I designed toppers and had one of my students make them in aluminium.

I hope you paid your student for their labour.

She is a paid apprentice to the school. When someone loses their contract or cant find a place to work, we offer help.

This is to keep them busy and challenged (the curves are programmed by hand). And its also to make nice, shiny stuff for me.
- also to make nice, shiny stuff for me
  
  I'd be very surprised if that was explicit and in writing. Having been exploited by teachers at university, I'm sensitive to this kind of thing. Your students are not there to make stuff for your benefit. It seems to me like you're exploiting them.
With an A.

Nice!
A round button with concentric rings and the word "Shiny" in the middle, with the word's letter 'y' become the engine trail from the spaceship Serenity from the sci fi show firefly

Wow, those look fab!

The student says thanks, and is very proud of her work. She had an extra, that she turned into a fridge magnet.