"Willpower" pendant

The steel-like finish of the copper scroll symbolises willpower and a steely resolve to stand firm in your decisions.

An oblong piece of copper in a scroll form, covered in silver solder and then paginated with 'BlackIt' for a vintage effect. Fitted with a silver chain and a wooden bead hangs from the bottom.

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"Faith" pendant

Go ahead: make the leap. Have faith. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side. Here, take my hand…

Silver wire pendant with glass beads hanging from leather thonging for a more earthy connection. Also comes with a silver chain.

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Copper Necklace and earrings

A necklace/choker made out of copper wire, inter-laced with large dark green striped beads. This necklace has a copper chain and matching earrings.

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Silver heart pendant on silver chain

A very easy project for beginners starting to work with copper. Cut out a heart-shaped piece of copper and cover with silver solder. Bend some silver wire in a heart shape and place it a bit off-set on the copper heart, soldering together where necessary. A little glass bead dangling from the bottom finishes it off nicely. Hang from a silver chain.

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Shell pendant on Silver chain

A shell with a black pebble hanging from a silver chain

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Hoe om met koper te werk

Koperplaat, Soldeeryster, Soldeeryster houer (stand), Staaf soldeersel, Flux met borseltjies, tanjetjies

Om met koperplaat te werk is pure plesier - dit kom in rolle van ongeveer 50cm wyd en ongeveer 10 meters op 'n rol. Koperplaat is beskikbaar by meeste arts en crafts winkels. Dit is uiters buigsaam en werkbaar en ook maklik om te sny met 'n gewone skêr, alhoewel jy nooit weer die skêr vir gewone huishoudelike gebruik sal kan gebruik nie!

En deur koper bedoel ek COPPER, nie BRASS nie. Koper is rooierig en brass (geelkoper) is geel. Ek werk partymaal met geelkoper, maar baie min.

Ek gebruik koper nie alleen en op sy eie nie, met ander woorde, ek soldeer artikels aan die koper vas. Koper is 'n wonderlike hitte-geleider en baie maklik vatbaar vir soldeersel. Ek omlyn die koper ook met die soldeersel om 'n afgewerkte voorkoms te gee en om die skerp kante te bedek.

'n Mens kan omtrent enige iets uit hierdie koper ontwerp - vierkantige, ronde of enige vorm plat collages, waaraan jy dan items soos kristalle, stukke glas of krale kan vas soldeer as 'n muurbehangsel teen die muur of in die tuin.

Ek gebruik dit baie vir my juweliersware, asook om items soos sigaretaansteker-houers, asbakkies, borde en pierings, omranding vir 'n spieël, besigheidskaartjie-houers, 'desk tidies', sneesdoekie bokse (tissue holders) en nog vele ander te maak - gebruik jou verbeelding.

Koper en Glas saam gebruik - die koper is gepatineer met 'BlackIt' om 'n antieke voorkoms te gee

Om artikels uit koper te maak, sny 'n stuk koper van die rol af ongeveer so groot soos jy dink jou projek gaan wees. (As jy te klein sny, kan jy altyd 'n stuk aanlas met soldeersel.)Maak dit plat met 'n roller (Dit is ook beskikbaar vanaf kunswinkels) en wees versigtig vir die skerp punte aan die kante. Gebruik handskoene as jy kan. Jy kan met 'n spesiale koper "scribe" (dit is 'n tipe pen met 'n metaal punt) jou vorm op die koper teken en dan uitsny. (Ek gebruik baie maal sommer 'n ou BIC pen om mee te teken.)

Stuk gesnyde koper en 'n soldeerstaaf

Jy kan ook vry-vorm stukke koperplaat neem en dit met die hand buig en verwerk in 'n abstrakte vorm. Ek gebruik ook 'n klein platneus- of ronde-neus-tanjetjie om te help met die buigwerk.

Voorbeelde van Koper gebruik in vry-vorm - borsstukke uit Koper met Glasjuweel. Die koper en soldeersel is gepatineeer om 'n antieke voorkoms te gee.

Om items aan die koper te soldeer, sal jy 'n soldeeryster nodig hê - ek gebruik 'n Weller temperatuur-gekontroleerde soldeerbout met verwyderbare punte, wat in allerhande diktes beskikbaar is. Maar enige soldeeryster is goed genoeg, en maak seker jou koop ook 'n houer waarin die soldeeryster rus wanneer dit nie in gebruik is nie. Werk versigtig met die soldeeryster, dit kan verskriklike brandmerke veroorsaak.

Weller Soldeeryster op houer 

Soldeersel kom in stawe of rolle en dan sal jy ook "Flux" (dis 'n vloeistof) nodig hê wat die katalis is tussen die soldeersel en die koperplaat. Neem 'n klein borseltjie (daar is spesiale flux borseltjies beskikbaar), dip dit in die flux en smeer dit aan die rand van die koper. Vat dan die soldeerbout en die soldeerstafie en soldeer klein stukkies soldeersel aan jou kopervorm. Dit gee die eerste lagie en enige items wat jy nou gaan aan soldeer, sal maklik verbind.

Soldeerstaaf (solder stick) koper en soldeeryster

Om te soldeer, hou die soldeerstafie of rolletjie in jou linkerhand, hou dit so na moontlik aan die koper en, met die soldeerbout in jou regter hand, verhit die soldeersel en laat dit op die koperplaat drup - maak dit dan gelyk deur dit met die soldeerbout liggies oor die plaat te "trek". Wees versigtig vir soldeersel-spatsels en gebruik 'n beskermende bril.

