Category Archives: Show and Tell

I have been busy on a new adventure

I have partnered with a friend, Lisa Bommarito, to start up a new jewelry line.  We have named it Gypsy Sage. See the website here: http://gypsysage.net. It has been fun again to work with just metal again as I have been enameling for years.  Here are some images from the studio:braclets studio2

Etchin’ Some Beatles

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my foray into acid etching a while back.  I had this vision of doing faces. It all started with this picture of my son when he was a baby. I had tinkered with the color and contrast to get this black and white image. I used to use this B&W image as my avatar. It was originally a project for my scrapbooking side.
As a very young girl I remember hearing the Beatles “Michelle” on the radio and knew for sure they were singing to me. I was a bit of a Beatles freak in my teens. I felt that I was born at the wrong time. How could I have missed those concerts in 1964? I read everything I could about them. I purchased a book of the complete history of the Beatles that included a poster. That poster had been on the wall of my bedroom since the late ’70-‘s. On their last trip out here I convinced my dad to do downstairs to my old bedroom and bring me that poster. Could it be almost 30 years later?? Shocking to get old….I digress…..

So I scanned that poster and shrunk it and tinkered with the contrast. I really felt there must be a way to do what I wanted. I could see the piece of jewelry in my head. I got the B&W image were I wanted it, sometimes editing pixel by pixel. All I had to do was figure out a way to get the detail I needed as resist onto the metal. I have read of several ways to do it and even tried a few only to have miserable results. It was very disheartening. I tried for weeks. I finally went to the ironing the toner onto the metal method and that didn’t work either. The image didn’t come off the paper. I tried again. It seemed to work ok but there was some white residue I could not scrub off with out scrubbing off the detail…out of frustration I just had to plunge it in the acid and see what I would get. I am really shocked at the results. It is totally cool! Here is that piece. I also did a test patch of a scrolly pattern. the whole piece of copper is 4-1/4″ x 2″.   It just makes me want to sing, “Love Love me do…you know I love you…” ……

Michelle  Fundametals

My new friend..He is called a Potter Press

Last summer I was sooo lucky, after selling off some unused tools, to take the plunge and buy my hydraulic press. I researched and researched…Will it be the Shark Bite? The Bonny Doone?  Then I stumbled onto the Potter USA website. I first I dismissed it, was it for ceramics(potters?)?   I went around and asked others questions..read up on building my own. I do tend to obsess over the details when I am making a big decisions like this one. Then with more searching I found the Potter USA site again and this lead to Kevin Potter’s You Tube channel. The videos of this guy totally enjoying his job..cutting and welding metal won me over. I then ask him a bazzillion questions which he patiently answered. So my order was placed…once it arrived…It was Love at first site! Or should I say first squeeze! The 20 ton PressI thought of making a video showing you how they work. But how much better could it be to see Kevin himself explaining how a blanking die (or pancake die) works with a 20-ton press. The press can do a multitude of tasks. Cutting metals blanks is just one of them. Thus the term “blanking die”. This is a sample of what a pancake die looks like:Pancake DieHere is Kevin demonstrating how to cut with the die:

This is a necklace I made using this very die.  I first cut it out of copper, shaped it with some reposse and dapping tools.  Then I enameled it:
More about the press later.  Michelle Mahler  Fundametals

Happy Customer!


One of my dear customers just emailed me an image of a beautiful component/piece that she made using the Swanstrom Disc Cutter along with the positioning plugs. Beautiful work, Helen. This is what she had to say:

“I had been using a different disc cutter…there is no comparison. This is the Rolls Royce of disc cutting experience!

I LOVE the positioning plugs, too….making my own beads will now be a breeze!”

Helen, thanks so much for sharing. Disc cutter or no disc cutter, I am a huge fan of your work! I understand the Swanstrom Disc Cutter is a large purchase and I am pleased you think it’s worth every penny.

Sharing a few more finds..

I ordered a center finder from Amazon. When taking Connie Fox’s riveting class at Bead Fest Wire, I asked her how she lines up or center the holes in her metal so nicely. She told the class she uses a tool called a center finder and it can be purchased from amazon. It arrived today, and it’s an awesome little tool. And it’s very inexpensive. Only $3.30. For example, it can be used to find the center of a disc to make beadcaps or if you are doing any kind of riveting, this tool is definitely a must have. The one I ordered is the same one pictured above, it’s made out of yellow hard plastic. To purchase or read more about it log on to Amazon and type in “center finder.”
And lastly, if you do not subscribe to the etsy metal blog, they have a cool tutorial for learning how to etch on metal. Well written with great photos! I purchased the etching solution a few weeks ago, but I have not had the time to play around with it. I can’t wait to try this cool technique and texture my metals.
Have a great evening!
Jeanette