10 mixed media jewelry projects vol 4 by Gisele Araya

10 Mixed Media

Jewelry Projects

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

e’re proud to bring you 10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects, Volume 4 of the Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist. Mix metal with paper, fiber, ceramics, mechanical parts, resin, polymer — even foodstuffs! — to create jewelry that tells a personal story and is sure to inspire compliments! 10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects, Volume 4 of the Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, brings

you some of our favorite designs in this hot, hot, hot genre. You’ll make earrings, pendants, pins, and a bracelet while learning to adapt a wide variety of materials to jewelry as you recycle found objects and interesting remnants. So pull out your stash of cool things that you haven’t been able to decide what to do with and let’s put them into jewelry!

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

10 Mixed Media

Jewelry Projects

Contents

Metal & Paper or Fiber Felt Tassel & Silver Bracelet By Michele A. Friedman A fusion of fiber and metal...................................................................................................................3

Paper, Resin, and Peridot Pendant By Eleanore Macnish Embed a famous design into a pretty wearable................................................................................5

Vintage Illustration Pendant By Eleanore Macnish A confection from recycled ephemera................................................................................................8

Framed Focal Charm By Shoshana Farber Interchangeable inserts that can change with your mood.............................................................11

Metal & Found Objects Found Object Pendant By Eleanore Macnish A vintage ruler and typewriter key mark a milestone...................................................................14

Pottery Shard Brooch By Julie Jerman-Melka A nostalgic keepsake from a broken dinner plate...........................................................................17

Metal & Miscellaneous Sprinkle Earrings By Eleanore Macnish Sweet little treats make a speedy gift................................................................................................20

PVC & Silver Brooch By Robert Dancik Faux Bone — fantastic plastic for jewelry work.............................................................................22

Colorful Resin Earrings By Tom & Kay Benham Pretend plique-à-jour enamel.............................................................................................................27

Multi Technique Enameled Pendant By Cynthia Alderdice & Lois Mansfield Combine metal clay, cloisonné, etching, stone setting, and chain making in one design.......30

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Project by

Felt Tassel & Silver Bracelet A fusion of fiber and metal

have been designing and making jewelry since 1992. The focus was always metal. I had never incorporated any color in any material in my jewelry until I started exploring the possibility of using wool felt in my work. Whimsical and bright, the tassels were the first expression of my new direction. I knew I was on a very different path from the one I had been on when only working with mixed metals. Now, I combine metalsmithing skills with an alternative color choice: wool felt.

Opening Photo: Hap Sakwa Project Photos: John Ames

skills you need

• sawing

• sweat soldering

• patina use

materials and tools you need M a teri a l s

too l s

Silver tubing (ID 2.5mm) nine 3.5mm-3.56mm sections

Flux

2.5mm sterling mesh chain 10 sterling jump rings, tiny (for wire)

Liver-of-sulfur or other oxidizing agent

Hard and easy sheet solder

Scotch Brite pad 220-grit sandpaper

Saw blades

Pickle pot and pickle

Scribe

Torch with small or medium tip

2 sterling jump rings, small (for bracelet ends, clasp)

Straight edge

10 sterling jump rings, medium, (for wires and tassels)

Sharp scissors and rotary cutter

18- or 19-gauge sterling wire

Nippers

Oxidizing tweezers

10 sterling end cones End caps

Round, flat, and needle nose pliers

Copper sheet to act as heat sink if needed

Sterling clasp

Fine square/flat needle file

Tube cutting jig

Soldering surface

Cutting surface

Felt sheet

Michele A. Friedman

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

Soldering pick Soldering tweezers

Saw frame

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Saw 9 sections of tubing, each approximately 3.5mm long.

edge and cutting surface for accuracy. Insert 2–3 paillons of easy sheet solder inside each section of tubing and heat until solder melts.

{Photo 3} Use needle and flat nose pliers

Repeat for end caps. Pickle.

{Photo 4} Attached eyepins move only

Sand outside of each section, leaving inside unsanded. Cut about 7” of mesh chain. Snip 10 sections of wire, each about 3/4” long. File one end flat on each. With rotary cutter, cut 3 1/8” wide x 1 1/4 “ long strips of felt for each tassel. Use straight

Tip n

Pay careful attention to all parts of the piece and avoid overheating. Try using copper sheet to shield the piece and act as heat sink if needed.

to attach each eyepin to bracelet with medium jump rings. Place between tubing sections and end caps.

between tubing sections, not over them.

{Photo 1} Close 10 tiny jump rings. Solder opening of each ring against flat end of each wire section to create eyepins without openings.

Solder medium jump rings closed.

Slide tubing sections onto mesh chain. Space each section equidistantly. Position end caps on ends of chain. These components need to fit snugly.

Rinse, let dry and strip oxidation as desired with Scotch Brite pad.

{Photo 2} Sweat solder tubing and caps to mesh as follows: Apply generous amount of flux. Heat each segment until solder within flows to join them to chain. Pickle. Check each section and end caps for successful soldering. Repeat until all pieces are soldered and secured. Solder clasp and end jump ring using remaining 2 small jump rings.

Oxidize entire bracelet and cones.

{Photo 5} Make tassel by placing handmade eyepin through top of cone. Pierce and place felt strip on eyepin.

{Photo 6} Use scribe to force felt into cone. Leave approximately 3⁄8” of wire, snip excess. Use round nose pliers to loop end under felt to prevent it from popping out of cone. Repeat for all cones. Trim felt with scissors as desired.

Michele A. Friedman has been a self-employed metalsmith and jewelry designer since 1992. She has exhibited jewelry lines in art, design, and craft shows all over the country and is represented by galleries nationally. E-mail: mafdesign@hotmail.com Web: www.mafdesign.blogspot.com

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Embed a famous design into a pret t y wearable

PROJECT BY

Paper, resin, and peridot pendant

Eleanore Macnish Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH

have had a love affair with the work of William Morris since attending an exhibit of it at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London many years ago. I remember just walking though it over and over. By the fourth or fifth walk-through, the security guards and I just nodded to one another — hopefully they didn’t think I was “casing the joint”! Many years later, I still love his designs and use prints of them in much of my work.

S K I L L S yo u n e e d

•

wirework

soldering

•

resin use

M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d M a teri a l s

EZ solder

30mm sterling silver bezel cup

Two part epoxy resin

14-gauge sterling wire: 6” length

Popsicle stick and clean disposable plastic cup for mixing resin

14-gauge sterling wire jump ring hammered flat Sterling beaded wire: approx. 1 ⁄4”

Optional tools: ring mandrel, circle template

Paper towel

6mm sterling bezel cup 6mm peridot cabochon Desired image (copied onto HP Glossy Photo Paper with HP ink jet ink — other brands may also work) Glue stick or white craft glue

TOOLS Hand tools: wire nippers, round nosed pliers, hammer, steel block Finishing tools: ammonia, water and liquid dish soap solution, soft bristled toothbrush, oxidizer or liver of sulfur, file or sandpaper

Soldering tools: flux, pickle, torch, nickel (5-cent piece) to use as soldering support, flex shaft cutting disk, chamois buffing wheel, polishing compound, level

Resin tools: glass drinking cup, butane lighter S o u rces : Tools & Materials: Most of the tools and materials for this project will be available from well stocked jewelry supply vendors.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

24 gauge bezel with a wall height of 2.30mm high: Rio Grande #950274, www.riogrande.com Resin: Rio Grande Colores Resin with Thin Hardener 1:1 ratio, www. riogrande.com. time it too k : 1 hour plus curing time is what it took me. I used a premade bezel both to cut down on time and to make it more accessible to beginners (I’d say about 2 hours if you wanted to fabricate you own bezel).

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

6 file or sand the back of the bezel cup and wire bail to remove any oils or dirt. Flux.

actual level and prepare the curing area before you pour the resin.

{Photo 3} Lay the bezel on the soldering

With a glue stick or a thin layer of white glue, cover back of paper image and press into the bezel cup. Cover it with a paper towel and burnish with your fingertip to press out any bubbles.

block. Place a nickel next to the bezel and lay the wire bail across the bezel cup and nickel. Solder the bail onto the bezel cup using EZ solder.

