Book Review - Sculptural Metal Clay Jewelry

I've had Kate McKinnons "Structural Metal Clay" book for a while now (it's superb) so I was very excited to see the arrival of "Sculptural Metal Clay Jewelry".

Kate is a "jewellery engineer" ~ her designs are not only visually appealing, but also constructed for maximum strength and wearability. This book expands on her previous one and also includes a DVD so represents excellent value.

Inside the book you'll find a wealth of information broken into three main areas..
Basics: Tools, Basic Techniques, Firing, Finishing & Safety (The safety aspect is particularly excellent and well covered!)
Elements: This includes 19 techniques for making simple components in metal clay and fine silver wire. Even experienced metalsmiths will benefit but new users will find the info really helps in achieving professional results
Projects: 10 Detailed Sep by Step projects such as: Knobby Chains, Rivet Post Rings, Amphora Pendant and Bird on a Branch Necklace.
Favourite Parts: Chain making, easy size shanks and box building sections.
Negatives? If you have Kates first book, Structural Metal Clay there is some crossover but as this one is currently £12.99 on Amazon (a saving of £7.00) it still worth buying for the improved layout and fantastic pictures.

Summary:
This book is great for metal clay artisans of all levels. Refreshingly Kate treats metal clay not just as a stand alone product but as one of the many tools and techniques that a metalsmith can employ in their design arsenal.Kates approach is to be applauded and (if more widely adopted) would certainly help metal clays acceptance in the traditional metal smithing community.
Available at: Amazon and Metal Clay Specialists. Also available with a "Bonus Pack" direct from Kate McKinnons Website
Nicola xx
Photos used courtesy of Interweave Press & Kate McKinnon

Making Enamel Samplers

PMC / Silver Clay is just "perfect" for enamelling, but if you're going to work with enamels, you need to know they change colour when fired! Another issue is many enamel sample pics are taken on copper and fine silver produces different reactions and colours....

Above are over 60 different enamel testers that I got from the helpful folks at Vitrum Signum. I've made it my mission to find a palette of colours I can work with on fine silver. Hopefully by documenting my experiments I'll save you some time and trouble.

To make each sample as equal as possible (and to allow for future identification) I've made 64 sampler leaves (+extras) engraving the make and colour reference on the back of each one. I also added LowF to low temp enamels and HF to Higher Temp ones. Eventually they'll create a very useful, colourful graduated sampler necklace!

Above are my first 15 enamel samplers. I've tried to photograph the colours as accurately as possible and have added some notes. Not every colour is probably at it's best, they might be changed by different temps or times but I've followed the temperature notes in the catalogues as much as possible. My personal favourite from this group is Soyer Jewellery Enamels 606 Moss Green, which although labelled as Opaque is surprisingly transparent.

All comments and experience sharing welcome! :)
Nic xx

Babette Cox Name Stamps Review

So you've created your jewellery and hopefully people are buying it, but wouldn't it be fabulous if they could easily remember where they'd bought it from a year or two down the line??

Well thanks to the marvelous Babette Cox now you can!.

Babette makes very, very detailed custom name stamps and makers marks that are perfect for adding that professional touch to all your polymer clay and pmc pieces. They're made from a hardened plastic that gives perfectly crisp text impressions.

Here's the back of my butterfly brooch showing my new "Murano Silver" text stamp (one of the two stamps I got from Babette). She was really helpful in matching up the font I use in my website etc to the font I got for my stamp. There was even a proof with multiple true to scale sizes so I could choose the size I wanted!

The back of the flower pendant shows the other stamp I bought. This one has the "Created by Heart and Hand" logo used on my business cards and website. I only had crude graphics for this, but Babette got them tidied up for me and they came out beautifully.

All in all Babette's Makers Mark & Custom Name Stamps provide excellent value for money and superb quality. They come with clear and detailed instructions and tips for usage (both for polymer and silver clay) and I'm sure I'll be using them for many years to come!

Nicola x

Perfect Torch for PMC & Soldering!

This is the Nimrod PT 500 Pro Torch, it's quite simply the best torch I've found for PMC and small scale jewellery soldering. Teresa Speer (head Honcho at the In the Studio Jewellery School) recommended it & I've been using mine for two years, for a large variety of jewellery tasks, without a single problem....

At approx £38 it certainly isn't the cheapest option, but it IS perhaps one of the best value:
1) It's solid construction, looks like it will last forever

2) It has a 60ml Butane reservoir so less refilling

3) Long Running Times - even when doing lots of work (up to an hour!)

