Gilder's Paste to Add Contrast

The Gilders Paste is great for adding highlights, but what about low-lights - shadows? What if you want to use it to add contrast by revealing the texture?

Gilders Paste is quite thick - hence the word "paste" - and on the scale of some jewelry items - it does not necessarily go into the texture and stay there. If you've applied it, and it has wiped right off, this, or lack of "tooth" in your piece is probably the culprit. (Lack of tooth means it's too smooth.)

You can dilute the Gilders Paste with paint thinner or turpentine. Take a small measure of your solvent (I used a water bottle cap!) - and add a smear of paste. Apply with a cotton swab.


For instance - this Cinnabar bead - while lovely - is hard to see what the pattern is.

Adding diluted Gilders Paste adds contrast.

Same thing applies for these Art Clay pieces.

And having added depth - how about adding some highlights too - with Antique Gold.


The finished pieces. NOW you can see the pattern!

The Joy of Metal Clay - Don't leave oil in your stamps

If you, like me, choose to use Olive oil to prevent your clay from sticking in to your stamps be cautious. If you leave oil sitting in the crevices in your stamps over time the rubber stamps will disintegrate.

I have a few stamps where this has happened:

They get sticky and mushy in the space wherethe oil was left.

Also be cautious about transporting your oil and stamps together. I had a small lidded container in a small box and I happened to leave a small stamp in the box with it. The oil leaked and weeks later when I went to use the items in the box I found a grey mess, and realized it was the stamp, it had completely dissolved.

Learn from my mistakes, be sure to clean your stamps and don't leave oil sitting in the stamps.

The Business Chat - Business Registration Part 2

To sum up part one of Register Your Business, first you decide on your legal structure, then pick a business name, possibly do a name search and then finally register your business.

If you are forming a partnership for your business then you must register your business. If you are a sole proprietor then you may not have to register. Those of you living in Newfoundland and Labrador can operate under any name as a sole proprietor without registering. The rest of Canada can operate as a sole proprietor without registering if they operate under their own name only. Mary Smith may operate as Mary Smith only, the moment Mary wants to be Mary Smith Crafts then she must register.

Even if you do not have to legally register I do recommend that you do. The cost is reasonable (less than $100) and you will receive a Master Business License. This allows you to buy supplies at wholesale costs and more importantly, you have an official piece of paper proving you are in business.

New Brunswick
The Corporate Registry is here. Click the tab Forms, click the Forms for Business Names.

Nova Scotia
Ready to register in Nova Scotia? Go to the Joint Stock Companies.

PEI
In PEI you must complete a name search (NUANS search). Click here to ensure your name is unique within the province. Once your name is cleared, you can register your business.

Quebec
If you are starting a sole proprietorship under your own first name and last name, you may register it, but are not required by law to do so. For example, Henry Jenkins does not have to register his Henry Jenkins Travel Agency but may choose to do so. You can register your business using the online service provided by the Registaire Des Enterprises, or in person at one of the Services Québec offices in Québec City or Montréal that provide services related to the enterprise register.

Ontario
ServiceOntario’s Integrated Business Services Application allows you to:
· Search for business names that have been registered
· Register or renew your business name, get a Master Business Licence and, if eligible, apply for additional accounts with different government bodies
To register online, Service Ontario is here.

Manitoba
To find out if the name you have chosen is available, you must file a Request for Name Reservation with the Companies Office. Reserve your name here, Manitoba Companies Office. Register your business here, also at the Manitoba Companies Office.

Saskatechewan
Before a business name can be registered, the proposed name must be searched against all other registered names in Saskatchewan. The Business Registrations Saskatchewan website streamlines all the steps required to register a business with the Corporate Registry, obtain a Provincial Sales Tax vendor's license. https://business.isc.ca/Pages/default.aspx

Alberta
Registration in Alberta is done by authorized Service Providers. A list of these can be found here. Note that there is a government provided list of prices however a service provider can charge service fees so you must shop around for a good service provider.

British Columbia
If you choose to operate a sole proprietorship under any other name other than your own, or want to set up a partnership or corporation, you need to have your name approved by the provincial Corporate Registry before you can register your business. In BC, this means you have to fill out a Name Approval Request Form.

To register a sole proprietorship or partnership, you must fill out a Declaration for Proprietorship or Partnership Registration Form. Instructions and forms are here.

Yukon
The Business Names Registration forms, maintained by Corporate Affairs, are here.

Northwest Territories
All forms are here, the Department of Justice

Now you know.

