How to Make Decaled Enamel Necklaces

I've been wanting to play with enamel decals ever since I took a class at The Ranch Center for Arts and Crafts with Gail Nelson.  She had cool sheets of zentangle drawings that she printed on waterslide decal paper.  That was almost 2 years ago.  Well, I've done it. The hardest part was finding the right laser printer.  I could have bought one, but my husband is always coming home with someone's cast offs.  We acquired an old HP printer that can't seem to print more than one sheet of something at a time.  It's bad for a business, but I can put up with that problem...  You can't use just any laser printer or photo copier.  The one you choose has to have iron oxide toner.  You can look at the MSDS sheet of the toner cartridge online.  Just Google it!

So, anyway, on to the details...  What's needed for this project is a sheet of copper that has been cut to your desired shape and drilled for a jump ring.  You will also need enamel, of course.  I like to enamel both sides in the same color.  After your shapes are enameled on both sides, clean your edges of all firescale.

For the decals...  I purchased mine at Delphi Glass.  The item you want is "fusing photo paper."  It comes in a 10 pack of 8.5" x 11" sheets.  Next, you'll need a black line drawing.  I created these zentangle designs on a heavy weight white sketchbook paper with a micron fine tip pen.  You want a crisp, clean line that doesn't bleed.  I made several sketches and scanned them into my computer.  With a photo editing software like Photoshop you can size your designs to the scale you are working at and duplicate them across your sheet.  I like to leave plenty of room around the design so that the decal can be cut just a bit bigger than the enameled piece.  If you cut close to your design and have a lot of room around it on your piece, depending on the color of enamel, you will see the outline of the plastic.  I found this out the hard way with bitter green.  The other colors I've worked with so far didn't seem to be a problem.

As for enamel colors that work with decals, you want to choose fairly light colors.  In the photo above, I chose two light colors and one medium one.  The lighter colors have the best contract with the sepia tones of the decals.

The application process is super easy.  Get a bowl of warm, clean water.  Place your decal, cut to size, in the water and make sure it is completely submerged.  Let it soak for a minute or two.  You'll know when it's ready if the decal can be slid off of the paper backing.  When your decal is ready, slide it off gently onto your enameled piece.  I like to get the enameled piece a little wet first before applying.  Smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles and dry with a paper towel.

Now, the hard part...  You have to let these puppies dry overnight.  Why you ask?  Because if you don't, the little bit of water that lies between the decal and the enamel will cause the surface of the enamel to pit and crease.  It's really a pain if that happens.  The pits and creases can be fired out, but you run the risk of losing the decal image.

Firing...  I fired my decals at 1450 degrees.  I don't use a timer.  I take them out when the kiln gets back up to 1450 - 1460.  At that point, the decal plastic has burned off and the iron oxide has fused to the enamel surface.  If you listen for it, at about 1340 degrees the decal plastic ignites.  You'll hear a little pop.  I have peaked in to see it and it's appalling.  You think your piece is ruined.  It's all black and yucky looking.  Just shut the door and wait for the kiln temp to get back up to 1450-1460.  The finished product is just minutes away.

When your item is completely cool, clean the firescale off of the edges.  Gently wipe a damp paper towel across the surface of the decal to see if it stays clean.  The decal is permanent if your paper towel remains clean with a good wiping.  Sometimes a faint tinge will appear, but with a little more aggressive scrubbing, there should be no more residue.  If you still get residue, refire.  Wait for the kiln to come up to 1470 this time.

Well, that's it!  I hope you have fun with waterslide decals!!!

Inspiration from New Friends

Recently, I received a phone call from a woman in the midwest.  She had been to our lovely island this past March and met 5 other women who shared a similar interest.  They are all writers.  They stayed at a very special place called Hedgebrook.  It's a wonderful little retreat center for writers.  I don't know much more about their story, except for a common desire of theirs.

The woman that called said they wanted to commemorate their time at Hedgebrook with an organic charm necklace.  My wheels immediately started spinning as she told me more about what they were looking for.  They wanted a charm with cedar or pine, an oyster or scallop shell and a charm with the word "WISH" on it.  After several back and forth emails with examples, I decided to make a few samples.

I've been wanting to make a charm with cedar on it for a long time, but the cedar boughs on the trees that surround my home are too big for a charm.  With a pair of scissors in hand, I set out from my studio to see what I could find there.  Fortunately, there are a pair of cedar shrubs that flank the studio entrance.  They are a bit different than the trees that grow wild here, in that the size and spacing of the "needles" is smaller and tighter.  It was an exciting find!

I set out to make a couple of silicon molds and cast a few pieces in silver.  It was so much fun to create these samples.  I also put together a bead cap for a little pearl.  It was an additional idea that they had after we started conversing.  I have a picture of the three samples that were sent to the group.

 

I don't usually make samples for a custom order, but I am so glad I did this time.  I love each of the charms and decided that the WISH charm/necklace was going to be mine - at least for a time.  I wore it to our First Saturday Artwalk at Whidbey Art Gallery last night and three of the gals from the Hedgebrook retreat were there.  They loved it!  It's so rewarding to see and idea become a reality and have it please the intended receiver!  Thank you Sheroes of Hedgebrook!

Being A Guest At The Freeland Art Studios

Last weekend was the first weekend of our local studio tour.  I was a guest at the Freeland Art Studios.  It was great to participate at such a creative venue.  It is home to several sculptors, a painter, and a jeweler.  I shared space in Sue Taves' studio with another guest artist, Dan Freeman.  Despite a lower than normal turnout, we had a really good time.

Here's a pic of my booth and tiny work space.  If you are in the area, we are open Friday through Sunday for the second and last weekend of the Whidbey Working Artists Summer Art Tour.  I will be doing demos throughout the weekend - both torch fired and kiln fired enameling.  Hope to see you!