All posts by Annie Desantis

Brass Treasure Neckpiece

June 24, 2014 Annie Desantis

The triangle focal piece on this neckpiece is a piece of brass found during one of my rummages through a bin at my local scrap yard.

Neckpiece by Annie Desantis — Brass Treasure Neckpiece
by Annie Desantis

Hammered and pierced, the focal piece is wrapped in pure silver wire threaded with tiny recycled glass beads.

These tiny beads are made from ground recycled glass in Africa. A fabulous use of waste glass, but also these tiny treasures are their livelihood.

A tiny disk of hammered, patina’d hot water cylinder dangles off the bottom, and the piece is attached to a hand beaten chain made from recycled copper and brass with hammered blobs of solder.

I used to be a hot water cylinder, Neckpieces

Limeyellow Sari Silk Focal Neckpiece

June 24, 2014 Annie Desantis

This neckpiece is a collection of recycled elements! The lime and yellow sari silk in the centre focal piece, is factory waste that I buy from women in India. Some of the tiny treasures I have unearthed among the scraps are gorgeous.

The silk is wrapped with enameled copper wire around a square hammered copper wire piece made from recycled electrical wire with a hammered solder bead (blob actually!)

Neckpiece closeup by Annie Desantis — Limeyellow SariSilk Focal Neckpiece (closeup)
by Annie Desantis

The lower circle is wound with teeny tiny wires I reclaim from old speakers, hammered, then partly wrapped in pure silver wire and hung with tiny recycled lemon yellow glass beads. These tiny glass beads are hand made in sand with fire from crushed glass in Africa. No fancy kilns or even electricity! Amazing how creative people always find ways to work, but more importantly these tiny treasures are their livelihood.

The dangle on the right hand side is a hammered piece of brass found in my local scrap yard, threaded with another tiny lemon recycled hand made bead.

The chain is made from individual hammered curly links, with a leather thong around the neck, attached with pure silver wrapping and two more tiny lemon recycled glass beads.

Earrings, I used to be a hot water cylinder

Hot Water Cylinder Spiral Earrings

June 24, 2014 Annie Desantis

These earrings are part of my range “I used to be a hot water cylinder”. Turning junk into beautiful jewelry is something I love to do, and one of my favorites is cutting up pieces of hot water cylinders and turning them into wearable art.

Earrings by Annie Desantis — “I Used To Be A Hot Water Cylinder” Spiral Earrings
by Annie Desantis

The disks were hand cut and hammered over concrete to create a rough knobbly texture, which is perfect for building up the patina process. The hot water cylinders already have some interested aged patina, but these earrings have several process (top secret!) that I use to build layers of gorgeous verdigris. I then wax the disks to protect them.

These earrings are assembled with pure silver wire, hammered copper wire (both recycled) and old Tibetan beads made from coral and turquoise chips. The ear wires are Sterling silver.

Earrings, Fine Silver, PMC~Precious Metal Clay

Fine Silver SpiralCircle Earrings

June 24, 2014 Annie Desantis

These dainty fine silver earrings are made from PMC – precious metal clay. This wondrous stuff is made from recycled or reclaimed silver ground into a clay binder. This opens up so many possibilities for creating jewelry – carved, stamped, rolled, shaped. The clay binder burns off on firing and we are left with pure silver.

Fine Silver (PMC) Earrings by Annie Desantis — Fine Silver (PMC) Earrings
by Annie Desantis

The small circles are shaped and cut and stamped with a spiral pattern before firing. Threaded with a recycled red glass bead on hand made sterling silver ear wires.

The patina is added in the recesses as a final step to make the spiral pattern pop – then the earrings are polished and protected with micro crystalline wax.

Encaustic Bowls, Encaustic Wax Art

Lemonwhite Tiny Encaustic Bowls

June 19, 2014 Annie Desantis

This is a pair of tiny bowls, ideal for rock salt and pepper, or tiny treasures.

Tiny encaustic bowls by Annie Desantis — Tiny Encaustic Bowls ~ Lemonwhite ~ approx 4.5 cm diameter
by Annie Desantis

I shape the bowls from handmade paper clay, using recycled paper and coffee grounds. These tiny bowls stand approx 3cm high with an interesting lumpy texture inside.

