Another Play Day!

Not sure where the time has gone.  I haven't been creating much but I have been busy, don't ask me what with though.  I think part of the problem is that Spring finally arrived.  Little bits of gardening need doing and then, of course there are the moments just sitting in the sun and enjoying it all. Those moments can easily stretch into a fair amount of time!  And why not?  We've been waiting too long for a drop of Vitamin D.  Speaking of which I finally had the news this week that I am still low on iron but I'm just out of being anaemic.  Perhaps the sun has helped there, it certainly lifts the spirits.

My studio is now tidy!!! I can find things.  And I have found things I forgot I had and can now put to use.  I have sorted a couple of other cupboards around the house and have put some of the more rarely used items away so freeing up other space.  I don't feel as though I'm drowning anymore and it's wonderful.

Last Friday Elsa and I went to the Creative Crafts show at Shepton Mallett and had a lovely day. We saw lots, bought a little and inspired the mind.  One item I did buy was a wheeled cupboard that has six 4 litre Really Useful boxes in and it's just right for the majority of my hand threads I was having trouble sorting before.  I can have it out next to my work area and not have to cover the desk with the boxes from the cupboard.  It was quite cheap as it was a strange colour.  I'm not worried about the colour, the size and functionality were what sold it to me.

On the top you can see a book I won, Tray Dying, from Marian at Textile Snippets.  I really must do some more of my own fabrics and this should inspire me! Thank you Marion!

Yesterday I had another play day   This time I took Hilary over to Carol's studio, (links in the last post), where we met Debbie Rijns who was over from South Africa and staying with Carol.  She had brought some ostrich eggs over with her for us to play with.

These are my two and a shard. (I finally re covered my ironing mat with calico, it almost looks too clean to use now. I re drew the inch grid.)

This one I had started to add to after gilding, the plain gold I wanted to work further into before adding my own beads so I saved that one for home.  We made some copper metal clay parts that Carol fired while we fiddled around with other bits.  I've placed a porcupine quill though the centre and it's held with my copper clay and bolts as you can see.  It still needs a lot of additions  and refinements, I'm going to look through my own stash of beads and see what calls to it.

Debbie brought some amazing pieces over with her for us to use and there were some to buy as well.  These are a few of the beads made in South Africa.  The larger ones are rolled paper.

A couple of brushes she finds in a Chinese market over there and lots of very old snake vertebrae. Not every ones taste I know but I think they're great. 

A lovely lampwork vial I intend to put some metal with but it's just so lovely to look at for now, a tiny wooden bowl turned by Debbie's husband and some of the leftover pieces of metal clay I made into torn shards.  I love the post fired colours of the copper! 

My head feels like it's full of lemonade it's so popping with ideas from yesterday.  I think I need to make some notes before I lose them all.

Have a great weekend whatever you're doing.

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A Play Day

As you know Jan and I have been going to evening classes with Hilary Bowen to play with metal clay. Well yesterday we spent a whole day with Hilary, a couple of the other ladies from class and Carol Douglas, another superb clay worker.  

Hilary has the most amazing studio space to work in.

Some of Carols work.

We were using bronze and copper.  I haven't used the copper yet and it's surprising how different they all are.  Silver is very soft and malleable almost to the point of being annoyingly sticky if you're not careful.  Bronze is in the middle but quite sandy in comparison and copper is like blu tac, very springy and hard to imprint fine detail.  You also end up with black hands from the oxidising.

My two efforts of the day are below.  The bronze on the left was trying a very, very thin roll out and draping technique which I quite liked.  The copper was just imprinted into a texture mat and domed.  The bronze was fired in the kiln and the copper by torch.

I was really pleased with the amount of information I picked up especially about kiln use and firing.  We did fire this a different way to how I have used mine before.  I will have to experiment!   Plenty to try and absorb now.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you're doing.


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Latest Metal Clay Piece

Fine silver, Bronze and Picture Jasper bracelet.

I really enjoyed making this piece and have already worn it several times.  I even made the clasp. The bronze was fired in my kiln and the silver by torch.  

I haven't made anything else this week as I'm still tidying.  Almost there though!! There was even enough room on my desk for Chris to join me this weekend and work some more on his wooden boat.  

At last the weather seems to be turning and everything is deciding to bloom forth.  I've had one day of itchy eyes and that's all, lots of nice smells out there!  I think the high winds have been doing away with most of the hazel pollen. Almost, but not quite, ready to urge John into giving the barbie it's spring clean.  May be tempting fate though.  

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Playing With metal Clay

My friend Jan and I have been going to a silver clay workshop on a Wednesday evening over the past couple of weeks.  It's an interesting material!! You start with a clay and end up with a metal that is more pure than Sterling!  

We spent a little time learning the basics with Plasticene, you have to work quite quickly with the clay and it's not too cheap to be making mistakes with.  

After moulding, drying, refining, firing and polishing, this is my first piece and I'm really rather pleased with it.

This week I had some bronze clay sent though.  Apart from it is considerably less expensive than the silver to practise with I do actually really like bronze.  I have plenty of bronze hares around the house! It is also a different process to the silver as it has to be kiln fired and you can actually work more with it once it is in a metal state.

Here are my first attempts in the bronze clay. I was trying for a variety of techniques and textures.

This is how they were after coming out of the kiln yesterday with a little wash and brush.

And after the tumbler.

They just need a bit of refining polishing.  They came out really well, very pleased.

Today the thermometer is on the freezing line and there are flurries of snow.  I am sitting here with hay-fever however as all the hazel catkins are out.  I hope the snow is not affecting you too badly wherever you are.
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