Whoo hoo, I've actually made my challenge piece quite early in the month this time (well for me anyway 😉) !!
Viral Joyfulness © Joy Funnell
I'm sure you can guess my inspiration for this piece!!
This is a happy bug!!
Here's the creation process...
...this is it in a short video if you don't fancy reading my waffle...
...or for the waffley version read on!! 😂
...I started out making a paper template of a sort of a bug/virus type shape. Then I textured clay on one side only and roughly cut out the shape and dried it.
I wanted each spike (yep, that's technical name - I had to look that one up!!! 😂) to have the same texture as the back but also to be imprinted with a little design that I could enamel into later. I decided the easiest way was to add more clay to each one separately.
I didn't worry about making it very neat at this stage, I just wanted them all to be on. I did them in batches of three and dried in between each batch so there less chance of the whole piece getting too soggy and breaking as I worked.
I chose a nice amber cab to go in the middle. It's 15mm in diameter and has some interesting little inclusions (maybe they are bugs??? 😏).
Next I refined up all the spikes and made it all neat and tidy 😉
I made a thin disc of clay with the same texture on. Once it was dry and refined I added it into the centre as a base for the amber to sit on. As the amber is nice and transparent you can see the texture through the cab.
I wanted a surround for the cab, and also to neaten up the area where the spikes join the centre, so I rolled out a snake of clay and placed it onto the edge of the disc...
...and then did some squidging to make a design I liked 😊 I checked how much space I had around the cab and eyeballed for the shrinkage!! 😃 (Turned out I got it spot on too, I was quite amazed!! 😂)
Once that was all nice and dry I made a little cylinder of teflon sheet to sit in the middle. Then I started to create some little snakey bits to be prongs. My plan had been to add one prong from each spike, so nine in total, but as soon as I added two I realised three pairs would look nicer (less work too!!) so I went with that.
Then I had to VERY carefully add a couple of loops plus my logo onto the back making sure I didn't break the prongs!!! 😮😂
Ta dah!!! Finished and ready for the kiln.
After firing I polished it to make it all nice and shiny...
...and then enamelled the designs on the spikes in blue/green. Happy colours!
After enamelling I fused 24k gold foil on the centre using the keum boo method so it would reflect nicely under the amber and add richness to the colour.
I patinated using Liver of Sulphur to make it dark in the recesses with the texture well defined 😀 This only affects the silver so the gold stayed nice and bright.
Then I set the amber cab by placing it into position and carefully pressing each prong inwards to hold the cab firmly in place 😊
Here's little video of the finished piece....
I like the simplicity of the back....
...but...as you may of noticed (did you?? 😊) all through blog post I haven't actually said what type of jewellery piece this is!!
Why???
Well I was thinking pendant as I was making it, then when I finished it...
...I thought brooch!!!
So I'm debating putting some sort of pin through the back loops instead of attaching a chain...
...I have a couple of ideas, and when I decide I'll update you 😉😂
Meanwhile...
Have Fun!
Joy x
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