➤ The nickel will act as a support for the wire to keep it from tilting as you solder. Pickle, rinse, and oxidize it. Polish it with buffing compound on a chamois wheel.

Covering the image with a paper towel prevents any moisture or oils from your fingers from smudging the image. Let it dry completely.batch. Mix glitter thoroughly into resin after each addition.

{Photo 4} Using a cutting disk, make a

groove in the inside wall of the bezel to provide an anchor for resin — it does not need to be deep. Soak it in ammonia solution for a few minutes and scrub with a toothbrush. Rinse and dry it.

{Photo 5} Make a copy of the original image on glossy photo paper with an ink jet printer. Trace a circle on copy and cut it out.

{Photo 7} Set the pendant on the curing surface and use a coin to raise end opposite wire bail so that it is level. I started out with a quarter, but when I added resin, the resin immediately started to flow toward the bail, telling me it was not level — so, I switched to a dime.

{Photo 1} Shape the beaded sterling wire

➤ If you are using an original image, you

into a circle that fits inside bezel so you can just drop the circle in. Solder the ends with EZ solder. Place it in the pickle.

will need to seal the image completely — including the edges — with a sealer like decoupage sealer and let it dry completely.

Place the peridot cab in a 6mm bezel cup and set it. Lightly sand or file the back of the bezel cup. With a popsicle stick and a plastic cup, thoroughly mix the resin according to the package directions.

➤ When making the circle, it is easier to

{Photo 6} Prepare the area where the

➤ I used Rio Grande Colores Resin with

achieve a perfect one by forming it on a ring mandrel set in a vise.

poured resin pendant will cure and make sure it is level.

{Photo 2} Cut a 6” piece of 14ga wire. With

I use a cheese board with a glass dome set on a bookshelf to cure my pieces. Taking into account that surfaces which look level are not always level, make sure you use an

Thin Hardener at a 1:1 ratio, though the instructions advise 2:1. I use the Colores with a 1:1 ratio because I like how thin the resin is and how it easily seeps into nooks and crannies.

round nosed pliers, coil each end equally. Fold wire in half to form a bail. Hammer each side on a steel block to flatten. Lightly

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

easy option: No Solder

You can buy premade bezels with pendant bails attached from most well-stocked craft stores and eliminate soldering altogether.

{Photo 8} Put a small amount of resin

➤ Using a butane lighter, lightly sweep the

➤ When the leftover resin is rock hard,

(about size of a domed quarter) in the bezel. Pick up the pendant and swirl the resin around so that it touches all the inside edges of the bezel and completely covers the image. Replace the pendant on the curing surface and drop it in the beaded wire circle. Drop in the bezel-set peridot and position it where you want it to be.

flame over the surface of the resin to pop any bubbles. For this resin, there should be no bubbles; if there are bubbles, the lighter flame should take care of them.

your pendant will be fully cured! Attach the jump ring to the bail and slide onto a neckwire or chain to wear it.

{Photo 9} Making sure there are no

ELEANORE MACNISH is a glass

It is important to start with a small amount of resin because you will displace some resin by adding the beaded wire circle and the bezel set cab. You can always add more resin later — initially, start with less than you think you will need. It is much easier than trying to clean up resin 2106152-SSBF-090521.pdf Processed by DG February 25, 2009 that oozes out the sides of the bezel!

bubbles and that the peridot is where you want it to be, cover the pendant with a drinking glass or glass dome and place it aside to cure for at least 24 hours. Check on the pendant a few times over next few hours to make sure there are no bubbles and that the cab has not moved.

beadmaker and silversmith living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been making glass beads for 9 years and doing silver work for 1 1/2 years. Visit www.emacnish.com to see more of her work.

To check whether the resin has cured, check the leftover resin in your mixing cup instead of the actual pendant!

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Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

A confection from recycled ephemera

Project by

Vintage Illustration Pendant

Eleanore MacNish Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH

o make this pendant, you need to go on a scavenger hunt. Gather all sorts of earrings, vintage illustrations of cakes, and whatever you think might look good hanging from the bottom of your pendant. Good places to start hunting are a flea market or tag and yard sales. I gathered orphaned earrings, vintage jewelry, coins, tokens, and game pieces for my pendant.

SKILLS YOU NEED

• fabrication

• bezel setting

• soldering

MATERIAL s AND TOOLS YOU NEED M a teri a l s Vintage pastry image Vintage rhinestone earring

Fine silver bezel wire tall enough to clear edges of earring 16-gauge wire for jump ring

Vintage pearl drop

Ammonia, water, and liquid dish soap solution

22-gauge sterling sheet

Toothbrush

22-gauge sterling sheet: 2 1⁄2” x 1⁄2” for bail

Oxidizer or liver of sulfur

Fine silver bezel wire deep enough to hold image and resin

UV cure resin Methyl alcohol or nail polish remover

Clear packing tape

container (larger than pendant and deeper than length of bail) filled with rice

White craft glue T oo l s Layout tools: permanent marker, graph paper, tracing paper, spray adhesive, pencil Hand tools: saw frame, 2-0 saw blades, carbide tip scribe (or punch for dots), round nosed pliers, setting tools, hand shears, respirator mask, small hammer,

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

Soldering: torch and tips, third hand, solder (hard and extra EZ, low temp paste solder), flux Finishing tools: flex shaft, chamois buffing wheel, polishing compound Additional tools: drill bit for 16-gauge wire

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 1} Lay out objects and play around with composition.

{Photo 2} Choose an earring for top of piece and remove back finding. Choose a focal cake illustration. Choose an object to hang from the bottom.

{Photo 3} On graph paper, outline edges of all components and design overall shape of pendant. From here, you need to decide where ‰ any areas of stress might be and how to compensate for them. I make a “pendant plan” for each metal piece, indicating where I will solder, and in what order.

My pendant is made up of 3 pieces of metal. I soldered the bezels onto the frontfacing silver sheet with EZ solder, and then soldered the bail and the back curlicue with low temperature paste solder.

{Photo 4} Fit bezels for rhinestone ear-

{Photo 6} Trace design for each metal piece on a half sheet of tracing paper. Spray 22ga sterling sheet with adhesive, apply tracing paper drawing to adhesive, let dry.

{Photo 7} Rip overhanging tracing paper

ring and cake illustration. Use pliers to conform bezel to outlines. Make bezels a bit larger than components.

from edge of sheet and saw out shapes. On soldering block, burn off paper and adhesive (fumes are toxic — wear a respirator mask). Pickle, rinse, file, sand smooth.

{Photo 5} Solder bezels together with

{Photo 8} Solder bezels to front of cut-

pallions of hard solder. Make adjustments as needed to sketches after laying soldered bezels back on graph paper.

out with easy. Pickle, rinse. On back of cutout, lightly flux bail and curlicue panel. Apply small amount of low temperature paste solder. Support piece as needed. Solder, pickle, rinse, dry.

I fabricated a bezel-set clasp from a vintage button.

My pendant plan and notes.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Using a marker, dot where you want a border. Punch dots using a carbide tip and small hammer. Remove marker with methyl alcohol or nail polish remover. Oxidize piece as desired. Polish with chamois buffing wheel and compound. Soak in ammonia solution and scrub with soft bristled toothbrush. Rinse and dry completely. Set earring in bezel.

{Photo 10} Seal paper illustration by sandwiching between 2 pieces of packing tape. Trim to fit in bezel. Dip finger in small amount of white craft glue and run along edge of sealed cake illustration to encase edges. Set aside to dry. Glue illustration into bezel. Let dry.

{Photo 11} Lay pendant in rice and adjust till level. Squeeze UV resin onto surface of illustration to desired depth. After a few minutes, look for bubbles at surface. Wave a lighter flame over top of resin to burst bubbles.

{Photo 12} Set container holding pendant in sunlight for about 5 minutes to cure. Make a jump ring from 16ga wire and attach bottom charm to pendant. Support bail and bend tab over a support to make a hook. Attach pendant to neck wire or chain.

Soldering Setups You will probably need to use solder supports to get everything to set up correctly. I use nickels and a third hand to support the different levels of my pieces before I solder.

