Set A Cab A Month - February 2020

Shimmering Cloud © Joy Funnell

Fine silver with enamel and an Ethiopian Opal, made using Art Clay Silver. 

Here is my piece for February for the Set A Cab A Month challenge 😊

This was very much a 'designed on the hoof' piece!!! 😂

It started out with a textured bit of clay that I demo-ed in a workshop. Looking at the piece afterwards I decided maybe I could make something more of it 😉

I searched through my stash of cabs and found a lovely oval Ethiopian Opal Cabochon which I've had for several years, and set about thinking what to add next. 

I found a texture with radiating designs that could go behind where I was going to put the stone. 

I thought the easiest thing to do was to make a back plate for the original piece that could be added to it easily once dry. 

The back plate was roughly cut out, then refined after drying....

...and the two pieces of silver clay were joined using just water. 

I used fine silver wire to make the bezel for the opal. This would be added after firing. 

Then I searched through my stash of pre-made bits and found a pair of loops that looked a good fit!! 😁

I joined the loops to the main pendant and set about decorating the back...

...rolling out some tiny snakes to add, plus a little flower motif plus, of course, my Joy logo!! 😉

The it was off to the kiln with it for firing.

After firing I polished the pendant up and then added the bezel for the cab. 

I had originally thought I would solder this on, but I also wanted to enamel the pendant.... so I decided to add the bezel using Art Clay Overlay Silver Paste. This brilliant paste easily joins fired pieces of silver together and was perfect for adding the bail to the surface. It has the added advantage of filling gaps under the edge of the bezel where the texture is, where solder is not so happy to, and doesn't re-flow like solder would each time the piece goes back in the kiln for enamelling 😀

Now I have to say this is not my normal sort of colour palette!!! I went with matching the colours of the super sparkly opal using yellow, green and orange. I was a slightly dubious having not actually tested the combination in advance but it turned out a really lovely combo and matched the opal beautifully (though I say so myself!! lol ) 😃

After enamelling I patinated the pendant, re-polished it, set the opal into the bezel, and thought about what to hang it on. I went with a black satin cord with red transparent glass beads as I thought they set off the bright colours nicely 😀

The opal has a wonderful play of colours in it which is hard to capture in the photos.  

Overall I'm very happy with the piece and I'm enjoying the challenge of actually using some of my cabs!!

Until next time...

...have fun!!

Joy x

Ring a Month 2019 - April

Oh boy, this month's ring was running it fine!!

I'd been thinking about it all month but everything got so busy and suddenly it was the 30th!! 

The theme for the month was 'Inspired by Nature'.

Actually I have made several rings this month including one for my new online workshop Pazazzy Rings - but more on that at the end of the post. 

However, I hadn't made anything especially for the challenge and I wasn't going to fall at only the fourth hurdle of the year so this morning I set myself a real challenge!

I knew all month I wanted to make a ring with a flower (preferably a red flower!)  but I hadn't got as far as coming up with a firm idea.

Part of my challenge to myself for the year was to try to use up some of the bits and pieces I had laying around so this morning I went on a rummage. I found a ring band with a texture already round it so that was a good start. Then I found a bezel setting that was a couple of years old I think! I made it using the new bezel mould from Aida that I bought at the first YCMI metal clay conference in 2017 and it had never got any further than a straight moulded bit of clay!

Today was super busy with lots to do so I gave myself a 30 mins max slot to turn the bezel into a flower shape. 

This turned out to be quite liberating!!!! I set about it in gung-ho fashion and really enjoyed myself 😉

First I divided it into 5 sections and carved grooves...

..then I started to round off each section to make them a bit petal shaped...

...working my way around the setting...

..until it was flower shape-ish! 😉 ...

...then to choose a stone.

OK, I knew I wanted red, but was I nearly distracted with super sparkly white! I stuck to my guns though and went with red.

I tried sizing up the flower setting straight onto the band but it seemed like it needed something else. 

