iKandies and Glass Fusing!

iKandies tried something new over the weekend: glass fusing!  A local glass studio, Akron Glass Works, began the annual offering of glass fusing and glass blowing workshops.  At the last minute, iKandies decided to sign up for a glass fusing class, and we're glad we did!

Pistol Grip Glass Cutter

We thought glass fusing involved using a torch so we were surprised to learn the process is done in a kiln.  Layers of glass are heated to a temperature from 1100 to 1700 degrees and as the glass reaches a molten state, the pieces are fused together. Since not all glass expands or contracts at the same rate, the glass must be compatible. We learned about the coefficient of expansion - COE - or the rate at which glass expands when heated. To prevent the glass from cracking during the cool down process, he COE of the glass being used must be the same. We also learned about some new tools like running pliers - a tool used to break glass by hand along a scored line made on the glass and a pistol grip cutter which is used to score the glass before breaking it into pieces.



  

Glass pieces, copper foil and tools

Then we discussed patterns, cutting the glass and positioning it on our base piece.  We were shown how to layer the glass and add decorative features such as copper foil, glass frit (crushed glass) and glass stringers (long string like pieces of glass).

Running Pliers used to snap off scored glass

Scoring the glass wasn't hard, but cutting anything other than a simple shape was!  So we stuck with a simple design: a tree made with fall colors.



 

Positioning the glass

We chose transparent glass so that we could layer copper foil between some of the leaves and the base glass.  Then we applied glue to tack the pieces in place before firing the project in a kiln.  The kiln is a large floor model that is heated to 1480 degrees in order to fuse the glass properly.




Ready for the Kiln

We learned about glass slumping or allowing the glass to heat and then "slump" into a prepared mold while in the kiln.  The molds are made of clay or stainless steel.






The finished product!  



Beauty Beneath the Ground

When iKandies first began to bead, we stuck to glass - Czech glass, Swarovski crystals, seed beads - components that can be found at a local craft store.  But soon we became enthralled with gemstones, especially after our first trip to the annual Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee.  There we discovered vendor after vendor displaying gemstones we never dreamed existed. Each year we found something new, and 2012 was no different. Bronze Infused Purple Turquoise - now that was a sight to behold.

Gemstones are just rocks, minerals or organic material that have been cut and polished so that they may be used for ornamental purposes. They generally fall into two categories: precious gemstones like diamonds, rubies and emeralds, or semi-precious like lapis lazuli and amethyst.  Organic material such as pearls and petrified wood are often classified as a gemstone, too.

Earlier last year iKandies visited the Petrified Forest in Arizona and brought home several pieces of petrified wood from the souvenir shop. Since petrified wood is composed mostly of crystallized minerals, they closely resemble rocks.  Smaller pieces of polished petrified wood can be used in jewelry designs in place of other stones, as shown in the image to the right.


Recently, the hubby and I decided to have a new kitchen installed and when it came to selecting a counter top, we went with granite.  This meant a trip to a local granite warehouse and showroom, Mont Granite, and was that an experience! Hundreds of granite slabs from around the world were lined up and we were shown how to select the one we wanted. The colors ranged from white, greys and blacks to shades of green, pink and orange. The pink and orange combinations reminded us of the southwest, while the greens made us think of rolling hills.  On display in the showroom were examples of how granite can be used, in the kitchen, bathroom, on walls, outside by a grill, and on the floor.  Also, the company has some very artistic composites on display the showroom.  The image to the left is an artist's interpretation of mixing various sizes of petrified wood and back lighting it. The company also showed how a piece like this could be used in the home.  


Of course during our time at Mont Granite, I kept thinking of all the chips and pieces of granite that are discarded during the cutting and finishing process and how they could be used in jewelry designs.  Hopefully someone else close to the granite quarries has thought of this too, and they aren't going to waste!


No matter what your view of "rocks" may have been, we hope this blog post has shown you the beauty that is buried beneath the ground.

iKandies Adds Licorice to our Jewelry

Licorice?  Well, our name is "iKandies"!  But we don't mean licorice candy.  We're talking about Licorice leather or what is better known as "Regaliz" leather.  This is pronounced "reg-AH-leez" and has been all the rage in Europe.

The Regaliz bracelet component system consists of genuine Greek leather 6mm by 10mm in size and found in a variety of colors. High quality beads, caps and clasps in zinc and pewter are electro plated with 99.9% sterling silver.  Ceramic large hole beads and rubber rings add color and style options to each bracelet.  The nature of these bracelets make them appealing to both men and women.

Seen first at the 2012 Bead and Button Show, iKandies began noticing more and more bead supply stores offering these components.  So we tried our hand at making a woman's and a man's bracelet and here's the results:

Men's Regaliz Leather Bracelet

Women's Regaliz Flat Leather Bracelet

The Regaliz system includes ceramic beads, rubber rings and other pieces to adorn and finish your leather bracelet creation. We decided to create sterling silver metal slides for the Men's bracelet.  The sterling pieces were textured, annealed and then formed into slides that would fit on the leather cord.   For the woman's bracelet, we textured, annealed and oxidized a copper component to attach to two strands of flat Italian leather.  A Swarovski flat back crystal was glued to the copper piece, creating an eye catching focal point for this bracelet. 

We were able to attain quite a bit of leather from our supplier, Primative Earth Beads, so we'll be making more of these luscious bracelets!  Check out our website for these and other fine pieces of jewelry.

iKandies Up Cycles Data Cartridge Storage Boxes

By day I am a network administrator for a small company. Up until a few months ago our critical computer systems were automatically backed up during the evening to an HP Ultrium data tape drive.  Recently, we replaced this system with a new process that no longer required data cartridges.  What to do with the cartridges and their plastic storage boxes?

