Dots to the Rescue

by Judy Larson

It is amazing how much an added little dot of metal can elevate a design. I used so many tiny dots when I made my Bali style beads that I ran out and had to restock my supply!

Instructions

After cutting the pieces needed for a project from sheet metal, use a variety of different size hole punches to cut "dots" from scrap sections.

Judy Larson's Dots to the Rescue - , Wire Jewelry Design, Design, making silver dots

One side will be more rounded and will be considered the right side. Place the dots right side up on a bench block. Give each dot a light tap to flatten.

After the dots have been flattened, they are ready to use. Save all excess dots for use on other projects by labeling a small bag with the sheet metal gauge, and possibly the dot size, if many were made in different sizes. My favorite storage box for these little gems is a trading card storage box. These little boxes are easily accessible stored on a shelf above my workbench.

Keep little metal dots on hand to use as embellishments and you won't be sorry.

When running a butterfly wing texture and sheet metal through my rolling mill, I wasn't paying close enough attention. The tip of one of the wings folded over-grrr. I lined the texture up again, knowing there would be a ghost image when I ran it back through to get the wing tip imprinted. Then it was a matter of disguising the folded over area. Dots to the rescue! Decide what size dots to use and where they will be placed.

Small dots of paste solder were used to attach the dots and then the unit was placed on a soldering surface. Because the flux in paste solder bubbles up if the heat is too close, thus probably moving the tiny dots, make sure to keep the heat at least a finger width away from the piece until there is no more smoke and flame. The dots will be settled on the metal backing at that point and the heat can be moved closer. Immediately remove the heat when the solder flows.

After pickling the piece, the fold is still visible, but the dots draw the eye away. The ghost image means that there are more lines for patina to remain in when the excess is removed from the raised areas. This helps disguise the fold. The folded over recedes into the background when the dots become the star of the show after the patina is removed.

Materials

18 Gauge Half Round Dead Soft Argentium .940 Silver Wire

H19-18HRD

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $2.63
Gold Club Price: $1.97

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22 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H19-22SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $51.10
Gold Club Price: $38.32

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Tools

Silver Solder Paste Soft SS65- 1/4 T.O.

SOL-822.10

SOL-822.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.95
Gold Club Price: $12.71

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Fire Brick

SOL-485.00

SOL-485.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $15.95
Gold Club Price: $11.96

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Blazer Big Buddy Turbo Torch, Black

TRCH-8010

TRCH-8010
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $40.00
Gold Club Price: $30.00

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Category: Design
Technique(s): Design

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!