I found some rolled out plain clay that was only .25mm/1 card thick and cut out some little leaves with a tiny punch...

...then I found a disc of clay with a texture on one side and added the leaves to the plain side.  Yes, I know it's starting to  look a bit like a holly wreath at this point but bear with me...

... I smoothed off the leaf points and used a tiny ball burnisher to add some leaf veins...

...then it was assembly time. 

Note the super useful sponge - cheap sponges make the best customise-able stands for all manner of things!!! 😉

I used syringe clay to join everything. 

First the leaf plate to the ring band...

...then the petal setting to the ring. 

Now at this point I'd guessed what size stone to put into the bezel as I hadn't checked, and normally I use a stone setting burr to make sure I get a really good fit for the stone.

Today with not much time I was working on more of a wing and a prayer!! I wetted the inside of the setting and settled in my stone hoping it would work! As it was in a totally sloping sided setting there was a chance the shrinkage as the clay fired would just push the stone straight out of the top of it without ever gripping it into place but I went for it! 

So I was super happy that the stone fired into place and held!!!

YAY!!!

Here is the ring after firing. 

I then hit it with a hammer a bit to just curl the tips of the petals over slightly (and to see if the stone fell out!! - it didn't) . 

I wanted to add a little more depth to the ring so I added some Vintaj Patinas for a touch of colour on the petals and leaves.

I started out with some pre-made elements and it didn't take more than 45 mins from the start to get it ready for the kiln, and then a bit of finishing.

All in all for a last minute panic I'm very happy with it!!

But next month I plan to try to put more effort into my Ring a Month - honest!! ;)

Now...

a short advert - lol

PAZAZZY RINGS

I'm teaching an online workshop on Saturday 4th May on CraftCast  for making Pazazzy Rings plus a pendant variation. This workshop is still available anytime afterwards as a recording and you can re-watch as many times as you want!! D

These are examples of the rings...

...and a pendant variation...

I hope you can join me for the workshop!! :D 

Have fun!

Joy x

45/52 Joyful Parrot Fob

I couldn't post this one before Christmas as it was a present! :D

It is made in fine silver and about 4cm high. The colour is all enamel. It is a fob...designed to be attached to a pocket watch chain, hence the style of clasp on it. 

It's double sided and both sides are enamelled so it doesn't matter if it turns while it is being worn. 

It's quite thick to make it nice and strong.

I've been promising to make this piece for several years! Somehow each time I tried to start it I just couldn't come up with a design or style that I liked.

Parrots are very special in our family (my maiden name is Parrott ;) ), so any old parrot just wouldn't do - it had to be right!! It also had to be very bright and colourful (of course!)!! This is based on a macaw.

This year I've been making a lot more enamelled pieces in this sort of style and when I thought about it I realised, at last, it was perfect way to make the parrot. 

 I now have one very happy brother ;)

Have fun!

Joy x 

43/52 Mini Moon Flask

One of the first things I made on this year long challenge, it was way back in January, was a moon flask. I've made several more since and I teach making these in my Porcelain Illusions / Joyful Moon Flask workshops. 

I love the shape of these moon flasks and decided to revisit the making of them and have a go at a miniature one! It is all made in silver like the bigger flasks, but I've developed a slightly different technique for making it :D

Each side is enamelled...

...and it has a little stopper so you could use it for perfume. The stopper on this one is set with a 4mm faceted rainbow moonstone cabochon. I think it looks a bit like rock crystal. I chose it because it seems to suit the different colours on each side of the flask. 

 

The round main body of the flask measures just 18mm in diameter. 

 

Here it is with one of its 'big brothers' to give you a better idea of the sense of scale...

 

 

 

...and in my hand. 

Cute isn't it! :D

If you want to make a Moon Flask do get in touch! :) 

Have fun!

Joy x

39/52 Flower Chain

I really enjoyed making this necklace!