While the tapes must be destroyed, I was hoping to find another use for the storage boxes. These boxes are approximately 4 1/4 inches square, made of a sturdy plastic and have a flip top.  While many jewelry packaging options are pretty, they are not always practical for shipping or transporting delicate jewelry items. So iKandies decided to put these boxes to use as packaging for our jewelry items.

We setup an account with Moo.com and created labels that featured pictures of many of our jewelry items.  These images, along with information about iKandies Unique Custom Jewelry, were combined to create a variety of labels that can be fixed to the top of the plastic storage boxes. Not only do we have something to decorate the boxes, but also another way to advertise our business.

To use the box we simply pop up the lid, place a tissue paper wrapped jewelry piece inside and click the lid closed.  Each jewelry piece is protected inside its cocoon, nestled in a cute, reusable plastic box!

Look for our new packaging the next time you order from iKandies Unique Custom Jewelry.

Finished Stamping Project

The stamping project referred to in iKandies last blog post has been finished!   We had just finished stamping the diamond shaped copper pendant and was preparing it for oxidation.  After dipping it into a bath of liver of sulfur, the pendant was polished  front and back to remove most of the oxidized affect.  The black coloring that was left enhanced the stamping design on the pendant.  For the next step  fine copper wire was laced through holes that were punched along the sides of the pendant.  The wire was woven in a random pattern back and forth along each edge, and Swarovski crystals, small Czech glass beads and copper disks were added to the wire during the weaving process. Several layers of wire and beads were added to fill in the design.




Finally, the neck of the pendant was rolled towards the back to form a bail so that it could be attached to an antique copper chain.  Here's the final result.  Not too bad for the first stamping project!

This was fun although we have to admit, it takes some practice to get the stamped design straight.  Our next project will tackle letter stamping.

iKandies Gets to Play With Hammers!

Recently, iKandies has been delving into the world of sheet metal and hammers.  A new book by Lisa Niven Kelly, "Stamped Metal Jewelry: Creative Techniques and Designs for Making Custom Jewelry" caught our eye because of the unique designs she had included that used stamping techniques.  We watched the DVD tutorial which outlined the steps needed to make clear stamped designs on metal.  She also included tips such as her "tilt n' tap" method of ensuring that a great impression is made on your metal.   Another helpful tip that she shared is lightly polishing the surface of the metal to be stamped.  This causes a reflection on the metal and it then becomes easier to see where to place your stamp.  This is a great help for lining up letters if you are stamping a word or phrase on your metal!

We checked our supplies and found some of the items we needed at Bead Fest Philadelphia and others online.  Beaducation, P. J. Tools and Fusion Beads are just a few of the places to find great stamps.  Not only will you see a variety of letter designs, but many design stamps representing shapes and images of people, animals and other items that will make your designs personal.

Aren't these the cutest stamps!

Next, we selected a project from Lisa's book:


We practiced stamping several designs, utilizing the "tilt n' tap" method.  It works great, by the way!

Then we started with our design:  cutting the copper sheet metal into a pendant shape, filing the edges, taping the shape to a bench block and filling the front with our chosen design.  Here's the project after stamping is complete and holes have been punched along the edges.  Now we're ready for wire wrapping the edge!  But first, we'll need to give the pendant and the wire a bath in Liver of Sulfur. This will give the piece an "antiqued" look.  Then the pendant and wire will be lightly polished to remove excess oxidation from the design and refine the "antiqued" look.

Silver Black can be used in place of Liver of Sulfur on sterling silver, brass and nickle.  It can be applied with a Q-tip just to the area to be darkened (the words stamped onto a charm, for example) for immediate results. A Pro Polish pad can be used to polish off excess black.

Please check back on this site for our continuation blog of this project as we oxidize, wire wrap the edge of the pendant, make the bail and attach the pendant to a chain.

We've been beading for over eight years and have always found it a challenge to find high quality supplies at a reasonable price.  We have yet to locate a decent online bead store directory, so many hours have been spent scouring websites for the products you just can't get at a local bead store. For example here's a picture of a recent purchase made from Rio Grande.  Due to our increased interest in copper sheet and copper wire, we decided to purchase larger quantities of both so that we would not run out in the middle of a project. By larger quantities, we mean 1# spools of copper wire in 14 through 20 gauges. We also purchased 2 sheets of 6" x 12" copper sheet.

iKandies has found that purchasing metals from a company like Rio Grande who specializes in this type of product results in higher quality and better prices.  Many online bead sites specialize in large amounts and varieties of gemstones, crystals, glass, and findings, and offer sheet metal and copper wire in smaller amounts ( 3" x 3" sheets or 10 to 20' wire coils).  Small pieces of metal or lengths of wire are fine for the occasional metal accent piece but these items come at a cost.  The price break you get buying in larger amounts really pays off. 

And if you're really interested in getting a "price break" on copper, hunt around for unused or left over copper wire from building sites.  The next photo shows the copper wire (about 26 gauge) iKandies inherited  from a do-it-yourself heating and air conditioning project done by a relative.  We have used this wire for many, many projects, including the wire wrapped Rivoli pendant necklace shown in the picture.

Copper sheet and wire are easy to work with and make beautiful jewelry pieces.  Pure copper can be textured, painted, enameled, oxidized, treated with a patina or torch fired with gorgeous colorful results. If you haven't worked with copper, branch out and try it for your next project.  You'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.