The Enamelling Course...

This sample has layering, sgraffito
and rubber stamping

... was amazing. I really enjoyed every minute, and although I produced a pitiful amount of work, I learnt loads.

Joan Mackarell is very knowledgeable and an excellent teacher. She demonstrated many different techniques, then let us get on with experimenting.

There may have been more, but she definitely taught:

Sifting techniques (layering, stencilling, sgraffito, rubber stamping, painting with a holding medium)
also - inclusions (wire, copper shapes, glass beads)
Wet packing
Cloisonné
Painting Enamel
Wet Process Enamels
Transfers (decals)
Matting with matting salts

A shame it was only two days, I could have done with a few more. I asked Joan to teach me some engraving, as I would like to do some basse taille enamelling, so she showed me some basic techniques, and now I need to practice...

My very first attempt at engraving:

Straight lines on the right, then I did some
curved lines on the left

Not everything worked:  I spent quite a long time engraving this sample piece, so I could try enamelling it. I have no idea what caused the bubbles!!!
Sadly there wasn't enough time for me to stone it down and try again...

Engraved copper with flux (clear enamel) and something
has gone horribly wrong!

I doubt you will be impressed be the following, but it's my very first enamelled dome, and I'm very proud of it :-)

Copper dome enamelled with clear enamel (flux)

And my word of the day is... Vermiform - meaning 'in the shape of a worm'.
As seen on the website Button World...