Step by Step Jewelry~Polymer, Ceramic, and Metal Clays - Winter 2007

paint your polymer!

BONUS! Polymer and Metal Clay Guides

Winter 2007

add silver tocopperbeads

links of style

capture the

allure of gold

add silver tocopperbeads

links of style make a metal clay bracelet

capture the

allure of gold

paint your polymer!

make this

memorable necklace

LJMS-060067-CN1 9/29/06 9:03 AM Page CN1

LJMS-060067-CN1.pgs 09.29.2006 12:02 BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

December 2 & 3, 2006Chase Center on the Riverfront

Wilmington, DE

ETSF ewelryJ

Admission: $5.00 Jewelry Fest registered students

receive free Expo admission!

Shopping Hours:

Saturday, December 2: 10 AM 6 PM

Sunday, December 3: 11 AM 5 PM

Shop for spectacular finished jewelryor come and make your own.

Shop for spectacular finished jewelryor come and make your own.

Perfect timing for your holiday gift giving!

Brought to you by Step by Step Beads, Step by Step Wire Jewelry, and Lapidary Journal magazines.

Check www.jewelry-fest.com for a $2.00 coupon off the Expo admission price

and for class photos, descriptions, times and to register for classes. Free Parking!

Beginners welcome

Leave class with a finished piece

to keep or give as a gift

Taught by Editors of Step by Step Beads,

Step by Step Wire Jewelry, and Lapidary

Journal magazines and nationally

published jewelry teachers/designersPhotos show a

selection of the

pieces you can buy

or learn how to make

at Jewelry Fest. See more

of our class offerings at

www.jewelry-fest.com

~ Gemstones, silver, artisan pieces & more ~

Classes - Just 3 hours each

Pendant provided

by India Gems

LJMS-060067-CN2 10/5/06 10:21 AM Page CN2

LJMS-060067-CN2.pgs 10.05.2006 15:01 BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

+DYH\RXHYHUPDGH\RXURZQSXUHVLOYHUMHZHOU\"

)LQGVWDUWHUNLWVHYHU\WKLQJPHWDOFOD\DW30&6XSSO\FRP

3HERRI(AAB 3HERRI(AAB 3HERRI(AAB

LJMS-060067-003 10/2/06 2:25 PM Page 3

LJMS-060067-003.pgs 10.02.2006 14:54 BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

4 Step by Step Jewelry: Clays Winter 2007

Beginner: Someone just starting out cancomplete this project and be happy withthe results.

Beginner/Intermediate: Someone whohas had experience with the material canhappily complete this project, but willalso learn something new by doing it.

Intermediate: A comfortable project forsomeone who has a good workingknowledge of the material.

Intermediate/Advanced: A project forsomeone who is ready for a more chal-lenging approach to a material they haveworked with repeatedly.

Advanced: A good project for someonewho is confident with the material andhas had a lot of experience with thetechniques.

P R O J E C T S K I L L L E V E L S

7

45

6 AlchemyBy Leslie Rogalski, Editor-in-Chief

7 Bamboo Metal Clay Earrings Combining PMC with 18K gold wire and beads.By Kathleen Bolan

14 Bearded Iris Polymer clay brushstroke technique.By Barbara Sperling

21 Silver on Copper Beads Getting more out of your metal clay.By Marc Kornbluh

24 Double the Pleasure Two glass cabochons with movement and style.By Arlene Hildebrand

contents

polymer, ceramic & metal clays polymer, ceramic & metal clays

Winter 2007

21

LJMS-060067-TOC 9/28/06 10:08 AM Page 4


50

More Projects @ StepbyStepJewelry.com 5

Patricial Kimles Pastel Lentil Bead , page 34.

O N T H E C O V E R

14

www.stepbystepjewelry.com

C H E C K U S O U T O N T H E W E B :

63 Bead Shops

65 The Next Step: Classes Near You

A D V E RT I S E R S S E C T I O N

28 Link Bracelet PMC chain fired in one piece.By Hadar Jacobson

31 Folded Raku Bead Necklace By Sue Ki Wilcox

34 Pastel Lentil Beads Painted polymer takes art to new heights.By Patricia Kimle

40 Fracture Patterning TechniqueBy Helen Breil

44 Fracture Patterned Sheet Patterned polymer clay.By Helen Breil

45 Patterned Polymer Pendant Tempera paint crackle effect for polymer clay.By Helen Breil

50 Rio Oro River of Gold Pendant Metal clay and Aura22.By Lorrene J. Davis

55 The Complete Guide to Metal ClaysBy Suzanne Wade

60 Polymer Clay HintsBy Kathy Weaver

62 Clay Web Resources

31

LJMS-060067-TOC 9/28/06 10:08 AM Page 5


6 Step by Step Clay Jewelry 2007

polymer, ceramic & metal clays polymer, ceramic & metal clays

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Leslie RogalskiArt Director Kevin Myers

Projects Editor Denise PeckAssociate Editor Jane W. DickersonAssistant Editor Kristen L. Gibson

Sara E. GrahamAssistant Art Directors Karen Dougherty

Robin HayesCheryl L. Long

Editorial Director Merle White

BUSINESS

Publisher Joseph BreckBusiness & Operations Manager Donna L. Kraidman

Marketing Director David WeimanSundry Sales Manager/

Office Manager Michele P. Erazo(610) 232-5710

Promotions Designer Karen A. DoughertyWeb Site Editor/Developer Tricia Gdowik

Office Coordinator Kathleen A. McIntyreEvents Manager Karen Keegan

ADVERTISING

Sales Director Joseph Breck(610) 232-5701; Fax (610) 232-5750

National Sales Manager Art Dulac(619) 668-0136; Fax (619) 668-1034

Advertising Representatives Evelyn McIntyreBeth VanOstenbridgeKatherine Wiggins

Classified Advertising

Representative Scott StepanskiProduction Manager Scott Tobin

Advertising Coordinator Jay BonfadiniAdvertising Designer Daniela Glomb

Founder, Creative Director Linda LigonCEO Clay B. Hall

President Marilyn MurphyCFO Dianne Gates

Vice President, Sales & Marketing Linda StarkVice President, Human Resources Suzanne DeAtley

BOOKS

Publisher Linda StarkCFO Tricia Waddell

Art Director Paulette LiversManaging Editor Rebecca Campbell

For questions regarding our book program,call (970) 669-7672

MondayFriday, 8:00 A.M.5:00 P.M.or email [email protected]

Step by Step Jewelry: Polymer, Ceramic & Metal Clays is published by InterweavePress LLC,201 E. Fourth St., Loveland, CO 80537-5655. (970) 669-7672.

Step by Step Jewelry: Polymer, Ceramic & Metal Clays is published at 300 Chesterfield Park-way, Suite 100,Malvern, PA 19355.

Copyright 2006 Interweave Press LLC, All rights reserved. Reproductionof this copyright-ed material in any manner without the express writtenpermission of Publisher is strictly forbidden.Step by Step Beads is notresponsible for manuscripts, photographs or other material, whetherso-licited or not, unless a signed, prior written agreement is executed.All manuscripts, photographsor other material submitted will beconclusively presumed to be for publication unless accompa-nied by awritten explanation otherwise. Once accepted by Publisher, materials become the soleproperty of Step by Step Jewelry: Polymer, Ceramic & Metal Clays, who has the unconditional-right to edit or change material. All manuscripts, photographs or othermaterial accepted by Pub-lisher will be paid for at a rate solelydetermined by Publisher unless a signed, prior written agree-ment isobtained. No payment is owed until and unless work is published.

Step by Step Jewelry: Polymer, Ceramic & Metal Clays is not responsible for any liability arisingfrom anyerrors, omissions or mistakes contained in the magazine and readers shouldproceed cau-tiously, especially with respect to any technical information,for which Step by Step Jewelry: Poly-mer, Ceramic & Metal Clays does not warrant the accuracy and furtherdisclaims liability therefrom.

AlchemyWorking in clay appeals to a deep instinct in an artist. Call it a

primal urge. Every culture has a legend about creating some-

thing from clay and bringing it to life. There is an archetypal aura

about sinking your fingers into malleable materials, feeling the

medium respond to your every touch,

and then, usually with fire and heat,

transforming your creation from tran-

sient to permanent. Its very empower-

ing and very magical to change a lump

of clay into a work of art.

