Next in line for delivery, this teddy bear is almost done with his journey. This small heart shaped ornament is framed in a smooth texture of buffed lead-free solder. The bezel is placed on the side for a fun hanging angle. The chosen design for this ornament was positioned atop the collar of the plate so that is present on the back side and creates a slight curve in the ornament. Hung from a brown velvet ribbon.
The process of creating an ornament from vintage or antique dishware starts with a plate, cup, saucer, bowl, etc. All of the ornaments are made from vintage pieces allowing me to give them a second life. Hopefully, they will be around to enjoy many more holidays! Once I isolate the section to be used, then I start with a wet saw to cut it down to size. The next step is using glass cutting tools to form the rough shape. From there I use a wet grinder (used with stained glass art) to smooth the edges and finalize the shape. Copper foil is applied to the edges and burnished smooth. Lead-free soft solder is applied using an iron set at about 730 Degrees Fahrenheit. The bail is added which is generally hand formed and sized individually for each piece. Once framed, then the decorative dots, texture stamping, wires, charms or patina can be added. After that, it is determining how it will hang and hand polishing to a high shine! Enjoy!
