SEARCH RESULTS

The hunt for transparent enamels that work well on copper continues! Today I am sharing my next instalment with you from my "explorations into Thompsons unleaded enamels" (with powders from Tom Lundsten who supplies Europe and the UK with the complete range via enamelsupply.com ). I enjoy testing and colour matching enamel colours when I am enamelling bowls, and making samples for any new ones I purchase. I am on a mission to find colours that glow (and clear) on copper to give a beautiful finish to your pure copper bowls or enamelling projects. It's easier with the opaques, as the enamel colour covers and hides the whole surface of the copper, but if you want that beautiful transparency of colour and a glassy finish, which enamels will deliver when used on copper? Here are three more of my favourite blue Thompson enamels , this time on a cool and wintry colour theme! From left to right clockwise: 1> Aqua Blue, 2> Nitric Blue (with a printed enamel pattern on top using Milton Bridge enamels) 3> Cascade Blue, 4> Nitric Blue base, with Prussian Blue top layer over the bottom half. 1>Aqua Blue transparent :no: 2520 Thompson Unleaded enamel 2> Cascade Blue transparent :no: 2510 Thompson Unleaded enamel 3> Nitric Blue transparent : no: 2660 Thompson Unleaded enamel As you can see, some are even more beautiful when laid over textured copper too, something worth trying for sure! In my next post, I will be looking at the purples, and pinks and greys..... Watch this space! Eleanor : www.copperbowls.co.uk

I love teaching this day course! As well as supplying pure copper bowls to enamellers, I offer exciting day courses at Rainbow Glass Studios where you can learn to enamel on convex and concave surfaces. This course is for students who have some experience of enamelling (such as having attended my Beginners Day Course Enamelling on Cooper for jewellery first) and who wish to develop their skills in enamelling on larger pieces too. My "Enamelling on copper bowls" day course will give you a confident start to working on domed and curved forms or 3D shapes (and getting your enamel to stick and not fall off, one of the main challenges posed by gravity!) I limit this course numbers to a maxiumum of 4 students at a time to allow more time for 1:1 guidance and support. You can expect to make two finished pendants using domed copper forms plus two small enamelled bowls, employing a range of decorative techniques, with colourful enamel media and a wide palette of opaque and transparent colours to choose from. The collection of enamelled and domed forms and copper bowls made by students in May 2025 on our day course I will lead you through the enamelling process step by step, covering health and safety in using a kiln to give you confidence and to encourage you to achieve a beautiful and professional finish on your bowls. The beautiful examples in the image above were created by first time attendees at my bowls course. You will also be able to wear your jewellery home as I provide the chains and findings to complete your creations (after all what is the point of making just samples? Let's make them useful, beautiful and wearable too!) Here is a lovely review from a recent attendee: "A great day enamelling on copper bowls, so fascinating to see layers of enamel come to life when fired. Eleanor is an excellent tutor who explained all processes very clearly & was always on hand to help when required. I was amazed at the lovely bowls I was able to create & take home with me. a very enjoyable day - thank you Eleanor." M.C May 2025 To book, here are forthcoming dates for my enamelling on copper bowls courses: Saturday 19th July 2025 Sunday 28th September 2025 Sunday 23rd November 2025 I'd love to see you at the studio and to teach you how! I also offer the option to my course attendees to pre-order more copper bowls to purchase and take home with them too! You will be bowled over......!