4) Max torch temp 1350º C (2460º F)

It's also eminently adjustable and has done everything from firing PMC to fusing fine silver & melting dichroic glass too!

Top Torch Rating: 4.8 stars!
Ease of Use *****
Versatility *****
Construction *****
Price ****

If you haven't chosen your torch yet this is a great buy!
Nicola x

Blog Candy - FREE Jewellery or Silver Clay

Just to let you know in honour of St Georges Day I'm giving away some prizes on my
Murano Silver Blog and one of them is two packs of Art Clay Silver (ACS) or you can bag some Jewellery, whichever you prefer. The Entry Post is HERE
You can choose from any of these fabulous prizes.... 1) A Textured Heart Pendant with Your Choice of Stone Colour2) A Sterling Silver Ring Made to your Size with Either "Until the Seas Run Dry" or your own name stamped upon it.
3) TWO 10g Packs of Art Clay Silver for you to make your own Silver Jewellery and a few little extras to help ;)

So come on get entering - It's FREE & there will probably be a few extra gifts thrown in for good measure! ;)

Nic xx

Art Clay Price Increases ~ Due 8th April

For those of you who use Art Clay Silver here's a "heads up". There is a massive 35% price increase due to be implemented on the 8th April.
You can see confirmation of this on silverclay.co.uk (one of the main UK distributors). The good news is that if you buy clay for them before 8th April they will sell it you at the current price (even if out of stock).

Increases are due to the fluctuation in the dollar rate (which Silver is set in) and price increases from Aida (the manufacturer). It's not that surprising really, they haven't had a big increase in two years but still a bit of a blow if you make a lot in silver clay.

So go and stock up now (I did) :)
Nicolaxx

Adding Liver of Sulphur Patina

Liver of Sulfur offers us a unique "fix" of instant colour gratification.
It's quick to prepare, simple to use and can really make your work stand out!
Here are some patina options & usage tips, I hope you give them a go and send me pictures of your latest creations...

Types of Patina Solution
To get the variable colour effects described below then you need to use Liver of Sulphur, if you want "straight to black" I recommend Platinol. ;)
Dry chunk-form LOS (Liver of Sulphur).
This is what I use as it seems to give me the best results! My current formula is a pea-sized chunk to a cup of almost-boiling water, (each brand comes with instructions on the packaging).
If you use this type, make sure you keep it absolutely dry & store it in a cool dark place (or it'll be ruined)
I order mine from Whole Lotta Whimsy a lovely family business in the USA :)
Liquid LOS (Liver of Sulphur) Same as LOS above but in liquid form. Available in the UK from Cookson Gold in an amount that will run out of potency before you use it all up!
That's why I get mine from Petra over at silverclay.co.uk (she does small amounts at a lower price point).
"Platinol" Oxidising Solution
This gives a deep black to pale grey finish. It's very good for colouring text on rings and pendants. Also excellent for a long lasting deep black on high contrast pieces.
In the UK it's available from Cookson Gold - product number 998 161A

Using Liver of Sulfur:
1. OPEN THE WINDOWS & ventilate your room = LOS really, really stinks (rotten eggs)
2. Stronger/hotter solutions = faster reactions (not always good if you want purples or specific colours)
3. The longer you leave a piece of silver in, the darker it will get.
4. LOS colours the silver in the following order: Golds, Reds, Purples, Blues then Greens.
It's final colour change is grey then matte black.
5. The best way to stop the LOS reaction is to rinse well in clean, very cold water.
6. If it all goes horribly wrong then re-firing will remove the patina and restore the piece to white.

Directions:
1) Put some gloves on (protects you fingers from the chemicals & the piece from finger oils)
2) Make sure the piece is clean & grease free
3) Warm the piece in hot water (even temperature = more even results).
4) Dip piece briefly in the solution (if the piece has a hole or bail, use some wire as a dipper)
The patina will continue even if you take it out of the solution; the warmer the piece the faster the reaction. The moment you see something that you like rinse it off in the cold water solution!
5) Rinse and repeat until the darkness you want is achieved.
By going slowly you'll have more chance of achieving the colour you want :)

Extra Tip:
Achieving additional depth to your pieces:
1) Get to a colour you like & rinse it off
2) Use the soft brass brush & plain washing up liquid to pull some of the patina off
3) Repeat the process over again. Each time you repeat the colour tones will get deeper and even more gorgeous!!

