The Art of Metal Clay; Techniques for Creating Jewelry and Decorative Objects

by Sherri Haab

• ISBN13: 9780823003679
• ISBN10: 0823003671
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Summary

Developed in Japan in the early 1990s, metal clay represents a dramatic development in the handling of precious metals for jewelrymaking. Metal clay consists of microscopic particles of silver or gold suspended in a pliable organic binder that can be worked with the hands and simple household tools, eliminating the need for difficult metalworking processes such as soldering, hammering, and cutting. When metal clay is fired, the binder burns away and the metal particles fuse into pure (99.9 percent) metal. The Art of Metal Clayis a comprehensive introduction to the medium designed specifically for crafters and jewelrymakers, detailing the essentials of working, firing, and finishing metal clay to create beautiful jewelry and decorative objects. Artist and instructor Sherri Haab demonstrates metal clay's remarkable versatility, showing how it can be textured, molded, carved, and sculpted to create gorgeous beads, bracelets, pendants, earrings, rings, and other jewelry settings, plus boxes and vessels. She also reveals how to combine metal clay with polymer clay, glass, and epoxy resin to create unique mixed-media pieces. An essential resource for anyone who wants the latest information on this up-and-coming crafts medium! Interest in metal clay is strong and growing rapidly among several craft categoriespolymer clay, jewelrymaking, ceramics, and miniatures In-depth product information on both Precious Metal Clay and Art Clay Silver Proven author of how-to craft books for kids with over a million copies sold

Author Biography

Sherri Haab is an award-winning author, illustrator, and product designer of how-to books and magazines. A certified instructor in both Precious Metal Clay® and Art Clay® Silver, she also teaches jewelrymaking classes. She has developed crafts for American Girl magazine, and her clay illustrations have appeared in Family Fun and other publications. She lives in Springville, UT.

Table of Contents

Preface	8	(1)
Introduction	9	(5)
Part One: Metal Clay Essentials
Types of Metal Clay	14	(4)
PMC® Products	14	(2)
Art Clay® Silver Products	16	(2)
Tools and Supplies	18	(2)
Basic Techniques	20	(6)
Working With One Ounce of Clay	20	(1)
Keeping Metal Clay Hydrated	20	(1)
Forming the Clay	21	(3)
Working with Dry Clay	24	(1)
Finishing Unfired Metal Clay	24	(1)
Repairs	25	(1)
Firing	26	(4)
Kilns	26	(1)
Loading the Kiln	27	(1)
Butane Torch-Firing	28	(2)
Finishing Fired Metal Clay	30	(6)
Burnishing	31	(2)
Filing and Sanding	33	(1)
Buffing	34	(1)
Soldering	34	(1)
Patina on Metal Clay	34	(2)
Part Two: Metal Clay Techniques	36	(104)
Textures	38	(7)
Creating Subtle Textures	39	(3)
Texturing with Stamps	42	(2)
Texture Gallery	44	(1)
Carved Metal Clay	45	(4)
Carving on Dry Clay	46	(2)
Carved Metal Clay Gallery	48	(1)
Working with Molds	49	(11)
Making a Mold with Polymer Clay	50	(3)
Two-Part Silicone Molds	53	(2)
Making a Two-Part Mold	55	(4)
Gallery of Molded Jewelry	59	(1)
Sculpting Metal Clay	60	(9)
Combining Simple Shapes	61	(2)
Sculpting Miniatures	63	(5)
Sculpted Metal Clay Gallery	68	(1)
Beads	69	(9)
Creating Round Beads	71	(2)
Creating Tube Beads	73	(2)
Creating Elaborate Beads	75	(2)
Bead Gallery	77	(1)
Boxes and Vessels	78	(6)
Constructing Functional Forms	79	(2)
Forming Vessels	81	(2)
Box and Vessel Gallery	83	(1)
Setting Stones	84	(9)
Firing with Stones	85	(3)
Making a Bezel for Stones	88	(2)
Setting Pearls	90	(2)
Stone Setting Gallery	92	(1)
Rings	93	(7)
Creating a Simple Patterned Ring	94	(3)
Making a Ring Bezel	97	(2)
Ring Gallery	99	(1)
Gold Metal Clay	100	(5)
Combining Gold and Silver	101	(3)
Gold Metal Clay Gallery	104	(1)
Silver Metal Paper	105	(9)
Creating Patterns with Paper Punches	106	(2)
Shaping Metal Paper	108	(3)
Making Beads from Scraps	111	(2)
Silver Metal Paper Gallery	113	(1)
Epoxy Resin	114	(7)
Using Clear Epoxy Resin	115	(3)
Coloring Epoxy Resin	118	(2)
Epoxy Resin Gallery	120	(1)
Polymer Clay	121	(12)
Simulating Cloisonne	122	(4)
Mokume Gane Technique	126	(4)
Applying Gold Leaf to Polymer Clay	130	(2)
Polymer Clay Gallery	132	(1)
Glass	133	(7)
Firing Glass with Metal Clay	135	(4)
Glass Gallery	139	(1)
Contributing Artists	140	(1)
Resources	140	(3)
Index	143