ELEANORE MACNISH is a glass beadmaker and silversmith living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been making glass beads for 9 years and doing silverwork for 1 1⁄2 years. Visit www. emacnish.com to see more of her work.

Paper and Resin n

When you prepare paper for resin, it is very important to seal the paper — including the edges! If you do not seal the paper the resin will turn the paper translucent. If you miss a couple of spots, the paper will act like a wick and pull resin into its fibers. Sometimes, I like the effect of a little bit of resin bleeding into the image because it adds to the aged look, however, if it’s important that the image be consistent, you must seal it completely!

On the back, I added a sprinklefilled surprise.

When I seal paper for resin, I sandwich it between 2 pieces of clear packing tape, cut the image out of the tape and spread glue around the edges. If the image is too large to be covered by the tape, I brush both sides with white glue, let it dry, and then cut out the image and seal the edges with glue. It is necessary to seal any paper product — vintage or contemporary. n

Here, the left side of the sheet music was sealed and the right side was not sealed. It makes a gigantic difference!

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

project by

Framed focal charm Interchangeable inserts that can change with your mood

Shoshana Farber Opening Photo: Jim Lawson Project Photos: Shoshana Farber

y miniature frames can be incorporated into virtually any piece of jewelry, or made into personalized cufflinks. The double-sided frame will hold up to two photos or artwork which can be removed and replaced as desired. Pay close attention to the exact thickness of the required sheet — this will result in a precise and snug fit.

Cufflink

design option If making cufflinks, the back of the piece must remain solid. Finding components can be soldered directly onto the solid backs of the frames.

SKILLS YOU NEED

• basic fabrication

• sweat soldering

MATERIAL s AND TOOLS YOU NEED Materials Sterling sheet; at least 16mm x 16mm, 0.9mm thick Sterling sheet; at least 20mm x 40mm, 0.7mm thick Scrap copper or brass sheet: at least 11.5mm x 30mm, exactly 0.9mm thick tools Soldering brick; torch; hard solder; flux; titanium soldering pick

Large metal file; small needle files Emery paper; flat thin wooden stick (such as a coffee stirrer) 1mm drill bit Fabric containing metallic fiber weave or steel mesh Rolling mill

Jeweler’s saw; blades; wax

Sterling findings of your choice (jump rings, bail, cufflink components, chain)

Calipers

Polishing compounds:

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

Greystar and rouge Soft bristle brush mandrels for Foredom; cotton buffs Computer; digital images; Adobe Photoshop or other imaging software Printer; sheet of photo paper “8 mil” thick (not millimeters) Small sheet Mylar, at least 25mm x 25mm, “4 mil” thick (0.1mm) Japanese or decorative papers or miniature drawings

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 2} Saw out center of “threelegged” square, being sure to cut along the inside of scribed line. File inside edges completely level and ensure corners are square. Saw along outside lines of square, cutting out three-legged shape from sheet. This will be inside layer of frame.

Framing Tip It may be easier to mark your lines along the inside of the frame by scribing them 1mm from the inner edges. If you like, trace the scribed lines with pen.

{Photo 3} Move frame to soldering block.

{Photo 1} Square off corner of 0.9mm thick silver sheet. Use calipers to mark off a parallel line exactly 2mm from one side of corner. Mark off lines exactly 14mm from both sides of corner. Finally, mark off lines exactly 16mm from both sides of corner. If you like, go over lines with a thin pen.

Cut out many pallions of hard solder. Flux piece and heat slowly. When flux settles, distribute pallions evenly over top of piece. Heat metal until solder flows, using titanium pick to distribute solder and coat entire top of piece. Set aside. Anneal an approximately 20mm x 40mm piece of 0.7mm sheet.

{Photo 4} Wrap annealed sheet in metallic

protect your rollers You might want to “sandwich” the metallic screen and silver for roll printing inside of a folded piece of cardstock to prevent transfer of the metallic screen impression of the rollers of your mill.

fabric of your choice. Ensure metallic thread runs horizontally — or parallel — to edge you are feeding through rolling mill. If using steel mesh, place wrapped piece between two small brass plates to protect rollers.

{Photo 5} Insert wrapped piece into rolling mill. Make note of gauge setting, remove piece, and tighten rollers at least 1⁄4 turn more. Feed fabric-wrapped metal

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

sheet through mill. Cut roller-printed metal into 2 pieces, each at least 20mm x 20mm.

{Photo 6} Return to soldering block. Flux one roller-printed square. Place three-legged frame, solder-side down, on top of printed square. Sweat-solder pieces together by heating evenly, until you see solder flowing around joint edge. Trail solder pick along seam as solder flows. Pickle piece until oxides are removed. Rinse and dry. Trim any overhanging edges and file gently until piece is once again square. Position piece with frame-side up. Use calipers to mark an inner window 3mm from outside edges.

{Photo 7} Drill hole in center of square. Insert saw blade into hole and carefully cut out inner window. File edges level and corners square.

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Polish piece before attaching chain. Apply polishing compounds to textured metal with soft bristle brush so pattern doesn’t wear away. Use cotton buffs for sides.

{Photo 8} Sweat-solder another frame and roller-print another square for other side of piece. File and sand outside edges. Position piece so window faces up.

{Photo 9} Drill hole in center of solid back sheet. Saw 4 diagonal lines out from drilled center to each corner of window. Using top window lip as guide, carefully saw out back window. File edges level and corners square. Wrap a thin, flat wooden stick or coffee stirrer in emery paper and

sand edges of both windows smooth and level. Cut a flat, 0.9mm thick copper or brass rectangular strip 30mm x 11.5mm. Insert strip into side groove of completed frame. If needed, use rolling mill to reduce thickness gradually until the strip slides in. With rawhide mallet, gently tap each side of frame and along protruding end of brass strip to ensure that inner grooves are aligned. Attach findings or jump rings of your choice. Inner frame layer will accommodate a drill hole up to 2mm — centerpunch exactly 1mm from side of piece.

Using Adobe Photoshop, crop or alter selected high resolution images. Resize to 11mm x 11mm, or cut decorative paper squares or drawings to this size. Cut two 11mm x 11mm squares of Mylar. Sandwich photos between Mylar sheets. Slide image sandwich into frame’s side groove, being sure to push inserts straight to back of frame.

SHOSHANA FARBER completed her diploma in art, craft, and design with a major in Jewelry and Small Object Design from the Kootenay School of the Arts in Nelson, British Columbia. She lives in Toronto and has built a studio where she designs and manufactures jewelry under the name Showsh Design.

1109_LJJA-eBooks-Halfpg.pdf Processed by DG November 12, 2009

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Project by

FOUND OBJECT PENDANT A vintage ruler and typewriter key mark a milestone

ELEANORE MACNISH Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH

y friend Lucille wears four pieces of jewelry 90% of the time. The same pieces every day — when you’re standing behind her, you know it’s her just by looking at the clasp on her necklace. She loves those four pieces and they look fabulous on her — so more power to her! However, having this kind of friend makes the whole giftgiving thing rather difficult when making jewelry is what you do. My solution? I made her a pendant and put it on a key ring to disguise its true nature. I also stamped a bunch of wrong information on the silver “card” purely by accident (if you knew me, you’d know that’s not uncommon), which I discovered when another friend was looking at the piece with a befuddled look on her face. The accident made the whole situation really funny. “Shut up! You are not 50!!!” the message says — and she’s not, because the gift was for her 53rd birthday. I’d even been at her 50th birthday party and all of the ones after it! I did have the best of intentions, though — and luckily, Lucille loves the piece, so I consider it a success.

