Flower Ring

Because I am doing my level 2 instructor course in October this year I need all the practice that I can get in between now and then, so every time I have an idea for a design ( within reason because of the cost of the clay), I try to make it while it is still fresh in my mind, sometimes they turn out somewhere near the original design sometimes not.

This ring did end up somewhere near.

I am very pleased with the shine on the inside of the ring, this is one of the techniques that I need to improve on, while making my pieces of silver.
The other thing with making rings is the join, the ring needs to be seemless.

I oxidised it with liver of sulphur, but I think it may be a bit overdone as it looks dull.

While I was polishing it one of the leaves dropped off, I should have used more paste while I was assembling it, this gave me the chance to practice my soldering techniques, at the same time the torch would burn off the oxidisation.

After soldering, (as you can see by these pics, was successful)

I probably will oxidise it again because I like the effect, it makes the detail of the texture pop, but I won't do it so dark.

Wierd and Wonderful

More weird than wonderful, here are a few pieces that I have made using silver clay and a bit of artistic licence.

This pendant isn't too weird? The disc bead I bought in Portugal so I wanted to do something with it.

This one I was quite pleased with, it turned out like the original design.

I must admit even I find this brooch a bit strange!

Some of my favourite art starting with...

These, I think are fabulous.

Find them on Folksy http://www.folksy.com/shops/HilltopPaintings

And these. http://www.folksy.com/shops/wazzycazzy

Antonio Gaudi

Just a couple of pics. of my very favourite designer/artist.

Just amazing, they are so organic they look as though they have grown.

First Silver Clay Class

I was so excited to be attending the Introduction to silver clay class, I love learning new stuff.

The class was taking place at Burton Manor in Burton on the Wirral over three days, and as I've mentioned Tracey Spurgin was our tutor.

These classes start in the evening usually from 8pm - 9.30pm. the first evening, because meals are included in the course fee students arrive early, it seemed a weird time to be starting a course, I couldn't understand why it couldn't be condensed into two days but as the course progressed I understood why.

During the evening meal all the students and tutor get to know each other, what a great ice-breaker! and by the way the food is excellent.

After dinner we all went into class and made a start on shaping the cork clay to make the core for one of the projects, as cork clay takes a while to dry out and it has to be thoroughly dry before firing.

We were given the clay and findings all the ingredients we needed for our creations, each of us had a basket of tools on the table, Tracey talked us through what we would be doing on the course, then off we went home, looking forward to the next two days.

These are what I made

The heart was made using the cork clay as a form, using the syringe type clay, this is slightly thinner clay which is bought already in the syringe and this can them be piped out like you would decorate a cake.

I had to measure my finger using a ring measure, and because the clay shrinks while it is being fired the ring has to be made three sizes bigger.

Once made, it is dried on the ring mandrel, then it is refined by sanding, (a lot of sanding) filling in any flaws and dints with the syringe clay, drying again, sanding again until it is smooth and flawless (as they say, 80% of the work on the piece needs to be done at this the dry stage) then decorating it using the syringe clay.

The earrings, after choosing the style and shape after drying and sanding, they are fired and we were shown how to achieve a mirror finish by polishing using sanding sponges and papers, I didn't get that high finish required on these earrings, but having been put through the tumbler they ended up with a fairly respectable shine.

We then added the resin, this resin is cured using a UV light, brilliant! all sorts of things can be added to the resin before it is cured - glitter, micro. beads, it can be tinted any colour, there are specialist resin tints but acrylic paints work just as well.

The pendant was textured using a texture mat, we had loads of mats to choose from, loads of cutters and template shapes, how I ended up with this boring shape I just don't know, hence the heart stuck on it, even that fell off and Tracey soldered it back on, brill... I needed a lesson on soldering.

The leaf pendant was made using silver clay paste, certain leaves, ones with a good veining not hairy or waxy, make a good template.

The paste is stippled onto the back of the leaf in layers, drying the paste in between each layer, when the layers are thick enough and thoroughly dry the leaf is refined, edges sanded, then it is fired.

The best thing about these courses is that you learn so much more than how to make these particular items, there are so many tips learned not just from the tutor but from the other students, who by the way were a great group, very knowledgeable in lots of areas quite a few were silversmiths or had a background in jewellery making, and they were very generous with their knowledge.

Before I came home I had signed on to the advanced course being held in the August.

5 months to go I couldn't wait...

The start of this fascination

I discovered metal clay while I was trawling the Internet for materials, inspiration....who knows? but I was instantly hooked..... clay that could be turned into precious metal?

A few years ago, as a hobby I had started making bridal tiaras, fascinators, corsages, wire work in general which, in turn led to beading, hence the trawling of the Internet, don't get me wrong I still like making these things I love working with wire and learning new techniques but...... this material metal clay. It's like I'd been waiting for it to be invented.

I had bought a starter kit in Chester Bead Show where I had seen a demo. by Tracey Spurgin (who by the way runs the classes that I eventually attended).

That demonstration gave me the confidence to get started, not straight away though it took me weeks to pluck up the courage to have a go.

This is the piece that I ended up with, not the most inspirational design, but I was sweating, all that money on this tiny bit of clay that I had to shape very quickly as it dries out so fast, then had to leave it dry overnight, when it was dry it had to be refined by sanding, all the while knowing that it could break at any time it was so brittle, then horror of horrors I had to fire it using either a ring on a gas hob or a blowtorch.

I chose the gas hob, which for me was the slightly less scary option.

Well I got over that scary but very exciting hurdle, and yes I know now that I didn't sand it well enough, and didn't polish it well enough, but I am so proud of my first piece of fine silver jewellery that I still wear it every day.

To be continued...