Inspiration Friday - Just playing around

As I'm sure many of you know by now - I'm easily amused, and once I get going with something I need to play it out til the end. Or until I collapse from exhaustion - which is what sent me to bed at 6am, only to wake up at 10 am to keep going. Last night around midnight I was browsing through last years copy of Handcrafted Jewelry. On page 11, Jess from Vintaj shows how to apply alcohol ink on metal to colour it. Usually, I would file something like that away with the million and one other things I want to try someday.  However, I had a bunch a Vintaj bits, and I also own 6 colours of alcohol inks.  I needed to try it out right then.

Btw - this also works on lucite, and glass! The glass did better with just the straight inks, and no metalFX though.

(Note - I got my alcohol inks from Micheals)

I started squirting and brushing the inks on any piece of metal I could find on my desk. The results were pretty and subtle - then I remembered our MetalFX, so I went and grabbed the box of supplies that I use for formulating the colours. This is where the magic happened for me. The colour combinations that you can get by blending different shades of inks, with different MetalFX is unlimited. As well, you can build up successively by allowing it to dry, then adding more colour (both ink and MetalFX)

The finish is surprisingly sturdy. I scrubbed each one quite vigorously with a paper towel. I do recommend sealing before you make it into something with a bit of Renaissance Wax.  

Be on the watch for a ton of other projects coming your way that you can use our MetalFX in. It's neat stuff!

Customer Gallery

Yesterday I shared with our facebook friends a new customer gallery submission by the ever talented Helen Fountain. Helen's work has always impressed me with her gorgeous colour and design sense. I apologize to those on facebook for the double post!

Here are two of the images Helen sent in - you can find more here.

We would love to showcase your work as well. We do have a couple little rules for you to follow though. :-)

1) A goodly portion of the beads and or materials should be from beadFX.  In the example above, the focal is obviously not from us, but all of the seedbeads are.   Art beads/jewelry made from metal clay, wire etc is also ok to showcase.

2) Please ensure the pictures are of decent quality (clear, bright, non blurry) Keep them big, I can always edit it down to fit our needs.

If you would like to share your work for all to see - please send in your images, a story, and anything else you'd like to share to info@beadfx.com with the subject line Gallery Submission

Also, please allow a week or so for your creations to posted.

New This Week!

Trumpet the News - or at least Bugle It

Bugle it with Bugles! Be the boogie-woogie bugle babe with all the new beads! New this week - two sizes of Japanese bugles - We have Honorable #1 and #2 bugles. #2 are 6 mm long, and #1 are fun-sized at only 3 mm long! Think beaded broad collars with long ladders of bugles! Mmmm baby!

Bewitching beads that will put a spell on you! Hex beads! These are 11/0 hexagonal beads - short, six-sided beads. The flat sides reflect light with more dazzle, like facets - making these blingy little seedbeads.

And, as if three entirely new pages of beads weren't enough - we also have:

More Feathers - and check out this week's inspiration. Are these feather earrings not awesome? - if I do say so myself! I test drove these at a party a couple of weeks ago, and came away with orders for more! My Secret Life earrings.

Fixin' to Hot Fix? Planning to bling up something for the hot summer evenings? Check this out - this is Crystal Applique Fabric. A little goes a long way - Use an exacto knife to cut out a design, or punch out designs with a paper punch (check out your local stamping supply store - even Walmart has them!) - lots of great punches are available! Leafs, flowers, animals, abstract designs. Then just iron on! You can sparkle like a vampire in sunlight! (Where I come from - vampires burn in sunlight and I like it that way, thenkyouveddymuch. So there.)

Were you dazzled by the new Swarovski Colour/Effect - Astral Pink? Here it is in 6 mm bicones - and more shapes/sizes on the way - but they just didn't make it into this week's update! Anyway - you should be dazzled! It's a rich amber colour with flashes of gold and pink! Pink!

Remember our "Easiest Ring in the World" project? Well - more colours of stones - the 20 mm Swarovski Chessboard Squares. Now you can have Jet, Crystal Copper, Black Diamond or Silver Shadow to go with the Square Bezel ring findings!

And for all you wired-up folks who like to dance a wig-jig - we've added to our wig-jigs, and even given them their own page!

Some awesome new clasps this week too - in sterling, or vermeil. I love this green one - now I have to design a bracelet to go with it!

And - for all the lampworkers! - new issue of The Flow magazine! This one features marbles, but just 'cause you don't make marbles - don't pass up this issue! When you get to the point where you know everything about working glass - THEN you can stop buying this magazine. ;-)

You can click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out the categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Colour me happy

Are you a true blue friend? Green with envy? Or maybe you're seeing red?  We came across a nifty site Sensational Color that has a list of sayings that include colour, along with their meanings.

