It's summer outside but I haven't really seen it. And the culprit is that little thing!

That frog. The brooch I've been making all May, June and a half of July. It is not clear why people like it, but it's one from the third dozen of my frogs already. So I let my froggie swim freely!

And let's start. I apologize for the photo quality in advance. And the tools you need:

1. About a meter of copper wire of 0.8 mm.

2. 3 m copper wire of 0.4 mm.

3. Small gas burner.

4. Hammer.

5. Anvil.

6. Crystalline borax (you can do without it). Found in stores for radio amateurs and costs a few, but it saves a lot of time and nerves.

7. A conventional set of round-nose pliers, pliers, wire cutters and needle files, sandpaper No. 800.

8. Tools for patination (solution of ammonia or sulphur liver).

9. A cabochon of 1.5x2 cm, or marble glass or pebble instead.

10. Gloves.

11. Find a place in the house where you won't be immediately kicked out for hammering from.

Draw the future brooch.

Apply a thin wire to see the size:

Cut out the measured length of the wire (thickness of 0.8 mm) + add a couple of cm. The tips of the fingers will be decorateв with drops, they will 'eat' the excess length.

Cut out 6 pieces.

The wires need to be straightened with pliers until they get smooth, for greater accuracy. Take a piece of wire, hold it with the pliers, dip in borax, and vertically direct the flame on the wire. The copper melts and gathers into a ball at the tip.

It is difficult to make the drops smooth at first. But experience and a kilometer of wasted wire does its thing sooner or later. Now the drops needn't be sanded:

Make the balls on both sides of the wire trying to make the cuts of equal length plus or minus a couple of mm.

File the balls, if necessary. When you take too much borax, it clots in a green glassy mass and is hardly removed. Sometimes it's simpler to make a new piece.

Make two sets of three pieces:

Take a 0.4 mm wire and make a ball at one end. If it doesn't fall off, it's good. The ball is a thumb of the frog. And twist the fingers with the thin wire.

Continue winding.

To understand the scale, the fabric at the background is crepe chiffon:

After 10-15 turns, make the winding so: 2 loops around 3 wires, 2 loops around two other wires:

Bend the wire according to the sketch, continue winding. Stop where the frog's legs begin. Put the blank aside.

Similarly construct the second leg, join them together — it reminds a basket.

It's time to think about the clasp. I made one like that:

Use the remaining wire to attach the clasp to the back side of the half frog. Hide the end of the wire to the bottom of the point where the stone will be attached.

Continue winding. The 'fence' is gradually extended to the frog's hind leg.

The pattern can varied to your taste. Something like that. Have fun :)

Apply the gem.

Cut off a piece of wire — 0.8 mm length of 20-25 cm, bent at an acute angle, slightly hammer and make the eyes.

Fix the stone with the remaining ends of the wire.

Decorate the legs with the ends.

Well, here it is:

Add other decorative elements like eyes oк else and fasten them with the remaining thin wire, avoiding protruding ends — they all should be safely locked up.

And there I saw that the pelvis is not proportional:

Align the legs, slightly hammerring. A creepy shot...

Sand the creation in suspicious places, wash it, degrease and patinate. Then I take I wet brush with sulphur liver and slightly apply it on the wire without touching the stone. Then grind and polish the frog, wiping the film of patina from exposing parts. If you wish — varnish.

That's all! And a bonus — a small parade of frogs:

Share this DIY, create and sale the froggies. Thank you for your attention!