Practice in Action .....

by MaryAnn Carroll

So..... I tend to be the type of person who loves to experiment. I am also the type of person that LOVES to find unique deals, which is why auctionzip is one of my favorite websites. You can search for all of the live or online (not my thing) auctions that are in your area. Most include pictures, so you will have a good idea about what will be there.

I keep an ongoing list in my head of what I would like to have one day. When we go, I am MUCH better than my husband with money limits. If I don't get what I set out for, the hunt continues. It's fun. If you haven't tried it yet, you should!

So, I have wanted a letter punch set for a long time and just haven't purchased one. It's not one of those "must haves" for me, but more like an "I would like to own one someday" kind of thing.

Last weekend, I found this cool punch set! Some people like the look of new things; I prefer the look of something that has been used and passed down over the years. This one definitely is old. There isn't a top with it, but I'm not sure it every had one...... and it is a full set (including numbers). I managed to get it for $30.

Now, it was time to try it. I've watched a few tutorials and liked the one that used masking tape. Keep in mind, I am clueless when it comes to doing this.

The pictures below show my steel block that I've purchased in a bead shop. The one I prefer and use most often is my antique iron (directly below). I purchased from an estate sale before I realized that auctions were much more entertaining! This picture is for no reason at all other than I wanted you to see it!

After taping the disc to my block, I wrote out the letters to help me with my spacing. Then I moved the punch ever so lightly until I could feel it touch the masking tape.

That's all good and well until I faced this..... Just one big hit they say...... yup and I could picture my fingers becoming part of the steel iron! This took some major concentration and I had to let go of the fear of losing my fingers!

I read that the best thing to use was this heavy duty two pound mallet that I use for disc cutting.

You need one good hit (a little scary).

So I practiced and practiced....

Am I good at it yet?

No.... 

And I've learned not to get too wordy!

Then I tried doming, but could not find my wooden doming block. I wonder why???

Don't judge.

I'm pretty sure my metal block is not the one to use! The letters stayed, but they were definitely different and I was afraid to keep rounding it. What the heck? It's just practice.

 And then what? Let's try some enamel..... hmmmmmm..... not sure.

I've read that using lower case letters softens the words..... I won't be running out too soon to get those since I am not positive that this is my thing. I like it and I might try using them in clay. If I find an antique set with lower letters, I will definitely try them out though.

In the meantime, this was a good way to find out if I liked doing this? I think we all have to find what types of things are natural for us. This didn't come naturally for me like it is for mary jane dodd.....

https://etsy.com/shop/mairedodd

or Barbara Betchel.....

http://secondsurf.com

We will see. It was fun trying and if nothing else, I have another antique piece!

Have you tried something that was a challenge and ended up working out or not working out?

Thanks for reading!

MaryAnn

Teaching Classes!

by Barbara Bechtel

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to teach my largest polymer clay pendant class yet! The class was held at a small boutique in Charlotte, NC where I've been selling my jewelry for several years. I was so excited to have 6 wonderful ladies sign up to take the 3 hour class.

adding words...

In class, students learn the basics of polymer clay, but the approach is very hands on. The students get right to work pressing out their shapes and stamping images and words.

Getting dirty sanding and painting our pendants!

I'm always delighted when I have students who are more adventurous and break outside the box and go beyond what the basic instructions are. This lets me know that they are absorbing the techniques and materials and the creative gears in their brain are turning!

This student started mixing her clay together and was much more adventurous in her painting techniques.

some of the finished pieces from class.

Do you enjoy taking or teaching classes! What are your favorite things to learn or teach? I'd love to hear in the comments.

What kind of Metal can I texture?

by Staci Smith

This was the first question I asked when buying my metal supplies.  I remember how shocking it was that you could use 24 gauge metal and it wasn't paper thin.  I was thinking in wire terms, and thought it would be frail and thin.  Now, the number gauges run in the same way wire does, smaller number, thicker gauge, but they certainly feel very different.

 

So I thought I'd give you a little information on metal sheet.

 

The most popular metals are sterling silver, copper and brass.  I highly recommend starting with copper.

 

Copper is softer then brass, and cheaper then sterling silver.  So it works easy, and if you make a mistake, it's not a devastating financial loss like it would be with sterling silver.

http://www.thunderbirdsupply.com/proddetail.aspx?StockNum=170104

 

 

When you go to buy sheet metal, some places sell set cuts- like 3x6" or 6x12".  Others (like www.thunderbirdsupply.com) let you choose your own cut size.  This is handy to know depending on what you plan to do.

 

For example, at Thunderbird, you can order 10 pieces cut at 2x7.5" if you are planning to make cuffs (not sure what cuff standards is, I just picked that measurement at random)- they are pre-cut to the size you want.  They also have the option of set sizes.

 

Another thing to consider when ordering or buying sheet, is how you plan to cut it, and what you want to use it for.  26 gauge is very thin, very lightweight and easy to manipulate.  This is great for fold forming items that may be used in earrings.  I also use 24 gauge often for earring designs so they aren't too heavy. 

 

If you need something to be sturdy and unbendable under stress, you want to use a thicker gauge, 22-18 gauge.  Keep in mind how you plan to cut these sheets.  You can only use metal shears up to 22 gauge (usually).  So if you need thicker metal sheet, you will need to saw it.