Clay artists today are our modern

alchemists. Imagine what ancient pot-

ters would think of metal clay, the way

it becomes pure precious metal. Arthur

C. Clark said, Any sufficiently ad-

vanced technology is indistinguishable

from magic. How true! And how

privileged we are, to have such tech-

nology empower our creativity.

Technology has transformed our

lives as artists. It brings supplies to our

doorstep with the click of a button, en-

ables us to use colors historically re-

served for kings and popes, and im-

proves the very mediums we cherish by making them easier to

work with, faster to process, and more enduring.

As you create the projects were proud to present here, re-

member that as you transform the raw material into a beautiful

piece of jewelry, your creation will go on to affect someone else.

Wearing your art will transform them into someone special.

Like magic.

Merle White, Editorial Director

Leslie Rogalski, Editor-in-Chief

www.stepbystepjewelry.com

LJMS-060067-edit 9/28/06 10:16 AM Page 6



STeP bySTeP

Bamboo Metal Clay EarringsCombining PMC with 18K

gold wire and beads.

BY KATHLEEN BOLAN

PMC offers myriad possibilities in surface texturing and combining it with

other jewelry elements. The earrings pictured here were made by cutting two

shapes from a hand-drawn template, texturing them with a rubber stamp, and

embellishing them with 18K gold, sterling silver, and handmade lampwork

glass beads.

Half of a 28-gram package of PMC+

Work surface of glass or smooth

plastic

PVC roller: 1" diameter x 8" long

Manila folder or other heavy paper

Pencil

X-Acto knife with new blade

Cutting mat

Jewelers shears

Bamboo rubber stamp

(All Night Media)

A piece of Teflon paper: approxi-

mately 6" x 6" (available from cooking

supply stores)

Cellophane tape

Badger Balm or olive oil

Saran Wrap

Small pointed brush

Sandpaper: 320- and 400-grit

Salon emery boards: medium and fine

4 playing cards

Needle files: flat and round

Pin tool or long needle

Toaster oven

Ceramic tile

Round sterling tubing: 3.84mm O.D.,516" long

Square sterling tubing: 4.5mm O.D.,116" long

Tube cutting jig

Jewelers saw and 3/0 blades

Flat nose pliers

Chain nose pliers: 1 pair bent tip and

1 pair straight

Round nose pliers: 1 small pair and 1

large pair

Wire cutters

20-gauge soft 18K gold wire, 7" long

20-gauge dead soft sterling silver

wire, 12" long

2 small lampwork glass beads

2 small sterling silver accent beads

Bench pin

Metal mandrels to make jump rings:

2mm and 4mm

Soldering torch

Soldering pick

Burnisher

Silver solder: hard, medium, and easy

Paste flux

Soldering pick

Fire brick

Bowl of water

Sparex or other pickle of choice in a

crock pot

Rotary tumbler with mixed stainless

steel shot

Burnishing compound

Kiln capable of holding 1650F for 10

minutes

Kiln shelf

Tongs

Liver-of-sulfur

Tweezers

4/0 steel wool

Sunshine or other polishing cloth

What you need

Skill level

Photo

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d p

iece

by

Frank

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LJMS-060067-bamboo 9/25/06 9:26 AM Page 7



STeP bySTeP

I have an affinity for Asian motifs, and selected

a bamboo design for the PMC imprint. The 18K

gold straws on the top complement the 22K gold

leaf and red enamel beads that dangle from the

bottom loop. I strive to create a traditional look us-

ing contemporary techniques for designs that tra-

verse time.

As an option to simplify the project, freshwater

pearls could be substituted for the beads, which give

the earrings a slightly different traditional appeal.

Draw a curved rectangle shape for the earrings

on a piece of manila folder approximately 1" long,

slightly less than 1" at the top, and narrowing to

about 916" at the bottom. Place it on a cutting mat,

and cut it out with the X-Acto knife. Hold the knife

perpendicular to the template, and score the manila

folder lightly for the first cut. Repeat the cut three or

four more times using a little more pressure until it

cuts through. Leave a 34"1" border of manila folder

around the cut-out shape on all sides. Smooth any

rough edges of the template with 400-grit sandpa-

per. Mark a T for top in the corner on one side

of the template. Apply a light coat of Badger Balm

to the bottom side of the template and set aside

with the Badger Balm facing up. A flatter, gentle

curve along the top rather than a more rounded

curve is easier to solder onto the round tubing for

the bail. Keep in mind the PMC+ will shrink 10-15

percent when fired.

Tape a piece of Teflon to your work surface. Rub

a small amount of Badger Balm on your hands.

Place a piece of Saran Wrap over the clay as you

roll it out to help keep it moist for a longer time. Roll

out half of a 28-gram package of the PMC+ to a

height of two cards on the Teflon or an oiled sur-

face.

Tip: Turning the clay over every two to three rolls will prevent

it from sticking to the Teflon.

Put some Badger Balm on your fingertip and rub it over

the rubber stamp to prevent it from sticking to the PMC+.

Press the stamp fairly hard into the clay to get a deep image.

Position the template with the oiled side down on top of

the clay. Hold it in place, and use the pin tool perpendicu-

lar to the clay to cut around the shape. Let the earrings dry.

Tip: To speed up the drying, you can heat them in a toaster

oven. Carefully pick up the Teflon, gently lift the earrings

off with your fingers, and put them on a ceramic tile. Place

the tile in the toaster oven, and heat at 250F for about 15

minutes. Do not use the aluminum tray that comes with the

toaster oven; the PMC reacts adversely.

1

2

3

4




When dry, hold the two pieces together, and carefully

sand the edges with a salon emery board, 320- or 400-

grit sandpaper. This smoothes the edges and assures that

the shapes are exactly the same. Also, check the back of

the earrings to make sure the surface is smooth. Sand, if

needed. Handle the leather-hard clay very gently because it

is fragile and can break easily. Tip: File and sand over a

clean sheet of paper to collect the filings, then add them to

your jar of PMC+ slip.

Place the earrings on a kiln shelf and fire for 10 minutes

at 1650F. When the cycle is completed, crack the door

open. After 1015 minutes, carefully remove the earrings

with tongs and cool on a ceramic tile. Tumble with the mixed

stainless steel shot and burnishing compound for 23 hours.

Use a jewelers saw and tube cutting jig to cut two 516"

long pieces of the round sterling silver tubing. Cut two 116"

long pieces of the square sterling silver tubing. File the ends

of the round tubing with the round needle file to remove any

burs. Sand the round and square tubing with 320-grit sand-

paper on a flat surface. Saw off one side of the square tub-

ing slices. Hold each with flat nose pliers and sand the

bottom edges flat.

Wrap the 20-gauge sterling wire around a 2mm mandrel

by hand about 56 times. Repeat to make two 5.5mm

O.D. jump rings using a 4mm mandrel. Remove the

mandrel, hold one of the coils against a bench pin,

and use the jewelers saw to cut the coil and sepa-

rate the jump rings. Repeat for the other coil, then

saw two 5.5mm jump rings in half. I like to make a

few extra of both jump rings in case they are need-

ed, and a longer coil is easier to hold for sawing.

Hold a 3.5mm jump ring between the flat nose

and bent tip chain nose pliers, and bend side to

side until the ends butt tightly together. Then hold it

with the bent tip or flat nose pliers along the top

edge with the seam side facing down, and sand the

bottom flat on 320-grit sandpaper.

Solder a 3.5mm jump ring to the top of a square

tubing slice. Cut a tiny pallion of hard solder

with the jewelers shears. Center the jump ring on

top of the square tubing slice, flux, solder, quench

in water, then pickle. Repeat for the second one.

5

6

7

8

9

10




STeP bySTeP

Solder the square tubing with the jump ring on it

to the round tubing. Cut two tiny pallions of hard

solder for each earring. Carve a depression in the

fire brick the depth of half the diameter of the round

tubing. I use the back end of my tweezers. Check so

the midline of the tubing lines up with the square

tubing slice when placed next to each other on the

fire brick. Center the slice of square tubing on top

of the round tubing, flux, solder, quench in water,

then pickle. Repeat for the second one. If the

square tubing is not centered, sand the round tubing

to make the sides equal. Make sure the tubing is

the same length on both earrings.

Solder a half jump ring to the PMC+. Burnish

the bottom edge of each earring. Mark the center

of the earring along the bottom edge with a pencil

line to help center the half jump ring. Cut two tiny

pallions of hard solder for each earring. Do the sol-

dering on the back side of the earring to make sure

solder does not flow into the stamped texture on the

front. Center the half jump ring, flux, solder, quench

in water, then pickle. Repeat for the second earring.

