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

35/52 Twirls n Turquoise

This week I've been working on new textures! I'm trying out a new method of creating the texture plates so lots of testing! I'm super pleased with the first tests and very excited about the whole thing - but lots more work to be done yet! ;)

These are some discs made with the new texture plates...

...they have been fired and polished, but no patina (dark in the recesses) applied at this point.

Then I wire wrapped the discs with some lovely little 6mm natural turquoise beads. The discs can turn freely and really catch the light when they are worn! :)

On the back of the discs I added another of my textures. I always like to finish the backs of earrings properly - you never know who might be standing behind you!!

I'm very pleased with the outcome, and was tempted to keep them for me ...but no, because I have more exciting news!

I've been having work done to my website and now I can change the content of it whenever I want to - yay!! So I've been giving it a revamp! Please do pop over and have a look!

Now I've started updating my shop with new items. I be adding more pieces all the while so please do keep checking back.

These earrings are already there in the shop! :D

Have fun!

Joy x

25/52 Tenacity

A few weeks ago I had a fun play day with Penny Akester. Penny bid on, and won the workshop I offered in the MCAM Auction. It was Penny's choice as to what to make during the day, and she went for making a Moon Flask...but more on that in another post! ;)

Why am I telling you this? Well, Penny took her almost complete flask home in one of my little tins to finish and fire at home. I told her not to worry about sending back the tin, but a couple of days later a package arrived for me. The tin felt very heavy when I unwrapped it...and inside were some lovely wands/points that Penny had sent me! I was delighted with them!!!! The little one at the bottom is really rainbow coloured, it doesn't show up well in my photo though.

Some of them were drilled through, including the lovely hematite which measures about 35mm long. I really like the patterns on it, so it is the first one I have used :)

I made a silver top for it using Art Clay Silver. I put a couple of little spirals on the front that I added gold to after firing, and then riveted the silver to the hematite with a little sea bamboo coral bead as an accent on the front.

The back is fairly flat so it sits well, and has a hammered spiral accent with my Joy logo.

This is the third wand I have used on the challenge so far this year - and I have several more ideas in mind for some others!! It remains to be seen if they all come to fruition!!! ;)

Have fun!

Joy x

Do you want to learn how to use metal clay and/or enamel? Or improve your existing skills?
I run 1-to-1 workshops all year round :)

24/52 A Creative Spin

When I started this year long challenge in my 'mission statement' ( that sounds grand doesn't it!! :) ) I said that I would include some element of metal clay with each entry.

So this one is pushing it a bit!!! ;)

BUT...as it involves organising my tools etc to help me work more efficently with metal clay I think I can get away with it!! :D

When I'm working I have a whole crop of tools and little boxes that I like to have in front of me on my worksurface so they are readily to hand. For the last few years I have used a rotating desk tidy which is great (thank you Tracey Spurgin for that idea!), but now it has got to the point where I struggle to fit in all the tools, and I have a few others I would like to add! When I go to pull something out maybe another tool falls out at the same time. Something had to be done about it!! I laid them all out on the table and they looked quite a lot!!

I had a good search around various websites and couldn't find exactly what I wanted, but I realised that I did have things laying around to enable me to create my own customised work tidy :)

This Lazy Susan had been kicking around unused for quite a few years! It measures about 9" across.

Then I had these lovely little bamboo pots, bought a couple of years ago...becasue they were cheap and I liked them, but never used!! (I'm sure you have things like that too!!). 

So...time to break out the trusty glue gun! It is amazing what you can achieve with one of these :D

First I glued the base of the revolving desk tidy to the Lazy Susan, making sure it would still turn.

Then I glued on six bamboo pots. I still have another six of these pots, but I decided on restraint for the moment. Easier to glue on a few more in time that to try to pull them off again!! :)

Finally I loaded everything back in, and hey presto, organization!!! :)

 No doubt in time I shall move things around as I find what works best for me - but I'm loving the end result!!! 

Here it is in action!!!

Have fun!

Joy x

22/52 Marchionesque

A Ring! 

Yes, I know I make lots of rings, but this one is a bit different. It is something that was on my challenge list for the year and it's all about the stone setting.

I've been wanting to make more large stone rings so this is just the first one, but also to start adding stones around the setting. I was really pleased with how this turned out.

The blue stone is an 8mm lab zircon and it is surrounded by 6 x 2mm lab rubies. I decided to carve the sides of the setting as well and was really pleased with the effect - the silver sort of looked quilted around the sides.

As it happened this one fitted me perfectly! ;) Unfortunately I decided to put it out for sale at my show last weekend and sold it immediately though!! So I'll have to make more along these lines now!

The texture around the band is one of my own designs. They will be for sale soon!!

Have fun!

Joy