www.hauserandmiller.com/fab/bezel.html

Although I prefer to set my cloisonne jewelry with 2.5 mm high 22k gold bezel with a thickness of 26ga and this is not on their chart, but they will supply it for you. When I am working in silver I will use the same sizes of wire for my settings just in Fine Silver.

Lower on the page is their stock sizes of cloison wire. The two marked with the * are stock, readily available. The .005 x.040 is the taller wire and the .008. x .032 is the shorter in height cloisonne wire. I keep on hand 22ga 24k gold wire as some times I need to pull it down then roll out myself when creating a very thin cloisonne jewelry piece such as the back of these earrings.

The total thickness of the earrings is 1.5 mm. with a 24 ga fine silver disc in the center there is not much room for my cloisonne wires. The cloisonne wires might be 1/8 of a mm here.

On the front of the same earrings, 

And you can see on the front the wires are thicker and a bit higher. You can really customize the wires to your need.

When Andre 3000 from OutKast order the Mandrill Cloisonne Pendant, he wanted thicker cloison wires in the jewel. Here I cut the wires from fine silver sheet to achieve the look he was after.

I like to begin the setting with a finished piece of enamel that has a good girdle all around the edge as in a faceted stone. I believe it cuts down on the cracking during setting. If the enamel comes down and meets the fine silver or copper base plate at a sharp edge it is likely to crack.  Thin enamel and soft metal after many firings, and you start applying pressure, you can imagine how easy it is to crack.

This piece is domed and you do not see the underside of enamel.

Tuff Break is a rubber product I purchase from Fred Woell. You can find his contact info in Resources.  I like to place it under my enamel jewels. It adds  protection to the counter enamel as well as the top of the enamel jewel, by giving the enamel piece a cushion which helps me avoid cracking the piece during this process. When I roll down the very top edge of the fine silver bezel the enamel jewel drops just a hair  as I push down on the jewel, allowing me to avoid pressure right on the enamel surface. It also takes care of that tinny sound of the enamel against the back metal once the piece is complete.

After placing the rubber backing and the enamel jewel in the setting, it is time to close the bezel. Choosing a sterling silver base in this case I am using fine silver bezel wire 2.5 mm high and 26 ga thick. As a matter of choice I do not like to sand the bezel thin at the top. Leaving this edge as is allows me to remove the jewel if I ever need to. And with this thick bezel there is plenty of metal  to sand out any dings.

My favorite burnisher is a wooden clothespin. As you can see here it sits flat on the table and parallel to my bezel wall.

With a snug fit between the enamel jewel and the wall of the bezel all that is needed here is a little tightening.

Applying pressure parallel to the girdle,

Working my way all the way around with light pressure.

And lastly  just turning down the very top edge of the bezel with the clothespin.

In some cases you can also dome a piece of metal and use less counter enamel as in a bead. But if you plan to put a thick layer of enamel on the front of the metal you then need more counter to avoid cracking.

Another reason enamels crack is if you use a hard firing enamel next to a low firing enamel. Hard firing enamels take longer to fire, and low firing enamels take less time to fire. Great reason the make test plates and see when each enamel melts first when they are all fired at the same time on the same plate. You can see on my test plate dot #4 is still grainy while the others are smooth. So #4 is a harder firing enamel and if placed next to #5 and you fired it long enough that both enamels were smooth in time the jewel will crack.

Cracking takes place in leaded enamels as well as unleaded enamels. Unleaded enamels are harder firing enamels than leaded enamels so if you combine them on the same jewel you can experience cracking. If you need to use them together use the unleaded first then layers of leaded to avoid cracking.

A material they carry is called Wet Felt and  comes in a 36″ x 36″ roll. This felt material can be cut in sections and shaped to your desired form. At this point you can let it air dry, or oven dry at 350 degrees until the form is hardened about 4 hours. It is still too rough to apply enamels on but if you layer on their fiber coat, as many times as it takes to create a even surface, then you can sand it to get a very nice smooth surface. Apply kiln wash and after all is dry, place plique a jour form on the felt form and enamel away!

I believe the materials are most helpful in creating larger forms such as vessels.

Be sure to wear protection mask while sanding. And one draw back I found is that he shelf life of the fiber coat is short. So make yourself a note to shake it up often and when mine got too thick I added water.

Fusion Headquarters does not have the Fiber Coat on their site due to the short shelf life = 6 months, and the expense. If you call they will have it for you in a couple of days.

I have enjoy mine when it is just too hot in the summers and I am working on a small project. It can be handy  to do test plates when I am in the development of a enamel or cloisonne jewel.

Here I have a piece of mica to use as a plate to sit my jewel on. And the flat nose pliers make it easy to place the jewel in the kiln and take the hot enamel jewel out. If you use a new sheet of mica you need heat it alone in the kiln a couple of times to break it in. If not it pops and your unfired enamels will not be in the place you originally placed them.

Here is another trivet you can use and still have enough clearance to close the top and not touch the enamel jewel. With my flat nose pliers I can retrieve the trivet without touching the enamel jewel.Here is the size of the little trivet.

The kiln is available at  Rio Grande Tools www.riogrande.com/Product/Ultralite-Kiln-for-Granulation-or-PMC/703016?pos=1

Here are a couple of trivets I have made when nothing else worked.

High Temperature Wire Clay King in Resources.

Stainless Steel

Patsy Croft

First start with a hard firing flux. Flux is the base coat, it is like a primer used in painting.  It keeps the enamel away from the metal, as many are not compatible  with the metals we use to enamel on. The hardest leaded enamel for silver is Bovano’s #3. For Gold it is #2 And for copper is # 1

Bovano flux #3 also has a blue base tint that does not turn yellow. I have noticed in some manufactures flux for silver, if accidentally fired too high will turn yellow. With a hard fire enamel flux the warm colors are less likely to come in contact with the base of fine silver, gold, copper or sterling silver. When you are firing too long or too high the base gets hot = the fine silver and holds the heat. Then the flux gets liquid and the color layer you are firing mingles with the flux coat and eventually comes in contact with the fine silver =  a phlegmy looking yellowy brown= burnt enamels. So if you fire a bit lower temp, the flux will not get  liquid as you only need to melt the top layer of color. Your color enamels are  lower firing enamels =melts faster than your flux. So you need to choose the temperature and firing time just enough to melt the last layer you have applied.

