Tuesday, May 31, 2011

..belonging to me!

Last night I dreamt of a place foreign to me…surround by friendly strangers with a few soldiery faces that somehow held a place in my memory. With a sense of adventure we are searching for something……. something unknown to us that with a growing sense of urgency needed to be found!

Then in that accepted dream like sense of time and space, we are looking at a collection of half made beaded object, strewn out for all to see on a large well worn wooden table, as if abandoned by their creator. In the distance beyond my  vision of the gathering of unrealised creations, I see a university, a place I have visited before(but neither in dream or reality can place when or where). It is dark and brooding, with the look and lure of Hogworts in Harry Potter. It leaches un told stories of ancestral wisdom that belongs to me....of crafts and creations yet to be realised....of crafts and skills that these Inspired Hands
are aching to recall!


So here I am on the first day of my mentorship with Pam Annesley with hands stirring and inspired from last nights dreams and ready to play with silver clay!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Metal Clay - WTF??

...and what exactly is metal clay I hear some of you ask???


Metal clay is just a huge big pile of awesomeness thats what!!!
Its just that; a clay, made from metal. You can get metal clay in silver, copper, bronze and gold.


Metal clay is crafting medium consisting of very small particles of metal such as silvergold, bronze or copper mixed with an organic binder and water for use in making jewelrybeads and small sculptures. Originating in Japan in 1990, metal clay can be shaped just like any soft clay, by hand or using molds. After drying, the clay can be fired in a variety of ways such as in a kiln, with a handheld gas torch, or on a gas stove. The binder burns away, leaving the pure sintered metal. Shrinkage of between 8% and 30% occurs (depending on the product used). 


I personally am only looking at silver clay, as I personally am a silver gal!


SIlver clay is made up of 90% fine silver powder which is mixed with 10% water and organic binder to make a clay.