Exploring the site further - there are a ton of fun little tidbits including the reasoning behind a barber poles red and white stripes. It turns out in medieval times, your barber would also perform surgery including bloodletting....now you know :-)

 

Dragon Repair - Colour Makeover

Last week - I showed you what a crafty and artistic person does when a favourite dragon statue gets smashed up.

This week, we'll carry on with the colour makeover. Formerly - he was a brick-red colour - antiqued with black to emphasis the shadows and texture. As the repairs where still visible due to lines and colour differences - I decided that I would repaint, and that maybe going for a antique bronze look would be cool.

Also - the epoxy glue and epoxy clay have issues with prolonged exposure to UV - they will degrade - and a lawn statue gets a significant amount of UV light - even in Canada. ;-)

I started by painting him a nice herb green - selecting a water resistant spray paint - for the verdigris and antique part. I applied several coats and covered him thoroughly.



When that was dry - I took a metallic copper spray paint, and sprayed, him again, more lightly and from more oblique angles, taking care not to put it on too thickly everywhere.

Then, when that was dry - I took him back into my studio and added highlights with the Gilders Paste.

I used multiple colours - mostly because I was fiddling around - seeing what they did and how they came out. In particular - the orb in his hind foot got lots of different colours because it was so much fun to just swipe them on and see how they looked.


Ultimately - I used Foundry Bronze, African Bronze (really like the green bronze of this colour), the Copper and the Inca Gold - you can really see the effect of the Inca gold in this next photo.

I had planned on using the black, diluting it and working it into the texture to really bring that out - but decided that he looked pretty darn good as is In this application - the Gilders Pastes really want to be used to emphasize highlights. If I were to do this again, I might make the first coat of paint black, for deeper shadows, then the green, then the copper.

Then I applied a spray coat of a Matte, UV-protecting layer. Matte - so he wouldn't be too shiny in the garden. UV protecting because the Gilders Paste is also not rated for extreme UV exposure.
Here he is - back in the garden with his brother - in the original colour.
And a bigger shot. Isn't he awesome? All handsome and bronzed! I'm quite pleased with how this repair project (using the recently added Apoxie clay and Gilders Paste) came out!



So - any damaged dragons out there needing a good home? ;-)

The Joy of Metal Clay - Carbon, Part 2

I was off camping this weekend. What lovely weather. Campfires at night got me thinking about firing metal clay and coal carbon. When it comes to metal clay and carbon, I still don't feel like I know as much as I want.

There are several types on the market and they are not all the same and you need to choose carefully for the type of metal clay you are using.

Here are the types on the market:

Coal “Rainbow” carbon media – claimed to create “rainbow” like patinas on the metals. fired in this media. It is said that the ability for the carbon to do this lasts only 10 firings. Also the rainbow patina may not be permanent. Cannot be used with CopprClay!

Coconut carbon media- most versatile (in my opinion) Can be used with Copper, Bronze both Fast Fire and Original.

Magic carbon media – a product exclusively sold by Cool Tools – unsure what it actually is. It is supposed to work with all metal clays!?? The description of this carbon indicates that this carbon allows a short hold time (2 hours). Both copper and bronze come out with an antiqued patina after firing in this media. They also indicated that there is no need to burn out the binder of the silver clay before firing. Curious stuff…I think I might have to give it a try. http://www.cooltools.us/v/vspfiles/assets/images/Product-Magic_Carbon_Instructions.pdf


Good Luck.

The Business Chat - Registering Your Business Part 1

Good for you, you’ve decided to really turn your hobby/passion/obsession into a business. Yay! You want to do things right so you want to register your business, assuming you have to. That is the first question, do you have to register your business?

For those just dabbling let me be clear, if you are selling anything at all you are a business. Registering your business is important because it gives you a Master Business License. This license is an critical tool for your success. First, with that Master Business License you can now buy wholesale supplies. Second, you have a piece of paper that says you are truly in business. One of my Steps to Success is to take your business seriously. Put that piece of paper on a bulletin board where you can see it whenever you are working. If you don’t take your business seriously, why would anyone else?

The steps to registering your business are:
1. decide on your legal structure
2. choose your business name
3. do a name search
4. register your business

In Canada there are three forms of ownership to consider:
1. Sole proprietorship
2. Partnership
3. Incorporation

Sole proprietorship
A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business that is owned by one person. It’s the simplest kind of business structure. The owner of a sole proprietorship makes all the decisions, receives all the profits, claims all the losses, and does not have separate legal status from the business.
Sole proprietors are fully responsible for all debts and obligations related to their business. A creditor with a claim against a sole proprietor would normally have a right against all business and personal assets, meaning the creditor could seize some of your personal belongings. This is known as unlimited liability.
If you’re a sole proprietor, you pay personal income tax on all revenue generated by your business. This income is reported on your regular tax return – a T1. You may also deduct business expenses on the same tax return.

