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Sunshine, leaves and pretty silver pendants

May 25, 2013 Leave a comment

Today was my workshop making pretty silver pendants using leaves to create textures. Thankfully the sun was shining so my visitors saw the area at its best.

I set the studio out ready yesterday evening, with workmats and little tubs of basic tools for each person. When I am teaching metal clay to beginners I try to ensure that everyone has a set from my own little supply of tools to use during the class, so that they don’t have to bring anything except something for lunch. Today’s class was only scheduled for four hours 10am until 2pm, allowing for the work to be fired in the kiln during the lunch break. This is much shorter than my usual class (I don’t usually finish until 4pm) so I was quite strict about the simplicity of the project and didn’t allow much freedom – except in the choice of leaf to create the texture and the overall shape. Having textured, cut and formed the main part of their pendants and put them to dry, I demonstrated 3 different style of bails and we had a short discussion about how these would fit the variety of shapes. The participants then made their bails, dried them and attached them firmly to the pendant before adding the embellishment of a set faceted fireable stone.

After a short lunch break everyone brushed, burnished and polished their pendants and they were all delighted with them.

Here are all the finished piece. I was pleased that we managed to get such beautifully finished pendants in this shortened day, although I do like a bit more time to go over more finishing techniques. What a lovely variety of shapes and forms they created, all cut out using either a clay scraper or needle tools (no templates or cutters). I did get fantastic feedback from this class and really enjoyed teaching them. I am sure I will be seeing some of them again soon – but the next thing on the schedule is North Yorkshire Open Studios in a couple of weeks time.

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Pretty silver keepsake pendant

May 24, 2013 1 Comment

The studio is all set up for tomorrow morning’s class making pretty silver keepsake pendants. This class is organised in conjunction with the North Yorkshire Open Studios and there are a number of workshops being run by different artists in the run up to the open studios weekends in June. I always look forward to welcoming visitors to my studio and to introducing and teaching metal clay to new people. I hope I remember to take some photographs during the class.

Filed under art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Jewellery, jewellery making class, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, North Yorkshire, North Yorkshire Open Studios, Open Studio, setting stones, Silver clay classes, Tools and tips, workshops, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with art clay silver, metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, North Yorkshire Open Studios, silver clay jewellery

More leaves and hedgerow inspired working

May 23, 2013 1 Comment

Today I have had a couple of visitors to my studio; the first someone who has been discussing ideas for a possible enamelling commission and the second a couple of friends I haven’t seen for a while but who came it collect a commission.

This was the piece they came to collect and it is really quite small, only 35mm across. It is a brooch and created in PMC sterling silver with the bezel soldered on and then the tiger eye cabochon set as the final stage. I have really enjoyed making this, although am always a little nervous about commission work.

Tomorrow I will be having a day off, although I will pop into the studio to set up for Saturday’s class.

If you would like to learn to make your own unique piece of jewellery I run classes throughout the year. For more information see my website and you can contact me to book either through the website or by leaving a message here on my blog.

Filed under art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Guest tutors, Jewellery, jewellery making class, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, North Yorkshire, setting stones, Silver clay classes, Sterling silver clay, workshops, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with bezel settings, brooch, Jewellery, Leaves, Metal clay, North York Moors, setting stones

Hedgerow flowers and a pendant finished

May 21, 2013 2 Comments

I love this time of year when every day sees something new emerging in the hedgerow and along the verge.

Along the lane from where I live and work there is this beautiful patch of bluebells coming into flower.

Today I have finished the pretty floral pendant I began in Anna Mazon’s masterclass last week. I decided to finish it with a little cabochon of lapis lazuli, reflecting the vivid blue of the spring flowers that surround me.

This piece is only 46mm long by 23mm wide, so quite dainty and it’s difficult to see some of the detail with the naked eye. I love Anna’s technique and am very pleased with this piece though I still need to make things to my own design and develop my own ways of using these ideas. It fits in well with some of my older pieces of work though. My next challenge will be to work it into pieces that I can enamel.

Here is another bit of beautiful seasonal blue, this one taken in my Dad’s garden a couple of weeks ago.