SKILLS YOU NEED

• fabrication

MATERIAL s AND TOOLS YOU NEED M A T E R I AL S

Solder — Hard, EZ, and Extra EZ

Carbide tip scribe

Vintage ruler

Flux

Setting tools

Vintage typewriter key (preferably with tabs on the back)

Ammonia, water, and liquid soap solution

Hand shears for cutting bezel wire and gallery wire

Toothbrush

Chamois buffing wheel

Oxidizer or liver of sulfur

Polishing compound

TOOLS

Third hand

22-gauge sterling sheet Small scrap of 20-gauge sterling sheet Silver bezel wire tall enough to clear surface of ruler and typewriter key 14-gauge sterling dead soft wire; approximately 1 1⁄2” long 14-gauge sterling jump ring 22-gauge sterling sheet, 1” x 2” 22-gauge sterling disk, 3⁄4”

• soldering

Drill bit for 14-gauge sterling wire Vise; rawhide mallet or flat jawed pliers Drill bit to countersink hole for 14-gauge wire Small woodcarving chisel or razor blade mounted in a handle 2-0 saw blades Permanent marker Saw frame Rectangular joint-edge file Letter stamps for message tag Files and sandpaper for Torch smoothing metal before polishing Round nosed pliers

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 1} Cut length of ruler. With perma-

{Photo 4} Place bent arrow on ruler and

nent marker, mark edges of ruler on 22ga sheet.

slide along edge until you arrive at place you want arrow to point. With permanent marker, outline tab on back and mark where shaft lies on edge of ruler.

{Photo 2} With permanent marker, draw outline of pendant around traced ruler lines. Saw pendant out of sheet. Make optional message tag if desired. Measure ruler edge. Measure distance between bottom edge of ruler and where on ruler you want arrow to point. For my pendant, arrow point is halfway up length of numerals. Arrow should look like a capital “T” with a triangle on bottom. The vertical line of “T” is the shaft, and horizontal top of “T” is the tab. Transfer arrow measurements to 20ga sheet and saw arrow out.

{Photo 3} Bend tab at 90° angle to arrow.

Message Tag Cut the tag out of 22ga sheet. Ensure it is a little bit smaller than the pendant. Use letter stamps for the message, annealing the metal prior to stamping it if necessary. Stamp on a steel block for the cleanest impression and to keep the tag flat.

Chisel out tab outline. Carve a little at a time and verify fit often by setting tab into niche. Tab should be flush with surface of ruler.

{Photo 5} File groove for shaft of arrow on edge of ruler, using marker lines as guide. Groove must be deep enough for arrow to sit flush in ruler, so it doesn’t distort bezel fitting around ruler. Bend tabs of typewriter key back, to create legs — like a little table.

{Photo 6} Using cushioned plier handle, tap on key letter to remove it and all interior parts. File or sand steel bezel of key so it is shallow enough for bezel wire to clear curved edge.

7 Clean Corners I use a vise and rawhide mallet to hammer the shaft of the arrow down for a clean corner, but you can also use flat jawed or conforming pliers.

Make silver bezels for ruler and typewriter key using hard solder.

Keyring Design Option .

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Metal Clay Jewelry Projects

8 {Photo 7} Solder ruler bezel to cut out sheet with EZ solder.

{Photo 8} Solder typewriter key bezel to disk with EZ. Pickle, rinse, and dry both bezel assemblies.

{Photo 9} Solder 14ga wire to back of disk with Extra EZ solder.

{Photo 10} Using carbide tip, make an indention on each end of pendant for hole placement. Drill holes in indents. Use larger drill bit by hand to remove burrs from

drilled holes — much like making a countersink for a screw. Assemble piece by attaching 14ga jump ring to drilled hole in top of pendant (and message card if you made one). Solder jump ring with Extra EZ solder using a third hand to hold jump ring. File and smooth all silver cutouts and 14ga components, oxidize, rinse, and polish using chamois buff and compound. Rinse in ammonia/water/soap solution and scrub with soft toothbrush. Fit arrow into filed notch on ruler. Lay arrow and ruler into bezel; set. Lay letter, plastic lens, and steel

rim of typewriter key into bezel. Verify letter is in proper position related to soldered wire on back of disk. Set key into bezel. Using round nosed pliers, bend 14ga wire on back of disk into a hairpin loop: curved loop on top where it hangs on the pendant, and straight from there on. Slide type key charm into hole at bottom of pendant.

Flashcard Jewelry Artist’s eNewsletter Flashcard is the best email source for studio jewelry artisans. Every other Tuesday, Jewelry Artist’s Managing Editor Helen Driggs will share some of the coolest ideas and tips she’s come across to help you design and execute your own jewelry projects. Helen will be your guide into the fascinating and creative world of the art and science of artisan jewelry making. Sign up now, and stay informed about: ☛ Upcoming workshops ☛ Extraordinary exhibits ☛ Opportunities for showing your own work ☛ New tool and product information ☛ Expert insight into buying supplies ☛ Ideas for selling your own jewelry ☛ Time and money-saving studio tips ☛ Exclusive free bonus projects

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

PROJECT BY

Pottery Shard Brooch A nostalgic keepsake from a broken dinner plate

enjoy the challenge of working with found objects and incorporating them into a wearable piece of jewelry. If you’re like me, you probably have fond memories of enjoying a special dinner with family or friends, using the “good” china, or maybe enjoying a cup of afternoon tea from vintage tea cups. Inevitably, a piece of china or one of the prized teacups accidentally breaks, and it’s painful to just throw the shards

Julie Jerman-Melka Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: JULIE JERMAN-MELKA

into the trash. In this simple project, I’ll show you how to recycle the broken shards and make a simple brooch, perhaps reminding you of one of those special times with friends and family. Instead of using a commercial finding for this piece, I decided to make my own pin mechanism. It’s easy to execute and gives the piece a simple, handcrafted elegance with an extra personal touch.

S K I L L S yo u n e e d

•

soldering

•

bezel stone setting

M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d M a teri a l s Pottery shard 22-gauge sterling sheet: 2" x 1 1/2" 22-gauge brass sheet: 2" x 1 1/4" 28-gauge sterling bezel wire: 5mm height x 6" 20-gauge round sterling wire: 6"

18-gauge round nickel wire: 4"

330 epoxy Liver of sulfur

One 7mm half-drilled button pearl

Ammonia

#65 Drill bit

T oo l s

Hard and medium solder

Soldering tools: torch, solder pick, Solderite pad 6" x 6", pickle pot with pickle, copper tongs, cross locking tweezers

Texture to roller print (texture paper)

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

Hand tools: metal shears, wire cutter, saw frame, saw blades, beeswax or Bur Life, bench pin, 6" half round file, needle files, 2 1/2" bent steel burnisher Other tools: rolling mill, buffing machine, dust mask, safety eyewear, Sharpie, Fabulustre or buffing compound, 4" muslin buff, flex shaft

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 1} Select pottery shard. ➤ The shard I’ve chosen is 3/4" x 1 1/4", so all of my measurements are based on using a piece of pottery about this size.

{Photo 2} Cut a 1 1/4" x 1" piece of 22ga sterling sheet. Anneal and pickle. Rinse in water and dry completely. Cut a piece of 22ga brass sheet slightly larger than the silver sheet. Do not anneal.

{Photo 3} Cut a piece of rice paper to 1 1/2" x 1 1/4". Sandwich rice paper between silver and brass sheet and pass through the rolling mill under pressure to roller print. ➤ Your silver sheet will distort and elongate with this process.

{Photo 4} Make bezel for pottery shard using flat nose pliers. Solder bezel together using hard. Pickle bezel until clean. File any excess solder on seam. Rub bezel on sandpaper to clean bottom edge.

My original sketch for the piece {Photo 5} Place shard on rollerprinted silver sheet. Trace outside edge of shard with Sharpie pen to create an interesting shape for your brooch. Mark on metal sheet will be slightly larger than shard. Saw along Sharpie line and then fine-sand edge.

Tips on Supplies n

If you don’t have a rolling mill, you can purchase embossed metal sheets from Metalliferous: www. metalliferous.com, 888-944-0909, or David H. Fell: www.dhfco.com, 800-822-1996.

I prefer using Fabulustre buffing compound because it gives me a lustrous finish and I don’t need to prefinish. It contains a cutting and a polishing compound in one bar.

Texture paper is handmade paper and can be found at art supply stores. Look for paper that contains elements embedded in the paper, which will give your piece a more interesting texture.

{Photo 6} Place bezel on sheet making sure there are no gaps between them. Solder bezel to roller printed sheet using chips of medium solder. ➤ If there is a gap, rub bezel on sandpaper again to true up edge before soldering bezel to sheet.