In the technique, you will also know you are over firing, if your enamels are climbing up the walls of your cloison wires. And think about that. If your enamel is climbing up the wires that means you have less flux at the base. So now your warm color is closer to touching the fine silver and burning.

I only want to fire my warm colors a couple of times. With too many firings they burn out and get dull.  To help with this I  use the flux in the cells of the warm colors each time I fill the cells of my cool colors until it is at my last several layers. Also just in case I crack the piece in setting or it was dropped or damaged in the future I will have the opportunity to re-fire the jewel without my colors burning out.

There are some warm colors that have ash or blue bases and will not burn as easily.

If you do test plates you can see this, such as Ninomiya H24 and N26, yellows with ash bases. Oranges also, look at the test and you can see it has an ash base, like Ninomiya N21. It is not as bright of an orange but if you put N24 first then the N21 this brightens your orange and you will not have to worry about burning.

You really have to do the test plates and analyze the colors. On my pink color plate with 14 colors I can see some have a yellow base and some have a blue base. Use the blue base first then the yellow base one to get a brighter color, in the same color family. Do color plates and use all your warm colors, one of all reds and one of all yellows, and fire several times to see which of the reds and which of the yellows burn first. Then you really know which can handle more firings. It takes time but when it is all over you will be very confident of the end result.

thank you,
Wendy Edwards

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for visiting and I am happy to try to help. I can not recommend one book for this but I can say for me it took time. I was a Fine Arts Major in school and only used pin and ink. My love was drawing. When I first saw cloisonne I was hooked forever and begin a quest to learn colors.
I photographed everything that was of interest to me. When diving, hiking, walking, always carrying a camera. With these photo I made albums to use as resources. I would take a month or so at a time and draw and paint till I got the impact I needed in my art. It takes time to look and see the colors.There is more than one or two whites in a white flower petal. In my opinion it makes the jewel much more interesting to use one than a couple of colors in the same family when shading.

The Huma Huma on the front of the site has 29 colors from blue to green.

My color plate of pinks has at least 14 colors on it. Now I know this is way too much for many artist but if I lay these half of these colors next to each other I can create a beautiful image.

If you shade in this manner = laying colors of enamel next to each other in the same or similar color family, each time you lay in a layer of enamel you need to shift to the left or right to avoid a line from being created. I like to work from dark to light. This way after a couple of layers of enamel are laid in and fired I drop out the darkest color of enamel, say it was on the right of my design, then shift all my colors of enamel to the right,I can get a very even and beautiful gradation of color!

A book of watercolors I used is “Light Up Your Watercolors” by Linda Stevens Moyer. She has a couple of exercises you can try, and she uses her warm colors to bring the information forward. Also try “Colored Pencil Fast Techniques” by Bet Borgenson. She teaches Juxtaposing Color which is great for color impact. You can use her exercises in watercolors as well.

Happy Enameling! Patsy

Cloisonne (pronounced cloy-zon-ay, French for ”partition”) is an ancient metalwork technique that makes use of small, precious metal filaments and colorful glass enamels to create brilliant artwork. The metal wires are bent into shapes to create small cells, (partitions) of designs, and many coats of finely ground glass enamel are fired into them until one unique piece of art is rendered. Cloisonne is most commonly used in jewelry making, though illustrations of the craft can be found in many facets of the art world, including the production of hand-made dishes, vases and abstract pottery.

Though the art form’s origins are most likely Middle Eastern, Chinese Cloisonne is the most renowned and permeated throughout the world. Cloisonne’s popularity spread quickly throughout Asia and Europe, and examples of the art can be seen in Byzantine

mosaics, inside Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and in prized Russian Czarist jewelry. The most notable quality in Cloisonne is the art master’s exceptional attention to detail in creating unique designs from the pure silver base and 24 karat gold filaments. Every design is handcrafted, which guarantees a matchless piece of art each time. Custom designs are often painted on paper with watercolors prior to beginning the process in order to estimate the appearance of the final product.

After the original artwork is decided upon, the metal ribbon like strands of 24 karat gold wire are individually bent, twisted and oftentimes soldered together to produce a blueprint for where the colored enamels will later be painted.

This design is attached to a base of pure silver by firing it with a clear coat of glass enamel in a kiln.

After the silver pendant has cooled from its initial firing, the painting process begins. The metal filaments serve as the pattern for the colorful enamel glass, and the artisan paints only one coat at a time into the design.

The pendant is fired again and again after each consecutive enamel coat.This is a painstakingly delicate practice, but the layering and firing of each coat of glass is critical in achieving a deep, vibrant color scheme for the design.As many as 25 layers of enamel can be added to a single piece of Cloisonne jewelry.After the partitions have been enameled and fired to the artist’s satisfaction,

The pendant is polished and placed in a custom-made, perfectly fit 18-karat gold setting. Each Cloisonne rendering takes multiple weeks of dedicated attention to complete, but the finished product is guaranteed to be worth the wait. Happy Enameling!

Miniature stain glass window effect in jewelry. Frames of metal holding enamel, with no backing, thus allowing the light to come through. Developed in France and Italy early in the 14th century.  There are several methods of plique à jour.

This jewel of plique a jour is a method of pierced metal. Most artists will use this method with the aid of Klyre Fire, a glue substance, to help  hold in the powdered enamels before firing. This jewel is created in 18k gold sheet of 22 ga.  The use of gold gives you more strength and allows you to create jewels in a thinner gauge.

