Mixed Metals and Sensitive Skin - Challanges and Solutions by Karen McGovern

I love to mix metals in my designs, and use mostly a combination of copper, brass, nickel silver and aluminum.  Sterling silver and gold are not on the list simply due to the fact that these materials are so CRAZY EXPENSIVE these days.  My goal has always been to create unique AFFORDABLE jewelry.  So, I stick to what I can afford, and can afford to share with my clients at a reasonable price. 

 

There are challenges when working with "non-precious" materials.  Soldering different metals together is a challenge, some heat quicker than others, some simply don't like each other and will BURN INTO ASH before soldering.  Cold connecting with rivets and micro screws is my go-to method of marrying metals most of the time.  It's easy, and I really love the look of rivets as accents. 

 

One challenge I am constantly aware of (and working to overcome) is the skin reaction many people have when copper, nickel and brass touches them.  Many folk's skin reacts badly with these materials, and nothing is worse than having your client's fingers and wrists turn green from wearing your work!  I hate hearing from a potential client that they love a piece of my jewelry, but won't consider buying it because of skin/metal related problems.  So, I work to devise solutions that are both successful and interesting.

 

For many, the go-to solution is layering acrylic sprays and polishes on the finished piece, which works very well, but doesn't last forever.  Rings and bracelets worn consistently over a long period of time will wear away any finish that is applied.  It's inevitable.  Yes, you can tell people to go ahead and spray the piece with Krylon from Michael's, but that is a lot to expect your clients to do.  So, I have a couple tips for those who enjoy working with mixed metals as much as I do:

 

For rings and cuffs made of copper, nickel or brass, I love to line the interiors with transparency film or resin paper.  ArtChix Studios is a wonderful source for beautiful transparency sheets and collage sheets in just about any pattern or theme you can imagine.  Butterflies, birds, text, vintage ladies and more can adorn the inside of your rings and cuffs.  Simply cut to the appropriate size and either rivet in place or use a coating of jewelry resin (like Ice Resin) to adhere the transparency in place. For papers, coat paper with resin first, allow to dry, cut and rivet or resin in place as well.  This will provide an impervious barrier between the metal and the wearer's skin, and add tons of interest to the piece.  Unfortunately, this does not work for fine or thin wire ring bands...haven't solved that puzzle quite yet, but I'm working on it.
 

Assorted papers from the Industrial Chic line. 
The bottom sheet has been coated with resin.

A brass cuff with resin paper set on the interior.

Next is the glory that is aluminum.  Aluminum is quickly becoming a popular metal for jewelry designers for so many reasons.  It's inexpensive, easy to work with, looks like silver, doesn't tarnish and best of all IT'S HYPOALLERGENIC!  I adore aluminum and use it constantly in my work.  I use it as a base for most of my cuff designs, layering copper and brass on top.  Same for pendants.  I try to make sure that whatever part of the design that will touch skin is backed with or made of aluminum.  You cannot solder aluminum to anything, so you'll get very creative with riveting!
 

A variety of aluminum cuffs.  I LOVE ALUMINUM!

This brings me to another point--making the back of your pendants/designs as interesting as the front.  If you have a design that you just don't want framed in aluminum, you can still add an interesting shape or cut-out of aluminum to the back that can't bee seen from the front to act as a buffer between the pendant and skin.  Resin papers and transparency sheet can be used here just like with cuffs and rings.  Again, you are adding dimension and interest to a part of your design that is often left blank and providing a barrier between metal and skin.  What artist can resist a blank surface??  Aluminum can really save the day for you and I urge you to give it a try.  It's available in sheet, wire, and pre-cut shapes all over the Internet.  Textures beautifully too!
 

A added a strip of textured aluminum to the back of this Wolf Totem pendant. 
Simple and effective!

I hope you'll give these ideas a try, and I know your sensitive skin clients (and your pocketbook) will be happy you did!

Memories...Like the Corners of My Nose...

