Silver Owl and Soap Stamp

More experimentations with PMC . . . I’ve admired owls for a long time, but I don’t particularly feel the need to wear a large owl necklace a la 1970 . . . once I put a jump loop on this little guy he’ll make a nice addition to  a charm bracelet or maybe just a small necklace.  With the other piece I used my sister’s soap stamp to create.  There’s a lot of fun things out there for soap makers and I wouldn’t mind owning a few of the stamps out there – it’s interesting where different textures and molds can be found.

Simple PMC ring with cz stone – Rings are one of my favorite pieces of jewelry and so I was pretty excited to try making one in PMC.  Didn’t quite turn out the appropriate size (I understand the appeal of Hatties Patties now) and the clay slumped a little in the kiln, but not so much so that I can’t wear it as a pinky ring.  I think I’ll use it for my experimental ring though, so I can see how PMC handles different techniques.  >:)  (<– that’s my best emoticon mad scientist smile)

PMC Oakleaf . . . This simple project ended up being a good illustration in how PMC+ shrinks after firing.  The leaf on the right is the paper template used to make the finished leaf on the left.  I’m thinking several of these leaves arranged artfully together could make for something interesting . . .

PMC Woes

I saw a clever idea online that involved painting scraps of lace with PMC slip and then burning the lace away in the kiln.  I decided to give it a whirl and so I went out to JoAnnes, got some lace and painted it with the slip.  I was pretty excited about these pieces since they could potentially turn out looking impressive with minimal work . . . so they went into the kiln, looking all promising and what-not and an hour later:

they emerged as a complete and total failure.   Ppppptttthhh!  How disappointing!  I did learn a few things from this at least.  Firstly, how to use my kiln.  Secondly, I needed *a lot* more layers of slip on there to make them a decently firm silver.  And thirdly, burnout materials are cool, but I need to bear in mind how they’re going to react in the kiln.  As the lace burned away it curled up, warping the silver with it.  Gravity is also variable with PMC and pieces will sag or warp if not properly supported.  I guess just chalk this project up to a learning curve.

Copper Foil Pin

Did I mention I love copper foil?  Tempered microscope slides are a different matter . . .   (not so easy to cut accurately)  I’m still working on this piece, but I enjoy the idea of unusual pins on blazers, scarves, bags, etc.  I usually think funky earrings are a little too close to the face to not be distracting, but a pin seems far enough away.  I’m working on getting an Etsy shop up and running (still), but I realised when I went to set it up, “Hey!  I don’t have any inventory!”  So I’m currently making pieces that I can proudly offer through my little store.  I’m shooting for the beginning of March and hopefully there’ll be some pins like this  ready to go . . .

Copper Foil Mirror

Front Side

Back Side

2″x2″ – Copper foil tape wrapped around a square piece of beveled glass, a mirror, and an image sandwiched in between.  (The image is a painting by Michael Hague – he’s particularly well known for his fairytale illustrations.)  I love copper foil tape!  There’s so many different ways to incorporate it into a project and it comes in gold, copper, and silver – scalloped and non.  I buy the large rolls sold for stained glass supplies, but it can also be found in some craft stores and even some hardware stores.  (Copper tape can also be used to deter slugs in gardens!)  These little mirrors come in handy since they’re large enough to give you a decent view of yourself, but are small enough to fit into a purse without taking up too much space.  Another bonus is they’re very easy to make, are inexpensive, and can be easily personalized for anyone by changing the image to suit their taste.

Coraline

I’m not even going to take a stab at how many other people have talked about Coraline on their websites, blogs, whatever have you – but from a creative perspective this movie is such an incredible thing of beauty.  And I’m not just talking about aesthetics . . . Everything, everything is made by hand and if you go to see the movie you’ll understand what a truly astounding thing that is.  I don’t get excited about many movies in the theater, but this was definitely worth the price of tickets and a large popcorn to share.  (with my boyfriend that is, whom was kind enough to take me just because he knew it would make me happy.)

PMC Silver Button Pendant

PMC Silver clay stamped with a button, set with a tourmaline stone, and embelished with a fresh water pearl and crystal drop.  I stumbled upon precious metal clay a few years ago and this stuff is seriously cool.  (If you don’t already know, silver PMC is finely ground silver mixed with water and a binder so it behaves like clay.  It can be molded and shaped like clay and when it dries it can be carved and etched like greenware.  You need a kiln of some sort to fire it, which can be a spendy venture, but when fired the binder burns out and the water evaporates – leaving the silver particles behind to sinter and become a hard metal.  It is indeed, real silver.  PMC comes in silver, gold, and most recently bronze.)  The pendant turned out slightly smaller that I intended, since PMC shrinks a little during firing, but over all I think my mom was pleased to find this in her stocking on Christmas Day.

Silver Nest Charm

Three feet of silver wire wrapped around fresh water pearls.  This was a Christmas present for my boyfriend’s mother . . . the pearls inside represent her two sons and daughter-in-law.  I don’t mind saying this took a little time to figure out to wrap the wire in such a way that “craddles” the pearls and creates a nest shape from both the front and the back.  I love creating handmade gifts best for other people who craft . . . I don’t think people always realize how much time and money goes into handmade items.  Being a creative person herself, it was satifying to know she really appreciated the gift. 

Coral Wedding Necklace and Bracelet

Created with seed beads, fresh water pearls, and coral strung on beading thread.  I was given the honor of designing my sister’s bridal jewelry for her ocean-side wedding in Mexico.  Since her gown was already covered in beads, I wanted to do something that wasn’t too fussy and would enhance her appearance rather than compete with it.  Worn with some pearl earrings, the set very much went along with her tropical themed wedding.