If you would like to learn to make your own unique piece of jewellery here in my studio on the North York Moors please just leave me a message or email me via my website contact form

Filed under Art clay certification courses, art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Guest tutors, Jewellery, jewellery making class, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, North Yorkshire, setting stones, Silver clay classes, Sterling silver, Sterling silver clay, workshops, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with Anna Mazon, art clay silver, Jewellery making, lapis lazuli, Moors, North York, pendant, setting stones in silver, workshops

Into the kiln

May 18, 2013 1 Comment

At last my pendant is ready for firing. I began this at Anna Mazon’s workshop last weekend although I realised I wouldn’t really be able to do much work on a piece while I was hosting a masterclass in silver clay. It was a wonderful workshop and Anna’s instructions were very clear and easy to follow so I have slowly continued to work on my herbaria pendant inspired by Anna’s work. Now it has finally made it into the kiln, only a week behind the rest of the group!

I am delighted that, after a bit of practice, I have finally got the hang of those teeny tiny flowers! This one is very much based on Anna’s instructions and the next thing I need to do is practice the technique and make it my own. Thanks again to Anna and everyone who took part.

There are still a couple of places left on Joy Funnell’s workshop making Colourful Carnival Masks 29th and 30th June.

Here is one of Joy’s latest masks ‘Primavera’. For more information go to my website or leave me a message in the comments section of this blog.

Filed under art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Guest tutors, Inspiration, Jewellery, jewellery making class, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, North Yorkshire, Silver clay classes, Sterling silver clay, workshops, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with Anna Mazon, herbaria, jewellery making workshop, Masterclasses, Metal clay, North York Moors, pendant, Silver clay

Amazing class with Anna Mazon

May 13, 2013 2 Comments

I have just had the most wonderful weekend hosting a class run by the very talented and inspiring teacher Anna Mazon. It was my first experience of inviting a guest tutor from overseas and her first experience of teaching in the UK. I was a bit nervous and really wanted it to be a great experience for everyone.

On the Saturday, after brief introductions Anna explained some of her processes. The aim of the workshop was to learn to make a pendant with a raised box setting for a cabochon stone and tiny delicate vines, leaves and floral decorations. She brought with her some wonderful samples of her work to inspire the group. In the first photo the group are on the early stages of their designs.

Here Anna is demonstrating steps in the construction process using a large scale cardboard model she had made, which was very easy to follow.

In the background to this picture are Lesley Messam and Tilly Wilkinson both of whom are talented teachers and regularly run workshops themselves. (They will each be running classes here in my studio later in the year – for more information see my website )

This is the beginning of Chu-mei’s pendant followed by a photo of the early stages of Anna Cambell’s

At the end of the first day they had all completed the basic structure and open work, ready for the addition of tiny details on the Sunday.

This one is Joy Funnell’s . (Joy will also be running a workshop here making her colourful carnival masks in June. There are a couple of places still available see my website for more information or to find the link for booking enquiries).

After a day of concentration we all went into Whitby to the Magpie Cafe so the visitors could sample some of the local fare.

The second day began with Anna demonstrating techniques for creating tiny little leaves, flowers and berries. Then everyone had to work on their little decorations before a late lunch break while the pieces were fired in the kiln.

Anna sell tutorials for projects that that cover some of these processes in her etsy shop

Here are all the pieces ready to go into the kiln.
After lunch Anna demonstrated bezel making techniques and here she is helping Jackie Sisson to solder her bezel into place.

(Sorry this one is slightly out of focus!)
Once the bezels were all soldered on Anna showed us how to refine the bezel and set the stone

clockwise these are by Joy, Jackie, Pam, Pauline and one by Anna that she made to demonstrate each step.

Then finished, these are by Tilly (above),

Joy (above, can you see her little bird hiding there?) and Anna Campbell (below)

Hopefully Lesley will post a photo on her own blog when she finishes her piece (it was fired but she wanted to polish it more before she set her stones).