Burnish the top curved edge of the earrings. Cut

two to three small pallions of medium solder for

each earring. Use the carved depression again, so

the midline of the tubing lines up with the top edge

of the earring. Mark the center of the tubing and the

earring along the top edge with a small pencil line to

help center and align them. Center the tubing along the top,

flux, solder on the back side, quench in water, then pickle.

Repeat for the second earring.

Ball one end of the 7" of 18K gold wire. Dip the end of

the wire in flux. Hold the wire with tweezers, so it is hang-

ing downward. Bring the tip of the torch flame up to melt the

end of the wire into a ball and quench in water. Make sure

the balls on the ends are small, so three will fit through the

tubing together. Cut the balled wire 78" long and pickle it.

Hold this wire with tweezers so the cut end is hanging down-

ward again, and melt the other end into a ball the same size.

Make 3 more of this size for a total of four. For the next two,

repeat melting a ball on one end, cut these 118" long, then

melt a ball on the other end. Each earring uses one long and

two short 18K wires.

Solder three of the gold wires together. Lay one long wire

on the fire brick with one short wire above and below it.

Center the wires so they are equal on each side. Solder

them together in the middle with two tiny pallions of medium

silver solder. Flux, solder, quench in water, then pickle. Heat

just enough to tack the solder in place, so the solder does

not flow down the length of the gold wires. Repeat soldering

the other 3 wires together.

Solder the gold wires to the inside of the tubing. Push one

end of a three-wire bundle through the round tubing on top

of an earring. You may have to bend the two outer wires to lie

on top of the middle wire to get them through the tubing. Cen-

ter the wires so the amount of wire extending out on each

11

12

13

14

15

16




side is equal. Splay the wires on each side, so they are

evenly spread apart. This helps hold them in position. Blind

solder them to the inside of the tubing with one to two small

pallions of easy solder. Flux the inside on the center of the

wires, solder, quench in water, then pickle. Make final adjust-

ments to the wire spacing. Repeat for the second one.

Make two headpins. Cut two pieces of 20-gauge sterling

wire 112" long. Dip one end of the wire in flux and heat it

in the torch. Hold the wire with tweezers, so the cut end is

hanging downward. Bring the tip of the torch flame up to

melt the end of the wire into a ball, quench in water, and

pickle. Make sure the ball is large enough to hold the lamp-

work bead on the wire.

Make two hook ear wires by cutting two pieces of 20-

gauge sterling wire 214" long. Dip one end of each wire in

flux, and heat the end of each to melt it into a small ball.

With the small round nose pliers, hold the wire about 14"

from the tip of the pliers at the base of the ball with the

balled end pointing up. Make a small loop by bending the pli-

ers away from you until the ball touches the long

end of the wire. Hold the loop facing you with the

long end of the wire hanging down. Position the

widest end of the large round nose pliers below the

loop; bend the wire away from you, going up around

the jaw of the pliers. Use the flat nose pliers to

make a slight bend at the long end of the wire by po-

sitioning the end of the wire so it is flush with the

side of the pliers; bend out away from the loop. File

the end smooth with a flat needle file.

Patinate the earrings, headpins, and ear wires

with liver-of-sulfur. It is best to do this outdoors to

avoid inhaling the noxious sulfur fumes. Use one cup

of hot tap water. Pour the water into a small glass or

ceramic bowl used only for this purpose. Add a small

pea-sized piece of liver-of-sulfur to the water and stir

with tweezers until dissolved. Hold the earrings un-

17

18

19



der the hot water faucet to warm the metal. Im-

merse the earrings and wires into the solution until

they turn a dark steel gray. Remove them with tweez-

ers and rinse in cool, clean water to stop the chemi-

cal action. Wash in hot soapy water and baking

soda, then rinse again. Buff the silver with 4/0 steel

wool to remove most of the liver-of-sulfur. The re-

cessed areas remain dark. Polish with a

Sunshinecloth for a soft luster.

Wire-wrap the lampwork glass beads to the bottom

loops on the earrings. Put one of the lampwork

beads and small silver accent bead on a headpin.

Hold the headpin about 18" above the beads with the

small round nose pliers about 18" from the tip of the

jaw. Bring the wire above the pliers down and over the

outside jaw of the pliers. Maintain your grip and bend

the loop toward you with the pliers while holding the

tail of the wire against the bead with your other hand.

This movement is done with your wrist. Reposition the round

nose pliers so the top jaw is at the top of the loop. Bend the

tail at a right angle, and bring it across the bottom of the

loop. Use the straight chain nose pliers to open the base of

the loop enough to slide it on the loop at the bottom of the

earring. Position the straight chain nose pliers across the

loop, and use the bent tip chain nose pliers like fingers to

wrap the wire around the stem between the loop and the

beads two times. Cut off the excess wire. Squeeze the cut

end with the pliers, so it is flush against the wraps. Repeat

for the other earring.

20

12

STeP bySTeP




Attach thehooks.Use the flat nosepliers to bend the

small-balled loopon the topof the earwire to oneside.

Hook theearring onto it, and close the loopby bending it back

to the center of the earwire. Repeat for the other earring. Your

newearrings are nowcomplete and ready towear.

Kathleen Bolan creates mixed media jewelry using preciousmetal clay, metal, polymer clay, and her hand-made lampwork glass beads, which she sellsat fine art fairs and in select galleries. Hercompany, Born To Bead, is in Trenton, Mich.

21

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LJMS-060067-bamboo 10/9/06 1:18 PM Page 13


I absolutely love the color choices and

brushstroke technique of Van Gogh. To

me, the iris was a natural choice for this

brushstroke look. When I think of doing

a millefiori cane, I usually start with a

subject matter that I really like, and then

the technique or look comes into play.

With polymer clay there are limitless

choices to be made, leaving only the

imagination to discover them.

I was demonstrating the polymer clay

millefiori cane work technique for a shop

when I first thought of doing the iris with

the brushstroke technique. There was a

break in the action, and one of the shop

clerks came out to visit. I imagine I was

staring pretty intensely, because she asked

what I was doing. The wheels were turn-

ing and I was trying to envision how I had

to break down the design to accomplish

the look I was seeking. That is how it

starts for me. I view the image as a puzzle;

breaking down each design, making all

the little parts, then piecing it together. I

am self-taught in polymer clay, but my

background in numerous mediums has

developed my eye for color and design.

Experimentation comes naturally to me

and I like the challenge of figuring things

out. I learned very quickly that with poly-

mer clay there are a few rules one must

obey, and no matter how forgiving it can

be, you have to know its limits.

Instructions are for technique versus exact

coloring or amounts of clay. This project also

requires an understanding of gradational

shades, conditioning, and mixing of the clay.

bearded

IRISPolymer clay brushstroke

technique.

BY BARBARA SPERLING


STeP bySTeP

LJMS-060067-iris 9/25/06 11:06 AM Page 14



Conditioning the clay.

Place the clay in a food processor dedicated for clay work.

Turn the motor on, chopping the clay into small pieces.

The heat from the motor will also help to soften the clay,

making the conditioning process a little easier. After remov-

ing the clay from the processor, combine the clay pieces into

a ball. Roll the ball out, recombine into a ball, roll out, re-

combine, and roll out for a total of 15 or more times. If you

dont have a food processor, then the rolling and recombin-

ing process has to be done more. The clay will be smoother,

softer, and more elastic when it is conditioned properly.

Mixing colors and making gradations.

Petal: I used a mix of purple and cobalt for the petal, and

chose to make nine different shades to achieve a nice

brushstroke effect. Roll the blended purple into a log, then

cut off one section to retain for the darkest shade (length de-

pends on amount of clay used). Add 1 part white to the re-

maining purple log. Cut off another section equal in length to

the first. Add 1 part white to the remaining purple log. Cut off

a section equal in length to the first and add 1 part white to

the remaining purple log. Continue this process adding 1 part

of white each time to the purple log to equal nine shades. (In

the directions and diagram for building the petals, the grada-

tions are numbered 19, 1 being the lightest.)

Beard: Mix ochre and golden yellow for the base color. Fol-

lowing the process above, add white for a total of three gra-

dations. Now mix yellow and golden yellow for a base color

and mix with white to equal three shades. This will give you a

total of six shades to use in the beard.