The Bird of Paradise Pendant is more involved. I want to show where you can go with pliqué a jour. Here I have chased the Bird of Paradise in 18k gold sheet of 16 ga. and cut away the negative space. I used 18k flat wire to make the leaves and soldered them in place with hard solder. With such large open spaces the use of foils aid in holding the enamel in place, until fired, then the foil is removed. The stone setting took place before the enameling. Less worry of cracking your enameled piece.

This is a pair of cloisonné earrings with a drop of plique à jour leaves and a ruby. I would never get a stone cut like this much less be able to afford it. The leaves above the ruby are made in 18k gold, 18 ga sheet pierced and sawn out, then filled with enamels. Again foil is used to support the enamel while firing.

 The enamels in this case were laid in after the ruby was set.

This enamel jewel of plique a jour is made of 18k gold sheet. The pedals have been sawn out and formed in a dapping block. The opens were pierced and filled with enamels  using foil for support. And assembled after firing all the enamels. The stones are fabricated on screw post and allows it to be assembled in such away the pedals all turn.

A few helpful points I have come across in my research,

Millenet in Enamelling on Metal states to use larger granules of enamels, consistent in size for plique to acquire a clearer transparent. Also he puts the Klyr Fire against the cell wall then adds the enamel.

Another point is to use soft firing enamels= higher expansion rate enamels, which mean these enamels melt sooner than others allowing it to fuse faster and not fall through the openings.

If necessary to use Klyer-fire to hold the enamels in the opening while firing, use one part klyre-fire in 5 parts water in your enamels. After washing your enamels pour off all the water then add the Klyre-fire mixture  to the enamels. Too much Klyre-Fire will cloud your enamels, so pay attention as the day goes, the water evaporates and makes the mixture stronger of Klyre-Fire, so add a bit of water though out the day.

The use of a consistent gain size gives the best clarity but also using a smaller grain size can be used such as 150 mesh, as it is  lighter and easier to fill the openings without falling through. It is a bit tricky, but you are making a water bubble with your brush in the opening. I place my brush parallel to the surface of the metal and opening, and just touch the edge with the brush and move it across the opening, this usually makes a water bubble. There is enamel on your brush at this time, and a good bit of water.

Fire the enamels just to orange peel until you have the cells filled with your enamels, then carefully fire to maturity. This way the enamels are less likely to fall through.

There are several way to achieve this recession in the metal. And as most enameling projects the metals used are commonly copper, brass, gold, and silver. Each has the same properties of enameling as in any other enameling technique, it is just the preparation of the metal that is different. One can carve or grave out the recession. Without engraving skills an enamelist can apply asphaltum varnish to the metal that is designed to be left as the positive space. And place the metal of copper and sterling silver or fine silver in sulfuric acid and the acid will slowly remove the un-want ed metal. Leaving a recession to place enamels.

Some enamelist use the process of depleting two sheets of sterling silver with the use of heating to 800 degrees and dipping in a pickle bath, repeated time to create a fine silver surface. This allows the artist to fuse the two sheets together. The top sheet prior to fusing is saw pierced out in a desired design. Again the negative space is left to enamel.

Champleve Workshops and Champleve classes are offered here in my studio as one on one enameling instruction.

Here are a couple of excellent samples of champleve enamelist!

Gesine Garz’s work from Germany

Hi Patsy,

I just had a look at your website. Great stuff! I like your work too!
Here is a bit about myself and my work, you can also see some of it on the British Society of Enamellers website: http://www.enamellers.org/garz.html

Gesine Garz
For the last 15 years, I have trained and worked as a jeweller in London, UK and I am still constantly seeking to improve my skills and broaden my knowledge. I studied jewellery making and enamelling at the Sir John Cass School of Art and Design in London, where I was fortunate enough to be taught by a number of extremely experienced and skilled crafts people, which was a fantastic experience and inspired me to progress in this field.
I specialised in enamelling and was accepted as a full member of the British Society of Enamellers in 2005. My work has been on show and for sale in a number of exhibitions in the UK and Germany.
I currently teach at a Jewellery Academy in Hatton Garden, London’s Jeweller’s Quarter.

Enamelling
To me, enamelling is one of the most beautiful kinds of jewellery decoration. I find it fascinating how layers of fired glass can create intensity of colour and depth to a degree which otherwise can only be achieved by gemstones.

Figurative subjects inspire me. I try to get close to the appearance of the real object in shape and colour but sometimes also take it one step further to give my pieces a certain twist.

In terms of techniques, I like making use of the possibilities of photo etching and cloisonne, as it allows me to create very intricate areas on which to apply the enamel.
Many of my pieces incorporate Champlevé, because the light reflection from an engraved background enhances transparent enamel colours beautifully and makes them shine.

Fusion and Reticulation
I love using the techniques of fusion and reticulation in my work, especially together with enamels. This brings out the contrast between the bright, colourful and accurate enamel work and the dark, more random and “dug-up” look of the fused silver.
I often use scrap pieces of metal for my fusion projects and create new shapes. It sometimes takes a while until I find the right enamel pieces to go with a particular fused setting. I like to oxidise and partly polish the fused/reticulated surfaces as it brings out their uneven texture really well.

I hope what I’ve written is useful for your website. I’ll attach a few larger size pictures too.

Best wishes,
Gesine

Sandra McEwen’s Work

Patsy,                                                                                                                                    

I’d love to be one of your featured artist.  I’m attaching a couple of images- feel free to pick the one you like best.

As far as technique goes, I’m happy to share.  I understand that some
artists want to keep their processes to themselves, but I believe that open
dialogue between artists can be very rewarding for all involved.  And,
honestly, the secret to my fusing technique is pure practice.  After you’ve
fused about a hundred things, believe me, you’ll have figured it out.  So
I’m more than happy to answer any questions you or your students might have.

