Metal Clay Jewelry Magazine - How Exciting!

My Enamelled Accents technique is published in the new Metal Clay Jewelry Magazine which is a special edition published by Art Jewelry Magazine. My copy arrived today and I was thrilled that I even managed to just sneak onto the front cover of the magazine, my piece is in the top right hand corner.

Here are the first two pages of the step by step technique inside the magazine. This magazine is published in the USA but you can order from their website to have the magazine delivered directly to you. 

I shall be going to Chicago next July for the Metal Clay World Conference 2011 to teach this technique at the pre-conference workshops, and I shall also be presenting about this technique and related uses for it during the conference itself. You can read all about the conference and the workshops here. If you are going to the conference I would love to meet you and why not consider signing up for my workshop. We will be making a piece from start to finish in the day so you will learn the technique hands on with lots of extra advice and tips and tricks!!

 

P.S. If you have not already voted in the Metal Clay Today challenge (see my last blog post) do pop over to their website and vote for your favourite piece :-)

 

Ya Meana Patina Challenge

The latest challenge from Metal Clay Today is entitled

Ya Meana Patina.

The challenge was to create a piece with no naked metal, the surface having a patina of some kind. This is the piece I made especially for it. I have called it Radiance. It has pale blue turquoise and green turquoise enamels with a patina created using Liver of Sulphur XL Gel. I am just loving this XL gel (available in my eBay shop!). I am getting great colours with it straight out of the bottle.

So pop over to Metal Clay Today and place your vote for the piece you like best in the Challenge. There are some wonderful entries. If you are not already signed up for Metal Clay Today which is a free online magazine do so while you are there. You only have to enter your email address.

Remember Dudley?

If you read my blog regularly you will recall a while ago I showed you a photo of Dudley with a promise to tell you more.

Dudley is a beautiful little handmade bear and he is about 10cm high. He was created by Andy West and Dudley is a Westie Bear. All Westie bears have Andy's trademark little bee on them. Cute eh!

When I was at the Rudgewick Steam Fair at the end of August Andy's stand was opposite mine and Andy spent all weekend creating. It was fascinating watching him working whenever we had any quiet spells. Over the weekend Dudley was created (born?). Hubby and I decided I really should have Dudley as my stand mascot especially as I had been there at the birth!! (sorry this is getting worse :-) ).

However, Dudley could not be my stand mascot without his own bit of jewellery could he?,  so I have made him the cutest little medallion to wear. He is proudly wearing it in the photo above.

It measures just 18mm across and is of course silver and enamel. Only the best for Dudley!

I put a bit of my favourite Japanese cherry blossom on the back for him.

So if you collect teddy bears and fancy a handmade bespoke pendant or medallion please get in touch. Maybe I can start a whole new line of work!! ;-)

Anyway... back to reality and I have been busy creating ready for the show this weekend. Mostly earrings with some pendants. These are a few of the pieces waiting for findings.

 And this lot below have just come back from hallmarking so will be going out on the stand this weekend and then onto my website for sale afterwards if I still have them.

Do come along and say hello this weekend at Lancing College and you can meet Dudley. He would love to show his medallion off to you!



Getting Back to Normal (I hope)

Long time - no post!

It has been a mad few weeks. We have had a short break away but also we have had some partental health problems which has meant lots of rushing around and not much posting on here! Things are settling back down again now though.

So a quick update.

• My eBay shop ArtClayUK is open again and I have been restocking it back up. 

• I have been doing quite a bit of teaching which I really enjoy. If you fancy a workshop in Art Clay Silver you can read all the details on my website here. (Remember a workshop makes a great Christmas present to give and especially to receive!)

• This weekend sees the start of my Christmas Craft Fairs. I will be at Crafts at Lancing College in Sussex on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th October. Lancing College is a fantastic venue and worth the journey alone as you can have a look around the wonderful chapel. The Fair is all handmade crafts and a high standard. You can do all your Christmas shopping in one place at this fair.

• I have recently had a Guest Blogger piece about Enamel published on the Metal Clay Today blog. Metal Clay Today is a great FREE online magazine. Just go to their main website and subscribe by entering your email address address. Easy as that!

Finally the piece above is a new pendant I recently finished which I have called Radiance. More about that in a few days....

So sad to see

I have just been down to the seafront to have a look at our pier. (see my last post). It is a very sorry sight. Clouds of smoke are still billowing out all across the town and every now and then you can see flames coming out where it the fire has rekindled in the strong winds.  The shoreline is littered with debris washing up in the waves.

For most of my teenage years I lived with my parents in a flat nearly opposite the pier. I have put together a (not very good!) montage to show you. Our flat was on the fourth floor of Palace Chambers where I have put a red dot.

It is now pouring with rain, that can only be a good thing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-11473688

A Bit of History Gone Forever?

This is very sad :-(((

Our historic Victorian pier in Hastings burnt down last night. Looks like it was probably arson. The pier has been closed since 2006 because of safety concerns but plans were currently afoot to get it restored and open again. An iconic building of the town and a place full of childhood memories for me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-11473688

I am just off to go and have a look at what is left this morning....