Lilac Stained glass pendant

Step out of the box with this lovely Lilac stained glass pendant, encased in silver solder and surrounded by silver wire. Hanging from a silver rope chain.

When one works with stained glass, you have a lot of off-cuts, a LOT! I just love making stained glass jewellery out of these lovely pieces of glass. There is something about the process with its many, many steps done in a certain order that I find very relaxing. It's a really satisfying creative process, as no two pieces can ever be the same.

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This is our year to dream

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." ~ Alice In Wonderland.

Most people think about their goals and dreams too casually, eventually completely forgetting about them, and just drift through life, settling for whatever comes their way. In fact, most people spend more time planning their birthday party than designing their future...

If you ask a friend about what you should do with your life, the phrase "follow your passion" will probably come up at some point. But these words are mis-guided and often taken up wrongly as "I can't do any job that is not my passion". "Passion" and "job" should not be used in the same sentence. Of course, if your job IS your passion, that's excellent (and actually nobody should actually be in a job they totally hate, that destroys the soul), but following your passion actually means you must really do, in between job time, what you are passionate about.

Doing what you are passionate about and what you love opens up a life of peace, purpose and fulfilment. It's how you get through life, what makes everything worth-while.

And dreaming is part of this process. Many great ideas, successful businesses and achievements have come from dreaming. So don't throw away your dreams, dream them, and sometimes, act upon them. Take up those art classes you've been dreaming about, that course in photography, study further or start that little business with your friend, "Where the needs of the world and your talents cross," Aristotle said some 2,500 years ago, "there lies your vocation."

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"The Milky Way" Pendant

Round, milky-white stained glass surrounded with silver solder and finished off with a half-moon shaped glass bead. Suspended from a silver chain.

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Steel, Wood, Silver and Air - Choker and earrings

This is a piece of small, flat steel bar surrounded with silver solder and decorated with silver wire and a wooden bead. The choker is silver wire and solder.

Steel, Wood, Silver and Air - each of these elements represent an aspect of a dynamic process, a process's phases of change.

Wood - rising, development (of an action), impulse, expansion, decampment
Steel - sinking, contraction, declining
Air - represented by the hole drilled in the steel - Air is vital to human survival
Silver - represents the purity and abundance of life  

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"I can see clearly now" Pendant

I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunshiny day.

Clear, textured stained glass pendant with a clear glass jewel, suspended from a silver chain.

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Creativity is just connecting things

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Cigarette box holder

Made out of copper, coated with silver solder and then paginated, this cigarette box holder has a hinge at the back for easy lifting of the lift. Made to hold a box of 30 cigarettes.

Hinge at the back of the cigarette box

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Goggo/Insect range - Button 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. 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 its own descriptive card.

Button Spider (Latrodectus)
The only potentially deadly spider found in South Africa. The male is small and harmless. The female's body is 10-15mm long, black, often with a red marking above the spinneret at the rear of the abdomen. Will only bit if accidentally pressed against the skin.

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"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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