Let me know if you need anything else…

Thanks again,
Sandra

Ps.  Do include a link to my blog as well:   http://www.sandramcewen.blogspot.com

Dear Friend,

Every year, the canned tuna industry is responsible for massive amounts of ocean destruction. That’s because the methods they use to fish for tuna don’t just kill tuna. They also kill thousands upon thousands of sharks, rays, sea turtles and sea birds — causing serious damage to the entire ocean ecosystem.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

But instead of engaging in a conversation about how they can fish more sustainably, Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and Starkist have opted to try to cover up the problem by making legal threats against Greenpeace

Join me by sending a message to the CEO’s of Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and Starkist and tell them to can the attacks and start getting serious about cleaning up their acts by clicking the link below…

https://secure3.convio.net/gpeace/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=885

It is really a no brainer! If we, each individual, will make a ripple we can change things for a better future in our oceans!

Copper

Fire at 1450 and up to 1500 degrees

Thompson’s Unleaded 2030 Flux. Here is a link to Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques for Copper

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Copper

Ninomiya’s   Leaded L11  Flux   Here is a link to  Enamel Works Color Chart of Opaques for Copper

Enamel Works Color Chart of Transparents for Copper

Enamel Works Color Chart of Opalescents for Copper

Bovano’s   Leaded #1 Flux   You can down load their color chart here,

Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents for Copper

Fine Silver

I make enamel and cloisonne jewelry. And Fine Silver is my choice of metals. The weight of the jewel as well as the strength is a factor and in choosing the gauge of the fine silver. For pendants I prefer 20 gauge and for earrings 22 gauge.

Fire at 1425 – 1450 degrees

Thompson’s Non Leaded 2020 medium firing or 2040 for a hard firing fluxes. In my work I like a hard firing flux on my bases.   Here is a link to Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques For Fine Silver

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Fine Silver

Ninomiya’s Leaded  N1 Flux                         Enamel Works Color Chart of Opaques for Fine Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Transparents for Fine Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Opalescents for Fine Silver

N3 = Leaded pre – washed flux

G 110    Leaded hard flux

Bovano’s     Leaded  #3 this is a hard flux with a blue base, this is my favorite flux on fine silver.

Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents for Fine Silver

Sterling Silver

Thompson’s Non Leaded 2040 flux.    Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques For Silver

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Silver

Ninomiya Leaded N1 or N3 Flux      Enamel Works Color Chart of Opaques for Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Transparents for Silver

Enamel Works Color Chart of Opalescents for Silver

Bovano’s #3   Leaded Flux, both of these are hard enamels and I think it is helpful in keeping the surface contamination down of the sterling silver away from the layers of enamels.

Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents Silver

Gold

Fire at 1425 – 1450 degrees

Bovano Leaded #2 Flux and a kink to, Bovano’s Color Chart of Opals, Opaques, and Transparents for Gold

Stainless Steel

Fire at 1250 Degrees – 4-8 min.

Low to Medium expansion Enamels     Thompson’s Color Chart of Opaques for Stainless Steel

Thompson’s Color Chart of Transparents for Stainless Steel

Finishing Fluxes

Ninomiya’s Leaded N4

Bovano’s  Leaded 619

Brass  Today is Gilded Metal

Today many are asking about enameling on brass. It needs to be gilded meatl, which means it has 5% zinc and no more to be successful, with 95% bronze. You can obtain this from Thompson’s Enamel and use their unleaded enamels used for copper as long as you have no more than three firings.

I have found it works best if added to water to create a milky consistency  and let it sit over night before using. When in need to secure a wire or two dip the cloison wire in the tragacanth solution and place on the fired flux enamel jewel and set on the kiln for a few second as the heat will harden the solution.

Try the exercise she has, it helps you understand more about layering colors to achieve bright colors. Afterwards practice layering in enamels by making test plates and see the results. Enamels have to layer in a different order.

Water colors can layer yellows first then reds and pinks followed by the darker colors, like blues and greens. In enameling our warm color burn out so we need to leave them toward the end. So you just have to apply this in reverse. I start with the darkest colors first. Then medium and light colors. As I layer and fire I leave out the darkest color and continue with the medium and light colors. And finally have my lightest color last.

So enamelist add fluxes to the last layers to fill the cell. I have had this get cloudy on me so I continue with color in the same family but very light. The warm colors you can start adding about half way through the project using flux for several layers first then jumping into the yellows, oranges and reds.

Great Book!

Get yourself a set of Winsor Newton Travel Watercolors, A block of watercolor paper that is Hot Pressed and a #3 Sable brush.

The travel kit of colors have 10 – 12 colors, all you need to start designing your enameled project. A block of watercolor paper is just that. The stack of paper’s edges are glued together, because when it gets wet in normal conditions of painting with water the paper would warp , and it prevents that. As hot press is more likely to warp than cold pressed, but it is a smoother paper than cold pressed. Great for small painting of detail. And I find a #3 sable brush is a good size to get the job done.

I begin my enameling classes and my own jewels with design time in

watercolors.  The paint can be used in layering very similar  enameling, where I apply a layer of enamels and fire before applying another color, watercolors can be apply in one layer of color and let it dry before applying another.

One book that was useful to me is “Light up your Watercolors” by Linda Stevens Moyers. In her book she starts color with the medium color = value, then going to her warm colors = interest points, and then the cool colors this being her darks. We have to layer in a different order as our warm color would burn out if laid in too soon. So I apply them in the order of cool colors first -I start with my dark color, then medium color = value colors and last the warm color to produce the impact.

Happy Enameling!

Art Enameling on Metals by H.H. Cunynghame  1906

Metals such as gold, silver, iron, copper and fine brass; copper with a small amount of tin, are capable of being enameled. But nickel, zinc, or common brass, which contains a mixture of copper and zinc are not capable of being enameled.  Mr. Cunynghame, first speaks of the art of enameling is simply melting glass on to the surfaces of various substances capable of adhering to it and also capable of withstanding the heat necessary to melt the glass and cause it to flow. Mr. Cunynghame, speaks of the common technology of producing Crockery, with is clays consisting of silicate of aluminia and magnesia, and forming it into shapes and firing it. After this process it is know as biscuit ware, and is hard and porous. At this point glass ground to an impalpable powder is mixed with water and the vessel dipped into the glass slurry, dried and fired to the melting point of the glass. In this respect the glass is called “glaze.” Very similar to our enameling and as well as the commercial applications of enamels or glass on other foundations such as iron= stoves and refrigerators or bathtubs. And don’t forget the use of enamels on signage.

