Conference Workshops

At the Art Clay Conference there were workshops over three days. On the first two days I did workshops with Ryota and Dice who had flown over from Japan especially for the conference. Aida Chemicals who make Art Clay had kindly sent them over and also supplied all of the Art Clay that we used at the conference. Fantastic support and everyone was very grateful.

Ryota is a master Art Clay Instructor who teaches and helps plan the new projects in Japan. Dice is head of the Oversea Division and also provided valuable translation as Ryota does not speak much English.

On the Thursday the workshop covered making pieces to create a Mokume Gane type effect by texturing using cuttlefish bone and plating pieces in copper which was then polished back to varying degrees depending on taste.

Here is a (very poor!) photo of the group work.

Ryota demonstrating the technique

and these are the pieces I made.

On the Friday I did the Resin workshop with Ryota and Dice. As an enameller I was a little dubious about how much I would like this as usually when I have used resins before I have soon realised I could do it quicker in enamel!

This technique was to make a raised domed area which really is not something that you could achieve in enamel to have any strength.

I really enjoyed this workshop and it is definitely a technique that I will use again. The colours are hollow domes and look lovely. I was very pleased with the result.

Here is a photo of all the pieces made by everyone in our group

Mine is the rather startling orange one at the top (well it would be wouldn't it ;-) ) and you can see a larger photo of my piece at the start of this post.

On the Saturday I taught an enamelling workshop with my good friend Lynne Glazzard. We combined her paper texture techique with my enamelled accents and we had a fun day. Unfortunately neither of us remembered to take any photos all day!!

Here is a photo of some of the pieces from the show and tell the next day, but unfortunately quite a few people had to leave early so quite a bit of the group work is missing.

Still it gives you an idea of what we were up to.

I also managed a bit of sightseeing and have some nice photos in York Minster to post next...

Conference Competition Pieces

The theme of this years competition at the Art Clay Conference was Past Times. These are the two pieces that I made to enter. I didn't win anything with them but I really enjoyed making them.

The pendant above is called

That Anglo Saxon Feeling

My inspiration for this came from the Staffordshire Hoard with all its wonderful gold pieces inlaid with garnet. For my piece I made it in Art Clay Silver. The twists are actually moulded in the Art Clay. I twisted fine silver wires together and then made a mould from it so I could do it all in the clay. Here is the piece after firing and polishing.

Then I added fine silver spirals, the tiny fine silver circles around the edges and the wires in the centre using my Enamelled Accents technique. I enamelled the piece just with red enamel and then patinated it with Liver of Sulphur XL Gel. I find this new XL gel is giving me great colours in the patination. A light polish on the high spots and viola... finished.

Below is my entry in the ring section of the competition.

I called this

Ring-a-Ring-a-Retro.

Just a simple textured band ring with some black enamel and again patinated. It is actually quite chunky. A retro knuckleduster ;-)

I'll post photos of the conference workshops next...

Having a great time!

Oooh I have loads to tell you about.

The conference was wonderful. An excellent meeting of like minded people and we all had a fun time. I shall be posting more about the workshops I did etc soon.

First I had some great news over the weekend regarding the piece above. If you read my blog often you may recall I gave you a little taster of this piece above a while ago. So now you can see it in its full glory!! The idea was to make a piece that enhanced the pearl which had to be a Japanese Saltwater Pearl.

I entered it into the 14th Pearl jewellery competition in Japan and I was awarded Selected status. This is higher than the Honourable Mention I achieved with my last competition piece so I am dead chuffed about that but........

if that was not enough ........

within a couple of days I also heard the same piece had got into the

The Art and Design of Metal Clay Jewelry Calendar 2011
I am sooo happy!

This calendar is produced by Holly Gage in the USA and it is wonderful. I can't believe I made it into it.

Here is the press release for the calendar...