Here's another useful article from Liver of Sulphur article from Ganoskin (great technical details),

Happy Colouring :)
Nic xx

Storing Unused PMC & Art Clay Silver Clay

Storing Unused Clay
I know that in the early days it seems almost impossible that you'll have any left over clay from those "tiny little packets", but just in case you do here's a few suggestions for keeping your clay from drying out....
NB - If you use different types of clay with different shrinkage or drying rates e.g. Original PMC / PMC+ or ACS650 / ACS650 slow dry it's best to have a seperate labelled container for each

For short term storage -
Use the outer foil pack that your clay came in..
Make sure your clay is moist (if not dampen it) then wrap in cling film before putting back into the ziplock packet.
Wet a piece of kitchen towel & put into packet with the clingfilm wrapped clay.
Ziplock the top shut. (This has kept clay good for days for me & if you keep check the moisture level daily there's no reason it couldn't be longer).

For Regular Storage -
A home made option is to get a small airtight container (little lidded pots)and put a piece of wet sponge in the bottom (dense make up sponge type).
The moist wrapped clay then goes into the pot and you keep the sponge moist.
This way you can have multiple pieces.

Longer Term Storage -
If you want a good pre-made solution or have larger quantities of clay to store regularly then an American site http://www.pmcsupply.com/ has something called Clay Vaults and Clay Keepers. They are "zip lock" plastic containers with hydrated water crystals inside & they're very good.

Nic xx

3 Kiln Comparison

There are lots of Kilns on the Market suitable for firing Precious Metal Clay. Here is a rundown on three of the most popular ~ the Kitiki Mini-Kiln, the Paragon SC-Series, and the Ultra-Lite kiln.

The Kitiki Mini-kiln is a good choice where kiln loads are likely to be small, or where space is an issue. It can be used for general low-budget small-scale work such as Art Clay, PMC, dichroic glass, enamelling, and jewellery.
If you are looking to buy a kiln for the first time, the Kitiki Mini-Kiln is a good choice for home, school, craft workshop, jewellery studio, or class. Besides being compact and easy to move, it uses a regular mains socket (no need for expensive re-wiring), it stays cool on the outside, it's controllable, it heats and cools quickly, and it's inexpensive to run.
Important Points
The Mini-Kiln has a Controller, not a Programmer, so there will be some limitations in available firing schedules. e.g. If the target temperature is low, and if the heating rate is set to full, the actual temperature will overshoot before the thermocouple and programmer can regulate it. If the target temperature is high, the overshoot will usually be negligible. While these variations don't affect Art Clay and PMC, they might affect glass, particularly dichroic glass.

The Mini-Kiln has a smaller firing chamber than larger kilns such as the SC2, so you can't stack it full of shelves with loads of pieces of jewellery: just four or five average things on the floor of the firing chamber, on a ceramic-fibre cloth or shelf. (i.e. Not big enough for large Bronze clay containers)

The Mini-Kiln heats to a lower top temperature – the top temperature of the Mini-Kiln is 1000°C, while the top temperature for the SC-2 is 1095°C. (This should not be an issue for PMC, Art Clay, dichroic glass or enamelling).

The Mini-Kiln door opens 90° so, unless the kiln has cooled completely, you should use long tongs in order not to burn your hand taking pieces out. The SC-2 door opens 180°.

Having said that it does have it's benefits too! It's more portable than an SC2 and cheaper too approx prices are currently £300-£350. :)

The Paragon SC series kilns The Paragon SC2 is a good first-kiln, popular with silver clay artists, particularly those also making jewellery with beads, dichroics, enamels, glass, and silver.
It's ideal for a studio running jewellery courses: it's compact and easy to move, it can use a regular mains socket, it stays cool on the outside, it's fully programmable, it heats and cools quickly, and it's inexpensive to run.

The Paragon SC series kilns come in two versions, as the SC-2 and the 50mm taller SC-3. Each version is made in the following four types: Basic, W with viewing window (shown), B with bead-annealing door, and BW with both door and window.
Firing CharacteristicsAll small, fast-heating, ceramic-fibre kilns, such as those in the SC series, with heating elements in both sides and the back, have firing characteristics you need to be aware of:
The actual temperature can overshoot before the thermocouple and programmer can regulate it: particularly if the heating rate is set to full. Set to a high temperature, the overshoot will usually be negligible.
Work placed at the back of the kiln will be slightly hotter than work at the front. Work near the sides of the kiln will be slightly hotter than work in the middle. If you're using several shelves, work on the top shelf will be slightly cooler.
The glass window in the SC2W, SC2BW, SC3W, and SC3BW, will modify the front-to-back temperature difference slightly. Also, at continual high temperatures, the window glass might discolour: but it's easy and cheap to replace. (You can also use the fibre plug when not enamelling etc to avoid this)

Apart from its internal size, the only minor limitation is that, although 1095°C is hot enough for low-fire ceramics, it's not hot enough for normal ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware: they need a 1260°C or 1290°C kiln.

