Adventures in metal clay

I’ve always wanted to have a go with silver clay, and used to watch those online C&C programmes years ago. Decided it was much too expensive and it looked pretty tricky to work with to be honest. I have done some basic silversmithing, but physically it’s quite hard work. Now circumstances are different, so when the lady running Silver Clay School online did a free pendant challenge a couple of months ago, I thought I’d have a go.  Here’s what I made a; we used PMC flex, rolled it out really thin, and then manipulated it when dry. It’s super lightweight, and I used a skeleton leaf ( remember those?) for texture.


On the basis that a/ I could manage it and b/ I liked her teaching style, I signed up for the course, which is paid monthly.  Month one we made simple pendants , I made leaves which will be a necklace for P’s cousin, pics to follow.

Module 2 is stone setting. Made these pendants for the girls for Christmas.  Super chuffed with these!  They’re actually straight, I just managed a wonky photo.


This month we are making stacking rings, again I will make some for the girls. I had to sort of give the game away by getting ring sizes , but they don’t know exactly what I’m doing, so there will still be an element of surprise. Will take pics as I go.

Beautiful, Tina - glad you decided to take the plunge. Will look forward to seeing the rings, too.

Just goes to prove, if you hang onto something long enough it's come in handy (the skeleton leaves).

Lynda

Wow, lovely work Tina and the girsl will love to have them.

So beautiful

super stuff Tina, and a great idea to use the skeleton leaf, its made a great texture

They're lovely Tina.

That looks great fun and beautiful pieces, your girls must have some fab pieces already, but these will be a bit different. Looking forward to seeing more in due course.

thriftycrafter wrote:That looks great fun and beautiful pieces, your girls must have some fab pieces already, but these will be a bit different. Looking forward to seeing more in due course.

You'd be surprised at how little of my jewellery they both have! Their choice not mine lol.

I had the idea for these on Friday evening, one of the other ladies in the metal clay school had made bird charms. P saw them and suggested that I attempt something similar for MIL as earrings. No pressure then! Mine ended up being completely different, and therefore my own design, so I'm doubly pleased with them. The leaf wings are about 4mm in length, the birds about 1cm in total, so really tiny. Super chuffed with the way they turned out, and will now make another pair for a birthday gift for my 'not Mum but if I could have chosen she would be' friend. Also conquered my 'fear' of soldering to get the earring posts on.

Would probably make more to sell, but Mand already has silver jewellery in the shop, and I can't list them on the British Craft House as I'm limited to lampwork there.

They are cute. Must be fiddly to do something that small, well done.

They are gorgeous, Tina, and so tiny! I'm sure she'll love them. Probably just as well not to make them to sell: you'd go cross-eyed if you had to make a large number of them!

Lynda

lyndaejane wrote:They are gorgeous, Tina, and so tiny!  I'm sure she'll love them.  Probably just as well not to make them to sell: you'd go cross-eyed if you had to make a large number of them!

Lynda

true. I must admit I have enjoyed working with something so tiny, and also the fact that clay is a much 'slower' medium. Glass is the complete opposite, and to a degree I'm under time constraints, whereas the clay can't be rushed as all the elements need to be dry before you can put them together.

So ideal to be combining both: working in the glass while you're waiting for the clay to dry!

Lynda

They are so cute, they'll be prized,

So pretty, I reckon I could make studs with silver clay as long as no one cared about uneven ball size! That would be my limit

Ruth!

fabulous work Tina!

Tiny birds are so cute. Did you say you were having some bits in a gallery in the new year? could you put some in with that glass stock?

Scatty wrote:Tiny birds are so cute. Did you say you were having some bits in a gallery in the new year? could you put some in with that glass stock?

I was having an exhibition at the National Park Gallery. but Drakeford has just pulled the plug on all of that with Lockdown no.759. I applied on the basis of the glass though, and you can't add media post application unfortunately.

sorry the plug has been pulled on that, hope it can happen sometime in 2021. An idea for you is you could add them a charms to any bracelets you make up, someone might ask if you could do ear studs ect from seeing them.

Not sure how I'd turn them into charms, would need a jump ring as opposed to the ear post. Not to worry, something will become apparent; even if it's setting up my own webshop.

Not sure how I'd turn them into charms, would need a jump ring as opposed to the ear post. Not to worry, something will become apparent; even if it's setting up my own webshop.