Enameling additions to The Silver Swann

Been a little while since I've blogged!  I've been busy taking some classes with the Patuxent Lapidary Guild - wish I had more money and time to take everything I want to take NOW!

 

A more permanent expansion of The Silver Swann is the addition of ENAMEL!  I've quickly fallen in loooove.  For those who don't know what enamel is, it is glass that has been melted and fused to metal.  It works perfectly with my designs and gives me a great opportunity to diversify my pieces and accomplish things I couldn't do with torch or patina finishes.  PLUS enamel colors are predictable/consistent.  As of right now I'm working with opaque colors on copper, but I am ordering transparent colors for my silver pieces.

 

 

Above I am working on earring sets with different copper cups.

 

 

 

The next two are colored pendants with several colors overlaid.

 

 

In-progress pictures of creating colored chevron necklaces.

 

 

A kiln I got to use at the guild that's around 200 years old!

 

I created pieces with PMC which will be for sale once I make the chains.   They will be a limited line as I do not have resources to reasonably create pieces at this time consistently.  Hopefully in the future I will be able to expand more permanently.