Copper Clay Class

My friend Christa and I are currently taking a metal clay class at the KIA in Kalamazoo.  I have messed around with the metal clay a bit making only flat items and so far in class we have covered making flat pieces with several different techniques.  This week it's going to get more interesting, will be making clay tube and start on some 3D items.

I just put together this bracelet using some of the pieces I created in class.  The lady bug was made from a eraser stamp that I carved in class.  The toggle is from  a button I pushed into clay and the little flower section you may recognize it from my tab necklaces.  The bracelet does have an adjustable length toggle so it will fit most any wrist size.

Copper n Glass Ladybug Bracelet $45.00

Copper Clay or Copper Dust

Just when I thought I had it all figured out everything turns to dust.  I was thrilled when my first batch of little round tabs came out of the kiln all beautiful needing just a bit of wire brushing.  The next batch was not so good.  What did I do differently who the heck knows.  After messing with the kiln temp and time the third batch turned out even worse, they turned to dust.  Then it hit me,  I was packing more in my little kiln box than I ever had before so tonight I will try again with fewer pieces on the same ramp schedule that I have used from the start and see if that isn't the problem.

For now these are all that I have gotten out of the kiln worth showing.  I had such high hopes of having some of the other goodies all made up for this weekends shows but no such luck.

Round Tab Necklace $12.00

Do you have pretty silverware?

Silverware Stamped Necklaces

Take a look at your silverware, does it have a fun design?  You may have the makings for some cute jewelry, I used the top of a fork found at Goodwill to make the long thin metal sections of these little necklaces. Silverware often has very delicate designs not found anyplace else and if you look around you can often find great designs at the second hand store.

Copper Clay Bird

Tiny Copper Clay Bird with Nest

Along with all the little flat things I made in the copper clay I tried my hand at making this little bird and it turned out very well.

Copper Clay

Here are some of the copper clay pieces I made in class and on vacation.  I played with two kinds of clay Art Clay Copper and CopprClay, I hated the Art Clay Copper it was sticky and stretchy,  there is a place for it I hope but for now I am going to stay with the CopprClay.  It takes a longer firing time and you have to use the little pot and coconut carbon firing media to stop oxidation but the ease of use is worth the extra trouble.  I am thrilled with my results and can't wait to play with it again but am going to wait until all my pieces are fired.

These are the copper after being fired and tumbled for an hour.

If I tumbled them longer they would be shiny copper but I didn't want that.

 

These have been fired but not tumbled yet, the little black fibers you see are the coconut carbon they were fired in.

Here are some pieces that have not been fired yet.

Copper Clay

 I spent the last two days playing with copper clay and have found a new love.  I don't have photos of my pieces yet except for the one of them not baked and at my work station.  I will have photos of them once I get the second set of them fired.

Here I am sitting in my huge mess along with Christa.

This is my mess of a work space, the little rust colored things are some of the tiny things I made.

Take a look at how clean their table is.

Christa and I just don't have a clue on how to work without having a total mess around us.

This clay is amazing, you create a piece just like you would working with any other clay then you fire it and it becomes solid copper.  They also sell it in silver and gold but it's so expensive that am just going to stick with the copper clay.