Glass consist of sand and an alkali such as soda or potash, fused together with the addition of ingredients to produce color. He states the peculiar value here of lead. It gives the glass the remarkable ability to adhere to and run over the item being enameled and prevents it from cracking. He state it makes the glass more elastic and enhances its’ ability to withstand extreme temperature changes.  He also says that glass without lead is not suitable for enameling, as it will crack away from the metal. Of course today we have found a way to produce enamels without lead. The replacement for the major part is borax.

Glass is colored by melting it with the oxides of various metals. Oxide of tin makes it opaque white, iron gives it a sea green and yellow, cobalt a royal blue, and copper a turquoise blue. Manganese colors glass violet, silver and antimony yellow, and gold crimson. Also we have chromium, producing a fine shade of green; uranium, a fine yellow; and iridium, giving enamels the shades of steel gray and black.

Coefficient of thermal expansion is when the temperature of a substance changes. The energy that is stored in the intermolecular bonds between atoms changes. When the stored energy increases, so does the length of the molecular bonds. As a result, solids typically expand in response to heating and contract on cooling. This dimensional response to temperature change is express by its coefficient of thermal expansion. This is where many get lost.

In enameling you just need to match the expansion of your metal and your enamels. I use a harder firing enamel as a flux = base layer in the technique of cloisonne, , still in the family of medium expansion enamels but slightly harder.  Then continue with medium firing enamels just a bit softer. For the very simple reason, with repeated firings the base flux layer is harder to flow, and the medium temp enamels flow or fuse faster. If the base layer melted at the same temperature and time as the later layers it would be possible for your warm colors to get liquid enough to mingle down through the base flux and eventually touch the metal and burn. We are using medium firing enamels, they are for copper, sliver and gold metals, but a few are a little bit harder than others and these should be laid down first.

If you make test plates you will see this. Below I have a plate 1″ x 3″ and I put 15 color dots of washed enamel on the plate and fire it at 1425 degrees. Some dots are completely fused and some are still grainy. The grainy one is a harder firing enamel and takes more time to fuse.

Another point here to help in the technique of plique a jour, as well as in cloisonne, you do not want to put a harder firing enamel next to a softer firing enamel, again you will have cracking.  When cooling the less expansion enamel right next to the high expansion enamel do not mingle,  and separate= cracks.In this piece I made for Andre of Outkast, he wanted the cloison wires to be fine silver and different thicknesses. Which caused a lot of heat and of course with a pink nose against the fine silver cloison wires was trouble. But in my pallet of colors my pinks were not of the same firing hardness, once the cracking started, I had to remove them and test to get ones that were all the same to get the cracking to stop. And I am not talking about layering these colors I was gradating the colors next to each other. Things like this teach you but it would have been nicer to know ahead of the project.

When you get into plique a jour you will find it is also important to know your enamels melting points as in grouping or shading. When laying colors next to each other with no backing it is more obvious if the colors do not blend together. When the grains do not mingle and with out the back foundation as some expansion unity it is more likely to have cracking.

Happy enameling!

This process is an old photographic printing technique, and I learned it from Gretchen Goss in a workshop she gave in Oakland, California in 2009.  She adapted it from photography colleagues at the Cleveland Institute of Art.

I have always been interested in creating images in enamel and this process, though it can be labour intensive, captured my imagination and so I have continued my learning and experimentation in my own studio.  I have created a line of jewelery based on the famous swans we have here in Stratford (some of them come down our stream to visit my studio) and on theatre related images.

Recommended reading on the subject:

Photographers Formulary – instructions for Gum Bichromate – gum printing www.photoformulary.com

Webb, Randall & Reed, Martin  Alternative Photographic Processes:  A Working Guide for Image Makers

James, Christopher The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes Clifton Park, New York

Livick, Stephen  Gum Printing Toronto: Stephen Livick 2001

FACILITY

●      a well ventilated space

●      a source of water, preferably warm

●      a kiln

●      a spray booth for applying emulsion (see photo)

●      compressed air and gravity fed dual action airbrush

●      enclosed exposure booth with a UV light source or photo bulbs 12-18” above surface (see photo)

MATERIALS

●      B/W negative laser printed transparencies

●      photoshop or other photo editing software

●      greyscale images in the size of the finished artwork

●      ceramic oxides – black and dark colours

●      gum arabic

●      potassium dichromate (label it poison)

●      ml measure with tube

●      teaspoon measure

●      porcelain coated steel 24 ga cut to size

●      prepared copper (counter enamelled, white or light colour foundation stoned down)

●      plate of glass that is not UV protected

●      photography developing trays

●      gram scale

●      glass beaker 250 ml

●      liquid thermometer with clip

●      glass stirring rod

●      small crock pot or hot plate

●      plastic funnel

●      clean hydrogen peroxide bottle or other darkened plastic bottle

●      plastic film container

●      panty hose

●      minute/second digital timer

●      gloves and mask

PROCESS

PREPARING IMAGES

●      use your own negatives as long as they are the same size as your finished artwork

●      for all other images:  using photoshop or other photo editing program, convert to greyscale, increase the contrast, resize to the size of your finished piece and finally, invert the image so it is a negative.

●      print your image negatives on a laser printer as a transparency

●      cut each image out, leaving some space around the image for handling

MIXING CHEMICALS

●      potassium dichromate is purchased in crystalline form – you have to mix it with water, as follows:

●      heat 200ml distilled water in a glass beaker to 120 degrees F on hot plate or in crock pot.  Use a thermometer clipped to the side of the beaker

●      add 40 grams of potassium dichromate and stir with a glass rod until dissolved

●      using a funnel, pour the solution into a clearly marked darkened plastic bottle.  It will store for some time.