{Photo 7} Decide where you want the pearl. Center punch a divot in metal and drill a hole using #65 drill bit. Insert a 1 /2" length of 20ga round wire through hole, extending it 1/8" out of back of brooch. Solder wire from back of brooch with medium. Cut, file, and sand excess wire until flush with back.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

12 ➤ This is also a good time to stamp the back of the piece with a sterling stamp and your personal maker’s stamp if you have one.

{Photo 10} Curl wire for pin stem with round nose pliers twice to create tension for mechanism. End of pin should extend slightly beyond catch. Snip end if too long, then file, sand, and polish.

{Photo 8} Use 4" of 20ga round nickel wire for pin mechanism. Bend wire in half and solder ends to back of brooch with medium solder. Pickle and sand any excess solder. ➤ Make sure you locate the mechanism above the central axis so the pin will sit properly when worn.

{Photo 11} Set shard in bezel and check height: bezel should just barely extend above shard. File bezel down if too high. Push walls of bezel over shard using bent steel burnisher. ➤ I use a triangle file to file the bezel corners. This creates a V shape, so the metal will not fold over itself during setting.

{Photo 9} Snip wire for catch at 3/16" and bend over.

{Photo 12} Polish brooch on buffing

Setting Tips

{Photo 13} Dip brooch in solution and rinse in cold water. Repeat until you achieve desired patina color, then let air dry. Polish lightly to bring contrast to piece.

{Photo 14} Adjust height of stem for pearl by cutting and filing until pearl sits flush with silver sheet. Mix equal parts of 330 epoxy on small piece of paper with toothpick. Put small amount of epoxy on stem for pearl and place pearl on stem. Allow epoxy to dry.

JULIE JERMAN-MELKA earned her

Your pottery shard may have an irregular top surface, so you will have to file the bezel to the proper height in order to have a bezel that is visually pleasing.

Place the pottery shard in the bezel and file the bezel to match the edge of the shard, making sure to have the bezel extend beyond the shard.

I start with pushing the bezel over on the side of the corner first, and then proceed around the shard.

machine to desired polish. Clean off buffing compound using weak solution of sudsy ammonia mixed with water and a soft toothbrush. Rinse piece under warm water and dry with soft cloth. Dissolve a pea size piece of liver of sulfur in a cup of warm water.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

M.F.A. from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she lives and works. Her work can be seen in galleries throughout the United States. She also teaches part time at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming. You can see more of her work at www.flyinganvildesigns.com.

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Sweet little treats make a speedy gift

Project by

Sprinkle Earrings

Eleanore Macnish Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: ELEANORE MACNISH

hile doing my resin research I embedded everything I could think of! At an estate sale, I spied some cake decorations in a cabinet and thought, “Hey! I wonder if I could put those sprinkles in resin!” Before I tried it, I didn’t think it would work: I thought the resin would degrade the color coating on the candy, but I was wrong — it worked beautifully! These earrings make great gifts. They take about 20 minutes to make and 15 minutes to cure. They are exceedingly happy, bright, and truly sweet. You’ll need to work on a sunny day, at least if you use the same UV resin I did, as it needs to cure in the sun. If you choose traditional two-part epoxy resin, you can work on a cloudy day, too.

SKILLS YOU NEED

•

soldering

basic fabrication

MATERIAL s AND TOOLS YOU NEED M a teri a l s

EZ solder

TOOLS

20-gauge sterling wire: two 1 3⁄4” lengths

Resin

Soldering: torch, striker, nickels, soldering brick, flux, pickle pot and pickle

Two 15mm sterling bezel cups Candy sprinkles of your choice Silver, copper, gold, or palladium metal leaf White craft glue

Ammonia, water, and liquid dish soap solution Oxidizer or liver of sulfur Tacky clay Pen

Finishing: chamois buffing wheel, polishing compound, brass brush, soft bristled toothbrush.

Hand tools: wire nippers, flat nosed pliers, file, fine grit sandpaper Other tools: glass drinking cup, butane lighter

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

wire. File ends smooth.

While you’re twisting, make sure you keep the wire straight. Five or 6 rotations are usually sufficient.

Lightly sand back of bezel cups and wire to remove any oils or dirt.

{Photo 5} Apply a very light coat of white

{Photo 1} Cut two 1 3/4” lengths of 20ga

{Photo 2} Lay bezels side by side on soldering block. Place nickel next to each bezel. Lay wire across bezel cup and nickel. ‰ The nickel will support the wire at the same height as the bezel cup and keep it in position while soldering.

{Photo 3} Flux, lightly heat until flux becomes chalky. Lay pallion of EZ solder on each bezel cup, ensuring solder touches wire. Solder. Pickle, rinse, dry. Oxidize. Polish with buffing compound on a chamois wheel or with brass brush. Soak in ammonia solution for a few seconds and scrub with toothbrush. Rinse. Dry.

{Photo 4} With flat nosed pliers, grasp end of each wire and twist a few rotations. ‰ Wire anneals and becomes softer during soldering; twisting the ear wire work hardens it and makes the metal stiff again.

craft glue to interior of bezel cups. Press metal leaf into glue.

‰ If you’re using two-part epoxy, follow the manufacturer’s instructions very carefully with regard to mixing or you’ll end up with a sticky mess that will never harden. I use a one-part epoxy UV resin that comes in a bottle and is ready to go.

{Photo 8} Put earrings (still attached to ‰ The metal leaf will be covered up with the sprinkles, so there is no need to be tidy or exact — wrinkles are okay.

{Photo 6} When glue has dried, remove overhanging metal leaf from bezels. ‰ If you prefer, just polish the interior of the bezel cups instead of adding the metal leaf. Either way, the final outcome is better if the interior of the bezel cups are shiny. Make 2 small balls of tacky clay. Mash balls down into pancakes on a hard surface. Lay earrings down on clay and press. Embed earring backs into clay and level them. Fill leveled bezels with sprinkles until flush with top edge.

{Photo 7} Apply resin. Wait a few seconds to see if air bubbles surface. When bubbles rise, wave flame of lighter close to resin surface to pop them.

8 Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

hard surface with tacky clay) in sunlight. Place drinking glass over them to shield from dust. Leave in sunlight approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Rotate every 5 minutes to allow light exposure to all parts of resin — both the walls of bezel cup and sprinkles will cast shadows. ‰ If you’re using two-part epoxy resin, cure it for 48 hours before bending the ear wires.

{Photo 9} When resin is fully cured, bend wires over pen to create a “U” shape. With flat nosed pliers, bend ends of wires to finish hooks.

9 10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Project by

PVC & SILVER BROOCH

Faux Bone — fantastic plastic for jewelry work

aux Bone™ is a new material for artists that is easy to use, affordable, and nontoxic. In this project, I used Faux Bone with sterling silver, pearls, and a Chinese carnelian bead. Owing to its basic indestructibility, all riveting, drilling, stamping, electric etching, and hammering can be done without fear of chipping or cracking — and without the use of heat or special treatment. This material can be left pure white, or pigment can be rubbed into stampings or scratchings and finished with a bit of shoe polish for a bonelike look and feel. Faux Bone invites experimentation and play — its possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

ROBERT DANCIK Project Photos: JIM LAWSON

skills you need

• fabrication

• drilling

• riveting

materials and tools you need M A T E R I AL S

TOOLS

O ption a l

Faux Bone

Jeweler’s saw; #1 and #2/0 blades

Electric etcher

22-gauge sterling sheet approximately 1” x 2 1 ⁄2” (textured or not) 13-15” 18-gauge round sterling silver wire Freshwater pearls (or other beads, pearls, stones, etc.) 6mm round bead (or similar) Acrylic paint or similar Brown (or other color) shoe polish

Bench pin

Triangular scraper Checkering file

Drill; bits size 1⁄4”, and #’s 54 and 60

⁄8” drill bit

Countersink bit

Files; medium and fine Silicon carbide sandpaper; grits 320, 400, 600 Scribe Torch (small crème brûlée torch is fine)

Masking tape or similar Cyanoacrylate glue

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 1} Draw a 21/4” x 11/2” oval on sheet of Faux Bone.

down, and 3/8” to the right of the oval centerline — with silver on the left.

