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Silver - Part One
Enamel A,B,C.
watermanshop
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Silver (Part One)
Add silver to your toolbox.
To do enameling is expensive enough.
The purchase of a kiln, enamel powders and all kind of other stuff is expensive.
These days the prices of copper are high as well.
So, when getting your art piece out of the kiln to discover that you are disappointment by the results, then you lost again some valuable money.
To enamel on pure silver is for a lot of people a bridge to far.
If you are a high advanced enameler, then you can think about silver.
If not, stay with the copper.
However, it is possible to give your copper the touch, looks and feel of silver.
When using a silver-plater you can change your copper in to silver.
Below some examples.
Silver plater
SILVER PLATER
This is liquid containing pure silver.
Apply this liquid with a sponge or towel onto the copper and you will see it change to silver.
With every layer you applies at the copper, the silver layer will be thicker and thicker.
In this way you can make something silver-plated.
Art piece Tulip
Below a pendant with a tulip.
The outline of the tulip, the stem and the leaves are made of copper cloisonne wire of 1,5 mm.
One of the leaves is extended to a ring above.
Then the red granules where just a short moment in the kiln.
Just enough to let them melt a little bit.
You can see the structure.
Now I took a a sponge to apply the silver-plater.
(I took a sponge from my wife, she uses to apply eye shadow)
You can see below the difference.
Copper cloisonne wire tulip
Silver Cloisonne wire tulip
Wolf with fine silver foil.
Below you can see the different stages to work with silver foil.
Here I used a whole sheet to make my wolf.
Ready to wear
Fine Silver Foil
Fine Silver Foil is a very thin leaf of silver.
Usually it has the size of 5 x 5 cm.
For enameling purposes only fine silver foil is suitable.
Silver foil of a lower rate of 99/100 is not good enough.
Pay attention when you purchase silver foil on the thickness of the material.
When you buy silver foil in the general hobby store then it is likely that it is thick enough to use for enameling.
Silver foil in the general hobby store has mostly a weight of 28 grams per 1000 sheet.
Silver foil for enameling has mostly a weight of 250 grams per 1000 sheet.
Apply silver foil
First layer enamel
Apply details
AMSTERDAM
Amsterdam
Fine flat cloisonne wire wit silver foil.
The outline of the roof is made from flat silver cloisonne wire.
The border between the water and houses is made from round silver cloisonne wire.
The windows are made from fine silver foil.
The blue of the window frames is done with blue water color enamel paint.
Ruby Turtle
Ruby Turtle
Turtke with silver foil
For Ruby Turtle I cut out small pieces of fine silver foil.
It was attached to his back and a small light brown transparent grain was imposed on it.
I fixed the grains with a little bit of glue.
Then briefly burned to prevent the grains from spreading too far.
Bracelet
Bracelet with silverfoil, Millifiori and transparent granulas
Above is a demonstration of the possibilities with fine silver foil.
Various colors of transparent enamels have been used here.
The granules come from the range of transparent granules.
The millifiorie are also transparent.
These are cut in half with nippers.
You can see that the transparent enamels come into their own beautifully due to the silver background.
The procedure is the same as with the wolf in the picture earlier in this chapter
Copyright Ton Hermes, Watermanshop.com, info@watermanshop.com