They were all beautiful! I am thrilled with the outcome and hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. I learned such a lot, great techniques and tips (I only made a tiny bit of mine as I was really concentrating on hosting and looking after the smooth running of the workshop), but I am planning to work on it later this week. I have to say a huge thanks to Anna for coming over to teach here; thanks to everyone who came and made it so enjoyable and thanks to my partner Jonathan (for constant encouragement, collecting and transporting people around & cooking); to Tilly’s husband David Cowling (also ferrying people around, cooking and preparing lunches and to Lesley’s husband Keith Messam (more ferrying, shopping trips for more food, helping prepare lunches, encouraging us all and making endless cups of tea – couldn’t have managed any of this without you all!

Filed under art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Guest tutors, Inspiration, Jewellery, jewellery making class, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, setting stones, Silver clay classes, Tools and tips, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with Anna Mazon, guest tutor, herbaria pendant, Jewellery making, metal clay class, North York Moors, workshops

All the fun of the fair

April 11, 2013 1 Comment

This is a piece I designed and made for the Guild of Enamellers annual conference. We always have a theme and this year it was ‘All the fun of the fair’ set by Tilly Wilkinson who will be teaching a couple of enamelling classes here in my studio on the North York Moors later in the summer. For more information on classes see my website

Filed under art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Enamel jewellery, Enamel silver jewellery, Enamelling, Enamelling classes, Guest tutors, jewellery making class, Learn to enamel, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, Silver and enamel jewellery, Silver clay classes, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with art clay silver, enamel, enamelling classes, masterclass in enamelling, North York Moors, silver

More Mokume Gane

March 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Here is today’s piece of mokume gane technique in copper and silver clay. It is a little whistle and I have created patina to chemically darken the copper to make a greater contrast with the silver. I am very pleased with the outcome of this and think it will make a great new class project.

Thanks again to Lesley Messam & Katie Baum for sharing so much information on techniques and inspiring me!

Filed under Art clay certification courses, art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Guest tutors, jewellery making class, Keum boo, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, Mokume Gane, New Mokume Gane in metal clay, North York Moors, North Yorkshire, PMC, Silver clay classes, Uncategorized, workshops, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with copper clay, Metal clay, mixed metals, New Mokume gane, patina techniques, Silver clay, whistle

A little more experimentation and a new Mokume Gane masterclass

March 7, 2013 1 Comment

I have been doing a little more experimentation after a short break staying with my good friend Lesley Messam and with the encouragement and inspiration of Katie Baum.

With Katie we made either perfume pendants or pens and I chose to make the perfume pendant. It is made in art clay silver. Since I returned home I have made an attempt at making a pen using the combination to silver and copper to make new mokume gane. I think I need to do more work on this idea to perfect it but am having fun experimenting.

I am planning to teach the Art Clay New Mokume Gane class later in the year so please email if you would like to learn this technique.

Filed under Art clay certification courses, art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Jewellery, jewellery making class, Master classes, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, North York Moors, North Yorkshire, Silver clay classes, Tools and tips, Uncategorized, workshops, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with art clay silver, Metal clay, mixed metals, mokume gane, Pen, perfume pendant, Silver clay

A certain lack of concentration

February 15, 2013 Leave a comment

One thing I know about enamel is that you really need to pay attention to what you are doing at every step of the process.

Here is the bead I have been working on in stages over the past couple of weeks. It is constructed in art clay silver, then fine silver wires were added as outlines for flower petals. The next step was to enamel what was going to be the back in a variety of shades of green followed by the front in pinks and reds. It was going so well, too well perhaps – until having stoned it smooth I put it back into the kiln to flash fire the gloss back and then answered the phone. The result is the whole thing got much too hot and the reds and pinks turned a variety of shades of brown and toffee. I made an even worse mess by then adding fine lines of painting enamel to the petals and firing it again….. The lesson is to let nothing, and I mean nothing, distract you from the kiln when you are enamelling!
I really should stone it back to tidy up the lines again but it doesn’t seem worth the extra work now.

You can see quite clearly though that the greens survived beautifully……

Filed under art clay silver, Art Clay Silver Courses, Enamel jewellery, Enamel silver jewellery, Enamelling classes, Hollow beads in metal clay, Jewellery, Learn to enamel, Metal clay, Metal clay classes in Yorkshire, Paper textures, Silver and enamel jewellery, Silver beads, Silver clay classes, Workshops in North Yorkshire Tagged with beads, cloisonné, enamel silver beads, Enamel. Art clay silver

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