Punch Today in the Face Etched Pendant

As soon as I saw this expression, I knew it was perfect for my eldest daughter and a great test for my first metal etching project. This pendant is created from sheet copper with the addition of a purchased brass bird I enameled and fired.

First I cut a piece of 24 gauge copper to the size I wanted for my finished pendant. Then I drew my text and some designs with marker, including covering the edges to protect them.

 Then the copper was suspended in a half inch of ferric chloride from the jewelry supply store. It took about 40 minutes or so to get a nice deep etch. I rinsed it well with baking soda and a brush.

 Here's the etched piece. I will try stamping a design next time, as I found the strokes from hand writing with a marker were a little less precise than I would like.

I decided to go with the Ranger patinas which are painted on the surface, then sealed the face with a lacquer. The bird was torch-fire enameled, then roughed up and fired along with the whole piece to give it more of a grungy look. I used a brass rivet to attach the bird to the face of the pendant. Holes were punched in the top to add a chain. Another gift I really enjoyed designing and giving!