Thompson Opaque enamels in a coin collectors book If you are anything like me, I will buy an enamel powder having fallen in love what I think is a new colour (or perhaps several in a moment of rash late- night internet surfing!) I then add the pot of enamel to the motley crew of enamel families already on my shelves whilst not really knowing who they are or how they behave? Oftentimes I find I have bought the same colour again completely forgetting I already have it or something of very similar tone in my burgeoning collection. And was it Leaded? Unleaded? Transparent? Opaque? Opalescent? Who knows? (The reference numbers alone mean very little to me). In a rare moment of organisation, I may make a sample I forget to label properly that soon loses any connection to the powder in the original pot. So I am taking myself in hand to become better colour-co-ordinated, hence my new method to tame my errant ways and create an easily accessible system to get to know my palettes! Storing samples on little scraps of copper heaped higgledy-piggledy in a box is not going to do it for me, so I'd like to introduce you to my latest idea: I am investing in some inexpensive coin collectors wallets from EBay ("Professional Coin Collection Books") to aid me in creating catalogues of colour samples. These little pocketed folders allow up to 25mm diameter enamelled copper (or silver or steel) samples for easy storage and organisation so they can be seen and colour-compared without too much hunting or guess work! They can be removed and filed away again too. The smaller books hold 60 samples with the larger ones housing up to 200. The pocketed sleeves inside are transparent. I am feeling decidedly virtuous as I enamel myself one copper sample for the book (oh yes and it's labelled!) and one to stick onto the top of the new pot (also labelled!). I dedicate separate books to individual suppliers (one for Thompsons Enamels, one for Milton Bridge, one for Schauer etc...) creating my own "library of colours" so I will be able to refer back (in inevitable times of future net-surfing weakness!) They are portable and protect the samples well, so will be equally useful when taken to workshops or courses I may be running at Rainbow Glass Studios or if one is attending the Guild of Enameller's conference (coming up soon - see the link to find out more details). I would thoroughly recommend joining the Guild if you are not a member already. Smaller book holds 60 samples, the larger one up to 200 samples (if only I had that many!) Samples in their transparent pockets - easy to view and compare I have to say I am quite enjoying the discipline of organising my "library", and looking forward to combining colours I never knew I had! Let me know if this idea appeals and works for you too. I will always be up for some mutual "train-spotting" of other's sample enamel books too! Ooh and aaah! What lovely colours! Eleanor : Enamelling Tutor: Rainbow Glass Studios London N16 0JL

When I am teaching enamelling on copper, I am often asked, "which transparent enamels work well on copper?" This is a very good question as laying a coloured enamel over copper (a pinky or peach-coloured metal) can do unpredictable things to the colour of the enamel you are using resulting in something that is far from what you were expecting (or hoping for!) However, there are some radiant exceptions to this rule. Whilst in Denmark on the Guild Of Enamellers Week we were delighted to be given open access to the wonderful range of Thompson unleaded enamels as supplied by Tom Lundsten of enamelsupply.com (around 100 different colours, opaques, transparents and opalescents). And all to "play with", test and sample during the workshop week. It was a jewelled treasure trove to dip into, with so many glorious shades and not enough time to try them all! However, amongst my many tests and explorations, I found three autumnal shades of transparent enamel which really appeal to me. I find these work well when applied directly onto copper, (with a minimum of two coats) firing each coat at around 830 degrees celsius. 1> Woodrow Red Transparent: no: 2880 Thompson Enamels The rich chestnut red of glowing conkers or mulled wine....delicious! 2> Golden Clear Flux : no: 2015 Thompson Enamels. a transparent flux which clears beautifully on copper leaving a bright red-gold hue. 3> Chartreuse Transparent: no: 2220 Thompson Enamels. A pale and delicate lime green, the colour of the French Herbal Liqueur of the same name. Very beautiful! There are several excellent enamels which glow on copper and I will cover more of thein subsequent posts, so watch this space! If you have any "enamel on copper" recommendations of your own, (Thompson or otherwise) do let me know and I will share here for others to explore as you all enamel your own bowls too! Thank you Tom - It made our week in Denmark an exciting exploration into radiant colour! Eleanor www.copperbowls.co.uk

Not all my customers are enamellers and I have been intrigued and surprised by alternative requests for copper bowls for other purposes since I started selling them in February this year. People have bought them as pure copper shaving bowls to whip up a rich soapy foam, and I've had several requests for pure copper bowls (of huge diameter) potentially for use as bird baths! However, the most unusual order by far has to be a recent request for a copper bowl for a weather vane. No self respecting wind-compass is complete without a bulbous base, so having posted out one of my largest stock bowls to my customer (Bowl 8A) with instructions on how to safely drill a hole in the bottom, I waited in anticipation (Of what use is a bowl with a hole in it? That's the part that had me hooked to know what it was destined to be?) After several conversations, my customer kindly sent me a photo of the upturned mounted bowl and weather vane, with matching verdigris patina. Superb! Verdigris is naturally forming green or bluish green pigment or patina (of copper carbonate) which develops on pure copper surfaces when exposed to water and air. (Think of the Statue of Liberty, which is green and covered in verdigris.) Historically verdigris was also a pigment used in artists paints in the middle ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods. This chemical oxidisation process can take years, but there are ways of making it develop more swiftly involving acetic acid (vinegar) and salt water to create a patina. Here's a photo of the finished vane......Well done, it properly sets off the trumpeting angel, the answer is definitely blowing in the wind! Bowl 8A - used as a base for this lovely weather vane.