Leaf and stem: For the base color, mix leaf green, green,

and turquoise. Add white for the first two gradations, then

begin adding yellow and white to equal three more grada-

tions, for a total of five shades of green.

Leaves, stem, and bloom covering: For a variation,

the leaves can be as simple as mixing the selected

colors together with some white and leaving mottled,

then shaping into a leaf.

Iris beard.

Form a tall triangle from the darkest shade of

ochre. On the #1 setting of the pasta machine,

make sheets out of the two remaining ochre/yellow

pieces and the three yellow pieces. Drape the

sheets of lighter shades of ochre, then the yellow,

over two sides of the triangle. Reduce the triangle in

size by stretching.

1

Polymer clay (I used FIMO

Classic)

Iris: purple, cobalt blue, white, yel-

low, golden yellow, ochre.

Leaves and stems: leaf green,

green, yellow, golden yellow,

ochre, white.

Background: dove gray, light blue,

navy blue, champagne, white,

ochre, purple.

Tissue blade or other sharp fine

edge

Brayer hard rubber or acrylic

rod

Food processor (optional)

Pasta machine (referred to as

pm) This helps when making the

sheets, but hand rolling is also

fine. Settings listed in the direc-

tions are for the Atlas brand pas-

ta machine. Any thickness for any

of the sheets of clay used is fine,

just keep proportion in mind.

What you need

Skill level

Photo

of

finis

hed b

ead b

y Fr

ank

DeS

ant

is;

all

oth

er p

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2

3

LJMS-060067-iris 9/25/06 9:34 AM Page 15


Drape one sheet of each of the purple shades #4

then #3 (pm#1) over the ochre/yellow triangle on

the same two sides.

Beard veins.

Roll out a sheet (pm#6) of purple #8. Cut into

varying-width strips to be inserted for veins. Using

a tissue blade, starting at the bottom of the triangle,

make five to seven angled slits along the sides, and

one slit on the top of the triangle.

Insert the dark purple vein strips into the slits. If

you work the strips into the slits using a sideways

back and forth motion, it will help keep the clay from

sticking before you have it in place.

1. I use Fimo Classic for all of my complex

canes. It maintains color and design integrity

during the reducing stage. Its colors are true

and I like the matte finish after baking. It is a

much harder clay to condition and work with,

but that really is a plus when making detailed

millefiori canes.

2. Condition the clay well I cant say this

enough. Even before mixing the colors and

shades, the clay must be well conditioned.

3. Always mix extra clay; you will want to retain

some of each color and shade for additions

or later use. You do not want to have to try

and remix or match a certain color. Any extra

clay can always be used to make other

canes for accents or backgrounds when con-

structing jewelry.

4. When mixing the shades/colors for a flower

cane, leave striations in the mixed clay as this

gives the piece an interesting, artistic flair.

5. Reducing: I find that a slight wiggling of the

cane back and forth, while stretching at the

same time, makes the reducing easier. Not all

shapes can be reduced by rolling or brayering.

Beginning in the center of the cane and work-

ing out towards the ends helps to reduce the

waste at the end of the cane. Before assem-

bling the parts, be sure to make a clean slice

on the ends so you can view it while putting

the parts in their places.

6. No monster canes for me; I keep my canes

to a 34" length, with a 23" diameter. Detail

work becomes distorted if you try to make it

too big. The flowers are more forgiving if you

really need to go large, but anything with ex-

tremities would have a hard time staying

straight when reducing. Of course, this means

reducing each segment before constructing the

final cane.

7. Make sure that each segment of the cane is in

its correct place and is attached firmly to sur-

rounding canes before reducing the cane. I

hate to perform surgery on a cane after it

has been constructed.

TIPS

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LJMS-060067-iris 9/25/06 9:35 AM Page 16


Once you have

all the slits filled

with veins, press

the clay back to-

gether firmly. Set

aside.

Iris petals.

Roll the nine shades of purple into sheets (pm #2). Cut

ten 1" x 3" strips of all nine shades. Even though you may

not need all ten in each shade, its not only easier, but it

also allows variances in your brushstroke.

Looking at the cross-section (the end), lay out the strips,

following the diagram for the color order. Here is where

creativity comes into play mixing up the order and/or

adding small strips randomly of shades #1 and #9 (pm#5)

will make the petal more interesting and not so uniform.

After doing twelve layers, begin leaving out shade #2, then

#3, and finally #4. At the same time, begin stacking the

darker shades towards the lighter end.

Once the stack is complete, place a sheet of

dark purple (pm #4) over the stack, beginning at

the dark end.

After all the sheets have been placed, you will no-

tice that the middle is higher than the ends; this is a

good thing. Brayer over the whole stack, making

sure all the clay is adhered together. Do not flatten

the middle; keep it angling down towards the ends.

Start pushing the two ends towards each other and

continue stretching the cane, keeping the lowest lay-

er flatthis melds the brushstrokes. Continue to

stretch this stack out, retaining the shape; this log

is actually half of all the petals.

Back petals.

Cut off 13 of this log. This section will be used for

the three smaller petals coming up the back and will

show no beard. The remainder will be used later.

Reduce the 13 section you cut off then cut it in half.

Pinch the light end on both halves to form points.

Place a thin strip of dark purple along part of the

flat, lighter edge of one of the halves; this will be

the vein in the middle of the petal. Push the two flat

sides of the two halves completely together.

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LJMS-060067-iris 9/25/06 9:35 AM Page 17


Press the lighter end into a point and round the

dark end.

Stretch this petal log to 12", but have 8" of it

smaller than the remaining 4". Cut into three

equal lengths of 4" (this will be the length of my

cane, your length may be differentbe sure to make

adjustments to all lengths given from here on) and

set them aside.

Main petals with beard.

Take the remaining half of the petal-log stack, left

from Step 9, and reduce it a little, then cut it in

half. Pinch the light colored ends into points. Reduce

the beard to proportion and place it between the two

pointed, lighter edges of the halves before pressing

them together. Wrap a thin sheet (pm #6) of dark

purple around the log, leaving the beard edge ex-

posed. Cut this bearded petal log in half.

To make the sections for the two smaller front-

side petals, reduce one of the halves of this beard-

ed-petal log and cut into two 4" sections. Pinch the

beard end to make a point. Retain the other half for

the larger, round main petal. Set aside.

Stem.

Roll the five green shades into sheets (pm#1),

3" x 4". Stack the sheets starting with the dark-

est shade on the bottom. Brayer or stretch this

stack out, keeping one side at 4".

Cut a small section (approx. 12"x 4") of this stack

off and set aside for the stem. Cut the remaining

piece in half, retaining the 4" side.

Keeping the darkest green down towards the table, lay a

sheet of yellow clay along one side of the light green layer,

on one of the halves, then place the other half on top, keep-

ing the lighter shades towards the middle. Brayer together.

Shape into a leaf the leaves are just tall triangles with an-

gled bottoms. Place a thin layer of medium-dark green down

one side of the completed leaf and stem for shadowing.

Leaves.

Cut the leaf cane into two pieces, making one smaller

than the other. Reduce them to the appropriate size for

the finished cane. Remember to place the shadowed sides

down towards bottom

of the cane, to repre-

sent how sunlight

would cast a shadow.

Bloom covering.

Make a small tri-

angle of mottled

greens. Cut on the di-

agonal, and insert a

strip of ochre through

it to make the bloom

covering at the base of

the petal. Reduce.

Mosaic background.

I like the look of

the mosaic effect around my flower and leaves but there

are many options when it comes to filling in around the

flower design. Roll out the conditioned clays for the back-

ground canes to 1" diameter snakes. Combine the snakes

into a pleasing combination, forming one mosaic-like log.

Roll the log, bringing the snakes together and eliminat-

ing any gaps. Twist the log, recombine, and roll it out again.

Only do this a few times, at the most, for a choppy mosaic

look. Keep this log large, 23" diameter. When deciding on

background shades, remember that when the logs are re-

duced, the color appears darker. A good rule of thumb is to

always make them lighter than you think they should be. I

recommend testing

your background

cane before going

too far. Cut a small

section off the end

of the log as you

have it now, and

roll down to a

small snake to see

if it is what you

want. If not, add in

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STeP bySTeP

LJMS-060067-iris 9/25/06 1:20 PM Page 18


more snakes of lighter or darker colors to correct it.

