iKandies Plays With Patinas

According to Merriam Webster's online dictionary, a patina is defined as "a thin usually green layer that forms naturally on the metals copper and bronze when they are exposed to the air for a long time".  iKandies LOVES that look, especially on copper.  But, who wants to wait for a result that may take "a long time" to develop?  And what if we want a surface color other than green? So, iKandies has found other ways to color our metal that do not involve the use of chemicals.

In this experiment, iKandies applied a micro torch to copper washers. In just a few minutes the washers glowed various colors of red and orange, and a few washers reached the purple stage.

 In this experiment, iKandies used a heat gun to apply steady heat to a piece of copper.  Light shades of orange and red began to appear.  But in order to achieve these colors, the torch had to be held steady, concentrating on one spot and for 5- 7 minutes.

In our final experiment, we buried copper, nickle and brass leaf shapes in crushed salt and vinegar potato chips to which a few tablespoons of white vinegar had been added.  After waiting about 1 hour shades of blue and green began to appear on the metals.  This picture shows the results of leaving the metal buried in the chips over night.



iKandies was very happy with the test results.  Here's the jewelry piece we created using the copper washers.  What do you think?

Get Ready for 2012 Colors!

Here at iKandies we LOVE color!  So we've consulted the Pantone color website to see what colors are in store for 2012.  We found that the color of the year is Tangerine Tango. 

This color is described on Pantone's website as a " a spirited reddish orange" which provides "the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward."

Orange has become a more popular color in fashion over the past few years, not only in clothing but also in cosmetics.  Tangerine Tango can be used as a complementary color for blue or green eyes. 

Pantone's color report for Spring 2012 includes Tangerine Tango, Solar Power, Cabaret, Bellflower, and Sodalite Blue.  These neon colors mix with the soft pastel shades of Cockatoo, Sweet Lilac, Starfish, Driftwood and Margarita.  You can see all of these colors on Pantone's website.

Pantone is known as the originator of a color system that identifies, matches and communicates colors to solve problems that often occur when producing accurate color matches.  Pantone is known world wide for their color matching system not only in the fashion industry but also in digital technology.

iKandies has been inspired by it's investigation of Pantone's color system.  While browsing a bead supplier's website recently, we found a Czech glass and seed bead mix that includes colors similar to Tangerine Tango.  The order has been placed with Auntie's Beads and we're anxiously awaiting delivery so we can begin creating our first design for spring!  

Tell us what you think of this bead mix!