Working on jewelry projects often generates metal scraps.
All of my sterling scraps, even the teeniest-tiniest bits of wire, are segregated and either melted into little balls and reused in new pieces (like as the center of my copper poppies) or sent off to one of my suppliers who will give me credit toward my next purchase.
The rest of my metal scraps end up in the box that I keep under my workbench.
There are parts of spoons, a section from an old lamp base, lids from Cento anchovy tins, segments from an aluminum tray and various scraps left over from disc cutting among other metallic detritus.
When I want to test out a new technique or a new stamp, I first search in this box for a piece of metal that is expendable.
Sometimes, pieces of scrap end up with a new life and get permanently promoted out of the box.
Old pieces of copper from a previous project had random gobs of solder. With no real plan in mind, the copper pieces were hammered flat and positioned on another scrap of 18 gauge copper.
With a little bit of flux and some torch heat, everything came together in a mess that I was initially prepared to toss back into the box.
But the more I studied my little 'Frankenstein' mess, the more I liked it.
With a bit of trimming, filing and sanding, I thought it might just become a pendant that only I could love.
With another scrap of copper (left over from foldforming experimenting), I used my looping pliers to make a bail that was riveted into place.
Choker length black leather cord will be used to turn this into a necklace, and I do love it.
Some other copper play this week......foldforming of hand cut discs.
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