December Four A Month - New Art Clay Silver!

 

My last Four A Month of the Year!!!

 

This month I was fortunate enough to be asked to test out the new formula of Art Clay Silver so all four of my pieces are made using the new clay.

 

Verdict? - I LOVE it!!

 

It is lovely to use and really does seem to combine the best qualities of all the existing formulas and then some.

 

It works very well with baby wipes (those who know me will know that was always going to be a BIG concern for me - I would be lost without my baby wipes!!) - and of course - my other great concern - it enamels beautifully!!

 

 

 

This pendant above is called Renaissance....

 

... this one is called Tartanicity (for obvious reasons!)...

 

... this one is called Swirling Rainbow Ring (and I will be teaching Enamelled Rings like this very soon!) ...

 

... and finally Oriental Pagoda.

 

I have had a lot of fun playing with the samples of the new Art Clay Silver, it has a much longer working time and will be great for teaching with.

 

Many thanks go to www.metalclay.co.uk and www.GeorgeWeil.com for letting me test out samples of the new formula of Art Clay Silver before the release date on 1st January 2013.

 

I will be doing a round up of all my entries for the Four A Month Challenge early in the new year. It has been a fun year completing my two challenges and I am looking forward to my new Weekly Critter Challenge for 2013 :)

 

Joy x

Bird a Month 12/12 Winter Wonder!

 

My last Bird a Month Challenge piece - yay!!

 

A lovely seasonal little robin on a snowy branch. He is made of fine silver with enamel and is a pendant.

 

It has been a fun year doing this challenge and I shall do a little review of all my challenge pieces early in the New Year.

 

Check back next week for my last Four a Month Challenge pieces, I shall post them on the 26th or 27th ;-)

 

Meanwhile I hope you all have a lovely Christmas.

 

Joy

This Little Piggy....

Whoo Hooo!!! I am getting into critter mode ready for next years challenge!!! I just had to share this little guy with you :)

 

He is made in Goldie Bronze and measures about 22mm x 12mm. Tiny!!

 

 

I haven't decided on a name for him yet....

Having gone past Piglet, I have also thought of Hog Roast and Pork Scratching, but I think I am a bit food obsessed!!

 

Any ideas?

 

He does bring a smile to my face every time I look at him - he is VERY cute!!!

 

(Hope you like him Bev!! :) )

 

Joy x

My Challenge for 2013...

 

It is that time of year again when I am thinking about challenges for the coming year.

 

In 2011 I took part in my first challenge. It was the Bird a Week Challenge and I have to say I really enjoyed it. From having never really made any birds I really got into them by the end of the year. So much so, in fact, that for 2012 I could not quite let them go and continued with a Bird a Month 2012.

 

Having got the hang of making a piece each week (although I would admit at times it was hard), I felt I needed more than one piece a month for 2012 so I also took on the Four a Month Challenge. That meant every month I was making 5 pieces. OK at times I was behind but now I only have my December ones to finish and I will have completed both challenges!!

 

On balance though, I preferred 2011 and the weekly challenge. Making monthly pieces allowed me to procrastinate more, and leave things to the last minute. Of course on the weekly challenge I also got behind at times, but overall, for me, it was much more of a challenge.

 

So... enough of the waffling... I am sure you can see where this is going!

 

For 2013 I am going back to a weekly challenge. I think I am fairly birded out so I have decided on critters!!

 

Now I am already gathering not everyones' definition of a critter is the same as mine, so let me clarify what mine is!! To me a critter is a creature. And any type of creature is fine :)

 

Looking back though my work I actually found very few pieces with any kind of creature other than a bird (what a surprise!). These are five pieces I did find, and possibly they are a taste of what might be in store for the year - or maybe not ;-) 

 

Above is a pair of guinea pig earrings and below is my tree frog... 

 

then of course there was my fluffy sheep...

 

 

and there just HAD to be something rainbow, a seahorse...

 

and finally a pair of piggy earrings.

 

So my challenge for 2013 is the.......

 

WEEKLY CRITTER CHALLENGE

 

other wise know as WCC :)

(no abbreviating please! - we don't want to lose one of those Cs -lol)

 

If anyone wants to join me they are more than welcome, or I shall happily go along on my own if not ;-)

 

Here are the rules I have set :-

 

1. Make one piece every week and post a photo of it here (and everywhere else of course!)
2. The theme is critters - any type of creature or anything relating to one counts
3. Any medium
4. It must be created by you.
5. Join in for as many weeks as you want to, but the real challenge is to see if you can make 52 entries by making one and posting one each week (and no getting ahead!).

 

So watch this blog and my Facebook page for weekly updates and expect an assortment of critters in 2013!!!

 

Joy x

 

 

November Four a Month (again!)

 

At last I can upload photos again!! So here is my Four A Month for November. These are four tiny stone set pendants. The cabochon stone in each one is 8mm in diameter. They are all made in fine silver using Art Clay Silver.

 

The one above has a garnet...

 

 

..this one is a goldstone, and below is a matrix turquoise...

 

 

...then an amethyst below...

 

... and finally all four pendants together.

 

These are now in my Etsy shop although the garnet cross is already sold.

 

Tomorrow I will be at St Barnabas in Bexhill, East Sussex for my last fair of the year.

 

It is a lovely friendly venue :) Maybe I will see you there?

 

Have fun

 

Joy x