art metal clay

Sister Necklace Pendants

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I wanted to make matching necklaces for me and my sisters. So in my last metal clay jewelry class, I did just that.

Silver Sister Pendants

My hope was to have pendants that all matched, but were all just a little different, like me and my sisters. So I made a mold using polymer clay by pressing a rounded end of a tool in it to make a bit of a wavy texture then pressing a small heart charm into it three times – one for me and each of my sisters.

After the polymer clay was baked, I took it to class and used it as a mold for the silver clay. The circle was cut slightly different for each one, creating the slight variation on each pendant. The photo shows the results, and I was super excited about how they turned out. Continue reading →

Copper Weave Pendant

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My last metal clay jewelry class was a blast. After the class, I made a new copper weave pendant and it has become one of my favorite pieces.

Copper Weave Pendant

It was a little tricky getting the weave done without the copper clay drying out, but it was worth the effort. My instructor said that glycerine will help make it easier to create pieces like this because it keeps it from drying out too quickly. I can’t wait to try using it.

To make this piece, I rolled out a bit of copper clay about three cards thick (three cards as in playing cards, which is a great way to measure the thickness of your clay). Then I cut out a one inch square which was then cut into five roughly even strips. After weaving them together while keeping water on the strips (copper clay dries out quickly), I then cut out two more one inch strips. This was mostly because I was improvising. Next time, I’ll cut out a rectangle and be done with it. Those strips were put across the top with a jump ring smooshed between them. Continue reading →

Metal Clay Jewelry

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For the past few weeks, I have been in a metal clay jewelry class. So far we have been working with copper metal clay, and it is so fun.
Metal Clay Pendants
In the spring, I wanted to try working with precious metal clay, but it was a bit intimidating due to the cost and needing to work with a torch or a kiln (neither of which I have… yet). Most of what I have tried so far has been self-taught with the help of books the trusty internet for instructions. So I decided to enroll in a class and learn from someone who is familiar with metal clay.

I am so, so glad I did. In the first class I took, we started with silver metal clay. It was lovely to work with, but a bit intimidating because it is expensive. We did a little work with copper metal clay in that class, but not a whole lot. Continue reading →