28/52 Rainbow Ripple

For this challenge piece I've been working on creating unique textures in metal clay for enamelling onto. I had a lot of fun with this! 

I started out with a few practise pieces to see how the idea looked. I liked the effect in this one below (OK so don't even ask why it is that weird shape - that's what happens when you re-purpose something you broke on another occasion ;) )

For this piece I went with more of a swirling design. It is fine silver with enamel and set with 2mm orange CZs and 3mm black spinel stones all around it.

 

On the back I added decoration with silver shapes. The centre round has one of my own textures on it (and I now have a heap of my own textures sitting in front of me waiting to be listed on my website!! :) ).

Once it was fired and finished I made a handmade silver chain to go with it. Each link has a hematite bead which I thought blended in with the black spinel well. 

I've had these hematite beads for ages, but they are magnetic and a right pain to try to use! So following on from my success at demagnetising steel shot a few weeks ago I placed the beads onto a ceramic pad and covered them with some ceramic fibre, then put them into a preheated kiln at 800c for 5 minutes. I took them straight out and left them to cool with the ceramic fibre over them and yes, they were no longer magnetised!! Yay!! 

I've already made a second piece along these lines and I'll be posting it very soon!! :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 :)