Art Jewelry Magazine~ Tin Challenge!

Well, the wait is finally over! 

In March, Art Jewelry Magazine challenged ten subscribers to create at least one piece of jewelry from an assortment of beautiful tins. We had three weeks to design, construct and then send the finished pieces back to AJM to be photographed for the reveal.

It was great fun designing and constructing the three pieces I sent to AJM. The toughest part was choosing from the deliciously colored Harney & Sons tea tins...

I decided to send three pieces to AJM. 

Since tin can't stand the heat of soldering I chose to construct all of my pieces using cold connections.

The first is an adjustable Lemon Swirl ring. It's made using two colors of tin and scrap nickel sheet. It was punched and domed and connected using a mini brass bolt and stainless nut.

The second piece is a Poppy! brooch. This piece was the most fun to make! The stem is cut from a vintage silver plated children's fork. The flower and leaf are punched, domed and cut from tin and reinforced by scrap nickel sheet and connected using a mini stainless nut and bolt which has been filed down to create the tin stem.

The third piece is a Dolci Cuoricini or sweet little heart. The heart is formed using a hydraulic press and is then cut and riveted to a scrap of roller pinter brass sheet. It hangs from gunmetal steel chain and a handmade gunmetal steel hook.

As soon as I receive the pieces back from AJM I'll be listing them in my shop. Until then, I'll be working on similar designs. If you're interested just send me a note!

© re-maker

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Art Jewelry Magazine~ Acrylic Challenge

 Shoo fly!

I was one of the lucky few chosen to participate in

the Art Jewelry Magazine Acrylic Challenge!

I received three small pieces of colored acrylic,

violet, very dark purple and orange.

Although I've been drawn to all things orange lately that piece of acrylic just didn't speak to me. I did love the very dark purple, but it's very dark. I have something in mind, but not for this challenge. So, the violet it was!

Shoo Fly! pendant with chain

I started by etching a housefly on two sheet of stainless steel. While they were doing their thing, I roller printed a swirly pattern into copper sheet. Once the metals were ready and cut to size I "patinated" one of the flies and the swirly copper frame with a blue violet alcohol marker. When the violet acrylic is place on top it gives the fly an almost holographic effect. It's pretty cool.

Shoo fly! pendant back

I cut a larger back plate from stainless, cut a window for the fly on the back and engraved "shoo fly" under the window.

I'm not a photographer and this was a particularly tough piece to photograph. In real life, the back of the piece does not have a copper glow, just copper rivets.

Riveting everything together was a little challenging. Stainless is tough on #58 bits. On the last rivet the bit broke inside the "sandwich" of metals and acrylic. Honestly!?

I finished the piece up by making the jump rings, bail and clasp using steel and copper wire.

It enjoyed working with the acrylic. It has a buttery texture. I love that it's a solid color, but it's transparent. Cool.

My next acrylic project is a ring for my son using the very dark purple. I'll keep you posted!

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