New Designs - Enamel Earrings And Copper Bangles

I've been trying out some new designs with my enamel earrings recently by combining a layer of etched copper and a layer of enamel beneath it. The copper layer has pierced out sections which allow the enamel colour to show through as the earrings are worn. I've made just two pairs for now in orange and blue and it's possible the design idea may evolve if I think hard enough about it....... :D

I've also made a few new copper bangle designs partly as a result of a custom order for two bangles in sterling silver. Having copper wire meant I could try out what my customer was asking for using a less expensive metal first until a decision was made.
This inspired me to make a couple of new designs and an improved version of a recent addition to my bangle-ing enterprises.
The first is a hammered copper bangle made from 4mm round wire.

I kept the round shape by hammering the texture before the bangle was soldered {which was quite a lot of hammering!} instead of what I normally do which is to solder the wire then hammer the texture when the bangle is on the bangle mandrel which results in the wire being flattened slightly. The result is a lovely chunky, substantial bangle.

The second new design is a triple set of textured bangles with three rounded square shape rings linking them together.

I also made another loopy bangle this time making sure I had enough wire to form 7 loops instead of the 6 loops I made with the first attempt. The loops are also more upright than the first bangle.
I think it looks like a little copper tiara.......

Having an odd number of loops in the new version means the straight part of the wire is at the same level at either end of the loops rather than at opposite points as it was with the first attempt you can see in the photos here...

I'm very tempted to make a bangle that is almost entirely loops with a small section of straight wire for the join. I think that idea might need a bit of tweaking and the copper wire a lot of annealing but I'm sure it will be do-able!

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Copper and Enamel Earrings

I really love the mix of copper and enamel in jewellery - the colour of the oxidized copper really makes the enamels jump. So continuing my "thing" about circles (it's been going on since I was a child!) I made enamelled discs in various colours and combined them with paddle-shaped copper "sticks."

 I haven't mastered the art of riveting enamelled pieces yet - it IS possible, I've seen other people do it but when I tried the enamel discs cracked. Another option would be to pin the enamelled discs by balling up silver wire on either side. I tried that too and only managed to ruin the enamelled piece. It did stick to the metal I wanted to attach it to but only because the enamel had refired and it would have cracked and fallen off eventually. 

So I stuck to wire wrapping the enamel disc to the metal - less risk of breaking anything!

I made these copper hoops a while ago and left them sitting on my work table until I decided what they would become. They became (......eventually) these wire wrapped hoops with three enamelled discs in turquoise, purple and mint wrapped onto the bottom so they can dangle in a shiny, happy, enamel way :D