Alhoewel die koper sigbaar is in baie van my projekte, bedek ek meesal al die koper met die soldeersel om 'n silwer voorkoms te gee. Die rede hiervoor is dat die koper koperkleurig is en die soldeersel is silwer. Derhalwe kry jy twee kleure. Ek patineer ook baie van my ontwerpe om dit 'n antieke voorkoms te gee en wat die silwer in amper swart verander.

'Bloekomblaar' - 'n Stel oorbelle gemaak uit koper en liggies gepatineer met 'BlackIt'

Jy kan enige plek werk met jou koper, maar 'n ideale plek is 'n spesiale kamer of studio wat jy inrig spesiaal net vir al jou kunswerk-aktiwiteite. Ek het 'n 4m x 2m kamertjie ingerig met 'n L-vormige sementblad met rakke onder en bo dit waarop ek al my benodigdhede pak. Ek het ook hakkies aan die houtrakke aangebring om draad en soorgelyke goeters te hang. 'n Vereiste is 'n elektrisiteits-prop vir jou soldeeryster en dalk ook 'n lamp as die beligting nie te goed is nie.

 My 4m x 2m Studio waar ek al my kunswerk doen

 My 4m x 2m Studio waar ek al my kunswerk doen

My 4m x 2m Studio waar ek al my kunswerk doen 

LYS VAN BENODIGDHEDE :
- Koperplaat
- Roller
- Soldeeryster met houer
- Soldeersel - rol of stawe
- Bottel Flux
- Flux borseltjie
- "Scribe" of pennetjie om mee te teken
- Handskoene
- Beskermende bril
- Skêr
- Platneus- en/of rolneus-tanjetjie
- Groot tafel of werk area

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Mother of Pearl Stained Glass Pendant

An oblong piece of Mother of Pearl iridescent stained glass pendant (changes colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes) with silver solder surround, silver wire on the front and a few white glass beads hanging from a silver chain.

The technology for making glass dates back at least 5,000 years, and some form of stained glass was used in European Christian churches by the third or fourth century A.D.

Glass is made by fusing together some form of silica such as sand, an alkali such as potash or soda, and lime or lead oxide. The colour is produced by adding a metallic oxide to the raw materials.

Read more on how stained glass is made.

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Rose Quartz Place-name Holder

Rose Quarts set into a shell with silver solder border and a silver wire stand. Can be used as place-name holders at a dinner party or just to hold an inspirational message next to your bed!

Rose quartz is pink quartz that is often called the "Love Stone." It is a stone of unconditional love that opens the heart chakra to all forms of love: self-love, family love, platonic love, and romantic love. The high energy of quartz gives rose quartz the property of enhancing love in virtually any situation. In turn, this lowers stress. All in all it is a very soothing and happy stone.

Emotionally rose quartz brings gentleness, forgiveness, compassion, kindness and tolerance. It raises one's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It helps balance emotions and heal emotional wounds and traumas, even grief, bringing peace and calm. Rose quartz removes fears, resentments and anger. It can also heal and release childhood traumas, neglect, and lack of love, in part by enhancing inner awareness. It can help with reconciliation with family and others. Overwhelming or unreasonable guilt is eased by rose quartz.

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Green Stained Glass trinket box

A trinket or jewellery box made out of green stained glass, with a hinged lid and a little chain to hold the lid when it’s open. The legs and stretcher are made out of silver wire, patina-ed to give it a vintage look.

From my range of “Glass Art”.

Read here "How Stained glass is made".

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Happy New Year!

Another creative year has flown past and it’s almost 2015. No resolutions for the new year though, I’m just going to go with the flow…

I'm hoping for a interesting year ahead, I’m hoping to have a creative year with lot’s of new interesting technologies to try out and learn, write some code, take up a new hobby, write a book, compose a painting masterpiece or just write interesting blog posts!

So my wish to you for the new year is to go out there in the world and be creative!

Happy New Year!

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Cigarette Lighter case

Hand-crafted by myself

A cigarette lighter case crafted out of copper with a soapstone bead insert.

I cut a piece of copper that would wrap around the lighter and cut it to size and solder the edges together. The I cut an oval out of the copper and soldered it to the bottom of the lighter and added the soapstone bead in the centre. I then brushed on a coat of black patina for an aged look and buffed it with some fine steel wool.

The copper sheeting I use for my items

My studio where it all happens

Blue glass jewel brooch

I crafted this brooch by cutting a hole in the centre of a piece of copper, soldering in a clear blue glass jewel and then crumpling the copper with my small flat-nose pliers to get an interesting shape. A brooch pin was soldered on the back and I applied a layer of black patina and then buffing it with some very fine steel wool to achieve a vintage look.

 The back of the brooch

Brooch with blue glass hook earrings

 Blue glass jewel brooch paired with a clear glass jewel brooch

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Goggo/Insect range – Baboon Spider

This Keepsakes range consists of insects (for the insect-lover!) to display as ornaments but some of them can also be fashioned into brooches. Hand-crafted with silver, copper, pewter, glass jewels and silver wire, each Goggo/insect can take 3 or more hours to make. Only materials of the highest quality is used and great attention is given to detail. Although the items should be treated with care, each item is strong and sturdy. These little animals are unique, one-of-a-kind designs not to be repeated.

Taking care and cleaning of your unique insect is as easy as scrubbing gently with a toothbrush and Sunlight Liquid and giving it a good rinse with cold water, drying gently with a soft cloth. A natural patina develops over time, adding charm to the item.

Each insect comes with a descriptive information card.

Ground-dwelling, these hairy spiders are among the world's largest, ranging from 2-6cm (body length). Various species exist in South Africa, all of them living in burrows. They have large fangs which can inflict an unpleasant bite, but without serious envenomation.

A collection of a few Goggos.

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