Allow Me to Brooch a New Subject

Some of you may remember that I have been on a little ring thing lately. For those of you who are just tuning in, check out this and this.

Well anyway, I decided to break the trend (at least for the moment) by making a brooch. I started this project last Wednesday during my class at Terri McCarthy Studios. There, I fabricated the base by texturizing sterling silver, copper and brass. Then, I soldered the pieces together and added a 5mm bezel cup to the bottom.







I finished the piece this morning at home by soldering the pin findings onto the back. I was a little nervous because I've only made one pin before and that was a few years ago. I spent a lot of time lining up the catches and pallions of solder. Once everything was just right, I got out my handy dandy torch and voila! Perfect... if I must say so myself! After I finished patting myself on the back, I added a light patina, set a black onyx stone and polished the piece.

Thought for the day: If you think something is going to be too hard, try it anyway. You might be pleasantly surprised or find a new challenge. Either way, practice makes perfect!!