Cover the outside of the log with a sheet of navy blue

(pm#5). Roll out into 14" snakes and cut the length of the

finished cane. Doing two or more different background logs

makes a nice effect. I usually use the lightest one right up

around the flower, then go darker towards the outside of

the cane.

Assembling the cane.

Tip: I use my canes for more than jewelry and like to keep

sections of the different parts, i.e., petals, leaves, stems,

for later use on 3-D items or relief work. Be sure to set them

aside before surrounding them with the background snakes.

Build your cane on a sheet of paper so it can be turned

easily while you work on it and then for compressing later.

Check all the part canes to be sure theyre proportional, and

reduce, if necessary. Place the petals so they are standing

up on your work surface and you are looking down on them

from above. Place the large petal in the center bottom, the

two small-bearded petals above the large petal to either

side, then the larger

non-bearded petal in

the middle top, with the

smaller non-bearded

petals to either side.

When theyre properly

placed, be sure to at-

tach them well to each

other.

Flip the cane over

every now and then to

be sure things are align-

ing on both ends. To

keep voids open around

the petals as your build-

ing your cane, place

rolled up paper in the spots until youre ready for the

snakes. Place the bloom covering under the large center

petal, then the stem and leaves.

Make some of the

snakes into triangles

so they fit into the V-

grooves between the

petals. Start placing the

snakes around the

flower, adhering each

snake to the next.

Dont put too many

rows of background

snakes around the

flower, or the flower will

be too small when it is

reduced too much background and not enough of

the flower is not a good thing.

When all of the components are together, check

both ends to be sure parts are in their right

places. Then,

press all the

parts so they

stick to each

other before re-

ducing. Grasp

the cane in your

hands and ap-

ply even pres-

sure on oppo-

site sides, all

the way around,

for the length of

the cane.

Now you are

ready to re-

duce. Remem-

ber: To start

the process,

apply equal

pressure

around the mid-

dle of the cane,

working out to

the ends. When

you get it

longer, wiggle it while stretching.

Because the cane is round, when it gets long

enough, you can also roll it. I cut off a part of the

cane and leave it large, so I can choose the diame-

ter later.

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LJMS-060067-iris 9/25/06 1:20 PM Page 19


Making a bead.

To make a bead similar to the one shown on page 14,

shape a lump of scrap clay slightly smaller than the shape

of the finished bead you want, allowing for the added dimen-

sion of the thin cane slices. Take the reduced iris cane and

slice off two to three pieces. Apply the slices around the

center of the bead. Add slices of complementary canes

around the larger flower slices, filling in the gaps and cover-

ing the entire bead. While retaining the bead shape, press

all the added slices gently, being sure theyre all adhered to

the base bead. Before baking, make a hole in the bead for

stringing or wiring. Bake in your dedicated convection oven (I

only use convection ovens as they hold their temperatures

much more true than a toaster oven) at the manufacturers

recommended temperature for 2040 minutes, depending

on the size of and thickness of the bead. I prefer a matte

finish and leave my work as is right out of the oven, but you

can bring your piece to a nice sheen by sanding with sand-

paper to 1500-grit or by sanding and then buffing with a

muslin wheel on a buffing machine.

There are many ways to use

the millefiori canes and

many more yet to be discov-

ered. What I hope really

comes through in my work is

my love of nature and art.

Frustration in the process

only puts up walls to cre-

ativity so enjoy, and re-

member to have fun!

Barbara Sperling is a Chatham, NH-based artist working withpolymer clay and Precious Metal Clay. She is aState Juried Member of the League of NH Crafts-men in Polymer Clay, PMC, and Non Metal Jew-elry. She was Chairperson on the LNHC Commit-tee to review and set the standards for PolymerClay, and presently serves as a Juror for theLeague in Polymer Clay, PMC, Non-Metal

Jewelry, and Multi-Media. Her work is carried in galleries through-out the United States, and can be viewed on her Web site. She liveswith her husband, George, in the White Mountains.

22


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LJMS-060067-iris 10/5/06 9:33 AM Page 20


6" length of 14" diame-

ter copper tubing

Tube cutter

28-gram package of sil-

ver PMC+

X-Acto or craft knife

Textured surface: silver-

ware pattern, rubber

stamps, etc. (for creat-

ing an impressed design

on the beads surface)

Fireproof tile

Bench-top mounted

torch

Bowl of water

Long nose tweezers

Liver-of-sulfur

Extra-fine steel wool

Metal teaspoon

Cotton swab

Round nose pliers

Chain nose pliers

Wire cutters

2 French ear wires

2 head pins

4 spacer beads

4 complementary beads

What you need

Skill level

Photo

of fin

ishe

d p

iece

by

Frank

DeS

ant

is; all

oth

er p

hoto

s co

urte

sy o

f th

e aut

hor.

Attention metal clay and glass artists! Ive created a quick, simple, and

economical way to make silver beads. All you need is a little metal clay,

copper tubing, a few tools, and a beadmaking torch. This technique really

stretches your metal clay, enabling you to create a larger bead using less

material.

Making the bead.

Cut a 14" piece of copper tubing using your tube cutter.

The thickness of the clay in

the package is about 18" thick.

This is a great thickness for this

project. If you are working with

metal clay that has already been

opened and is no longer in the

prepackaged dimension, roll the

lump out to about 18" thick but

dont use any oil as it will work

against your goal of applying the

clay to copper.

Using the craft knife, cut a

strip 18" wide and 34" long.

Wrap the clay strip around the

center of the copper tubing

piece, joining the clay ends to-

gether. Gently roll the clay cov-

ered copper tube back and forth

between your thumb and forefin-

ger until the clay covers most of

the tube. Youll finish covering

the tube in Step 5.

1

silver on copper beads

Getting more out of your metal clay.

BY MARC KORNBLUH

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STeP bySTeP

LJMS-060067-silver 9/25/06 9:41 AM Page 21


Slip the tube snugly onto a pair of long, closed

tweezers. Tweezers work well to hold the bead

while you texturize it and later work it in the flame.

Dip your finger into the bowl of water. Rub your

finger on the bead, wetting it slightly. Smooth the

surface of the bead, working the clay from the cen-

ter to the edges, until all the copper up to the edge

is covered and the bead is smooth and uniform.

Choose a texture youd like to use for decorating

your bead, then lightly oil the surface of the tex-

tured tool. The oil will help prevent the clay bead

from sticking to the textured tool.

Gently roll the bead over the textured surface or

stamp the bead gently with the textured tool. Its im-

portant to work gently with the bead so the bond be-

tween the clay and copper isnt broken.

Light your torch. While your bead is still wet and

on the tweezers, bring the bead into the outer

fringe of the torch flame. Rotate the tweezers slow-

ly until the bead dries. Use caution putting the

bead directly into the flame before it is completely

dry might cause the clay to crack. The process of

flame-drying the bead takes about five to seven

minutes to complete.

After the bead has dried, it will ignite momentarily and

then go out, this is the organic binder burning off. Now the

bead is ready to put directly into the flame.

Turn the bead in the flame until it glows a light orange.

Keep moving the bead in and out of the flame to prevent it

from getting too hot (bright orange) too much heat will

melt out the detail of your design; maintain the light-orange

glow. After a few minutes, the clay will shrink and begin to

break out into a light sweat of silver its nearly done.

Continue turning the bead in the flame for a few more min-

utes more silver will appear on the surface. Using pliers,

gently nudge the bead off the tweezers onto a ceramic tile or

other fireproof surface. Let the bead cool to room tempera-

ture. Dont quench the bead in water; the two metals expand

and contract at different rates which may cause separation.

Adding the finish.

When the bead is cool, buff it using extra-fine steel wool.

The bead is now finished or ready for a patina treatment. I

like to apply a patina using liver-of-sulfur. When working with

liver-of-sulfur, be sure to have adequate ventilation, avoid

breathing the fumes, and wear safety goggles.

Add one or two crumbs of gravel (approximately 1 x 2mm

crumb) to 121 cup medium hot water. Dip briefly, then rinse

in cold, running water, repeating these steps until desired

color is reached. Stop the chemical action by rinsing in cold

water, then washing in soapy hot water and baking soda.

Using the extra-fine steel wool again, buff the surface of

the bead. The buffing will accentuate the raised area of the

bead, leaving the recessed areas of the design black.

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STeP bySTeP

LJMS-060067-silver 9/25/06 9:41 AM Page 22


Making a pair of earrings.

