I have been making crafts my entire adult life, over forty five years now. My latest is mixed metal jewelry. I use recycled or "green" metals; copper, jewelers, brass, and aluminum are my chosen metals. By hammer texturing with various styles of hammers to creative patinas made of such things as sea salts, ammonia, pickle juice and even tobacco I produce a colorful, sophisticated, understated, elegant line of jewelry.
I first cut the shapes from plain sheet metal, clean and polish them, and begin the processes that I use to create the finished items. Layering and juxtaposing these finished pieces gives each jewelry item a unique, one of a kind look. Duplication is nearly impossible as a result of hand making each piece. I am good, just not a machine.
With the various pieces I create finished earring, bracelets, pendants, and necklaces. Sorry, no rings.
I have now been selling this line of jewelry for eight years. I have sold to customers from throughout the world, some of whom have come back to see me from very far away to buy more of my jewelry. Two notables from this year are a man from Estonia, buying another pair of earring for his wife and a woman from Afghanistan buying another pair for herself, saying how many compliments she gets when wearing them.
At the shows I sell at I often have "be backs" that scour a show before buying and come back to purchase and tell me they found my jewelry to be the best, most unusual in the show. This has kept me in business for many years.