{Photo 2} Using jeweler’s saw with #1

{Photo 4} Use countersink in drilled hole

blade, cut out oval. File edges and sand with 320-grit sandpaper. Sand two flat sides and edges with 400-grit sandpaper.

to widen top. Bevel should not go deeper than about 1/6”.

vise vertically with edge of oval facing up. Locate drill bit on edge, in line with guideline passing over bead hole. Drill slowly through edge into bead hole and across into other side of bead hole, keeping drill turning as you retract it.

{Photo 5} Draw line on face of oval

{Photo 6} Countersink or use 1/8” drill bit

{Photo 3} Measure, mark, and drill bead

perpendicular to centerline, which passes through center of bead hole. Place oval in

to make slight well so ball on end of wire will seat into edge of oval.

hole with a 1/4” drill bit. My bead hole is 7/8”

Better Pin Stems

To make a nice, sharp point on the pin stem, file a shallow “V” groove into one leg of the bench pin or into a block of wood. The groove should start perpendicular to the edge of the block and be as deep as the thickness of the wire, tapering away from the edge. The groove should taper to flush with the block surface about 1” in from the edge. If the flattened end of the finished pin stem wire is too wide to fit in its hole, file a bit from each edge of the flat end so that it can just be forced into the hole. It is very important to keep it flat to prevent it from spinning in the hole.

To use the groove, place the wire in it with the end almost at the shallow end of the groove. Using a medium file, position it over the wire and flush with the surface of the wood. File the end of the wire as you turn it — taking off a bit of the end of the wire all the way around. Bring it to a point. When filed evenly, progress through the sanding grits to 600 and polish on a buff with compound, or by hand with a buffing stick to prevent the pin stem from snagging on the fibers of clothing.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

10 {Photo 7} Hold bead so hole is in line with wire hole. Insert wire through side of oval, through bead, and into other side of hole. Measure trim amount for ball to seat in well, retract wire, and trim accordingly. Set bead and wire aside. Hammer texture into silver, if desired. Anneal if needed. Quench, pickle, and dry.

{Photo 8} Place silver with texture side up. Position oval on silver sheet so long, square edge of oval lies next to long side of silver. Trace outside edge of oval onto sheet. Remove oval. Draw second line parallel to first at about 1/4” inside. Draw any design in space between lines — I used a saw-tooth for this piece. Saw out shape, file and sand edges of silver, progressing through to 600-grit sandpaper.

Position strip on face of oval and secure with tape. Mark silver strip with locations of rivets. Remove strip and drill holes with #60 drill bit. Replace strip on face of oval. Tape into position.

{Photo 8} Using drilled hole in strip as guide, drill one hole through Faux Bone. Insert 18ga wire into hole to secure. Repeat for next rivet hole and remaining holes. Draw a line along center of edge. Plan and mark pearl placement for 8 pearls on side of oval, ensuring they do not intersect with rivet wires. Remove sterling strip and set aside.

It’s important to plan the placement of the rivets to hold the silver strip and the pins to secure the pearls — so that they don’t intersect. Start by deciding were the rivets will go to hold the silver, keeping in mind that you will need at least 3 rivets — one at each end and one in the middle. You may want to use more for design purposes, but 3 is the minimum.

Cut 18ga wire 2” long for pin stem. With hammer, flatten one end to about 1/4”. File tapered point on other end. With round nosed pliers, grasp wire 1/4” above flattened end and wrap long end around pliers tip 1/4 turns. Wire should point at 90° angle to flattened end. Set aside.

{Photo 9} Place oval in vise. Drill holes into edge for pearls about 1/4” deep, keeping bit perpendicular to edge. Make a well to seat pearls in top of each drilled hole. On back of oval, create wells where rivet wires exit.

Riveting tips n

Cut 8 lengths of 18ga wire, each 3/4” long. Ball one end of each wire with torch by holding each wire vertically at the top end in crosslock tweezers. Dip end to be balled into paste flux. Heat wire about 1/8” above bottom end with torch. Flame should be small and pulled away as soon as metal begins to ball up wire. Quench, pickle, and brass-brush wires. Set aside.

Cut 18ga wire to 3/4” for catch. With hammer, flatten one end to about 1/4”. Grasp nonflattened end and twist to form a number 9 shape. Offset end of wire until it looks like beginning of a spiral.

{Photo 10} Measure on back of oval 1/4” n

When positioning the silver strip on the oval for riveting, it is important to drill only one hole at a time and insert the wires before drilling the next hole, because positioning the parts is nearly impossible unless the wires are inserted one at a time.

to 1/2” from each end to position pin stem and catch. Use #54 drill to drill hole at each mark. Holes should be 1/8”- 3/32” deep. Insert flat end of pin stem into hole near top of piece, filing edges as needed for fit. Dip flat end into glue and insert into hole with pin stem lined up with centerline of the oval. Repeat for catch.

{Photo 11} Texture oval, coloring as desired. Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Alternate Designs

12 {Photo 12} Position strip on oval by lining up rivet holes. Insert all wires into their holes; secure with tape. Trim protruding wire to about 1mm above surface on back of oval. Square end of wire with file. Rivet in place with round faced hammer. Rivet will fill countersunk well. Repeat with remaining rivet wires.

The versatility and ease of using Faux Bone allows for many design possibilities

13 sunk wells. Squeeze out a small bead of glue. Retract each wire, dip end into glue, and reinsert wire into oval.

{Photo 13} Thread balled wires into each

Using tip of craft knife blade or thin wire, place small amount of glue inside hole for bead wire. Insert wire through edge of oval, through bead, and into glue of inside hole. Tap balled end of wire to seat into well in edge of oval.

pearl. Insert into pearl holes, trimming as needed. Pearls should seat into counter-

Give piece final buffing.

ROBERT DANCIK has been an artist/ teacher for over 30 years. He presently teaches and exhibits his jewelry and sculpture in the U.S., Europe, the UK, and Australia, and is the originator of Faux Bone™. He lives and works in Connecticut and can be reached through his Web sites: www.robertdancik.com and www.fauxbone.com, which also offer a complete set of instructions and potential sheets for Faux Bone.

Fabrication Tips n

I usually cut a smaller piece of Faux Bone from the larger sheet for ease of handling.

One way of creating an oval is to use a bracelet (usually about 21⁄2” in diameter) or something similar as a template to trace the two sides of the oval. Draw a line 21⁄4” long and place the bracelet atop the line; slide it until the inside edge of the bracelet intersects the ends of the line. Trace the inside curve of the bracelet and repeat for the other side of the oval.

Any bead or other object can be inserted into the hole in the oval using the same wiring process. The only difference lies in the size of the hole and its location on the oval.

To protect the surface of the oval, you may want to cover it with masking tape to prevent scratches.

Depending on the curve of the oval, it may be easier to sand the outside edge of the silver strip after it is attached to the oval. The silver strip may be pickled and brass-brushed or oxidized in liver of sulfur prior to riveting it to the Faux Bone.

The sandpaper used is for wet sanding — all sanding should be done with lots of water.

If the holes in the pearls or beads or whatever you are using are too small for 18ga wire, it may also be necessary to redrill them with a #60 drill bit. If so, hold the pearls in padded pliers, and use a lubricant such as Bur Life on the bit while drilling.

To ensure that you don’t drill too deeply, wrap a piece of tape at the proper distance from the end of the drill bit and drill just until the tape touches the surface.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Finishing Faux Bone n

There are an almost infinite number of surface treatments for the Faux Bone oval. The project piece is scratched with a scribe, etched with an electric etcher, stamped cold with metal stamps, and has parallel lines made with a checkering file.

To affect a final “polish” on the surface, turn the 600-grit sandpaper over to the paper side and rub vigorously until it takes on a soft sheen. Fine “hairline cracks” and age lines are put in by drawing the sharp edge of a craft-knife blade over the surface with no pressure except for the weight of the knife. These will be further revealed when the piece is rubbed with a bit of brown shoe polish — the last step in the finishing. Allow the polish to set for an hour or so and then rub vigorously with a soft cloth — or buff it with a clean, unsewn muslin wheel on a flex shaft or polishing machine.