When using the silver beads in jewelry, I like to use spac-

er beads to hide the copper edging. Slip your pattern onto

a head pin,

With round nose pliers, grasp the wire of the head pin

above the last bead added and bend the wire to a 90

angle.

Using wire cutters, trim the wire to about 38".

Grasp the tip of the wire with round nose pliers and rotate

the pliers towards the bead, creating and closing a loop.

Slightly twist your head pin loop with chain nose

pliers to open. Thread the open end onto the bottom

loop of your French ear wire; twist the loop to close.

Youve completed your first earring. Repeat Steps

1012 for the second earring.

String a matching bracelet or necklace using all the

other beads youve made, then go back and make

more for your friends!

Marc Kornbluh

is a glass artist from Burlington, Vermont, built a hot glassstudio for the production of his one-of-a-kind fused glassand lamp worked glass jewelry. He has traveled overseasfor many years, informally studying art and culture. Muchof his work is influenced by Eastern design, which he in-corporates in his own contemporary style. Marcs artworkis available in museum shops and galleries throughout thecountry.

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LJMS-060067-silver 10/2/06 2:00 PM Page 23


2 glass cabochons

(I used one cabochon

about 2" x 1", the sec-

ond one is a bit smaller)

2025 grams of metal

clay (I used Low Fire Art

Clay Silver)

Acrylic roller

1mm thickness guides

Spoon tool (similar to

dental tools, except one

end is curved like a

spoon)

Plastic straw

Masking tape

Texture plates (optional)

Circle template

X-Acto blade

Food dehydrator, hair

dryer, or hot plate

Salon board or file

Denatured alcohol

Kiln

Steel brush

Optional: Tumbler and

stainless steel shot

What you need

Photo

of fin

ishe

d p

iece

by

Frank

DeS

ant

is; all

oth

er p

hoto

s co

urte

sy o

f th

e aut

hor.

I love the uncomplicated beauty of glass. I am a fused glass artist, and

to enhance the look and uniqueness of my fused glass cabochons, I use

the amazing medium metal clay. The low-fire metal clay now available,

particularly Art Clay Silver, is very compatible with fused or lamp-

worked glass. My approach to combining the two elements (glass and

metal clay) may be different from other artists, as I use the metal clay to

capture the glass, taking advantage of the clays shrinkage.

A few things to remember when constructing a piece: Take into ac-

count the percentage the silver will shrink. Work the clay around the glass

gently, but securely; any silver touching the glass must not be tight fitting

it should gently lie on, or just touch, the glass. If the silver is securing

the glass cabochon too tightly, the silver may crack at the tightest point

when fired. At the 1200F firing temperature glass will stay intact, so if

theres any give needed it will be in the silver.

Now the fun begins!

double thepleasure


STeP bySTeP

BY ARLENE HILDEBRAND

LJMS-060067-double 9/26/06 4:16 PM Page 24



Making the O-ring connector.

Knead 5 grams of clay into a pancake shape.

Using an acrylic roller, shape the clay into a 1mm-thick

round shape. Texture the clay, if desired.

Using a circle template as a guide, cut out a 7mm circle

from the clay.

Using the circle template, cut a 4mm circle out of

the center of the circle created in Step 3. This is your

O-ring connector.

Allow the connector to dry. Here are a few drying methods:

Place the connector in a food dehydrator or on a warm hot

plate; dry with a hair dryer; or leave it out to air-dry (which

takes about 24 hours, depending on your climate).

When the connector is dry, wrap a small piece

of masking tape around the top and another

piece around the bottom. The tape will prevent

the next layer of clay to be added, from sticking

to the O-ring.

Making the top glass piece.

Knead 10 grams of clay into an oblong shape.

Using an acrylic roller, shape the clay into a long

strip thats 1mm thick, 12" wide, and twice the

length of the glass cabochon.

Lay the glass cabochon in the center of the clay

strip and orient the glass the way you want it to

look in your finished piece.

Place a 1" piece of plastic straw on the clay, at the

top of the glass cabochon. The diameter of the straw

will determine the size of the bail and, more specifically,

the size of chain that will fit through the bail.

Using the spoon tool, lift up the top of the clay

strip, guide it over the straw, and then gently over

the top of the glass cabochon. Guide the clay until

its wrapped to one side of the glass and secured

down on the side (or back) of the glass cabochon.

Trim any excess clay.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11



Place a 1" piece of plastic straw at the bottom of

the glass cabochon. Here the straw is used for

two reasons: first, to create space for the shrinkage

that will occur when the piece is fired; second, to

create a loop that, after firing, will allow the O-ring to

move giving movement to the piece.

Use the spoon tool to lift up the bottom of the

clay strip, guide it through the O-ring, and over the

masking tape.

Continue to guide the clay, gently laying it over the

bottom of the glass and over the straw, securing the

clay to the side (or back) of the glass. Trim any ex-

cess clay.

Allow the clay to dry.

Carefully remove the straws. If needed, use a salon

board or file to gently sand any rough edges on the clay.

Create the bottom glass piece.

Knead 7 grams of clay into an oblong shape.

Repeat Steps 8 and 9.

Place a 1" piece of plastic straw on the clay, at the top of

the glass. Again, this straw is used to create an al-

lowance for shrinkage and a loop for the O-ring to move on.

Use the spoon tool to lift the top of the clay strip and

guide it through the O-ring, over the masking tape. Contin-

ue to guide the clay, gently laying it over the straw and on

top of the glass; secure the clay to the side (or back) of the

glass. Trim any excess clay.

Repeat Steps 14 and 15.

Clean the glass cabochons with denatured alcohol and re-

move the masking tape. If you cant get the tape off easily,

leave it alone it will burn away during the firing process.

Fire the piece in a kiln. Heat the kiln to 1200F and hold

it there for 35 minutes. Allow the kiln to come to room

temperature before removing the piece no peeking!

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STeP bySTeP

LJMS-060067-double 9/25/06 9:46 AM Page 26



Clean your piece with a steel brush.

Tumble, if desired, using stainless steel shot and just

enough water to cover the shot.

Tumbling your piece will definitely let you know if the glass

is securely fitted to the metal. If the glass falls out during

tumbling, all is not lost simply use epoxy to hold the glass

in place. And next time, wrap the clay around the glass more

securely from front to back.

Wear and enjoy!

Arlene Hildebrand

has been a fused glass and metal clay artist forseveral years working from her home studio inthe San Francisco Bay area. Her finished work issold through her business, AM Collection. In ad-dition to pursuing her own creativity, she loves toteach. See more of Arlenes work and her teachingschedule on her Web site: www.amcollection.biz.

23

24



Link BraceletPMC chain fired in one piece.

BY HADAR JACOBSON

This bracelet is fired all in one piece. It is assembled prior to firing

and the links dont fuse together. It comes out of the kiln almost ready

to wear.

The links.

Roll a layer of standard PMC eight cards thick. Since you need long

strips, it is recommended to use jumbo-sized cards or postcards. Lay

the two stacks of cards over a texturing mold such as a wallpaper sam-

ple or a piece of ribbon, screen, fabric or lace. Roll a snake of PMC

with your fingers and place it vertically between the stacks. Then roll the

snake with the rolling pin under a Ziploc bag.

From the textured layer, use a long scraper to cut a strip 80mm long

and 5mm wide.

Standard PMC

PMC+

A rolling pin

Olive oil or hand salve

A Ziploc bag

Postcards or jumbo size

playing cards

Texturing molds

A long scraper

Scissors

Sponge sanding pads,

fine, super-fine, and

ultra-fine

Clay shaper

Kiln

Kiln shelf

Alumina hydrate

Liver-of-sulfur

Rotary tool

Course mini-fiber wheel

Goggles

Fiberglass brush

Wet/dry sandpaper,

220-grit and 600-grit

2 triangular or rectangu-

lar sticks, 1 foot long

Slotted mandrels

What you need

Skill level

Photo

of fin

ishe

d p

iece

by

Frank

DeS

ant

is; all

oth

er p

hoto

s co

urte

sy o

f th

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hor.

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en. Try to open them again, but make sure you dont

touch the textured part.

Place slip at all the joints except for the last one,

which will be connected to the hook. Hold them to-

gether with small clothespins and dry.

Roll a layer of standard PMC 2 cards thick over

a texturing mold.

Cut a strip 3mm wide. Dont cut the length yet.

