8/52 - April Showers

Yes, I know, I'm late with this challenge piece! This could be a long blog post :)

So are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin!!

Last weekend I was teaching a one-to-one Art Clay Level 1 Diploma certification workshop (well done Frann Healey on passing!!). The very first piece made is a fairly straight forward textured pendant with a stone set with syringe. The problem with teaching these workshops all the while is what to do with the pieces I make when I demo. Sometimes I don't fire them and reconstitute them, but on this occasion I made the centre piece of this pendant. During the workshop I also made a top piece with a bail on the back, and some raindrops which were attached with chain. The top piece had a little bit of gold added with the keum boo method after firing.

If you are following my challenge this year you'll know I have a list! Well fairly near the top of that list is making necklaces using beading wire and crimp beads. I've never done this!! I have read up on it often, and really struggle to get my head around those daft little crimp tubes being strong enough to hold a necklace together properly to make the piece saleable!! Whenever I have contemplated going that way, I always end up reverting back to wire or chain for necklaces. (Better the devil you know??!). I know the system must work!! There are many amazing artists out there stringing stuff together. My good friend Lynne Glazzard does it, and boy, if there is anyone who would be sure the system worked securely before using it then I know it would be Lynne. If in doubt on the strength of something she'll hit it with a hammer to check first!! ;) She probably added a one ton weight to the end of her first strung piece to check it!! lol

So there was my nice little pendant waiting for a strung necklace. I debated, looked at it, found a load of other things to do, generally procrastinated, and started another challenge piece!! I even photographed the pendant (above) on a ready made necklace and wondered if I could get away with it as my challenge piece!! It is a fairly simple pendant though, where was the challenge in that? 

During the week Frann and I were in email contact after her workshop. I had told her my plan for the piece she saw me make, and she kept asking how it was going!! Yikes, I felt I had to do it!! So today, with the next challenge piece already in the kiln firing, I decided it was time to stop being a wimp and to get on and make a necklace. 

And guess what... these things are soooo much easier if you just start them!! Why hadn't I done this before? It wasn't a difficult thing to do. And now I think I might do a lot more, because I really enjoyed it!!! Ha, ha, ha...you can see why I started this challenge for the year.

I pulled out a load of beads of suitable colours from my large (but mostly untouched!) bead stash. Of course, having never done this before there was a learning curve.

Firstly, I now know I need one of those plastic bead board things. Beads rolling all over the table is not good. I also know that it is not worth crawling around the floor for each seed bead dropped, the hoover can have them!! :D And I know I seriously need to sort out the bead stash!! Too much rummaging through plastic bags.

As I had no sensible way of laying the beads out I just went for it on a design. I did have sufficient forethought to put a matching bead into a dish for every bead I used though. This meant once I added the pendant in the centre the second side was much easier to make replicating the first one. I wouldn't claim it is the most wonderful necklace, but I learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The necklace is really quite sparkly, but I just couldn't manage to capture that in the photos.

I was especially pleased to include the four large flat freshwater pearls. They came from a bag of pearls I bought when we were on holiday in China in 2003!! I've never used any of them before! The mix included real pearls, Swarovski pearls, Swarovski crystals, seed beads and handmade lampwork beads by Laura Sparling.

On the plus side while I was messing around and not getting on with this I started my next challenge piece. It is already fired and now needs finishing, so yay, I'm back up to date again! Next challenge post will be Sunday/Monday time :)

I mentioned earlier that I made this pendant while teaching. I love teaching one-to-one workshops, and Frann did so well on her Level 1 Diploma. She even had time to made a more elaborate brooch based on my mask pendants. We adapted the making techniques to fit the Diploma criteria and I think she made a great job of it!! Here are all the pieces that she made. 

If you are interested in doing a workshop with me do get in touch!! :D

Meanwhile...

...have fun!

Joy x

4/52 - Amorness

This week's challenge piece is mainly about technique. I have been playing with trying to set lots of small stones quickly and easily. So far it is working quite well, but I still need to do a bit more testing and refining. The surface of this piece is a mottled texture.

So here is the piece ready to go into the kiln to be fired. It is made using Art Clay Silver and as you can see it is quite small. After firing the heart shape measures about 23mm x 23mm, and overall including the bail piece is about 32mm high.