PREPARING METAL SURFACE

●      make sure surface is clean of all grease and oil using whatever you normally use: pumice, windex, heat cleaning, etc but make sure it is CLEAN

●      if you want to create more than one piece at once, without touching the surface of the clean metal, use masking tape to attach all of them to a piece of cardboard

●      move prepared metal to spray booth.  Stand vertically against back wall

MIXING LIGHT SENSITIVE EMULSION

●      into an old film container or other container that closes tightly, mix 30 grains (a scant teaspoon) of oxide, 6 ml of potassium dichromate (solution) and 6 ml gum arabic.  Shake vigourously to mix and remove all lumps.  You can sieve through panty hose to ensure no lumps

●      pour emulsion into bowl of airbrush

SPRAYING EMULSION

●      set airbrush regulator at 35-50 psi

●      keep airbrush 12” away from the surface while spraying

●      apply in very thin coats, starting the spray off the edge of the enamel surface, turning the metal or cardboard 1/4 turn after each coating for an even and consistent application

●      move cardboard with sprayed enamels to the light booth.  (Emulsion is viable up to 20 minutes)

●      do not touch sprayed surface

EXPOSING THE IMAGE

●      once the sprayed pieces are on the floor of the exposure booth, place the transparency negatives on the surface of the emulsion (dull side down for a film negative)

●      you can place a piece of non UV coated glass over the negatives to hold them tight to the surface

●      turn the light(s) on and time for 15 minutes

DEVELOPING THE IMAGE

●      develop in warm water, upside down, agitating slightly

●      experimentation at this stage results in many variations

●      while wet the oxide is extremely fragile so touching it to anything will wipe it right off

●      let dry with enamel propped vertically

●      once dry, the surface is more durable and can be drawn or painted on, or rubbed off to create brighter whites

FIRING THE ENAMEL

●      fire at 1450 F for about a minute

●      repeated firings can eliminate the image

●      varied temperature and time will create different results

Thank you Brenda for sharing this! Visit Brenda at  www.radfordstudio.com

Thank you for donating a lovely piece of your work to the Jewelers for the Gulf auction.  We at Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans are touched by your gesture and by your goodwill towards the families of the Gulf Coast.

All gifts made through the Jewelers for the Gulf auction are designated for our Gulf Oil Spill Disaster fund.  Catholic Charities and our affiliated ministry, Second Harvest Food Bank, is helping those made vulnerable by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Since May 1, over 34,000 individuals have received emergency assistance through Catholic Charities. By the numbers, through October 11, 2010:

• 34,695 people (13,620 families) have received emergency assistance from Catholic Charities;
• $821,800 in food vouchers have been distributed to affected families, $80,840 in emergency food boxes from Second Harvest Food Bank have been distributed at the relief centers, in addition to regular distributions through the SHFB partner pantries in the area;
• 393 cans of baby formula and 1,051 packages of diapers have been distributed;
• 10,723 people have received individual counseling with Catholic Charities crisis counselors;
• $299,693 in direct assistance and baby supplies has been distributed to families;

We are honored to serve the greater New Orleans community, and equally honored that you have chosen to invest in the work of Catholic Charities and the ongoing recovery of our region through your auction.  For updates, please visit our website at www.ccano.org.  We are grateful for your support of this urgent response to an increasingly critical human need.

Thanks again,  Helen Smith

Helen Read Smith

Director of Development

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans

1000 Howard Avenue, suite 1000

New Orleans, LA 70113

hsmith@ccano.org–note new e-mail address!

p (504) 592-5688

f (504) 581-2255

www.ccano.org

Chris Hierholzer and I put together a fund raiser for the families in Louisiana who have been directly affected by the Oil Spill. We organized a Charity Auction on eBay Giving Works, and went live on Sept. 1, and auctioned through Oct 16, 2010. With the help of these wonderful artist we raised close to $5000. and will be able to feed some of these families in need!

Many, many thanks for their support and the support of the publications following us and to the great bidders who came to the auction!

Here is a list of the wonderful artists and their bios:

