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The Power of an Almost Dry Brush
Sometimes I’m a little slow to catch on. I’ve learned from a bunch of talented teachers. I’ve read dozens of books and hundreds of blog posts about metal clay techniques. I’ve watched demos and online videos. I know I’ve heard this before. So, how did it take over a year for me to really “get”…
New Photo Cube
I love, love, love my new EZ Cube. It’s so sweet, tiny and efficient! I went for the 12″ cube, which allows me to keep it set up in a permanent location. A larger cube wouldn’t fit on this little table, so I would have to break it down after each use. I’m using two…
New Maker’s Mark and Work in Progress
I’m going to order one of those crisp little maker’s mark stamps from Babette Cox, but I wanted to do a bit of testing first to be sure I do it right. For example, do I want my mark to be embossed or debossed, or in simpler terms, will the letters be “inny” or “outty”? …
PMC Conference Wrap-Up
I recently attended the PMC Conference at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. This was my first conference as I started working with the material just over a year ago. I’ve attended classes and workshops, but the conference experience was quite different. For example, the conference features presentations and demonstrations, unlike a hands-on workshop. The schedule…
Ready or Not, Here I Come!
I flew to Indianapolis this morning to attend the PMC Conference at Purdue University in Lafayette, IN. For my non-metal clay friends, PMC is a brand name for precious metal clay. Every other year hundreds of metal clay artists come together to get inspired, learn new skills and connect with friends. This is my first…
BRONZclay Success!
Thanks to some great advice from Bill Struve and several other members of our metal clay community, I have successfully fired BRONZclay! My strategy was to focus on the two most likely problems, which were temperature and carbon. I’ve suspected that my kiln might run a bit hot, so I backed off to 1500 for…
Two Down…
After famously trying hundreds (maybe thousands) of materials for a light bulb filament, Thomas Edison claimed he had not failed. He had simply found 1000 ways not to invent a light bulb. Likewise, I really try to treasure the learning process when things are not going quite right. My favorite saying when I make yet…
BRONZclay Fail
I went to the kiln this morning, hoping to “ooh” and “aah” over my BRONZclay pieces that fired last night. Instead, this is what I fished out of the carbon. Eight pieces, all cracked and split open. I’ve only worked with this material one time before, in a workshop setting about a year ago. My…
Studio Tour
Today I’m sharing an inside view of my metal clay “studio”. My primary workspace is situated in a corner of our family room. It’s a bit unorthodox, but it works well for me. You should know that I have a home office, which I could easily convert to a studio. However, I work full-time and…
Protector of the Lair
I’m so happy to share this piece with you. “Protector of the Lair” has been working himself out for about two years, in my head and in polymer clay versions. I’ve posted previously about the polymer versions. I made dragons for my nieces and nephew back in 2008, and you can see the photos and…