Seeing the wide variety of design and enamel decoration that is possible on pure copper bowls leads me to wonder what inspires us all? For me, it is often pattern or colour combinations in nature or my local environment, (I take a lot of photographs!) and I am particularly fond of lichens, mosses, rocks on the sea shore, wild flowers and the autumnal colour spectrum. Here are a couple of examples of my own personal inspiration and the accompanying enamelled bowls they led me to make. The first picture is of a small enamelled (no: 6) bowl, inspired by a walk along a Norfolk beach and the sea holly flowers growing on top of the dunes. In a hardy windswept environment, these prickly sculptural flowers stand firm against the elements, with their umbrella shaped thorny petals and pastel palette of aquamarine, white and pale lime green. I love their form and delicate patterns. This one was enamelled with Thompson unleaded opaque and transparent enamels. The second bowl in contrast is inspired by the wealth of June flowers currently blooming on a bankside garden. Bright red poppies dancing in the breeze in the mornings, shedding their tissue paper petals by evening. A brief and immensely colourful display. I used a leaded bright red enamel for the inside of this bowl, (a "Chinese Red" I think, its label was worn and peeling off, an odd pot of enamel I had inherited from a friend ) sadly this was the last of it! It's always the way, the favourite colours are hard to come by or to repeat! What inspires you? I'd love to know! Send me a photo of your enamelled bowls and I will post them up with any information you'd like to share about your favourite enamels on copper too! Look forward to hearing from you! Eleanor www.copperbowls.co.uk

I'm delighted to be showcasing enamelled copper bowls made by customers who have purchased pure copper bowls from www.copperbowls.co.uk There is now a new page to enjoy on my website: The Gallery of Bowls Alongside this, I am also posting up your photos of your bowls (with your permission) on Instagram and collaborating with you on posts and stories. I would love to see what you are doing with the bowls you purchase from us, and to share photos, techniques and favourite enamels to inspire and amaze us with each other's creativity in enamelling. Wherever you are in the world, your own creativity, environment, the nature around you and your personal inspiration will combine to make unique bowls with very individual designs. Don't be shy, send me your photos (with the bowl number from our range of the pure copper bowls you used) and any other information you'd like to tell us about your bowl and I will post it up to encourage you and inspire us all. Please be in touch via the contact page if you are interested to be part of the copper bowls gallery showcase! Best wishes, Eleanor (Here are a couple of mine to start us off inspired by nature in my local park and lichens.......)

Over the past three months it has been my pleasure to post pure copper bowls to as far away as Australia and to umpteen inquisitively creative enamellers keen to explore enamelling on 3D shapes. Having a larger "canvas" to decorate appeals to the artist and painter in all of us. Now I am really interested to see what you are doing to your bowls! If you have purchased my copper bowls (thank you!) please feel free to send me photos of your enamelled bowls. I would love to feature them on the copperbowls_co_uk Instagram account (and "tag you in" and we can collaborate!) or to add them to the website gallery here. Feel free to share details of the enamels you used if you would like to as well. Let's all encourage and spur each other on with our new ideas and decorative techniques as we discover the enamels we love using the most on copper. We all have much to learn and share and I am creating a forum here for this to happen. For starters, here are a couple of bowls by Deba Macdonald and Laura Haszard, two talented enamellers on different sides of the world from each other, both producing beautiful results! Enamelled ammonite bowl: Deba McDonald UK (bowl no: 5 in the Pat Johnson Range) S'Grafitto enamelled bowl: Laura Haszard Australia (bowl no: 20 in the Pat Johnson Range) I am really excited to hear back from you, and to see more of your creativity flourishing on my pure copper bowls. Let's get this colourful bowl show on the road! Thank you for your custom, can't wait to post up more of your work soon! Eleanor.

