Although I had the best intentions of blogging regularly, I’m afraid those intentions have fallen by the wayside! A busy family Christmas, winter bugs and lots of jewellery orders have meant that it’s been put very firmly on the back burner. I’d like to change that though, so here I am, hoping again to share a glimpse into my world of jewellery making!
I love to use copper frequently in my jewellery designs, here’s 5 reasons why:
- It’s versatile. I love the many different ways you can treat and create using this metal. It can be polished to a high shine, given a wire-brushed, rustic finish; oxidised for an antique effect; stamped and textured to create interesting patterns.
Copper butterflies in an oxidising solution - It’s easy to work with as it’s relatively soft; can be soldered with silver in the same project, using silver solder; so doesn’t require any extra equipment than needed when working with silver.
Processed with VSCO with a2 preset - It’s inexpensive. As much as I love creating beautiful jewellery in silver, it’s great to offer the same designs at a more affordable price. As copper is such an attractive metal, nothing is compromised. (I hope!)
- Using copper is a perfect way of practising a design idea before I make it in silver. Mistakes are often inevitable when trying out a new design and it’s cheaper price makes copper the perfect ‘model’ material.
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- The gorgeous autumn tones of copper really lend itself to designs based on natural forms. My jewellery is often inspired by the beautiful countryside where I live and I use copper to reflect that.
Commissioned copper pendant
If you’d like to take a closer look at my range of handmade copper jewellery, please go to my folksy.com shop https://www.folksy.com/TheLittleRedHen
