Experimenting is Key

Last week someone told me they saw me as a little mad scientist, puttering around and experimenting in my garage...with jewelry. That still makes me chuckle!

So part 2 of my copper clay experiment was adding silver to fired copper.

Art Clay Copper doesn't need carbon to scinter, though the surface of the copper will oxidize, it isn't too bad to remove. The tricky part is the pitting during additional firings for the silver. Guess I'll have to break down & get some carbon to see if that helps prevent pitting if not oxidation in the future. On the good side, the key really does look antique!

Other than that, making a lot of cork things this week.

This week: Working on a couple requests, writing instructions for class, and combating the monstrosity called my desk!

What is your POW?

BAM and POW earrings by Stereoette

Ever have one of those weeks where you have a million and one project ideas, suddenly 2 weeks have gone by without doing a single one? That is what my friends Candace and Leen have been discussing. We all have day jobs and sometimes finding the energy or focus for our art is a battle.
Be it actual projects, an intriguing technique that keeps getting pushed aside, or just tackling a dreaded pile of paper work, just trying get things done. And have fun of course!




Sunday was copper clay play day with Candace. These are pieces made with Art Clay copper. As there are many different copper clays out right now, the neat thing about this clay is that it is premixed, can be fired in about 30 minutes and doesn't require carbon for firing. It does develop a layer of black oxidation, which admittedly still hasn't been cleaned off yet. I like the patina on the key with the stone, most of these are waiting for the addition of silver clay though.

Biff, Bam, WIP-POW!

WIP = Work In Progress
(P)POW = (Pet) Project Of the Week.

Care to join our quest? Leave a comment, the more the merrier!

Fisticuffs

This week my POW (Project Of the Week!) was a magnetic clasp featuring 2 boxers from a Fisticuffs wine cork. The boxers have been circling my desk for a while, and it took a Clasp challenge issued at the last Art Clay Society of Orange County meeting to figure out what kind of function they will have.

It sounds silly writing this as I taught a simpler version of this type of bezel and cork setting earlier this year, but the most challenging part of this project was trusting myself. The finished clasp ended up being close to my original idea, though it was a bit nerve wracking getting there as there was only 1 set of boxer corks.


This week I also put some of my pieces on display at work and a friend comented: "You've really come a long way since I've known you."

That too has really a hard one for me to truly believe. Usually all the stuff I've been meaning or need to do (like blogging?) just gets in the way of seeing that yeah...guess my friend has a point.

Finishing the boxers literally made me see how a passing idea has evolved in complexity over a couple years, and yes, I'm proud of it!

Thanks and love to all my cheerleaders...especially Lenity, my Metals Mistress, G, Wendy & Scott.