I polished it up to make it nice and shiny, and then added an enamelled heart the centre using my Enamelled Accents technique. I had debated putting a black heart into the centre, but bright and happy colours won out!!

Finally I added a chain. This chain is made up of sections of commercial sterling silver chain. Another thing on my challenge list* for the year is using up some of the hundreds of beads I have!! Oh yes, in the past I have been an avid collector of beads, but seldom used them!! I do have rather a large stash :) These little transparent beads are made by the wonderful Laura Sparling. I have LOTS of Laura's beads!!! So I worked out how to put them in place onto the chain without using crimp beads to hold them in place. OK...so this is not rocket science, but it is something I haven't been doing before, and I like the result so I plan to do more in the future!! :)

Here is a photo of the back of the piece. I kept it simple with a nice texture, and I didn't really see any place for my JOY logo so I decided not to add it. 

*I don't think I have yet mentioned my challenge list! At the beginning of the year when I decided to undertake this challenge I started writing down techniques and ideas for pieces. The more drawers I looked in the more things I found that I'd bought in the past - always with wonderful intentions for making things!!! - and never used! Don't we all do that??? The list has already grown to over 30 things. Some ideas will be combined and some reused in several pieces over the year - but I really hope to try to get through most of them by December! I'll keep you posted with the progress ;)

Have fun!

Joy x

2/52 - Amberesque

My second challenge piece of the year. I really enjoyed making this one!

I'll be honest, I've had the domed section sitting around for a couple of months. I made it in a fit of enthusiasm having thought of the idea, and then could not settle on how exactly to use it! So there it sat, just looking at me - taunting me to get my brain into gear - lol! :)

I kept picking it up and drawing ideas around but none jelled. Then at last I hit on a shape I thought worked really well for it, and it all came together over the last week. Here is the centre section nearly ready for firing.

And this is the finished pendant. It is quite large, the centre section measures 45mm across. It's made using Art Clay fine silver clay, and has an amber cabochon set into the centre. After firing I added the enamelled areas, and then added lots of 24k gold dots onto the dome by the keum boo method. I have to say they were quite fiddly, and I now know that trying to add 18 gold dots (the number of them around the lower part of the dome!) all at once is pushing my capabilities of fast burnishing to the very limit!! :) Still, I managed it - just!!

Finally I added a patina to give the pendant an antique effect, and then started on the chain.

I knew I wanted to make a chain for it, the problem was what would go with it. I was really pleased with the the final result. The chain is made using a mix of silver wire and silver clay. Every textured link is double sided, so no problems if it turns when you're wearing it! I shall be continuing the chain making through the year to see where I can go with it :D

Due to the shape of the front of the pendant this piece isn't reversible as it wouldn't lay properly that way round. But the back is as important as the front in my view, so I added some nice swirling designs.

I always seem to end up with swirls on everything!!

Joy x

Blackbird Locket

 I have often been asked if I make lockets, and while I have made a couple in the past, more recently I haven't.

So I had a good think about what sort of lockets I wanted to make and this is the end result! 

This Blackbird Locket is quite small, the heart shape measure approx 26mm x 20mm. It is made in fine silver and the bird is enamelled (black obviously :) ). The stones are lab garnets and are 2mm in diameter, and then there is a little 24k gold decoration just to finish it all off.

I was quite chuffed with this when I finished it yesterday! :D

 

The back has a sunburst design and my little Joy logo.

 

The front swings open and is held closed by a little magnetic clasp. Inside are a few more 'hidden' garnets.

I'll be making some more little lockets very soon, so watch this space! 

I'll also be teaching this project in the future.

Have fun!

Joy x

New Work

 I've been having fun over the past few months making lots of different types of work.

These are a few rainbow enamelled pieces. I do love adding colour with enamel!! :)

Ive also been making lots more rings. No enamel on these ones, but still some colour on most of them (of course!) :D

The weather has been really hot over the last few days, but today it is cooler which is great as I plan to get enamelling.

So, it is kiln on and time to finish up a locket (or maybe two!!) that I have been working on. 

Photos tomorrow hopefully!  :)

Have fun!

Joy x