| Copyright 2010 - B. de Corbin and Splendid Fish Studio |
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What's new, Bill?
Last update 4/16/2010
Michigan Witches Ball 2010
I am very excited to be a sponsor for this great event! To find out more about one of Michigan's best parties, click the link above.
All sales are now being handled through my Etsy shop: www.splendidfish.etsy.com
Click on the link above to see what is currently available.
Don't worry, friends, it's still me behind the scenes!
I've added a new section called
When I create a new piece
of design work, it often happens that they come, much like a baby with a silver spoon in it's mouth, bearing a story. Unfortunately, when I sell a piece, the story is sometimes lost with it. I've decided to collect these stories into a section all
their own, for your enjoyment.
Enjoy them!
Don't forget to click on the BLUE WORDS anywhere on this site to enter
new worlds of mythic imagination.
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Step 2
Draw out the design.
I generally scan my designs into my computer so I can play out as many copies as I like without having to perpetually redraw them.
I then cut out the design and use rubber cement to glue it to the metal - in this case copper.
Step 7
The metal (silver or copper) is dipped into a chemical called "Liver of Sulphur," which has the dreadful aroma of sulphur (not liver).
This causes rapid oxidation (rusting) of the surface, which, in this case, is black.
Step 8
I give the metal a quick polish to knock the black off the highlights, and rub it down with furniture wax to protect the surface.
Last of all, I attach the ear hooks, and, Viola! it is done.
It awaits your ears.
Step 5
Once all the insides are cut out, I can cut out the outsides...
Step 6
Here it is all cut out. Now I rub it down a bit with some 600 grit sandpaper to remove the rough edges, and it's ready for the patination.
Step 4
The jeweler's saw blade is that thing in the picture below that looks like a thread. This little thread is very sharp, and cuts through even steel like a warm knife through butter. Until it gets dull. Then it breaks.
Anyway, I have to thread it through each hole I've drilled, reattach it to the saw frame, and carefully saw out the area I want gone. Then I detach the blade from the frame, thread it through another hole, and saw again. Repeat until all holes are cut.
Step 3
In order to cut out the inside areas, I have to have a hole to get the jeweler's saw blade into, so I have to drill out a lot of holes...
Step 1
I begin by hammering a texture into the metal. If I'm using rusty steel, I don't have to do this.
Making the Rusty Steel (and Otherwise) Earrings
In this quick demo, I'm going to show how I make a pair of earrings. In this case, I'm gong to make a copper pair. The procedure is the same for Sterling silver, but for the rusty steel pairs, I don't have to go through the texturing and patinating process, since the metal already has an interesting texture.
