This mixed metal piece is made from silver, copper, and goldstone. The color on the border is from an application of colored pencils to the unfurnished silver. Instructions for making this piece, or a similar one, appear below.I used a fine silver bezel cup for the stone. Fine silver bezel cups will fire with silver clay with no issues. Extrude a long ‘rope’ of silver clay, a little longer than twice the distance around the cup. Hold up by the middle. Twist the two ends around themselves to from a twisted pattern. Wrap the bezel in this. I added a bit of decorative syringe work, just to make it a bit more intricate.Roll the silver clay 0.75 mm thick. Cut out a window (I used a ‘puffy square’ template). Cut out the same shape on a larger scale. Fire, but do not brush or burnish. Be sure to leave a hole for a bail (if you intend to use a pinch bail, as I did). Otherwise, you can simply make one as a part of the piece.Using colored pencils on the unbrushed silver (caveat: once brushed, colored pencils will not take) make a blue mark in the center. I chose to only go three quarters of the way around. This was a choice. One could obviously go more or less of the way around the border.I used several shades of green to go to the edge. Multiple shades make the piece more visually interesting.To eliminate the harsh edges of the colored pencil, wad up a paper towel and rub the colors vigorously. They will blend and smooth nicely. After this is done, using an agate burnisher, burnish the parts that have not been colored (if any). Spray with the fixative that artists generally use on colored pencil. Be sure to hold your breath while spraying — that stuff is vile!I patinaed a piece of 24 gauge copper with used cat litter. Yes, it sounds gross, but, once it is done, you can wash it and there is no trace of smell and you get a nice color. I cut out the copper to match the back of the piece. It is important to saw the copper — if shears are used, the patina will pell off. The corner is missing because of the shape of the copper sheet I had. Since it will be hidden, it does not matter.A snapped a goldstone cabachon into the bezel. The stone should stay in the bezel by friction, especially if you bend the bezel edge over the stone a bit. If it does not, two part epoxy can be used. I used two part epoxy to attach the bezel to the copper, and then the copper to the frame. Solder would not work, because one would lose the patina. Once two-part epoxy is thoroughly dry, it will stand up to normal wear. Attach a pinch bail. The piece is complete!
Swamp Ape Studios 