Saturday, November 12, 2005

PMC Clasp Examples


Here are some examples of clasps made with PMC 3 and sterling silver that has been imbedded and fired with the PMC. Hook and eye, toggle, and what I call Double C's are pictured. The next PMC Clasps one day workshop will be held as a preconference class at the PMC Conference in Layfayette, IN in July 2006. Check my class schedule for more info.

Friday, November 11, 2005

PMC Clasps

Just returned from teaching a workshop in San Antonio, Texas at the Southwest School of Art and Craft. I like Texas and Texans and I especially like the metals studio at the School. It is without equal for equipment, space, and layout, thanks to the lovely and talented Claire Holliday the metals chair. This is the first time that I have taught this one day class and I am pretty sure everyone learned how to make clasps and related findings with PMC 3 and sterling. I will post some pics as soon as I am able.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Witty


I am overhauling my website--sheesh was it boring. Anyway, Sadelle from Spectrum is helping me and recommmends that I make some real posts not just tests. In addition I thought that I would try out the image download. Soooooooooo.........I think a pic of my cat Witty would be appropriate. So here goes........

The Venerable Hot Head

Just this past week I have been revisiting an old friend--my hot head. Cindy Jenkins is writing a new book about this torch that has introduced so many to the world of beadmaking. That's how I started making beads and continued for about a year. I also teach beginners on the hot head. I like it because it forces beginners to take their time. I find that newbies rush the process too much.

Anyway, it was a real trip to return to the days of yesteryear and slow down myself! Cindy asked if I would contribute something to the book so I needed to play around.

I made some pretty nice hollows with tiny stringer decoration. Some hollows I made the traditional way and others benefited from the "puffy mandrel."

This is the mandrel that is actually a length of stainless steel tubing with a tiny hole about 2 inches from one end. One dips that end in bead release and blows to unplug the little hole. (I always redip the very tip to re-plug the end of the tubing--otherwise the whole process of blowing up the bead is for naught.)

So with the puffy (created by Neil Fabricant, lovely and talented husband of Jeri Warhaftig) it allows me to make a bigger and, frankly, more shapely, hollow bead that one normally could with the hot head. Pretty cool.