Partnership
A partnership is an association or relationship between two or more individuals, corporations, trusts, or partnerships that join together to carry on a trade or business. Each partner contributes money, labour, property, or skills to the partnership. In return, each partner is entitled to a share of the profits or losses. The business profits (or losses) are usually divided among the partners based on the partnership agreement.
Forming a partnership is as simple as turning to your friend/partner/sibling and saying, “Let’s be partners.” While a verbal agreement is all you technically need, I highly recommend that you have a written agreement drawn up, preferably by a lawyer. Should you and your partner have an acrimonious split, and your partner runs up a huge debt and leaves, you are responsible for the debt. The advantage of a legal agreement is that it can limit your liability. A written partnership agreement should set out the terms of dissolution in case one of the partners decides to pull out. The other advantage of a written agreement is that it forces you to plan each partner’s responsibilities and duties. Any time spent planning or considering how your business will work is worthwhile.

Incorporation
A corporation is a separate legal entity. It can enter into contracts and own property in its own name, separately and distinctly from its owners. If you incorporate your business, then you are an employee of the corporation.
There are many advantages to a corporation. The main advantage is the limited liability of the incorporated company. Unlike the sole proprietorship, where the business owner assumes all the liability of the company, when a business becomes incorporated, an individual shareholder's liability is limited to the amount that he or she has invested in the company. The other advantage is that corporations pay a lower tax rate. As you are an employee of the corporation, you are only taxed on your salary.
Many businesses start as sole proprietorships and later become incorporated as their growth warrants. A sole proprietorship regularly earning in excess of $50,000 of taxable income annually should think about incorporating. (Taxable income is income after expenses.) Talk to your accountant to see if incorporation makes financial sense for you.

Partnerships and corporations must register their businesses. Sole proprietors do not automatically need to register their businesses. If you are keeping your business very small and operating under your own name then you do not have to register your name. However, if you are a sole proprietor and choose not to register you may legally only operate under your own name with no additions. For example, if I want to run my business under the name “Catherine Winter”, I don’t have to register my business name. I can’t add any descriptors such as “Catherine Winter Jewelry” or “Catherine’s Crafts”. The moment you add anything to the name you must register. (The exception to this is Newfoundland and Labrador, in that province, you do not have to register the name of sole proprietorships or partnerships at all.)

Choose your Business Name
Often your business name is the first impression people have of your work. When choosing your name, I recommend using a unique word or phrase that captures the spirit of your work, or using all or part of your name.
Whatever name you choose, just be sure it won’t limit your business potential. Your style and products will change dramatically during your first couple of years in business. Imagine someone who makes earrings and opens a business called Mary’s Earrings. Great name for now, but what happens if Mary adds bracelets to her collection?

Here’s a couple of tips about names. If you opt for a name such as Mary Smith Designs, then somewhere on your business card or other promotional material, you must list your craft. Designs is too vague, you might be doing gardens or quilts. If someone found your business card on the street, would they know what you do?

Do remember that we are a multi-cultural country and many of your customers are not native English speakers (especially if you are selling online). Don’t pick a name that is difficult to pronounce or has some nasty meaning in another language. (Plug your name in to Google and see what comes up).

What’s trendy right now won’t always be so. Does your name have the staying power for a couple of years?

Your business name should be:

• Unique – make your name stand out from those of other similar businesses.


• Descriptive – a customer should know what you do


• Simple – don’t make your name too long


• Easy to recall – one or two words or initials make it easier for your customers to remember you


• A good fit – it must fit in with your business image


• Legal. Not only are you choosing a name that will bring in oodles of customers, you must also choose a name that is satisfactory to the government. You cannot use a name that implies any association with any branch of government. Your name must be in the Roman language. You can’t use words that imply incorporation; and the list goes on. For a full list of what you can and can’t use go to Registering Your Business Name in Ontario (scroll down to the “Restrictions on Business Names” section)

Do a name search
Next it is a good idea to do a search for your chosen business name to see if it’s in use. Business name registration is no guarantee of exclusivity. (Business name protection is provided by a trademark, not by name registration.) Trademarks take between 4 and 24 months. The Business Names Act doesn't prohibit the registration of identical names, so you could register a business name that another company is already using. If you do, or if you register a name that's confusingly similar, a lawsuit could result so it's a good idea to conduct a name search to see if anyone else is using the business name you want.