 

I have ordered the standard large sheets of metal 6x12" and I found them too bulky to work with.  I don't have a quick way to cut them down, so it's been awkward to work with them, which I why I like to customize my sheet size.

 

I hope that helps with some questions you may have on buying sheet metal.  For a beginner, especially for our Metal texture Boot Camp, I highly recommend copper.  It cuts and stamps like butter!

 

We can't wait to see what you guys are working on.  Remember- the blog hop is April 8th.  On that day, you will be able to link up to our site.  Happy hammering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Finding and losing words.....

I'm finding immense joy these days hammering words into metal. The phenomenon of metal stamping aside, I've long enjoyed using words in my work, whether it is in my paintings, my polymer clay pendants, or most recently, my metalwork.

I'm not an eloquent writer. Therefore, I think I tend to grab hold of lyrics, poetry, and books, to find my mantras. Casually scribbled onto receipts, haphazardly in the margins of to-do lists and my sketchbook, I love to pull these out and emblazon them onto jewelry.......

hoping that others find the words as captivating as I do......
The medium and the words may change....but there will always be things to say :)

Loving Leather

I'm not one to notice "trends"...but I notice what I like and lately I'm seeing more and more leather used in jewelry making.  I like it...it gives a natural and kind of bohemian feel.

Michelle Verbeeck has some beautiful examples of leather jewelry at her customleatherjewelry.com website.

I love how she has incorporated words into her designs with and without metal.  Note to self:  learn how to do rivets!

Mary Jane first showed me leather bezels like this one from aosLeather on Etsy.  We're going to try it with cloisonné if I ever get a piece sent to her (Sorry Mary Jane for being a slow poke!)

Melinda Orr whose talent and eye for design is amazing also uses leather to advantage as you can see here:

There aren't many left it seems...but if you are lucky enough to live near a Tandy Leather store...stop in.  The variety of leather styles, colors, textures is amazing.  I won't get into the "correctness" of using leather.  It's not for everyone obviously.  But we can all admire beauty, no matter it's form.

feathers

mary jane dodd

some beautiful feathers have come into my life recently and i wanted to be able to use them in my work... 

i had been desiring to learn how to carve in rubber to make my own images and so i started doing it this past week... 

one can definitely purchase and use rubber stamps, but there are certain rules when using them in your work... some companies have what is called an angel policy ... truthfully, i feel most comfortable when i have made everything from the bottom up... with stamping, there can be a legal issue... i am no authority, but i hope the link helps you... 

++ and be sure to check over at lori anderson's blog to see where the art bead love tour is traveling next!

taking the plunge

mary jane dodd

awaken - 2012

we all have a language we speak in that is our very own... a language that reflects the inner workings of your mind, your heart... 

buying expensive tools can be scary - do i really need it? can i get by without it? but sometimes you need it to get to the next level... 

i decided that a stamp set with a custom font would be beneficial to my work... the sets i have are wonderful and will certainly continue to be used... 

infinity stamps thus far has been a wonderful company to work with... i got the rights to a font and took the plunge... 

they have been terrific - as i have asked to see different sizes - 5 to be exact - that differ by as little as 0.125mm... and all between 2-3mm... 

i nailed it down last night and now cannot wait to see them... 

one of the biggest hurdles i jumped is saying, 'that's not quite right, could i see it in another size?' i hate being a bother... but as my grandmother said 'it's your dollar, you should get what you really want.'  

so ask if you need something, most people are happy to accommodate... 

metal stamping

mary jane dodd

one of the first techniques i tried was metal stamping... 

how hard could it be? you have a metal blank and hit the metal punch with a hammer on an anvil or bench block... 

right?

well, yes... 

and, no... 

i learned that you could get some very frustrating results... 

like double striking - you know that one, where you get a double image of the stamp... 

or the letters are drifting up (or down)...

or the character is sideways - because you didn't check that one last time to make sure it was being held correctly in your hand... 

when you make mistakes in stamping, it can be incredibly frustrating - you can be almost to the end of a phrase and get careless... the metal gets put into the recycle bag... but if you aren't able to cut your own discs, you have now lost one blank in your limited supply... 

like any technique, it is worth learning about... trial and error are always important learning methods, but the waste of time and money can be teeth gritting... 

double strikes - if you are using a steel hammer to hit a steel punch on a steel bench block there is a lot of bounce back... the energy has to go somewhere... for me, a brass head hammer has really been helpful... a softer metal, brass absorbs the shock... 

brass head hammers are also recommended any time you are hitting something steel - like when using a disc cutter... metal work hardens when it is repeatedly struck... eventually it can snap... using the brass lessens that effect... 

wonky orientation - draw a line with a sharpie marker, double check just one more time that the stamp is facing the way you want it to...

and find the position that works best for you... meaning, whether you are sitting or standing depending upon how high your work table is... it matters in terms of the strike... i have found that i really do need my elbow to be able to come to a 90* angle...  stamping is also not really a technique you can do on a plastic card table... you need some stability behind it... 

i hope these tips will reduce some of the frustration for you... because there are such fun and beautiful stamps out there to purchase... and it is a rather inexpensive way to personalize your work... 

if you want to be inspired by clean stamping, take a look at the work of cindy pack - she is a great example of one who knows her tools and the techniques by which you optimize their use... 

if you want to dap your discs, use a wooden set...


a great source (besides etsy) is beaducation ...