• Brenda Radford is a Canadian jewelry designer and goldsmith who creates custom gold, silver, enamel and gemstone jewelry.
• Carolyn Bensinger is a Boston studio jeweler, working in sterling and high karat gold pieces for all occasions.
• Chris Hierholzer is a metalsmith and enamellist who began making jewelry in 1968. His innovative enameling techniques show the influence of world renowned jeweler William Claude Harper, whom Chris apprenticed with for more than ten years. Chris is one of the primary organizers of the Jewelers For The Gulf charity auction.
• Christina Kober, originally from Germany, grew up around the jewelry industry – her father owing a jewelry supply store – and began making delicate jewels in 2000.
• Craig Vandeman is a professional Metalsmith and jewelry designer living in the Dallas area. He has participated in multiple collegiate shows, national juried shows and is currently working on a portfolio for admission to Graduate School.
• Debbie Parent is the founder of Apparently Art in Miami, Florida. She is currently focused on creating fine jewelry made with enamels and set with precious stones, silver and high karat gold.
• Guy Harvey Jewelry by Nautora. Guy Harvey’s famous artworks are now rendered in precious metal to create a singular blend of art and lifestyle jewelry.  Pieces include hard fired enamel in spectacular color and original relic styles.
• Ileana Rojas-Bennett is a Costa Rican jewelry designer who takes her inspiration from the colors and textures of the rainforest. Her fashionable gemstone statement pieces have been chosen by celebrities, and have been showcased on the fashion runways of New York, Miami and soon Boston.
• Jean Marie DeSpiegler is Executive Director of the Florida Society of Goldsmiths and a hobbyist jeweler who pulls her inspiration from childhood memories of growing up on the Gulf Coast.
• Jenny Baughman is the daughter of two artists, who spent a lifetime surrounded by art in all forms and recently discovered her true passion of working with metals.
• Jerry Scavezze is a fine gold jewelry artist from Colorado who specializes in Anticlastic Raising.
• Joyce Howell is a studio artist and jewelry teacher who has been making silver jewelry for more than 10 years.  She sells her work in art shows around the country and to local buyers in nearby boutiques.
• Julia Woodman is the first American to have been certified Master Silversmith in Finland. She specializes in constructing many small cut and formed pieces of metal to create 3- dimensional shapes, a process she calls three-dimensional tessellation.
• Karen Ildved runs ILDVED – a medieval loving, nature inspired, one-person jewelry studio. She works mostly with sterling, copper, and natural materials (moss, wood, stone).
• Karen L. Cohen and Susan Jo Rochlin are sisters who have been creating since they were very young. Ms. Cohen is an enamelist, metalsmith, beader, author and teacher, specializing in Cloisonne enameling and bead embroidery. Ms. Rochlin is a beader specializing in bead embroidery and using pearls in all of her work. They work separately and together and have sold in various juried shows and galleries.
• Kathleen Wilcox is an award-winning artist and enamellist, whose work can be seen nationally in galleries, museums, and art festivals.
• Kristin Anderson is an award-winning artist and metalsmith, who has spent most of her life learning about and teaching art. She now focuses on designing custom pieces for clients, teaching, and making beautiful works in silver, gold, enamel, and stones.
• Kristina Weick is a jewelry artist from New Orleans, now living in Florida. She is currently acting President Emertis Florida Society of Goldsmiths-Greater Pensacola Chapter.
• Marge Stewart has been making jewelry, with an emphasis on Cloisonné, for more than 20 years. She incorporates her love of intense color, the luminosity of glass and the technique of painting in each one-of-a-kind peice.
• Mary McBride was born and raised in southwest Louisiana, An MFA recipient, she specializes in techniques that incorporate textiles, silver, and unconventional mixed materials, producing an eclectic variety of collectibles.
• Mary Timmer has been designing and hand fabricating jewelry since 1998.
• Her work has been showcased in many fine craft galleries and juried art shows. Her pieces are unique, incorporating a mix of fine metals, pearls and stones.
• Patricia Tschetter is an award-winning jeweler and metalsmith, whose work has been shown nationally and is carried by galleries and boutiques across the country.
• Patsy Croft is an award-winning Cloisonne jewelry artist whose work can be seen in art jewelry galleries throughout the country. She focuses on works using brightly colored enamels, high-karat metals and precious stones. Patsy is the primary organizer of “Jewelers for the Gulf” Charity
• Ray Parsis is an Enamel Jewelry Artist who specializes in the ancient technique of “plique-a-jour.”
• Shannon Cobb-Tappan designs and creates jewelry for the modern woman that is refined and wearable. Using both found and precious metals, she strives to create elegant forms which offer a balance between organic textures and modern line quality.
• Tom McCarthy has been making jewelry for more than twenty-five years.  An MFA recipient, his work is in numerous private and public collections, including the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, NC.
• Valerie Harmon-Curtis has been learning about and making jewelry since childhood. She recently retired and loves that she can now make jewelry anytime she likes.
• Diana Casabar as a kid, Diana watched her father create pendants and rings for their family in his spare time. Diana specializes in chasing and repousse, the ancient art form of sculpting metal with hammers, tools, and flame. she has created works for private collections from California to Maine, and her work is currently in art251 at The Arthouse of Keller, TX.
• Joe Cliff studied metalsmithing and jewelry at the Memphis College of Art and received an MFA from Southern Illinois University. He has worked as an independent artist-metalsmith; designed and manufactured jewelry in a commercial setting; and has taught jewelry making, lapidary and bronze casting. His recent explorations in jewelry and metalsmithing include combining steel with precious metals and the re-discovery of enameling. Joe’s “day job” for the last 20 years has been biomedical engineering.
• Claude Roy from Quebec, Canada, autodidact artist, and I enjoy working with different materials and given them a form. It’s fascinating how a simple piece of metal, stone or wood can be transformed.
• Rose Padgett always had an interest in the creative process, which started as a child working along side her father. A graduate from the UWF with a B.A. and a career with the Federal Government, now has given her time to create jewels, primarily using sterling silver, copper and brass, embellished with cabochons, beads, found objects. Rose serves as the FSG-Greater Pensacola Chapter’s Secretary.
• Barbara Allen Frost began working in enamels, she quickly recognized that this was a medium she had a special affinity for, combining her love of the color spectrum with both actual and visual surface textures and abstract designs. Attending numerous enameling conferences has given her a great appreciation for the enameling traditions as well as meeting some of the world’s best enamelists.
• Alice Scott started making jewelry when she was six years old. She attended Rhode Island School of Design for Jewelry and Metalsmithing. Today, she continues to make work that celebrates traditions and borrows symbols from a variety of spiritual and cultural practices in order to create her own world of sacred objects.
