06/16/2026
This past weekend I took the Metal Patterning and Flame Painting class at my gem club
We started with 24 gauge copper sheet squares and dipped them in the pickle and then rinsed in the water to clean them up.
Next we took the handheld torch to anneal the copper and then did the Flame painting by applying heat to different parts of the copper like we were painting.
Once cooled to took the copper squares and made marks on them depending on what we were making and too them to the metal cutter (Guillotine Shear) to cut.
We then chose what patterns we wanted to use and lined up the copper with the exact part of the design we wanted then put a piece of water color paper on top.
Next we used the rolling mill to get the pattern on our copper pieces. We needed to make sure we adjusted it properly. Too loose and we wouldn't see the design. Too tight and we would damage the copper.
After we had the patterns we wanted on all of our pieces we went back to cut our copper on the Guillotine Shear so we would have both halves of the earrings.
Then we used the jewelry punch pliers to make holes in our copper pieces for our jump rings or earring wires.
Before we attached the jump rings or earring wires we used the file to smooth out any rough edges or shape our pieces.
I had so much fun learning this art from Debbie and love my new handmade jewelry pieces!
