Copper and heat ( and a pheasant!?)

[Katia]

Hello,

I have been making a bit of beaded jewellery for the last year, but these past few days I started to experiment with copper.
I made this pendant. I need to buy needle files and saw a lot more of course! But I am quite happy with the results I got for the colours.( I used a butane torch )
I have been reading quite a lot about the best way to preserve the colours given by heat on copper and it looks like Renaissance wax is the way to go! Mine has just arrived. Woo-hoo! Quite curious to see how the colors will evolve.
The heart is 1/2 an inch high and 3/4 wide.

Here is also a picture of my latest engraving, which is almost finished. I think the height of the pheasant is 3 to 3.5 cm high but I should check again.

[caroleallen]

Wow Katia, your engraving is amazing!

[Goldsmith]

Great engraving, can we see more?

[ps_bond]

Hi Katia - long time no see. Good to see you're still doing some jewellery too - but your engraving is, as always, fantastic.

[Dennis]

Superb engraving, but my experience with flame patination of copper is that waxing it caused the colours to disappear. So when I tried that with my leaf below, I had to de-grease it and start again.

Dennis.

[Katia]

Thanks for your kind words about the engraving! If you want to have a look at more of my work, you can check the website that is part of my signature on this forum.
I am trying to upload more pictures here, but it looks like myvtablet just does not want me to do that at the moment? Grr.

Dennis, I have just put some Renaissance wax on the pendant and the colours have not changed! Maybe this is because of the way that I treated the pendant before heating it? I actually left it in vinegar for 3 days and then proceded with the whole thing. I also had added some salt to the solution.( your leaf is absolutely fantastic!)