If small burrs are raised on the surface of the piece, you may wish to leave them, or sand with 600-grit sandpaper until smooth. To color the piece, rub with acrylic paints, which are allowed to dry, then sand once more to remove as much of the paint as desired.

2100161-CLSF-090117.pdf Processed by DG June 15, 2009

Let us inspire the artist in you! With Jewelry Artist you’ll ﬁnd great jewelry and gem projects in an easy-to-follow format, columns on trends and gems, a showcase of jewelry designs, and a spotlight on a different jewelry artist in every issue.

PLUS you will:

• Discover in-depth explanations on using materials and applying techniques • See innovative designs that stimulate your creativity • Find a new design challenge • Explore the creative secrets from master artisans • Learn about cool tools and add to your store of hip tips Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

Pretend plique-à-jour enamel

PROJECT BY

colorful resin Earrings

Tom & Kay Benham Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: TOM & KAY BENHAM

friend’s new pendant immediately caught our eye. At first glance we thought it was a piece of enamel — but then she explained that she had recently created it in a resin workshop. She had added some glitter to the resin to create the enamel effect. We were so intrigued that we had to give it a try. Working with resin wasn’t as easy as we’d initially thought. We experimented with several resin systems and colorants before deciding on this project, a pair of earrings that give the impression of plique-à-jour enamel (open on both sides), using transparent resin in place of enamel. The resin holds the wire design in place once it cures. The addition of fine glitter creates a stained glass effect with the open back letting the light shine through. Best of all, no kilns necessary!

S K I L L S yo u n e e d

•

fabrication

•

soldering

•

resin

M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d

M a teri a l s 24-gauge sterling silver strip: .020” x .125” 28-gauge fine silver bezel wire: .013” x .125” Sterling silver seamless tubing: .188” OD x .156” ID 18-gauge sterling silver round wire Double-sided carpet tape Five-minute, two-part epoxy

ICE Resin and Hardener (we chose this product because of its ability to produce a glistening dome finish) Assorted colors of fine glitter Renaissance Wax TOOLS Hand tools: assorted pliers; assorted files, jeweler’s gram scale, tube cutting jig; jeweler’s saw and blades, flush cutter, cup bur

Layout tools: pencil, paper

S o u rces :

Finishing tools: beeswax, vibratory tumbler

Tools & Materials: Most of the tools and materials for this project will be available from well stocked jewelry supply vendors.

Other tools: disposable mixing cups, spatula, micro-spatula, eye dropper, wooden toothpicks, acetone

ICE Resin: www.objectsand elements.com

Soldering tools: torch and tips, striker, flux, easy solder, soldering block, quench and pickle

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 4} Use tube cutting jig to cut four

{Photo 8} Mix resin with spatula

.125" lengths of sterling silver tubing.

for two minutes per manufacturer’s recommendation. Because we wanted our earrings to match, we mixed a batch large enough so that we could fill comparable partitions in both earrings in one application.

➤ Two tubing lengths will create the open-

Once we agreed on our design, we used tracing paper to create our pattern.

{Photo 1} Use pattern as a guide. With fingers and assortment of forming pliers, create frames of earrings from lengths of sterling silver strip, similar to forming a bezel. Mark and cut strips, then file ends square.

{Photo 2} Solder outer frames using easy solder. Quench, pickle, rinse. File and sand solder joint smooth.

{Photo 3} Again using fingers and assortment of forming pliers, this time with lengths of fine silver bezel wire, form each partition piece to fit pattern. Take time to adjust and readjust each partition until satisfied that it fits pattern snugly. © Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.

{Photo 9} Add glitter in small amounts {Photo 5} Mix up small batch of fiveminute, two-part epoxy to secure each intersection with outer frame. Apply epoxy to each joint with tip of wooden toothpick, then place assemblies under work lamp to allow a proper cure.

using a micro-spatula. Add glitter in several small batches, rather than adding too much to avoid having to mix up another batch. Mix glitter thoroughly into resin after each addition.

➤ We did not bond the teardrop shapes or the ear wire openings at this time.

{Photo 6} Place a strip of double-sided carpet tape to a sheet of paper, then remove release strip from top side of carpet tape. Carefully press each assembly onto tape to seal bottom of assembly so it won’t leak when liquid resin is poured into each cavity. Press small teardrop shapes and pieces of tubing for ear wires onto carpet tape according to the pattern.

{Photo 7} Carefully weigh equal amounts of resin and hardener with jeweler’s gram scale.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

Tip Success with resin is dependant upon careful measurement. You must be sure the proportions of resin and catalyst are mixed according to the package directions, and that molds, mixing implements, and inclusions are clean, dry, and free of potential contaminants. page

ings for the ear wires; the second set to create 2 teardrop shapes — which we formed with our small needle-nose pliers.

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 10} Using dropper, add each batch of resin in appropriate cavities. Fill cavities only 3/4 full to allow for final doming layer of clear resin. Clean eye dropper with acetone between each resin batch.

temperature for one hour, and then place under work light for 24 hours. Remove from light and allow to cool to room temperature before removing tape from back.

TOM & KAY BENHAM are teachers

➤ Avoid touching the resin surface as {Photo 11} Allow resin to cure at room temperature for one hour according to directions. Place assemblies under work light for 24 hours. Then turn light off and allow resin to cool to room temperature before proceeding.

Before attaching earrings to wires, apply a coat of Renaissance Wax to protect resin surface.

it can acquire fingerprints for several days before it is fully cured. Create ear wires with 20ga sterling silver round wire. Round each end with the cup burr lubricated with beeswax before shaping.

of both metalsmithing and lapidary, are members of The Florida Society of Goldsmiths and The Central Florida Mineral & Gem Society, and have been Contributing Editors for this magazine for 7 years.

{Photo 12} Mix a large enough batch to dome both earrings at same time. Again, with eye dropper, add resin slowly and carefully so it domes up. Don’t allow resin to 2112982-LPJF-090808.pdf by DG Juneresin 5, 2009 flowProcessed over sides. Allow to cure at room

➤ We placed the ear wires into a vibratory tumbler for a couple of hours to work-harden them.

Riveting!

WATCH – LEARN – CREATE! Learn how to create artistic and long-lasting connections PLUS make two distinctive pendants using wire rivets, screw rivets & tube rivets. Combine found objects, metal shapes and frames, and other unique elements in one-of-a-kind designer pendants using one of the strongest cold connections in metalworking: rivets. Jewelry design superstar, Susan Lenart Kazmer gives you step-by-step instructions along with helpful tutorials on the tools you will use to make the pendants. $24.99 Approximately 60 minutes

interweavestore.com

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

C o m b i n e m e t a l c l a y, c l o i s o n n é , e t c h i n g , stone setting, and chain making in one design

PROJECT BY

Multi technique enameled pendant

Cynthia Alderdice & Lois Mansfield Opening Photo: JIM LAWSON Project Photos: AAGPA EDITIONS

ur design, called “Alchemic Synthesis,” combines cloisonné enamel with textured 22K gold sheet, metal clay, the design and creation of custom etching plates, keumboo, and setting faceted and cabochon gemstones. It was created to explore and combine several advanced and specialized jewelry making techniques into a beautiful but challenging piece. First, we’ll create the etching plates, etch them, and create the textured metal clay pendant backing. After firing, we’ll use the “tear away” technique — developed by Celie Fago for metal clay surface design — to transfer the same texture to gold. Our original designs for the etching and tear-away plates were developed on the computer, and we used Adobe Illustrator to create positive and negative images, but you could use any imaging software to do the same thing. The etching plates were used to impress patterns on the PMC base. Additional texture was achieved by traditional roll printing in a mill. Then, we’ll create the cloisonné, fabricate the pendant, and create the handmade chain for the necklace. We like the way the colorful cloisonné enameling enhances the overall design.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