• Barbara Bowling specializes in vitreous enameling and metal etching, inspired by the small canvas that jewelry-sized work presents. All of her pieces are one-of-a-kind, presenting unique opportunities for personal adornment. Barbara’s 15 years as a professor of horticulture are reflected in the plant forms and the natural textures and flowing lines of her designs. Her intellectual and emotional inspiration is first and foremost plant life.
• Rio Grande for more than 65 years, Rio Grande has provided innovative and exclusive findings, gemstones, display and packaging items, and the latest tools, equipment and supplies to the jewelry industry.
• Gina McDonald jewelry artist and designer who grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  She is very versatile and works with many materials sterling silver wire, polymer clay, glass and gemstones to name a few.
• Jan Van Diver My academic degree is in the more traditional two dimensional fine arts, painting and serigraphy; my true and addictive passion was ignited when I discovered this new world of enamel, metal and stones. Though I’m largely self taught, I’ve had the great fortune to study with leading metalsmiths, jewelry designer/makers and enamelists through graduate courses. Each of my pieces is a labor of love,  totally hand made and unique, and one of a kind.
• Linda Crawford My creations are one-of-a-kind as well as limited edition cloisonné enameled jewelry using a variety of precious gems, unique fossils, stones, found objects, fine silver, sterling silver and gold all with a special message for the owner.
• Kathleen Gatliffe’s education is in engineering and fine arts.  She turned to metal and glass as a way of incorporating her technical interests with her creative work. She currently lives in Colorado.
• Chriss Zaida is the owner of  Toto Zaida a fine ladies clothing in Fort Bragg CA. Whom heard about the Auction and made a jewel donation. If in the area visit her at 142 E Laurel St
Fort Bragg, CA 95437.
• Delia, FireFusion Studio explores limitless artistic expression through the design and creation of abstract vitreous enamel pendants. She is continually energized by the possibilities of applying her modern, open sensibility to an ancient art form.
• Jan Bennett I designed my SEA OF TEARS especially for the Oil Spill Recovery Efforts. In order to raise awareness and funds for the families and contribute to the clean up process. Awareness is so vitally important as most folks don’t realize the long term effects that have impacted lifes on the Gulf Coast.
• Patty Kuzbida  likes to use some form of recycling in my work. She has  been making jewelry for 10 years along with mosaics.  I am fortunate enough to have 2 pieces in the upcoming American Visionary Art Museum show, “What Makes Us Smile”, opening October 9th   www.avam.org
• Kent Snyder a self taught hand engraver & metalsmith. Favorite metals are silver, copper& red brass. Kent also makes 18th century American longrifles.
• Heidi Kummli is the coauthor of The Art of Bead Embroidery (along with Sherry Serafini), which has been one of our top-selling beading books for Kalmbach Books since it was published in 2007. Her beadwork is an expression of herself, and her feelings for our Mother Earth and the creatures upon her. Through researching Native American beadwork techniques and trial and error, her work has continually evolved.
• Anna Draeger is an associate editor at Bead&Button magazine, a CREATE YOUR STYLE with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Ambassador, and the author of Ask Anna, an online Q&A column about beading, and Crystal Brilliance: Making Designer Jewelry with Crystal Beads.
• Sherri Rehill-Wesler is the artisan /owner of “IndigoEarth” ,a unique company infusing creative energy and the celebration of life into each of its products. Our unique jewelry combines sterling silver, imported glass beads & crystals, plated findings and accent pieces creating “one of a kind” treasures! IndigoEarth’s products are designed to be a beautiful part of your everyday life. So Enjoy Life and Love the Earth!
• Tricia Tribble jewelry is displayed at the Nevada Art Museum’s gift shop. The Egyptian coil was developed 3,500 years ago by a goldsmith for his Pharaoh.  Tricia  compliments the style by adding gems. She been surrounded by from singing, dancing to quilting and now jewelry for the last 10 years, and studied in Italy, Florentine art and have been listed in Who’s Who of Women and in the West.
• Brenda Ido chief designer Child of God Creations. Heavenly Designs is a unique experience in one of a kind jewelry, we believe in integrity, and morality. ” Do unto others as you would have them do to you” is our company logo. We are a married couple that enjoys making jewelry and work daily to expand our horizons, so that we may deliver the newest fashions.
• Cynthia Wuller is inspired by mythology, folklore, and learning new techniques.  Her work has been featured in numerous books including her own, Inspired Wire.
• Celine Barberio of Selena Claira Jewels, born in Chibougamau, Québec, and currently resides in Ontario.  “I love to do Chain Maille, Beading, Resin, Wire Work and all kinds of Arts and Crafts.  I started making Wire Wrapped Jewelry last years when I took a class with Robert J. Burton here in Toronto.  I credit my knowledge of Wire Work to Dale “Cougar” Armstrong, Patricia Capotosto, Linda Chandler, Christine Ritchey, Liz Jones, Denise Peck and most recently Matthew Nix.”  selenaclairajewels@rogers.com
• Karen Leonardo has been a lampwork beadmaker and jewelry designer since 1996. She has written 2 books; Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry and Art Bead Jewelry “Seasons in Glass”. She invented glass tool lines called The Leonardo Petal Pullers which pull petals from glass rods to be used in sculpted glass flowers and the  Leonardo Featherbone and Fishbone tools and the Leonardo Imprinters. Karen is the current Regional Director for the Mid Atlantic States for the ISGB. Her accomplishments include, Pennsylvania Artist of the Year and The International Who’s Who of Business Women and Entrepreneurs
• Kate Dooley from Southwest Missouri, USA. A jewelry artist for 20 years, in many different mediums to produce one of a kind original jewelry. I specialize in seed beaded embroidery bracelets and pendants, and embellishing blank wooden bangles,may they remind you of the powerful movement of people invested in the recovery of the Gulf from this disaster.
• Lisa Lehmann “Art is my passion. It is who I am. I create, because I cannot help myself.” Lisa is a Grand Rapids, MI based jewelry artist. She counts it a privilege to have been gifted with a creative spirit. Lisa seeks beauty in all things and appreciates the endless potential of blending color, shape and texture. Her work is soft & fluid. She enjoys the intricate, delicate, subtle forms which impart a refined femininity.
• Aimee Carpenter graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design. makes her own designs with Swarovski Crystals. She has a book coming out in March 2011 with Kalmbach Publishing titled Endless Sparkle. You can read more by going to www.kalmbach.com/books and click on the link for the jewelry and craft authors.
• Patricia Geiser lives in St. Louis, Missouri and creating beautiful things has been a life-long passion.  Beginning at the age of ten, drawing on any flat surface, led to painting when Patricia reached her teens.  Today, she creates jewelry, paintings and pottery. Her heritage leads her back to New Orleans, the birthplace of her mother, Doris Deckbar.  Both her mother, Doris and her father, Harry Wade of St. Louis, have artists in their ancestry.  Patricia feels that she is inspired by all things in nature as well as a simple verse or word of spiritual meaning.

Patsy Croft  and Chris Heirholzer

“Jewelers for the Gulf”