I will try that.....This leaf seems to be pretty well fused to its backing, though (it is very old...have had it for years. Could age have anything to do with it?). I can scrape it off with a razorblade, but even that is difficult.

I have actually used scrapings in a couple of pieces, and the clumps look a little like gold nuggets. It's a nice look, but I'd like to see some lay flat!

Thanks again for your wisdom. I will let you know if it works,

Alicia

Is it possible that you use the wrong Gold-foil. Gold-leaf for gilders and bookbinders are very thin and nearly unusable for enamelling. You can handle it only with a so called "Gilders-brush". That is a comb-like broad brush from Squirrel hair. The brush gets made statically by stroking it along the cheek. Then you can the the leaf from the booklet pick up. But if you apply it onto an enamelled surface, wether dry or wet, you can't move it onto the surface. So as you try to move it, tear the leaf.
You need the thicker Gold-foil for enamelling. The best is, one buy it by an enamel supplier. Then you get the right quality.

Pc left:Made with thin gold leaf pic rght: made with thick gold-foil

Thank you for your help, Edmund...You may be right that the leaf is for gilding. I seem to recall purchasing it from Rio Grande Jewelry Supply many years ago, however. I'm not sure why they would have sold such a product. My memory can be quite faulty though!

I have had this booklet for so long without using it, and simply didn't want to let it go to waste. The following are experiments using the crumbles of leaf which were scraped off the paper backing (please ignore any dust specks and pitting.....I am still in the early stages of learning).

By the way, if anyone can help guide me about making photos show a little smaller when I add them to my post, I would be grateful...I couldn't quite figure it out.

I appreciate the input! Thank you so much,

Alicia 

These two pieces are lovely, Alicia! The bottom one is quite opalescent. Is it enamel or glass?

Have a program to edit photos? One such program is shipped with most digital cameras. With this program you can reduce the photo under "Scale".
Hallo Alicia,

You can upload photos via email to "GOG" Upload. After you have registered, go to "Upload photo" right is below the "Upload Photos via phone or email." Click there. It seems a email form,
Go in the email program on "Insert" and then "Graphics". Click "Browse" and then on the photo.
On the tab, click the "dimension" and then the "User defined" on. In the upper box, then enter a number of about 500 or greater ein.Dann ok The photo is now smaller and can be uploaded. I hope that helps?

Edmund

Thank you, Candy! They are both enamel... the bottom one went through somewhere between ten and thirteen firings (I lost track after awhile), several layers of transparents and a couple of applications of both silver and gold leaf. I put up photos of the steps on my blog                          ( thenakedcello.blogspot.com ).

I think I overdid it with the thickness, as the glass began to slide towards the edges and drip onto the trivet during the last three or four firings. I had to do a lot of stoning on the sides to reshape the piece!

Many thanks for the explanation and the link to your blog. I really enjoyed it and studied the photos. I'm assuming you torch fired it. It really worked well for you. I have never put so many layers on a piece but I may try it after your "opal" pieces!

Thanks.........I don't know how much of a difference it would make to dry sift the enamels versus the wet packing that I do, but it would be interesting to find out! And yes, the pieces were torch fired........

During the enamel-boom in Germany in the 1960-1980 years one could buy "Glitter enamel" also. The normal, transparent enamel powder was mixed with a proportion of copper filings. But one can make it also by yourself. Mix 10-20% copper filings into a transparent enamel. 

Four years ago I experimented with copper filings on top of enamel. You can achieve very nice effects !

I may try that.... I had a little pitting around one or two spots right over the gold leaf. I had applied it as you would normally apply a piece of foil, firing it into the existing enamel and then applying a new layer of enamel over top, but as it was in clumps, the leaf of course didn't lay flat. There may have been air trapped around the leaf when I applied the next wet layer. 

Thanks for the idea!

Alicia

Hello everyone,

   I am teaching myself torch fired enameling, and have run into a problem with applying some gold leaf (leaf versus foil). I can't seem to get the leaf to let go of the paper which it came on using binder diluted with water.

Is there a reason why I shouldn't try using undiluted binder? I thought if the surface were stickier, the leaf might come away. I have not found any information about binder being used undiluted...

My other thought was to try using gold size (adhesive), although I have never used it before, and worry that firing it might be hazardous. Any suggestions?

Alicia Dolan