Inside the bowl is a rich lemon encaustic wax, made with pigments, hot beeswax and damar resin. The outside has layers of crisp white buttered on, with patches of the natural paper clay bowl peeking through.

Encaustic Bowls, Encaustic Wax Art

Tiny Encaustic Bowl Silverlime

June 19, 2014 Annie Desantis

These tiny bowls can be functional – approx egg sized they can be used to serve rock salt or ground pepper, or you can keep tiny treasures such as a ring in them.

Tiny encaustic bowl by Annie Desantis — Tiny Encaustic Bowl ~ Silverlime ~ approx 4.5cm diameter
by Annie Desantis

Made from handcrafted paper clay I make using recycled paper and fibres, this beautiful tiny bowl stands nearly 2cm high.

Intense pigment ink colours it centrally inside, the outside shows the natural creamy paper clay, which will go a little more goldy over time, as this bowl also has recycled coffee grounds in the clay mix. Encaustic wax adds to the luminosity, and protects the pigments.

The edges have pure silver leaf wrapped over them. It’s a little hard to see in the photo with the light reflected on the silver.

Encaustic Bowls, Encaustic Wax Art

Teal And Whitespiral Encaustic Bowl

June 19, 2014 Annie Desantis Leave a comment

Hand crafted from paper clay I make using recycled paper and fibres, my encaustic bowls are layered with pigments and encaustic wax – which is a mixture of damar resin and beeswax.

Encaustic bowl by Annie Desantis — Encaustic Bowl ~ Teal Whitespiral – approx 8.5cm diameter
by Annie Desantis

This Teal Whitespiral bowl stands approx 3.5cm high, with a wavy edge. Approx 8.5cm in diameter it is coloured with intense pigments in layers within the wax.

These bowls can be used to serve some foods – sweets, nuts etc would be fine. But do not use wet foods or the wax could stain. The bowl can be wiped out gently with warm soapy water but do not immerse or use harsh cleaning products.

The outside has pigments rubbed into the wax creating a luminous finish.

Encaustic Bowls, Encaustic Wax Art

Copperlime Encaustic Bowl

June 19, 2014 Annie Desantis Leave a comment

My encaustic bowls are handcrafted from paper clay, using recycled paper, layered with wax, pigments, papers, found objects . . . anything!

This Copperlime bowl stands approx 3.5cm high, with a 8.5cm diameter. Encaustic wax – which is hot beeswax mixed with damar resin and pigments, is layered over inks, pigments, images and objects.

This bowl has two copper nails inserted, and a curl of fine copper wire recycled from old speakers. Marks have been sgraffito’d into the surface. Sgraffito is a technique of scratching back into the under-layers of a piece to reveal the layers beneath. Pigments are also rubbed in to highlight the mark making.

Images and paper have also been layered into this piece.

Art Rings, Encaustic Jewelry, Encaustic Wax Art, I used to be a hot water cylinder

Black And White Art Ring

June 19, 2014 Annie Desantis

This is another in my series “I used to be a hot water cylinder”. The ring bowls are hammered into bowl shapes after cutting circles from old hot water cylinders.

Art Ring by Annie Desantis — “I used to be a hot water cylinder”
Art ring by Annie Desantis

This black and white piece is layered papers and pigments with encaustic wax, then a small red copper circle is riveted in the centre and attached to the sterling silver ring band.

The back is natural copper patina, that has been protected with micro crystalline wax.

Art Rings, Encaustic Jewelry, Encaustic Wax Art, I used to be a hot water cylinder

Red Encaustic Art Ring

June 19, 2014 Annie Desantis

My encaustic jewelry art rings have layers paper, silks, pigments, and found objects into layers of encaustic wax – hot beeswax with damar resin.

The ring bowl, is cut and hammered out of an old hot water cylinder and rivitted onto a stirling silver ring shank before layering in the encaustic and embellishments.

This glowing red, black and white Art ring has layers of silk, hand made papers, gold leaf and pigments layered into the wax.

Hammered off center is a silver nail.

The edges and the back of the ring has pigments and wax rubbed into the copper, with the natural patina of the copper shining through. The piece is protected with micro crystalline wax.

I would not recommend immersing these pieces in water, however if it gets wet, simply blot dry. Don’t leave my encaustic wax pieces in the sun, they probably won’t melt unless they are in a very hot place, such as a car, but they will soften.

Art and Jewelry created from recycled and transformed materials