S K I L L S yo u n e e d

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fabrication

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stone setting

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enameling

•

etching

soldering metal clay

M ate r ia ls a n d To o ls yo u n e e d M A T E R I AL S

Fine silver PMC

Styrofoam block

TOOLS

22K gold sheet: .012" to 1/4" high

PMC+ Clay

Duct tape

18-gauge round 22K gold wire

Sculpey III Polymer Clay

Ninomiya enamels

Hand tools: calipers, oval mandrel, round nose pliers, bezel pusher, burnisher

24K gold foil for keumboo

24K gold cloisonné wire

Klyr-Fire

22K gold sheet: .013"

18K gold solder

Liver of sulfur

19-gauge fine silver sheet

14K gold solder

Two 6mm cabochon stones

20-gauge fine silver sheet

Medium silver solder

12-gauge brass sheet: 3" x 5"

Ferric chloride

One 8mm x 10mm faceted stone: about 3 carats

18-gauge round fine silver wire

Mineral spirits, paper towels

Metal clay tools: plastic roller for PMC, Teflon sheet, pin tool, oval template, distilled water in spray bottle, textured etching plates

Other tools: rolling mill, ThermoFax thermal copier, photo silk screen and resist, silk screen plastic frame, computer with imaging software, bookbinding press, 2 pressed wood boards (MDF)

{Photo 1} Plan design using Illustrator

{Photo 2} Create pattern using component

{Photo 3} Enlarge pattern to fit 3” x 5” brass

or other computer drawing program.

parts of design.

etching plates. Print both positive and negative images using laser printer.

Positive plate

Negative plate

Two images for etching For the PMC process, you’ll need both a positive and negative of your final design. Our pendant used these images.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 4} Place printed image under

thermal printed image.

{Photo 8} Mount etching plates to foam

Etching times may vary depending upon the complexity of the design. Check plate every hour. Our plates took 6 hours to etch fully. Rinse plates under running water for several minutes to wash away etchant. Neutralize plates from any lingering etchant in a solution of baking soda and water and dry.

{Photo 6} Transfer peeled image to

block with duct tape and float on surface of ferric chloride etchant solution.

{Photo 9} Remove resist from plates with

presensitized thermal screen, sandwiched between backing paper and transparency film. Run through Thermo-Fax thermal copier.

➤ The image is transferred to the brass plate as the acid resist passes through the silk of the open areas of the mask. You’ll need to create another mask and frame to create a negative image plate by following the same procedure.

{Photo 5} Peel silk screen mask from

screen. Mount screen to plastic frame.

{Photo 7} Apply acid resist to top of frame and squeegee to bottom of frame.

➤ We use 3 parts acid to 2 parts water for our etchant recipe, but follow the specific directions for your chosen brand. Reminder: always add acid to water, not water to acid.

How Silkscreen Works Silkscreen printing is used to transfer an image to a sheet of paper, cloth, posterboard, or other materials — in this case a brass plate — by way of a cut stencil that is adhered to a piece of evenly woven silk that has been stretched in a frame.

Negative plate prior to etching

mineral spirits and paper towels. Rinse and dry. On backs of plates, indicate direction of top of design and negative (N) or positive (P) with Sharpie.

The uncut areas of the stencil prevent ink from passing through the screen, and the open areas of the stencil allow the ink to pass through the screen onto whatever surface lies below the frame.

Positive plate prior to etching

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 10} Oil etching plates and all tools

{Photo 18} Dry at least 24 hours. Sand

for PMC +.

and refine edges. Fire in kiln for 2 hours at 1650º.

(Photo 11} Roll PMC to desired thickness. Our design is 14 cards thick.

{Photo 12} Sandwich rolled clay between positive and negative plates.

{Photo 13} Position plates in center of 2

{Photo 19} Create a “tear away” texture plate. Anneal 22K gold sheet and then pickle in Sparex acid. Roll print tear-away design onto annealed and pickled 22K gold sheet. Clay paper can be used only once for this procedure.

pressed wood boards.

{Photo 14} Place boards in center of bookbinding press to achieve even pressure. ➤ If you don’t have a bookbinding press, you can carefully roll the sandwiched clay and plates between the wood boards after inserting risers of the desired thickness on either side of the plates and clay. A wooden rolling pin will work for this method.

➤ You can roll any texture onto the gold sheet, but if you’d like the patterns to match exactly, the “tear away” technique is the best method for achieving this.

{Photo 20} Saw out design shape. ➤ Use the tracing paper shape from the design as a “view finder” to aid in placement of the pattern on the gold sheet.

fine silver sheet through rolling mill. Saw out design using tracing paper pattern as guide. Clean textured silver with Comet cleanser and toothbrush to remove all grease. Rinse and dry well. Spray 50/50 solution of Klyr-Fire and distilled water on back of piece. Carefully sift Soyer Enamels #3 flux on back. Repeat twice.

{Photo 23} Repeat flux and sift procedure on piece front. Handle carefully and place back side down on mica sheet.

{Photo 24} Dry in front of kiln, then place on ceramic shard on top of kiln to dry further. Fire approximately 1-2 minutes in small enameling kiln. Dip cloisonné wires in Klyr-Fire and place on surface. Fuse small cloisons, fill with selected colors, and fire separately on mica. Arrange these shapes and add additional wires to complete design. Fire again.

{Photo 15} Carefully remove top plate to

{Photo 21} Create design layout with

reveal pressed clay image.

enamel and test color chips.

{Photo 25} Fill cloisons with chosen

{Photo 16} Cut desired pendant shape

{Photo 22} Make drawing and pattern

with pin tool, allowing for clay shrinkage.

for placement of 24K gold cloisonné wire shapes. Form wire shapes according to design. Run textured brass plate and .020

colors. It may be necessary to fill and fire as many as 10 or 11 times. Fill top layers with finishing flux N-1 Ninomiya.

{Photo 17} Peel excess clay from cut shape.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

{Photo 26} Adhere wooden dowel to reverse side of enamel using dop wax. Sand underwater, starting with 220 wet-dry sandpaper and progressing to 1,000 grit.

{Photo 27} Form outer bezel from .013 22K gold 1/4" high joined with 20K gold solder. Solder gold bezel to 19ga fine silver sheet using 14K gold solder. Trim and sand. Solder bezel unit to PMC + base using medium silver solder. Bezel for stone is .013 22K gold sheet 1/4" high. Solder stone setting to fine silver base with 14K gold solder. Line up carefully to center of piece and solder unit using medium silver solder. Solder textured gold to 20ga fine silver base with 14K gold solder for strength. Inner bezels (which are different heights) to accommodate enamel piece and 22K gold textured element must butt together evenly. Set enamel and gold unit using bezel roller and burnisher. Set stone in same manner.

{Photo 28} Anneal fine silver wire. Insert one end of 18ga round wire in vise, the other around 7/8" wooden dowel. Wind wire tightly and keep even tension. Remove from dowel and anneal. Place back on dowel and tighten.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects

36 {Photo 29} Cut links using Joyce Chen scissors. â&#x17E;¤ As visible in the final piece, 18ga 22K gold and fine silver links may be interspersed throughout the chain.

{Photo 30} Fuse links on ceramic or charcoal block. Cool. {Photo 31} Spread link with round nose pliers. {Photo 32} Form bow-tie shape.

{Photo 33} Bend links in U shape. {Photo 34} Place 3/32" dowel upright in vise. Slip one link over dowel. Joint should be on small looped end. Place 3 /32" dowel perpendicular to other dowel. Pinch link between 2 dowels vertically and horizontally with round nose pliers.

{Photo 35} Open each link as shown and planish each link from inside surface on polished steel block. Anneal and reshape.

{Photo 36} Spread link to enable next link to go through. Continue until chain is desired length. Anneal and repinch with pliers. Adjust and realign each link. Attach chain to back of pendant.

ALDERDICE & MANSFIELD are collaborating art jewelers who design and fabricate classical and cross-cultural one of a kind and limited edition pieces in 22K and 24K gold, fine silver, gemstones, pearls, and enamels. They are inspired by world culture and their classical education at the Kulicke-Stark Academy of Jewelry is reflected in their work.

Best of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, Volume 4

10 Mixed Media Jewelry Projects