My UK version SC-2 kiln has a sheathed thermocouple which helps prevent the possible corrosion, and eventual failure, of the bi-metallic tip: usually caused by pollutants produced whilst heating some types of glass.
The electronic display prompts for heating rate, target temperature, and hold time, making it easy to set up and re-use accurate drying, heating, holding, and cooling sequences.
Approx cost: £500-£600 (dependant on specification)

The UltraLite Kiln, is perfect for drying and firing your PMC, for enamelling, glass fusing, making jewellery, and keum-boo work. Please note that the Ultra Lite is not programmable - it's an 845°C, 250W, low-cost, compact, round kiln, with a lift-off lid

The UltraLite Kiln heats and cools quickly, but costs very little to run. It's ideal for small-scale work in your home, school, craft workshop, or jewellery studio, or at an arts centre running jewellery courses.
The UltraLite Kiln weighs just 1kg, so is easy to take to craft fairs, demonstrations, and exhibitions. If you already have a kiln, you can use an Ultra Lite for drying metal clays, firing single pieces, or quick tests. If you run courses, use several so that more experienced students can optimise their time, rather than wait for the slowest to catch up.

Firing Characteristics
The UltraLite is a small, fast-heating, ceramic-fibre kiln, with one embedded heating element in the bottom. Max temp is about 845°C. Putting the lid off-centre will effectively vent the kiln and reduce the temperature but, unless you use a pyrometer, you won't know what that temperature is.
It's ideal for firing Art Clay and PMC using the firing disc insert, and for keum-boo work using the red brass tops. At 845°C you can't over-fire silver clays as silver doesn't melt until about 962°C. You can work with dichroic glasses, enamels, and fused glass, but will need to experiment.
Keep a firing log: the material you used, the arrangement of pieces on the shelf, the firing cycle, and the end result. The log is useful if you're learning about colour, materials, temperature, and firing time, and a skilled artist will use the firing characteristics to advantage for different effects.

The only minor limitation is that, although 845°C is hot enough for silver metal-clays, it's not hot enough for gold metal-clays, ceramics, porcelain, pottery, and stoneware: they need a 1260°C or 1290°C kiln.

Approx cost: £180-£210 (dependant on specification, e.g. keum-boo plate & lid)

There are lots and lots of kilns out there, these are just a few of them (I have the SC2 with a viewing window) ~ if you have a different model and have found it fabulous and great value then please let us know about it in the comments box! :)

PMC Tool List

I've been asked a few questions on PMC mainly during my courses, so I thought I'd start a Blog to put lots of useful advice all in one place :)

PMC Suggested TOOLS - minimum needs, in order of use
A roller - used for rolling out the clay
A rolling surface - Non-stick as possible e.g. a glass board or polished tile
Spacers or playing cards - for getting the depth of the clay even
Cutting blade, scalpel - For getting straight edges and making your shapes.
A small lidded pot - to put filings & tiny offcuts into so you can save them for making silver clay paste or slip
Various grades of sanding pads - or get a 4 way nail filing block and strip the sides off.

FIRING METHODS -
For Hob firing, stainless steel mesh with protection net.
Torch firing - Handheld torch and a firing brick (asbestos substitute not a household brick )
Kiln - If you can get access to a kiln then use it, the metal is normally denser and the results more consistant.
Stainless steel or brass brush - for brushing off the white post firing and leaving you lovely silver.
Silver polish & Cloth - for getting the final buffed up shine.

Some Optional Extras:
For ring making - A sliding ring guage, A wooden ring mandrel, and ring papers (to stop clay sticking to the mandrel).
For Better finishes - A small set of metal files for neatening edges quicker than sanding them down.
Long Tweezers - For holding / moving the pieces when firing
Liver of Sulpher - For antiquing or bringing out fine detail
Burnishers & ultra fine sanding pads - Post firing for a REAL shine!
Cutters & Shapers - Using pre-shaped cutters e.g. hearts will same time and give you more consistant shapes
Tiny drill bits - you can twist them in your fingers to drill through the unfired clay & make jump ring holes & hanging points.
Texture Mats/plates - Roll the clay out on these and you'll have fabulous patterns straight away!
Letter Stamp Set - For stamping words into unfired (rubber stamps) or fired clay (metal stamps).

Feel free to add any suggestions & comments (I'll add them to the list)

Nic xx