Natural verdigris patina

I read about a natural way to patina copper. I foldformed the copper, cut squares and then applied the patina solution: I used vinegar and salt! Easy as pie. It takes a day or so but it looks great and no chemicals. Voila!

 

Another project. Foldforming

Foldforming is a technique whereby you fold the metal and then open it and hammer one side to flare the metal. Not very practical but fun nevertheless! This is copper and the patina is created by heating the metal with a torch.

 

 

Happy Valentine's day!

This is what I woke up to yesterday..... How great!

 

Lost wax silver ring experiment

In my Thursday evening metal smithing class at nanopod: hybrid studio, I learned how to carve a ring out of wax and then have it cast. Here is my first experiment, a pretty sterling silver ring. Fun!

 

Something different

I have been wanting to make this type of bracelet but wanted to test it in copper first. Not bad for a prototype! The patina on the inside turned out so colourful.

 

 

Taiwan

I have been invited to come to Taiwan as part of a business trip! How exciting is that.... I am going the last week of March. I am very curious how different from Japan or Korea it is. What I loved in those countries were the buddhist temples. It looks like they are also prevalent in Taiwai. Here is a small corner one.

I also found a whole city section in Taipei I will visit: BEAD SHOPS!

 

 

Evening Haliburton

Same day, but beautiful evening!

 

Winter in Haliburton

We are in Haliburton for a weekend. It is cold and snowy but it makes for a beatiful view of the lake. You can barely see it!

 

More winter pictures

We went to the Niagara icewine festival this weekend. The Falls are so beautiful in the winter. With less tourists there the nature aspect seems to be more obvious.

 

Happy 2014

Happy new year everyone. May 2014 be a great and healthy year!

 

Winter Holidays, 2013

A time to remember, now that the power is back on! It is very pretty, all this ice.

 

A happy, albeit cold, Christmas!

Enjoy the holidays everyone! I do hope for power....:)

 

Making due

With no power for over 24 hours now, we are trying to make due and even enjoy this, if that is possible! Candle light, a fire, and reading by a flashlight, my new book about setting gemstones. Hmmmm, not bad!

 

The weather outside is frightful!

What a storm! Fortunately we have power and the fallen trees didn't do any damage, other than to making me very tired after cleaning it up! Zoe managed to skate in the driveway....

 

 

Let it snow!

So pretty, all is calm ( well, not really, but I want to think so!) and all is white. It will be along time before we sit outside in the sun in those red chairs...... It appears so peaceful and the snow seems to absorb all the sounds. This is the good part about winter:)