Enamel, Enameling, Enamelist

Basic enameling is shift powder glass to clean metal and fire to fuse. End of story……….
Just kidding! But really, it’s that easy and finished piece would look fabulous!

I began making jewelry over 10years ago. From bead stringing to pearl knotting, wire wrapping… I tried many different techniques. But it was always with beads that I bought from somewhere. I wanted make beads and focal my self. I wanted my jewelry to be truly *ME*

So I took polymer clay class at local art center. While it was fun to make stuff with polymer clay, I felt it really wasn’t for me. It’s just so heard to make them look nice & professional. So I moved onto enameling class and I was hooked! That was about 2 years ago. I’m still taking the same class every week. (it’s just so fun & I love be in there…) And I was using torch to enamel at home for long time but I finally got my own kiln!

Ok, enough about me… what is enameling? Enameling is ancient art of fusing glass to metal. I love how they say in Japanese. In Japanese, 七宝焼 (shippouyaki), 七宝 (shippou) meaning “seven gems” because with enamel, you can achieve beauty of the seven gems.

Enamel usually comes in powder. You can shift or mix it with water and paint onto metal such as copper, silver (fine silver) or gold. Copper is more popular but I love it on silver too. Especially transparent colors are great on silver. After you apply enamel on metal, make sure it’s all dried, and then you fire them so they will melt and fuse to the metal when it’s cooled off. In kiln 2-3 minutes around 1500-degree. With torch you can only fire small pieces but takes about same amount of times.Enamel comes in so many different colors. Just to try some color combination is exciting! If you are familiar with metal work, you can prepare your metal with your own shape and texture but if you are not, don’t worry! There are all kinds of pre-cut metal shape that you can get!! And even with just a circle and basic techniques, you can get the most amazing result!

Here is excellent online totorial by Copperheart http://copperheartdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-intro-to-enameling.html

If you are more like book preson, I recommend this awesome book
The art of enameling by Linda Darty

And some online resorce for enameling material
Thompson Enamel http://www.thompsonenamel.com/
METALLIFEROUS http://www.metalliferous.com/






Enjoy:)

Spring and Easter Challenge Prizes

Etsy Glass Artists team members decided to creatively challenge one another to come up with their interpretation of Spring and or Easter. The last month has seen several beautiful and creative entries and now we are down to the last week for comments. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win some handmade glass goodness from several of our shops. We will have several winners too! (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on April 10th as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight April 9th.
Here is a list of the entries. Be sure and leave your comments for a chance to win some glass goodies.

Spring Challenge Entries - enter to win at each link

• Fused Glass Wall Vase - RWillisGlassArtist
• Easter Egg Vessel Pendants - Chickadeebeads
• Tokyo Spring - JewelryByNatsuko
• Bird Suncatcher - Groovyglassgirl
• Sweet Spring Beary - MyCabinCreations
• Easter Owl - StudioMarcy
• Tiger Lily - TheVenerableBead

Here are the prize donations that you will have a chance to win.

"Sakura Poppy Earrings"
www.jewelrybynatsuko.etsy.com

A Beautiful Pendant
www.chickadeebeads.etsy.com

Lovely Earrings
www.MyCabinCreations.etsy.com

This pod shaped pendant was made in the flame of my torch using borosilicate glass. It was annealed in my kiln for everlasting love and enjoyment. It measures 30mm in length and is a lovely purple pink orange and yellow. It comes strung on an 18 inch gunmetal chain with lobster clasp. It's a color packed wee drop of a pendant. :)
www.Venbead.etsy.com

Fused Glass Barrettes
www.paulasstressart.etsy.com

March 12th-SALE item of the day-Drop of ocean-color splash enamel pendant

Today’s item is personal favorite of mine the drop of the ocean pendant! This little thing has gradation of colors, golden/yellow to dark teal green. Just like you’ll find in the real ocean! And you can shift pendant with light to enjoy texture on copper through the enamel. $20 plus free shipping at my Etsy shop today!!

Tokyo Spring - Etsy Glass Challenge Entry - Please Comment

Etsy Glass Artists team members decided to creatively challenge one another to come up with their interpretation of Spring and or Easter. Between now and Easter we will share some of these creations with you here on our blog. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing to win some handmade glass goodness from several of our shops. We will have several winners too! (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on April 10th as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight April 9th.

As I grew up in Japan, I cannot think about spring time without blooming cherry blossom. Every year, when spring comes, the town in Japan is dyed to one cherry blossoms color. We have picnic and party under the cherry blossom tree! How cherry blossoms are blooming is on every news!! And this year, some reason I’m just drawn to yellow. So I picked yellow as base color. Then I stamped cherry blossom branch image and shift glass enamel & fired it. And I paint (in enamel term called “wet pack”) some white and pink for flower. Then I suspend it from fine silver circle. As spring will come every year. I embellished with single “sakura poppy” disk. Finally, this necklace has matching earrings that available in my Etsy shop!

SALE item of the day-Enamel-SeaHorse-Pendant

This weekend, my sale item of the day is adorable seahorse! I have two colors for you to pick from. One is deep rich teal green that reminds me of Deep Ocean. And the other one is blush orange/pink that reminds me of coral reef. No matter witch ones you pick, I’m sure they will quickly become your favorite pendant! This weekend only, they are $30 plus free shipping in my Etsy shop!

SALE item of the day -Cute little heart color splash earrings -spring yellow

Spring is right around a corner from us! Even though, it’s still little cold out (at lest here it is…) let’s wear sunny yellow to cerebrate upcoming spring! These earrings are so bright, cheery and stylish!! And for today (March 5th) only, it’s $5 off plus free shipping!! Check out my listing in my Etsy shop!!