Ahhhh, Summer. If you've been following the blog lately, you have no doubt noticed that many of us are in and out of full-on vacation mode, dropping posts between bursts of travel and wonderful summertime fun. For those of us living in or visiting the northeast, we know that these days are fleeting, and have to be grabbed by the handful between May and August. Especially so for those with family and school schedules to factor in.

So, excuse us for our brief or erratic posts, as our brains have turned into potato salad and barbecue for the time being.

 

I have just returned from Northern Michigan, and four blissful days of eating, drinking and sunning on the shores of Glen Lake with two of my sisters and a dear friend. A girls weekend in paradise.

What a wonderful trip...my friend Maria supplied a floaty the size of
my living room (sat six...seriously...with built in COOLERS). 
I now can't imagine living without one...

By the way, re-entry to "real life " sucks, for lack of a better term.

Anyhoo, I'm back home, organizing my memories of the getaway as best I can to better savor them the longest. Photos are wonderful, but I began thinking about what else triggers memory--scent. If I were to make a smell that best encapsulates the very essence of my summer memories it would be a bouquet of campfire smoke with hints of Off Bug Spray, undertones of the breeze off a freshwater lake, a shot of fresh mowed grass, and a layer of sun-warmed skin covered in cocoa butter. Are you listening, Glade?

This in turn reminded me of when I created a line of jewelry meant to carry scent. Years ago I played around with clay, and created some kiln-fired glazed beads. I am one of those people that can't wear perfume. My skin is too acidic or something, and no matter how spectacular the perfume or essential oil, 10 minutes on my skin and it smells like cat pee....Seriously. FOR REAL. So, I tried to design beads and pendants that could carry scent without coming in direct contact with skin. I left a recessed, unglazed window in the bead or pendant where you could apply drops of perfume or oil. The clay absorbed the liquid and held the scent, the glaze protected the scent from my skin. They worked well and I liked them, but you could not change the scent and I got frustrated with the complexities of creating, glazing and firing because, well, I am incredibly impatient and schizophrenic in my jewelry designs. I wanted something that could be used over and over again, with different scents whenever the wearer wanted.

That's when I hit on a metal vessel-based pendant design that has a removable, ventilated front. Inside, the wearer can place a bit of sponge or cloth soaked in their favorite scent, or even dried aromatic herbs and flowers (dried lavender is PERFECT for this). DING DING DING! We have a winner! Easy to create from just about any small, non porous tin or constructed bezel, as long as the front cover has tiny holes and can be removed and replaced. Simply empty and rinse with unscented soap and water before changing scents. I seal the interior of the pendant and back of the cover with clear acrylic so the oils and perfumes won't react with whatever metals I use. These work really well, especially if the pendant is worn directly touching your skin. Your body temperature warms the pendant and really releases whatever scent you have inside. Kewl! No more eu de cat pee!

I had to climb into the way-back machine of my computer to find this
image from 2010.  One of the first metal vessel pendants I made for scent.

When I got home, I created the pendant you see below, inspired by my recent time-out in the beautiful "Up North". I brought home a pocketful of Petoskey stones and a heart full of love and warm memories.  Now that is the makings of a spectacular design. A drilled Petoskey stone sits on top, found on a rock picking excursion in Leland. Below that, silver and brass wire form gentle waves, like those on Glen Lake. A tiny rectangular tin box is riveted in place (the pendant base is textured aluminum), the top drilled and decorated with one of MaryAnn Carroll's beautiful enamel copper discs in a gorgeous liquid blue, almost as gorgeous as the color of the lakes I just visited. A tiny brass dragonfly wing accents. Finally, a fiery red glass headpin by Kimberly Rogers reminds me of the nightly campfire we had to toast our marshmallows for salted caramel dark chocolate s'mores.....Heaven. Not sure what scent I will place in the box...probably dried lavender like the bundles we buried our faces in while wandering around Leland. I think I might finish it with a map fragment on the back pinpointing where we stayed. Yes, that ought to do it...

So, until next time, I hope you all have a wonderful Summer and collect an endless supply of memories touching all the senses--and I hope you savor them for years to come. Enjoy!!!