Copper Tube Beads and Ceramic Elephants

 I am beyond thrilled to find out that Jean A. Wells is going to have some of her jewelry design creations in the Fall issue of Stringing. One of the pieces has one of my ceramic elephants as the focal bead.

I am very excited and so I am going to make a few to have in my store when the magazine is released.

Usually I am not able to make specific things when I want to. I try to make one thing and I end up making another but this time I had to be focused and prayer is an amazing thing because I made this tiny herd of elephants this very morning.

This weekend I played with metal just a bit and I made these very simple copper tube beads. The end caps are made with plain sheet metal.  The copper was small plumbing tubing I found at the hardware store.

I was able to use a small butane torch and medium silver solder. I cut the end disks a bit bigger than the bead so it held the solder as if on a platter. After it was soldered I was able to cut the excess off with a small pair of snips.  The sheet metal is only about 26 gauge so it was easy to cut off. Then I used my Dremel to smooth out the ends and to polish the copper.

I really should go and get the pickle solution started, but I'm working so small right now that it is just as easy to use the Dremel.  When I start making more complicated pieces I will begin using the pickle.  :)  Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a fabulous creative day too! -- Natalie