When I made my necklace 'Precious' (below) I added some small enamelled links into the chain. It was the first time I had made enamelled links like that and I really liked the result. I realised they would make a lovely necklace on their own.

So I decided to make some flower links. Here they are made and being enamelled. First I enamelled the black and green on each link. Black and green are both nice safe enamel colours that will not overfire so that is why they go on first. Then I enamelled the other colours.

You can see from the photos that I started off with six links. Now an even number of pieces is not generally considered very good in design so why did I make six? Not sure really, but in the back of my mind I think there was a vague idea of enamelling the flowers one of each colour...red, orange, yellow, green,blue and purple. Of course that changed!

I had already tried the links together as six and I sort of knew I should only really use five, but as I'd made six that was what the necklace was going to be.

Then serendipity stepped in!!! While I was enamelling the blue flowers I managed to forget to set the timer for one link! It ended up in the kiln for FAR too long!!! The end result was the turquoise enamel started to slightly overfire in the centre.

The link wasn't ruined...but no longer matched the others - so that was that. The necklace was obviously only ever meant to have five links!! A happy accident! :D 

Don't you just love fate!!! 

The little link above will make it's way into a delicate small necklace some time.

I finished the chain with some handmade twisted silver links and a silver toggle and clasp. I'm pleased with the outcome and I'll be making more necklaces like this in due time.

I'll also be teaching how to make your very enamelled link chain in a workshop next year! Watch out for more details soon :)

Meanwhile...

Have fun!

Joy x

33/52 Slippery Sid

This challenge piece is really all about the wood! 

On my challenge list is one entry entitled drift wood. I have a LOT of small pieces of drift wood!! I very seldom see any driftwood on Hastings beach but a couple of years ago I bought a big batch of it online that I saw going for a good price. The intention was always to use it as bases for the small bronze critters I occasionally make.

As it has been washing around in the sea for so long the wood is mostly quite bleached in colour and rough-ish. It needed a finish on it to make it nice. I've tried Renaissance Wax, I've tried oiling the wood, whatever I use sinks in straight away and the wood looks no different even after quite a few treatments. I didn't want to add a varnish coating to it so the wood got placed to one side, another thing for another day! :)

It is interesting how ideas suddenly hit you though. Last week I was reading a newspaper supplement and it mentioned Shou Sugi Ban (sometimes called Yaki Sugi) as a treatment for antiquing and preserving cedar cladding on buildings. Well that immediately piqued my interest (it's that Japanese influence again! ;) ) and off I went to do some Googling!!

Basically the process involves blasting the wood with a flame to create a charred outer surface, and then cleaning the wood up well afterwards. It seemed like the perfect way to treat my little pieces of driftwood.

I geared myself up with everything I needed, heatproof surface, torch, bowl of water (safety precaution!), large tongs and some pieces of driftwood and headed out into the fresh air! It was fun! The main thing was to make sure I got an even charring and that the wood did not actually catch fire and keep burning!! Making sure I was upwind and not downwind also REALLY helped!! :)

Thankfully the bowl of water proved to be surplus to requirements and I didn't incinerate anything  :) I let the pieces cool off and then set about brushing the surface of the wood with a stiff brush to remove the loose charred particles.

The results were lovely! Different types of wood obviously reacted differently, some stayed very smooth, other had wonderful pronounced surface graining. They all had a really nice subtle sheen without any other treatment.

The two discs were commercial wooden pendants - you can see how much surface I lost in this comparison of them.

The piece of wood I chose to put Slippery Sid onto already had a couple of small holes in the surface. First I added some Renaissance Wax to increase the glow in the wood. This time the wax worked well on the surface. 

I drilled a small hole into the base of Sid and put a small wire peg into one hole in the wood so Sid didn't slip off the wood (sorry Sid!), then I added a tiny enamelled ammonite into the other hole for a touch of colour :)

I really like the result. The dark wood sets of the bronze beautifully. I'll be doing more of this! :)

Have fun!

Joy x