More of our lovely pure copper bowl shapes are on order and will be listed on line as soon as they arrive. This includes a variety of smaller and flatter dishes and more of our favourites from Pat Johnson's range. There will be bowls suitable for enamellers who have a kiln with a smaller chamber as well as elegant straight beakers for those with a larger one (such as a Paragon SC2 for instance). This particular kiln is a favourite model of mine and one I often use when teaching my "Enamelling for Beginners" or my "Enamelling on Copper bowls" day courses at Rainbow Glass Studios in Stoke Newington London. If you'd like to learn with me in person, I'd be delighted to teach you how! Please see my courses in enamelling (and fused glass) via this page on my sister website: The Jewellery Boat Just so you know, the following bowls are currently on order: PJB3 (upturned bell) PJB4B (small rounded bowl) PJB5 (small lipped bowl) PJB9 (flat dish with base) PJB11 (wide outward curved dish) PJB14A (larger flat dish) PJB14C (small flat dish) And more......! If a bowl is out of stock, here's how to be automatically notified when it is back in stock: Go to the web page listing for the bowl number that is "out of stock" Click on the "notify when available" box The page below will appear: Enter your email address and you will be updated when it is back in stock! Simples! If you have any questions for me, please be in touch via the contact page and I will do my very best to help! Thank you, Eleanor.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the Guild Of Enamellers Conference,here’s a special offer for you too! Buy any six bowls (any shape, any size) and receive the 7th bowl free. The offer is limited to one order per customer, and the cheapest bowl of the 7 bowls ordered will be free. To get your free bowl, please add your chosen 7 bowls to your shopping cart first. On the shopping cart page enter this promo code: Buy6get1free Your free 7th bowl discount will be applied to your total. (Your postage is based on the total weight of your bowls.) If you buy multiples of 7 bowls, the discount will be applied for each multiple of 7 eg: if you buy 14 bowls, two of these will be free. This is a time limited offer (until Wednesday 24th April 2024) and is up for grabs for the first ten customers using this promo code. Be sure to subscribe to my mailing list so you hear first about my offers in future! Better be quick!

Since setting up this new website, I have had enquiries from all over the world, which is encouraging, but I have also had some enamellers questioning why prices are higher? The long and the short of this is that the price of copper has risen exponentially since orders were last placed for many of the bowls in this range along with higher production costs. According to commodity markets, the cost of pure copper is projected to rise further in 2024 - 2025. The prices at which I can sell these bowls has had to rise accordingly. I have to run this as a business where my books balance, whilst doing my best to maintain as much choice as possible for you the enamellers to use. There are increased production costs in having bowls spun as well as the need for significant and costly reinvestment in replacement bowl forms for use by the spinners. I want to keep as wide a choice of bowl supplies available to you, as well as introducing new shapes when I can. This investment is is a necessary step in doing so. I write this to explain the reality of the financial backdrop against which I am working to carry the copper bowls supplies forwards. I hope this helps to clarify things. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you. Eleanor

I am delighted to have been to collect my latest order of copper bowls today and to update copperbowls.co.uk with the new stock! For those attending the Guild Of Enamellers Conference (12th - 14th April), the deadline to place your pre-conference orders is Sunday 7th April 2024 if you want to benefit from: Personal delivery (saving you the postage and packing) The conference attendee offer of: 1 x free bowl no: 6 when you purchase bowls to the value of £100 or more (one per order) Other bowls that are now back in stock include: No: 3 (upturned bell shape, medium sized) No: 21b (cup shape medium size) No: 21c (cup shape - lower height) As well as topping up supplies of the ever popular no's: 2, 7 ,15 ,16 and 20. I will be placing another order very soon, so if there are other shapes you are missing, please let me know and I will add them to a future order. Thank you - look forward to seeing you at conference! Eleanor www.copperbowls.co.uk