The Art and Design of Metal Clay Jewelry 2011 published by Holly Gage of Gage Designs is scheduled for release at the end of October 2010. The beautiful 28 page, 11 x 17 (open) - wall calendar features fine silver jewelry from today's most innovative Art Clay and PMC jewelry artists. Each page beautifully illustrates the diversity, artistry and pure magic of transforming a moldable metal into fine jewelry. You can expect to see silver, bronze and copper pieces studded with gems and precious stones, embellished with gold and rich textures, and accented with the touch of the artisan’s hand.


Throughout the calendar approximately 50 jewelry conferences, classes and competition deadlines are highlighted to encourage the jewelry artist to enhance their education and step out and show what the metal clay community has accomplished in their short history.


Holly Gage was joined this year by 3 prominent jewelry and metal clay artists: Lisa Cain, Robert Dancik, Julia Rai to jury the publication. Erin Meharg, Holly's apprentice, assisted in the process as well. As usual, photo selection for 2011 was difficult, but with the generous help of the jury panel, they were able to narrow 300+ artful submissions into a stunning 12 month calendar.


The 41 artist’s work from around the world that you can expect to see are Jonna Faulkner on the cover and Cindy Miller, Juanita Burton & Karen Richard, Christine Norton, Deb Steele, Claudia Atkins, Donna Lewis, Gwen Bernecker, Tracey Spurgin, Hattie Sanderson, Susan Breen Silvy, Daine Sepanski, Lisa Barth, Emma Baird, Gordon Uyehara, Jennifer Smith-Righter, Delia Marsellos-Traister, Angela Baudel-Crispin, Pam East, Linda Kaye-Moses, Tim McCreight, Vickie Hallmark, Julie Beucherie, Laragh McMonagle, Sondra Hirssig, Wendy McManus, Lora Hart, Lorena Angulo, Maggie Bergman, Joy Funnell, Pat Gullet, Lesley Messam, Lorrene Baum Davis, Nicola Callow, Liz Hall, Natalie Knott, Julia Rai, Lisa Cain, Robert Dancik, erin lane meharg and Holly Gage.


The Art and Design of Metal Clay Jewelry 2011 is a must have for jewelry lovers and makers alike. There will be a limited printing of the calendar, which will be released at the end of October 2009. The calendar will sell for $22.00 plus shipping. For a sneak peek and to reserve your copy, go to http://www.HollyGage.com .

There were quite a few of us Brits in the calendar this year so we must be doing something right in the UK!!

More conference stuff coming soon....

Off to Conference

Sorry I have been a bit quiet of late. Tomorrow I am off to the Art Clay Conference in York. I am teaching a workshop with my good friend Lynne Glazzard on enamelling. Should all be good fun. I will be home again next week but hope that I may be able to blog from the conference so watch this space.. (just don't hold your breath in case I can't!!)

I will have some nice photos to show you when I get back though ;-)

Back from Japan

No I don't mean I have just come back from Japan, I mean that my venetian mask Spirito di Venezia has just come back.

Earlier this year I entered the International Silver Accessories competition in Japan and was delighted to be awarded an Honorable Mention. My piece has been on exhibition in Japan and has now just made its way back home to me along with my wonderful certificate. It is large and beautiful on heavy vellum with gold embellishments. It came if a lovely tube so was quite curled and I had to use my murano glass (appropriate don't you think!) paperweights to hold it down plus the mask itself in the bottom right hand corner.

What do you mean you can't understand what it says!

OK, me too ;-) so here is the translation which was also enclosed (phew!)

I am going to get it nicely framed.

Now the mask is back I took the opportunity to take a photo I forgot to do before it went to Japan. All three of my masks together. I decided I would keep my first mask on the left as I use it for all my advertising and the one on the right has not yet found its new home so I pleased to be able to put them all together below.

Finally - meet Dudley....

Dudley is sooo cute, handmade and about 10cm high when sitting.

I tell you more about him soon....

Wot no news?

Oooh - er, it is over a week since I blogged!

Check back tomorrow for a new post :-)

I'll take some photos in the morning.