susan Kelly                            http://midlifegreaterexpectations.blogspot.com/

Lee Koopman                        http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com/

Carol Briody                          http://cbriody.blogspot.com/

Kathy Lindemer                    http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

Renetha Stanziano                http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/

Divya N                               http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com/

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'll see you hopping around, I hope!

Playing with Fire and Leather

It's been a bit busy around here this last week and as a result I missed my blog post. Busy is a good thing around here though and I am not complaining!

I played a bit last week. Picking up scraps of this and that, little bits of things I twisted up, sawed off, and bought. Put flame to some and wire to others. All in all a productive week and I enjoyed myself to boot!

Originally I had thought I might just play with an idea I got from this tutorial over on the House of Gems Pinterest board. I had two pieces of leftover copper I had sawn off another project and I thought it might be fun to dangle some chain from them.

Since I was playing, I thought why not emboss them? They're a slightly heavier gauge metal so I knew I'd have to anneal first. I lit the torch and thought.... why not play a bit with fire painting, I have to torch it to anneal it anyway. (You're getting a real good look at how my brain works here) So I torch and get some really pretty purples YAY! And I emboss and get great matching imprints for a pair of earrings. Next up we'll drill holes to hang the chain from. Zip zip zip and done woohoo.

I'm really liking the iridescence of the purples.............. I think I have some daggers with that color.
Yup! Then I notice a little piece of wire I had looped up and it fit so nicely into the arc of the shield, so I made another and I really liked it. At this point no matter how I played with that chain I just didn't like it. Too bad too, I had planned on suspending the whole thing from that chain....hmmmm

I really like the rib bone chain I made for my Dia de los Muertos piece and the bars Dana sent for bead soup... I could make some bars to hang these from! So I did....  I played a little too long before sealing so I lost a bit of the deeper shades but they're still really pretty!

Flame Painted Shields

Next up I decided to play with my leather scraps. Rebeka Payne of Tree Wings Studio has these leather feathers that I absolutely adore, I though I might play some and make my own feathers. I even got the kiddo in on it and gave him a piece of leather to play with while I cut and designed a few things. He LOVED it!  and I loved it.

The color of the first feathers I made were the exact shade of the stone I've been playing with the woven bezel for the last couple weeks and I just happened to have one wire left I had no idea what to do with, and tadaaa!

Copper and Leather Wrapped and Woven

Alex claimed this one just as fast as I was able to get those feathers on it.
I've made up several more feathers and have many more ideas for them already. 

Thanks for stopping by!

We'll see you next time!

Trees and Branches

It seems I've been on something of a tree and branch kick lately. Must be wishing for the cooler temps of Autumn and the colors it brings as I seem to have also been in something of an orange mood too. More of a pinky/coral orange than a pumpkin orange but still an orange.

FW Pearls, Peach Coral & Copper Necklace

Instead of a full on Tree of Life this time I opted for a branch of twisted copper cherry blossoms.

This one is something of a convertible, being wearable at different lengths. The vintage style hook closure allows for an 18 inch length when hooked at the first cap, a 22 inch length when hooked at the flower and a 25 inch length when hooked at the end of the extender. I love the soft colors of the coral I got from House of Gems and how sweet it looks combined with the FW pearls I picked up from Fire Mountain Gems recently during their Dutch auction sale. Perfect as we head into fall and will still be awfully sweet when he head into spring.

                                      

I took pics as I made this one thinking I might do something of a tutorial. Then I found this paper plate cookie basket tutorial by One Good Thing by Jillee and darn if it wasn't exactly what I did to make my end "cones" well minus the tape!

One Good Thing by Jillee

*I punched mine out of copper and ran them through the Big Kick to match the cherry blossom focal first.

*I used my flat nosed pliers for spacing and marked the back side with a sharpie so I knew where to cut to. 

*Punched a hole dead center then followed the fold and cut pattern to make the box. 

*Instead of cookies we have crimped bead ends on an eye pin inside a nice neat little open ended copper box that matches the focal, giving it a special one of a kind touch. 

Isn't it fun to think outside of the "box"?! These can be made to any size you need. I love taking techniques I learned from other crafts growing up and applying them to jewelry.  This will even work for a flower petal bead cap if you use a smaller circle or a larger bead. Just be sure to file those edges and corners, they can be a little sharp if you don't.

Thanks for stoppin by!

Feel free to post any "Out of the Box" techniques you use in the comments.

See ya next time!

25 Sketches: Number 8

On the desk I have beads pulled for several sketches, beads pulled for commissioned pieces and then the spin off designs that develop as I work on these things. Now, my brain needs clean for numbers, but it thrives on having beads everywhere for creating. The ideas come fast and easy when the beads are out, but there is a fine line between inspirational and overwhelm.

I received a couple packages from The Hole Bead Shoppe and House of Gems in the mail this last week... YAY Me!! Most of the beady goodness was placed with projects just waiting for this or that and then a couple new ideas sparked and beads came out for that and I crossed that line into overwhelm. I can work with a lot of beads out, but I couldn't even see my desk anymore! This is what it looked like AFTER I cleaned and put some things away. What you don't see are three stacks of trays to the left and two to the right or any of the tools that live on my desk! No the file doesn't live there, it lives in a drawer to the right.

There IS a desk under there somewhere!

Completely overwhelmed I had too many ideas, too many projects I wanted to play with right now and all my trays were in use. So I decided, I would work on one small sketch for earrings (they had been waiting on the Coral and Sterling Silver beads I got from House of Gems), then I'd play with the awesome kit I got from The Hole Bead Shoppe and then I could get to work on my idea for Stringing Magazine (that's one of those spin off/sparked ideas lol)

The small coral beads I got from House of Gems were perfect for the earrings I had drawn in sketch number 8. I had some Bali style silver drum beads I thought would look just gorgeous paired with some turquoise and coral and I think I was right, but I'll let you be the judge of that. I think these will be the matching earrings to an embroidered piece I'm getting ready to work on with lots more coral and turquoise! If it lives up to the design in my head it will be a stunner!! At the very least gorgeous :)

One of the things I ordered from House of Gems was a divided bead tray/organizer. I have several triangle trays and they are perfection for pouring beads back into their tubes or baggies but I have the really bad habit of setting tools down right next to them while they're full of beads. You guessed it, I flip a tray pretty much every time I use one, sigh. I've seen the little egg trays and water color paint trays used but I just knew I'd have the same problem of flipping them only multiplied! So when I saw this little gem I had to give him a go!

It's Lidded!! 

Yes, I am beading on top of the MacBook. You saw, I have NO room on the desk!  However, I did move the beads over on top of the sketch book right after I took this pic. I dropped a 2mm czech fp bead and it headed straight for the keyboard and gave me 2mm palpitations.

This little tray is cool! Not only is it a solid bottom with very little chance of flipping but it's lidded! That's right, I can close the lid and walk away without putting my beads away or worrying about the fur babies flipping trays while I'm not there to protect the little beadies.   It has 8 compartments so I can have beads for more than one project in it, say like now while I'm waiting for an order of more of those sweet beads, and I get to work on that necklace idea for a submittal to Stringing Magazine. AND because the compartments are triangular they pour back into baggies pretty nicely themselves. I haven't tried a tube yet but I've got several pulled for projects on the desk....

Design by Rae Burns of The Hole Bead Shoppe

Well, I'd better get going! I'm pretty sure there was one more thing on the to do list today if I can just remember what it was!! .....

Thanks for stoppin by!
We'll see ya next time!