Textured Metal

As promised in my last post, I'd like to share some of my recent textured metal. First, some copper sheet I cut with metal shears, filed, embossed, and sanded to bring out the designs. The Art Deco pendant has a rolled bail to slip onto deerskin lace. The sand dollar charms will be used in an earring design.

Remember the park shelter verdigris designs in my last post? Here's a reminder.

I had fun embossing and painting these pendants, but I learned an important lesson while doing so. After cutting the green shape out of brass sheet, I pounded it with my rubber hammer to flatten it before running it through my BIGkick to emboss it. Guess it wasn't flat enough, since the very center part of the pendant didn't take the embossing. After painting and reliefing, it looked like crap! What to do to about that blank center area? I finally decided to rivet a brass flower there. Kinda cool-looking, I think. Pretty pleased. I made sure that the pendant on the right, cut from aluminum sheet, was perfectly flat. The embossing, painting, and reliefing worked perfectly. Yep, those metal pieces have to be flat, baby!

Sometimes it is refreshing to just make components rather than finished jewelry. I really have to be in the right creative mood to make jewelry, whereas making components is more like just experimenting and playing.

My next post will hopefully be some finished jewelry.  We'll see if my muse pays a fruitful visit.