Bronze Metal Clay - The Journey continues - Clean and Tumble

The bronze metal clay journey continues. Today I'm posting a picture of the bronze charms after they've been tumble polished.





I just put them into a Lortone tumbler with some plastic pony beads (to bring the container up to at least a 1/4 full), stainless steel shot, a 1/2 cap of Woolite and water. The liquid should just be touching the bottom of the contents of the container - if it goes over, the contents won't polish.

If I want to finish the bronze now, it's alot harder than before it's been fired (sintered). So it's really really really important to take the time to clean and smooth your pieces before you fire them. I took alot of time smoothing these with a nail file. They're ready for a patina to highlight the stamp.

A few comments have said the readers might be trying out the bronze metal clay. Here are a few of the resources I read/watched before I put my hands in the mud so to speak:

I read Laura Bracken's exploits on bronze and copper metal clay. Go to her archives and read May's postings. I found her comments honest and open. Many of the blogs only show pieces after the blogger has perfected the techniques and say how much fun they've had. Bronze clay wasn't fun at first, it was frustrating and Laura's blog is a nice journey from frustration to success.

Laura took classes from Hadar. Although I had the already mixed bronze metal clay, I ended up kneading and wedging my clay wrapped in plastic wrap similiar to how she shows to mix her dry clay. After I use up the supply I have, I think I'm going to try Hadar's clay.

One thing I wanted but didn't find was a video I could play and follow along while I was first preparing the clay and working with it. There are videos but there is so much talking (sorry, no insult intended to anyone) and pausing that you can't work along with any of them.

So, I'm off to work on patina today and a few other things. Leave me a comment about the tips and/or your own experience with the bronze metal clay.

Variation on a theme: Spirals

I toyed with the idea of a spiral-on-a-bead in the bead set I made for last week's Collaboration Exploration (see below). Laura Bracken included the blue/green spiral in her art necklace, Flight of Man and Bridgitte Tucker created her Del Mar series with them. Yet I made this little beauty first. As a prototype bead, I wore it everywhere to make sure the design could hold up to wear before I offered it to my customers. It passed the wear and tear test and I made the spirals for the Collaboration. Now it's time for this one to step into the spotlight!

Collaboration Exploration: Part Deux

A couple of months ago, I coordinated a collaboration between another beadmaker, Melanie Lukacs, a designer, Jean Yates and myself. I had so much fun with that one, that I've been working on another collaboration. Swapping beads with other beadmakers has its perks, you get to work with new beads that always inspire and create wearable art. Can't get much better than that! I swapped a set of spirals with beadmaker/designer, Bridgitte Tucker. Bridgitte sent me a lovely set of her enameled copper stations and links in deep blues and greens. Bridgitte and I teamed up with designer, Laura Bracken, who creates stunning jewelry pieces made with art beads.


Bridgitte and I decided on a color palate and then made a set of beads to send to each other and the Laura. I was so excited when I opened the package of beads that Bridgitte had sent. I haven't had the chance to work with enamel pieces and I was thrilled to receive them. In the package was a set of enameled stations, one large rectangle with holes on each corner and two round stations with a hole on opposite sides. They were a lovely hue of blue on copper with a weathered patina.

I was immediately taken with the patina on the copper that accented the blue enamel.I had made a set of copper double head pins earlier - I like the patina on the copper head pins - a red/purple color that accented the blues in Bridgitte's pieces perfectly. Setting aside the large rectangle enamel for another exciting project, I decided to use one of the round enameled stations.

I strive to create pieces that are symbolic - the glass spirals I create reflect the cycle of one's life - with this collaboration, I wanted to create a pendant that included fundamental symbols so that it had an underlying universality. Inspired by Mary Hettmansperger's Fabulous Woven Jewelry I used the double head pins to create a woven copper station of my own to incorporate and tie the enamel station to a iridescent spiral of green and blue. I repeated the spiral by creating a coil copper bail to hang the pendant from to finish the look and not mix metals.

Without further adieu, today's collaboration is entitled, "Universal Truth."

Thank you, Bridgitte and Laura for joining in on the collaboration! It has been an honor and a pleasure working with you!