Wrap it three times around the joint of one of the

links, partially overlapping, as shown in the illustra-

tion. Cut off the excess of the strip with scissors.

Dry.

Repeat Steps 9 and 10 with five more links and

the eye. Dont close the seventh link yet.

The hook.

For the hook, use PMC+. This is needed for extra

strength. Since a lot of bending is involved, it is

best to use fresh clay for the next few steps. Roll a lay-

er of PMC+ four cards thick over a texturing mold.

8

9

10

11

12

Lay the strip on its long side and shape it into a figure

8. Make sure that the textured side faces outward.

Place a pencil inside each of the circles to make sure they

are well rounded. This is necessary to make room for the

next link and to allow for movement. Dry on a coffee

warmer, in a vegetable dehydrator, in a toaster-oven at

220, or in the air.

Repeat Steps 13 six more times. You will need seven

links for a 712" bracelet. You can use a different texture

for each link.

Prepare the eye part of the clasp: roll a layer eight

cards thick as in Step 1, and cut it 60mm long and 5mm

wide. Lay it on its side and shape it into a circle. Dry.

Using sponge sanding pads, smooth the plain (untex-

tured) sides of the links and round their edges. Start with

fine, continue with super fine, and finish with ultra-fine.

Assemble all the links including the eye: open one link

slightly and slide in the next one. If they are too hard,

spray them with water and wait a few minutes until they soft-

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wrong wrong wrong

right

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Place it on its side and shape it into a hook as

shown on the illustration. To make sure that textured

side faces outwards, follow illustrations 1 and 2.

Dry.

Close the joint with slip and dry. It is not recom-

mended to use a clothespin this time since dry

PMC is very brittle and may break.

Sand the sides of the hook with a super-fine

sponge sanding pad. It is best not to handle dry

PMC+ too much before firing to avoid breaking.

Roll a layer of PMC+ two cards thick over a

texturing mold. Cut it 3mm wide. Dont cut the

length yet.

Wrap the strip around

the joint of the hook. Fol-

low the direction shown

with the arrows in the illus-

tration. Dry.

Slightly open the sev-

enth link of the bracelet

(the one that has not been

sealed yet). Slide in the

hook.

Repeat Steps 9 to 11 with

the seventh link.

The links will tend to open up

during firing in spite of the strip

wrapped around their joint. Push

clay under the strip to better

seal the joints. Use a clay

shaper to smooth the clay. To

seal the hook use PMC+. Dry.

Firing.

Before firing, make sure that

all links have enough room to move in all directions.

Place the bracelet on the kiln shelf diagonally over a pile

of alumina hydrate. It is best to fire it stretched straight,

but if you have no room, avoid bending it at sharp angles.

Sprinkle alumina hydrate over the whole bracelet to prevent

the links from sticking to each other.

Fire for 2 hours at 1650.

Finishing.

Dip the bracelet in liver-of-sulfur until it is completely

black. If the links seem to stick to each other, gently wig-

gle them and they will separate.

Buff the bracelet with a course mini-fiber wheel to remove

the liver-of-sulfur. Protect your eyes with goggles.

To remover the liver-of-sulfur from hard-to-reach spots,

use a fiberglass brush.

Sand the smooth (untextured) parts with a sanding stick

wrapped with 3M wet/dry 220-grit sandpaper. Follow with

600-grit.

Use a slotted mandrel mounted on a rotary tool to sand

inside the links. Start with 220-grit and follow with 600-grit.

Tumble the bracelet for about an hour. Avoid over-tum-

bling. If its too shiny, you will not be able to tell one tex-

ture from another.

Hadar Jacobson creates her silver PMC jewelry and teaches class-es at her studio, Textures in Berkeley, Califor-nia. For photos of her work and informationabout galleries, awards and publications pleasevisit her website: www.artinsilver.com. For ques-tions, information, or advice, please e-mail her [email protected].

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Porcelain clay or other

smooth clay

Kemper Klay gun and dies

Box of short coffee

stirrer straws

Knife

Ruler

Clay cutting wire

Plastic wrap

Bowl of water

Raku glaze: transparent

crackle glaze

(I use Hoku-trans)

Wooden skewers

Access to bisque-firing

kiln, raku kiln, and appro-

priate tools and safety

equipment

Bead frame and heat-re-

sistant wire or heat resist-

ant rods with ceramic

supports

Metal container (with

tightly fitting, airtight lid)

suitable

for containing bead frame

Beading wire

Balinese silver beads

Silver clasp

4 silver crimp beads

Crimping pliers

Wire cutters

Always ask for the MSDS (MaterialSafety Data Sheet) for any materialsyou buy, which will give you reactivi-ty, health hazard, and safe handlingdata.

What you need

Skill level

Photo

of fin

ishe

d p

iece

by

Mic

hael

Les

lie; all

oth

er p

hoto

s co

urte

sy o

f th

e aut

hor.

Folded

Raku Bead

NecklaceBY SUE KI WILCOX

These folded beads are a form of extruded or shaped

clay, and have contours that resemble brains. I cant

guarantee that wearing them will make you more

intelligent, but they will attract attention. I use porce-

lain clay because of its pure white color and consis-

tent, fine-grained texture that gives a smoother ex-

trusion or hand-rolled coil. If youve heard warn-

ings about the use of porcelain in raku, relating to

how it withstands thermal shock, ignore them. At

the scale were dealing with here, porcelain is fine.

You can use conventional raku clay if you prefer, but

understand that it will produce more roughly surfaced

beads, and, when used with a transparent glaze, they will

be cream or pale gray, not white.

Think about the length and style of necklace you want

to make, and whether or not you want matching acces-

sories, such as earrings, bracelets, or pins. Raku gives

brilliant but hard-to-reproduce color effects, so all the

beads for one project should be fired and reduced to-

gether. Thinking about how many beads you need, and

what sizes they should be, will save the frustration of try-

ing to find beads to fill the gaps in your necklace later.

Better to make too many than too few (make some

spares in case of accidents).

To produce a set of graduated beads, hand-roll a

length of clay of an even cross-section, then use the

ruler to mark it into different sized chunks to make into

individual beads. Estimate the size you want for the fo-

cal bead and measure it off the roll. Make the bead and

see if it appears to be the right size. After firing, a bead

will shrink by about 10%. (If that one ends up being the

right size, you can proportion the other beads by cutting

a little less for each subsequent pair of beads. For the

smaller beads, you will need to mark out enough clay

for two or four beads at a time. As long as you know

how many beads to get out of the clay, you can divide it

up equally enough by eye.)

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Use an extrusion gun to make the long coils of clay.

This little gadget is perfect for making continuous,

even-sectioned coils of clay. Before starting produc-

tion, experiment with the different extrusion dies to

find the size that works for you. I use a medium-

sized die a too-small die produces sticky, unman-

ageable threads (instead of coils); a too-large die

produces coils that are hard to bend without snap-

ping them. Try hand-rolling some coils and folding

them gently into spheres. The size that works with

hand rolls will work with extruded coils.

The humidity of your clay and your environment

will affect how the coils handle. If the clay is too

sticky, the coils will gum together and not fold well,

while if the clay is too dry, the coils will break as

you try to fold them. My solution is to keep the

main block of clay in the thick plastic bag in which

it is sold. Immediately wrap any smaller pieces cut

off the main block in plastic wrap. If the moisture

content feels low, sprinkle the clay with water be-

fore wrapping it. The water will absorb fairly quickly.

Drying clay is just as easy just roll out the clay

on a piece of cloth (an old dishtowel is per fect).

When you are ready to extrude the clay, dip the

quantity earmarked for a bead or a pair of beads in

water before putting it in the extrusion gun. This

process makes the process much easier, but doesnt

give the water time to soak into the clay.

As the coil emerges from the gun, let it settle

lightly into a heap on your work surface. Use a

wooden table or a large

plastic chopping board.

The cloth-covered work

boards found in ceram-

ics studios will dry

bead work too much,

and tend to contain tiny

particles of clay that

stick to the coils and

ruin the smooth sur-

face. Keep your hands

relatively clean if

they are covered in

flakes of clay, your

beads will be, too. Very

gently cut the clay from

the gun and pick up the

heap of coils.

Shaping a spherical

bead involves patting and

a small amount of rolling

too much rolling between your

palms, however, and the coils disappear.

