From the Mighty Oak

Always on the lookout for interesting textures to incorporate into my jewelry,

I recently found a well preserved white oak leaf, 

left over from last year's growing season.

Oak leaves are generally pretty tough, 

making this one a potential candidate for my rolling mill.

The leaf was sandwiched between two pieces of annealed copper

and then rolled through the mill.

Because I used a thin gauge of copper to get a good imprint,

I planned to solder the newly formed leaf 

onto a piece of metal that had been previously etched 

in order to have a finished product 

with enough substance to maintain its shape.

I tried to be smart about my soldering 

and began by sweat soldering pieces of easy solder on to the back of the leaf.

After cleaning the leaf in pickle,

it was fluxed and placed on a piece of etched nickel....

also fluxed.

While these are relatively large pieces of metal,

I wasn't overly concerned

since neither is of a heavy gauge.

Well...

I guess I should have been a bit more concerned

since things did not work out the way I had planned.

Some of the solder flowed, 

and some of it didn't.

The flux must have been burned off

because no matter how much heat was applied,

I couldn't seem to get more of the solder to do what I wanted it to do.

I know I could have taken the partially connected assembly apart, 

pickled it

and start again...

but I just didn't want to.

I made the executive decision that this would be a 

partly soldered/mostly riveted piece.

Holes were drilled in strategic locations...

and rivets were made with short segments of sterling wire.

When I first found the white oak leaf,

I thought that maybe it could inspire a necklace.

It quickly became apparent 

that the copper version was a bit too mighty to wear around the neck.

Second option...

a bracelet.

The riveted, layered leaf was formed 

with a plastic mallet and my oval bracelet mandrel.

I feared that some of the rivets might pop as the leaf 

was bent and pounded into shape,

but...

all connections held tight.

Sigh of relief!

Back to the garden 

to search for more millable leaves!