Saturday, January 20, 2018

Metal Work Earrings

Finally replenishing my edgy metal earrings inventory since the holidays! Here are a few pairs.
After annealing the copper (which creates those bright colors) I start with hand cutting free form pieces. 
Then hammer to flatten.
Since the tips can be quite sharp I then trim them. The 2 on the left are untrimmed on the 2 on the right have trimmed corners.
Then I file all the edges so there is no discomfort for the wearer.
Time to punch the holes.
Sometimes the pieces are also hammered for texture. This just depends on my mood.
They are given further texture with steel wool. This also helps remove some of the patina that showed up upon heating the metal. This makes the darkening patina work more effectively.
Then there is some soaking in stinky liver of sulfur.
They come out like this.
I seal the patina with some glossy goodness that protects the metal and the finish as well as giving it a shiny and smooth feel. As you can see it also darkens the finish and helps bring out the bits of copper that show through.
At the end is the most fun part of deciding what to do with each pair and assembling them.

I started trying some different metal stamping ideas this past week so I will soon have some more one of a kind pretties coming up!


Thank you for stopping by! ~Val









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14 comments:

  1. Debra She Who SeeksJanuary 20, 2018 at 9:43 AM

    That's quite an involved process! Nice finished work -- I especially like the set paired with the silver rings and red beads.

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  2. Magic Love CrowJanuary 20, 2018 at 2:42 PM

    So cool Val! I am so happy you showed us the process! You never truly know what goes into making something handmade, until you are shown! Brilliant!! I don't know if I asked you this before, but what about people with allergies? Does the finish on the copper make it ok and your ear wires are all stainless or sterling? Just wondering. Big Hugs!

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    Replies
    1. Miss Val's CreationsJanuary 20, 2018 at 3:46 PM

      Hi Stacy,
      The skin safe sealant I use protects creates a coating on the metal so the allergens are not coming into contact with the skin. It cures into a resin and is actually food safe so it makes me comfortable using. :) People use it to protect copper sinks and pots.

      I only use solid sterling silver 925 earwires. These I sometimes oxidize however I don't seal them. I can seal them with a product called Jewelry Shield comes in what looks like a clear nail polish bottle.

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    2. Magic Love CrowJanuary 22, 2018 at 5:24 PM

      Cool, thanks Val!!!!

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  3. StephanieJanuary 20, 2018 at 5:39 PM

    I just love the earrings, Val! Very pretty and unique. Also, that's quite the process, but I'd say it's definitely worth it since the end result is something quite amazing.

    Hugs to you!

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  4. YeeLen Spirit DesignsJanuary 21, 2018 at 10:47 AM

    Lovely and so unique! I have always enjoy dark patina on copper, but in my process I never could achieved this dark finish.
    It's hard to find jewelry's materials here.:)
    Last summer, I bought some patina to darknen brass and bronze. I loved and find it so cool but unfortunately, they didn't make the trip back with me because, US's authorities threw them away !
    Happy Sunday Val!

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  5. UnknownJanuary 21, 2018 at 5:17 PM

    I never realized what went into the making of these, Val.
    It really is quite a process, but the result is so wonderfully unique.
    Thank you for sharing, and have a great week ahead!

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  6. AntiquityTravelersJanuary 21, 2018 at 5:26 PM

    Thanks for the tutorial! I loved seeing how you work the metal in these

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  7. UnknownJanuary 22, 2018 at 10:32 AM

    Thanks for sharing, Val, seems like a lot of work & fun creating these.

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  8. Cinnamon JewelleryJanuary 23, 2018 at 4:29 AM

    They look great Val! The pair with the red bead is lovely.

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  9. Handmade in IsraelJanuary 23, 2018 at 10:02 AM

    You are certainly having fun with these! They look great.

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  10. A Very Sweet BlogJanuary 26, 2018 at 12:14 PM

    I love metal stamping! That should be fun Val. The possibilities are endless. I love that you try new materials and things. Keep up the great work.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  11. Lowcarb team memberJanuary 26, 2018 at 3:23 PM

    Thanks so much for showing the process, I enjoyed looking at and reading your post.
    They do look great.

    All the best Jan

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  12. ChelseyJanuary 28, 2018 at 5:14 PM

    This is cool. Very creative! I’ve never tried any craft like this before.

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Thank you for stopping by! I love reading visitor comments! ~Val

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