Living and Creating with Melissa Merrill

My Soldering Story

Eight years ago, the year 2000, for mother’s day I made a set of 4 coasters for my mom. Pulled out eight different photos sandwiched them between glass that I had cut to size. Purchased some copper tape to keep the sandwiched glass pieces together. That was that, I thought.

Here are two of the ones I made. As you can see the copper tape has faded and is dull.

Over the next several years I would make these for family and friends as gifts along with working on my other crafty hobbies; floral arrangements, card making, scrapbooking all those photos I kept on taking and anything else that peaked my interest.
It was not until my first Art and Soul in 2006, at Vendors night that I was just drawn to this great display of hanging soldered charms. I looked at each one on that rack. I would love to have been able to purchase every one of those great beauties. Though there was one in particular that got my attention. Here Kitty Kitty Kitty.

I currently have two cats and growing up I had this cat I used to carry around, I called Mittins.

Wondering the rest of the table, I saw the just published book by Sally Jean. Picking it up and thumbing through it, I could not put it down. With out a second thought I purchased both items.

Headed off and wondered the room stopping by Claudine Hellmuth’s booth. She was the reason I found Art and Soul. I had signed up for her Poppet Puppets class, that August, thinking this would be a great thing I could make with my nephew and niece. It is, they loved making them.
Since I was late in registering that year I was not able to take any of Sally’s classes. Though, I had her new book that I read several times from cover to cover. Then life happened again and was not able to get to doing any of the projects let alone purchase the supplies.
Believe me when registration for Art and Soul 2007 came around I was right there to sign up for Sally’s Le Divine Shrine class. Ok so I jumped right over the soldering for virgins class.
I was hooked. Though I keep working and trying different mediums it is soldering that I come back to. I have even worked on soldering different items other than glass. If copper tape will stick to it and the item wont melt I will probably solder it.

So if I had only known eight years ago about this thing called solder, oh my golly. Another tidbit I realized is that I like my jewelry to be silver not gold, in color.
Thank you for reading my story. Stay tuned for more of my continuing story.