Oh yes, once a get a taste for something I can get quite smitten. Especially when it comes to a new craft I can add to my arsenal. So of course I had to get some silver clay of my own to play with.
This time I wanted to make a ring or two, and the lack of know-how wasn't going to stop me. I quite fancied a chunky and irregular one, a bit like Charlotte Lyngaard's rings. The first job was to find something in my flat that I could use as a mandrel for my rings. After much hunting (and measuring, using my iPod cable - so professional!), I found something that would do: my food brush. You know, the ones you use to brush oil on chicken and such-like. Perfect.
After much cursing, this was the result:
I was intending to also create another ring and bracelet using some Fimo moulds I had created using some small twigs to make impressions. Unfortunately these kept falling apart, and I had to settle for another ring. This time a wrapped design with a 'hammered' finish created by poking the surface of the clay repeatedly with the end of a paintbrush.
Result below, supported by some twists of cling film so stop it slipping:
I was tempted to purchase a creme brulee torch for myself in order to fire the pieces, but as luck would have it, my friend J spotted a coupon for a half-price class at the London Jewellery School. She was keen to try the silver clay class, and I certainly didn't mind going again!
So off we went. Our lovely teacher Chu-Mei didn't mind me adding my own pieces to the kiln, and soon I was excitedly excavating my silver rings out from under their coat of organic binder clay.
Here's the first one:
And the second:
Not bad eh? And the best thing is that they FIT!!
I also made a series of tiny hearts in the class:
Which I later stuck together to make this:
Quite cute, but I think I'm going to need some stronger glue. The whole piece is a little bendy at the moment.
I did make one more piece in the second class, but I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until after the coming weekend for me to unveil it..
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