Its a matter of practice and becoming accustomed to

how temperature and humidity affect the handling proper-

ties of your clay. You want just enough adhesion to form a

bead that will have enough internal structure that it wont

collapse when you bore a hole through it.

Gently set down the bead. If you want a flat-sided

bead, press it onto the work sur face, turn it over, and do

the same on the other side.

Depending on the way the clay is handling, you can

make the hole immediately or leave the bead to dry out

a little five minutes is plenty of

time. Cup the bead in your palm and

rotate a hollow straw to make a

hole. The hole should be beside,

not in the middle of, the sur face

coils, so as to reduce the friction as

the straw penetrates the clay. Bore

ver tically into the bead, checking

the opposite side as the straw ap-

proaches. Gentle rotation should

help the straw to cut through

cleanly.

Remove any plug of clay

on the end of the straw be-

fore withdrawing it back

through the bead. This

method will flatten one

side of the bead, so youll

have to turn the bead over

and flatten the other side to

match. Set the bead aside to dry.

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LJMS-060067-raku 9/25/06 10:00 AM Page 32



Glaz ing & f i r ing :

Youll need access to a kiln for this project. If you

dont have a kiln at home, there are many commer-

cial ceramic places that will bisque-fire your beads

for you. These same suppliers can sell you raku

glazes for your beads. You can also join a local raku

group who will let you participate in one of their

firings. (I often work with the local YWCA; its

group holds monthly firings. They supply portable

kilns and some reduction containers.) Community

colleges are another good place to try. Working with

an established group gives you the safety and skill

of experienced firers.

Once your brain beads are dry (youll need at

least 24 hours, depending on your workroom and

the surface on which you set them), put them in an

unglazed ceramic bowl for bisque firing, which is a

preliminary cooking of the beads to prepare them

for glazing.

Dip your bead into the glaze. The glaze should

fill all the folds and contours of the bead; howev-

er, you dont want coating so thick that it drips off

the bead. The easiest way to dip a bead is to put

it on a wooden skewer or the straw with which you

made the hole, then quickly dip it in glaze using a

rotating wrist motion to ensure that the whole sur-

face is covered. Rest the skewer across two sup-

ports so the glaze can dry. About two minutes

should be long enough, as you are simply waiting

for the water in the glaze to be absorbed into the

porous bead.

In order to complete the bead, its necessary to

melt the glaze without letting the bead stick to oth-

ers next to it. I use wire to support and separate

each bead and to attach them to a bead frame. An al-

ternative is to fire beads on horizontal rods of stain-

less steel or Nichrome heat-resistant alloy, using

disks of ceramic paper to prevent them from touch-

ing, but you will encounter difficulties moving the

beads when they are red hot.

Fire the beads to 1800F. Firing length is a matter

of judgment; it is an art that would take more room

than I have here to describe. Try working with an established

group to learn from their knowledge and skill. When the

beads are done, its time for reduction, which is the process

of removing combined oxygen from the glaze; it gives a

metallic luster to the piece. To achieve a good reduction, its

important to keep oxygen away from the beads until theyre

cool enough for the glaze to set. The main way to do this is

to keep them in a smoky atmosphere where burning com-

bustibles (paper, leaves) use up any oxygen that leaks in.

Remove them to a reduction container and lightly reduce

them using newspaper as the combustible material. Beads

demand a fairly small reduction container, so use one that

can contain your bead frame with a few inches to spare for

shredded newspaper, and that has a tightly fastening lid. (A

1' galvanized steel trashcan works well if you fill the hole in

the lid with a nut and bolt.) Reduction should take approx.

thirty minutes.

Caution: This is the dramatic and potentially dangerous

part of the raku process. Handling red-hot beads on a bead

frame, pulling them from the kiln while theyre at maximum

temperature, plunging them into inflammable materials, and

sealing them in a container to marinate in a low-oxygen at-

mosphere calls for skill and care. For your first time, you

may want to get someone else to handle it for you, or at

least spend some time watching how others do it. Be sure to

wear protective clothing and use the proper tools: long

sleeves, gauntlets, a face mask, and tongs.

After reduction, dunk the still-warm beads in cold water,

wash off the burnt newspaper, and admire the final color.

The finished beads should be a shiny white with a fine gray

crackle. The silvery color is a smoke coating. Although it will

come off if rubbed with an abrasive pad, you may prefer to

leave it on, at least in the recesses of the folds, as it gives

the beads an aged and mysterious look.

For stringing, use Balinese silver spacers and a clasp. Be

sure that the beading wire you use is strong enough to

hold these beads, and is resistant to abrasion from the oc-

casional rough spot on the bead cores.

Sue Ki Wilcox is a freelance writer specializing in new computing technologies, graphicdesign, and high-tech art who tries to keep carpal tunnel syndrome at bayby making raku beads. She is working on her latest book, a compendiumof raku beadmaking techniques, and warns readers that these beads cantake over your life. Contact her via e-mail at [email protected].

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Jewelry

STEP BY STEP

www.stepbystepwire.com

LJMS-060067-raku 9/25/06 10:00 AM Page 33


Painted polymer takes

art to new heights.

BY PATRICIA KIMLE


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LJMS-060067-lentil 9/25/06 10:03 AM Page 34



1 ounce pieces of polymer clay in

pearl and white (I like Premo be-

cause of its color and durability)

Pearl-Ex Brilliant Gold powder

(optional)

Pinta Inks by Jacquard

Claro Extender

70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing al-

cohol)

Water-based varnish (optional)

About 40" of .024" diameter 24K

flexible beading wire (I used Soft

Flex 24K Gold Flex Wire

Assorted accent beads

Approx. 20 gold crimp beads

French ear wires

Pasta machine dedicated to clay

Round paint brushes, small and

medium

Small cup to hold alcohol

Small sheet of glass or plexi-glass

for palette

Acrylic rod for rolling

Cutting blade

Circle cutters or circle template in

several sizes, approx. 114", 112",

and 2"

Standard light bulb and 40-watt

appliance bulb

Sheet of drywall sanding screen

Cyanoacrylate glue (I use

Loctite or Zap-a-Gap)

Crimping pliers

Flush cutter

1mm drill bit in pin vise or hand

drill

What you need

Skill level

Photo

of fin

ishe

d p

iece

s by

Frank

DeS

ant

is;

all

oth

er p

hoto

s co

urte

syof th

e aut

hor.

Its good for artists to make an effort to keep learning and expanding

their experiences. A few years ago, I took a traditional watercolor painting

class loved it, and have now done many paintings for family and

friends. Eventually, I began looking for ways to bring that watercolor

knowledge to my work with polymer clay. What I found was that you can

achieve very similar traditional watercolor effects by substituting alcohol

for water, and alcohol soluble inks for the pigment. This project uses the

basic painting techniques of wash, wet-in-wet, and dry brush to create

spectacular beads.

Painting a sheet.

Condition the clay by kneading and rolling it until you have a sheet with

a smooth consistency. Blend about 12 package of white polymer clay

with 12 package of the pearl clay, increasing the pearl quantity for a more

shimmering effect or increasing the white for a more matte effect. On your

pasta machine, using the middle setting, roll out a sheet of clay that is ap-

proximately 5" x 8" x 1mm thick.

1

lentil beadspastel

LJMS-060067-lentil 9/25/06 10:03 AM Page 35



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Lightly sprinkle and brush on some Pearl-Ex Bril-

liant Gold powder, if you like this is optional.

Apply several colors of ink to the palette, using

one or two drops of each color. Its okay if the col-

ors dry on the palette, they will be redissolved with

the alcohol. Pour a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol into

a cup. Dip the brush into the alcohol and wet some of

the ink on the palette. Begin by applying washes of

color in stripes across the sheet. Try to have each

stripe blend from a dark edge to a lighter edge.

Add spatters, drips, streaks, etc. of other colors

after the washes are dry. Try putting drips of one

color into areas of another color, before they dry, to

see them mingle and spread. Paint lines or shapes

with a very dry brush (colors picked up with the

brush and then the alcohol dabbed out on a dry tow-

el). This is like painting with watercolor; you can vary

the strength of the pigment and the carrier as you

dip your brush. Experiment by using the Pinta Ink

Claro Extender (which comes with inks), instead of

alcohol. The extender will give the paint a shinier

look versus the matte effect of the colors applied

with alcohol.

Using a long clay blade, cut the sheet into strips about14"

Documents

Step by Step Jewelry~Polymer, Ceramic, and Metal Clays - Winter 2007