3/52- Moon Gazer

This weeks challenge piece is a fine silver locket, made using Art Clay Silver. It is enamelled and set with 2mm stones, and also has 24k gold keum boo details. I've called this Moon Gazer.

This is a piece that has been in my mind for a while. On Facebook we have a group called Metal Clay Europe, and we run challenges. The theme of the current challenge is The Sun, the Moon and the Stars. Being one of the admins of the group I am not allowed to enter, but if I was this would be my entry!! :) (BTW if you want to enter the current challenge you have until 31st Jan '15!!!)

The front panel of the locket swings to open...

...and inside are a few hidden gems ;)

It is deep enough to hide something special. At one of the shows I did last year someone suggested my lockets were perfect for keeping a TicTac or two close to hand!! I guess you can keep anything secret in a locket! :)

It is quite small, measuring just 24mm wide by 30 mm high plus the bail.

Finally I added a handmade silver chain. I used to make lots of chains but always left them bright shiny silver. These days I patinate almost everything I make to bring up the textures and make them more pronounced. (Patination is a process of making the piece dark all over, and then polishing back up for the desired effect.) 

It was a logical step to start patinating my chains as well and I am loving the results!

While making this locket I was also working on a new stone setting technique which lets me set stones quickly and easily. I shall be doing more experimenting with that!! 

I realised this week that everything I've made so far this year has been very restrained on the colour palette. When I mentioned that on Facebook several people commented that they liked the results! So you never know, maybe 2015 will be a more colour limited year for me (but I'm sure a few  rainbows will appear sooner or later!!).

Have fun!

Joy x

Simple Chic

Do you ever buy beads and then think um.... now what am I going to do with these?
I bought these gorgeous beads from Laura Sparling a while a go but every time I thought of something to use them in somehow it just did not do justice to them. The patterns are wonderful on them. They are large at 18mm in diameter and just wanted to speak for themselves. I think these neck wires and a couple of simple Art Clay silver beads set each one off really well and they make three lovely simple necklaces.


Below are some other pendants I made at the weekend. The two on the outside have dichroic glass in them and once again the photo does not really catch their sparkle and colour. They have to go for hallmarking yet before I can sell them. I really like the middle one best though. I am calling it Starry Starry Night and the stars have 22k Art Clay Gold paste fused into them. Nice eh?