I love my torch

One of the really cool things about copper is the colors you can get when you heat it. If you haven't tried this.....you need a torch and ice water. Heat the copper in the flame and pull it out into the air to see if it develops color. If your piece gets too hot dunk it in the ice water and reheat it. While its in the flame you can see that it wants to take on color. Pull it out of the flame and hold it for a few seconds and you should see a bloom of color across the metal. When you have a color you like, dunk it in the ice water to cool down the piece before you touch it.

I'm not one to like metal pieces clean and pristine. I've always dumped my silver pieces in liver of sulfur until they are black. With the bronze and copper I like to add color and make them look like they've been buried for a a few millenia.

Below are some of my copper pieces after a good torching.....

I haven't made up my mind about this piece. It is a 2D version of an ancient tool. I thought it would make a cool pendant but I don't know if I like it 2D. I'll have to try to make a 3D version to give it more depth.

Moe the Moo with a little color. I still need to fix his eye. He was inspired by a piece at the Louvre although I'm not sure they were cows (see pic below) and I don't think mine has quite the same look :)) But I like him and I want to make more. Guess that's all that counts.

A link for a bracelet. The other link I had broke. I think it sintered just fine. It was stressed to much on a design line. The stamp I used for this is too deep in areas and I was playing around bending it....a little too much.

A round pendant. It picked up a really nice blue green color on the left side and a little orange-red on the right. I also included a pic of the back. It came out orange-red also.

And my heart and soul pendant. I picked the stamp up in Amsterdam about 3 years ago and I'm finally beginning to use it.

That's it for now but there is another weekend coming up and I am full of ideas...among other things. And I think we have no plans for the weekend. Now I just hope that nobody calls and wants us to do something. Lou is headed to the Golf Show on Saturday with his son and and golf buddy....YEAH....I'll have most of the day undisturbed.