There are several different search options you may wish to pursue. Each name search will cost you $8 to $12, depending on where and how you conduct the search.

Searching the business names public record at the Companies Branch (located on the second floor at 375 University Avenue in Toronto) will tell you if someone is already using the business name you have selected and where that business is located, although it will not show variations of business names or corporation names. You can also browse through the Electronic Corporate Index while you're at the Companies Branch, or request a corporate search.

You can also search online through OnCorp Direct Inc. or Cyberbahn Inc.; both of these corporations are Primary Service Providers under contract with the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services.

You may also want to get a NUANS report. NUANS (New Upgraded Automated Name Search) is a Canada-wide corporate and business name registry. A NUANS search will display corporations, business names and trademarks which are similar to the name you have searched. To search NUANS, you will need to contact a private service provider (listed in the Yellow Pages under "Searchers of Records") as the Companies Branch does not provide these.

Whether or not you choose to do a name search you should definitely do some online research. Plug your name into Google or another search engine. If there is another company with a name close to yours check out their online presence. If you want Mary Smith Designs (you make jewelry) and there’s a Mary Smith Designs (landscaping) but they’re in a town 1,000 kms away it probably isn’t an issue.

Now that you've decided on your legal structure, chosen your business name and conducted a name search (if necessary), you're ready to go through the actual business registration procedure to register your sole proprietorship or partnership. Next week, we’ll walk through the registration process (it’s easy-peasy).

Inspiration Friday

Happy Friday all!

A recent question posed on our facebook page (thanks Elly!) about how to find the beads necessary to make a necklace inspired by one worn by Ponyo's mother Granmamere in the movie Ponyo. I think there are a number of ways to remake this necklace:

Personally, I'm thinking pale goldish tone crystals with deep siam drops. I'm curious how others would remake this.  Or changing it a bit - multiple tiny strands of gold chain with the same deep red drops.

Have you ever wanted to make jewelery inspired by a piece you saw in a movie - and have you attempted it? 

How about Neytiri's feather and bead encrusted pieces?

And of course - how can we forget the fabulous jewels of Audrey Hepburn:

I'd love to hear your thoughts - are you inspired by jewelry seen in movies? Or on celebrities?

Facebook!

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about our presence on Facebook before - but just in case you didn't know...

We've got a pretty active community on Facebook. Need to ask a technical question - or even just wonder what others (staff and other customers) think of a new design? We sometimes post funny little tidbits or jokes that wouldn't otherwise fit elsewhere. 

We hope to see you there!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/12390450374

New This Week!

Hybrid Seedbeads

Hybrid seedbeads? So - do they like - run on electricity and gas, eh? Or are they hybrid like a Tea Rose?

Well - actually - neither. Hybrid seedbeads do have a significant amount of miles on them though!

We've got some new Japanese seedbeads for you this week, and some are labelled "Hybrid." What the "Hybrid" means in this case is a marriage of the technical tour-de-force that is Japanese seedbead making, and the old-world expertise of the Czech glass bead makers. These beads are manufactured in Japan at the Toho factory, and then packed up and shipped to the Czech republic, where they are treated and coated to give them the same amazing colours that the Czech factories have been perfecting for the last hundred or so years. Then, they are packed up again, and shipped here, for us to use. All that in a humble seedbead!

We're doing a big seedbead roll-out this month, and this week, we're starting with Toho 8/0s seeds and Toho 11/0 Triangles. Check out the Blueberry/Green Tea, the Terracotta Apollo, and the Jet Apollo

• 8/0 Seeds - Orange/Yellow


• 8/0 Seeds - Green/Aqua


• 8/0 Seeds - Blue/Purple


• 8/0 Seeds - Metallic/Grey/Black

In the 11/0 Triangles, which are a fun little bead, by the way, we have new colours like Hybrid Marbled Hematite, Hybrid Dual Gold/ Amethyst AB, and this particuarly vibrant Silver Lined Hyacinth.

• 11/0 Triangles: Clear, Red, Green


• 11/0 Triangles: Blue, Purple, Metallic, Black

New month - new stone of the month!

The silky smooth, creamy mauve-and-brick-and-ivory Porcelain Jasper is this month's stone of the month. This is an organic, earthy stone that has a quiet beauty all it's own.

Yay for Crystal Clay

More colours in the Crystal Clay line up of two-part epoxy clays! I latched onto a package of this particularly girly pink - I have an idea for this ... . And speaking of two-part epoxy clays ... did you catch my blog post earlier this week regarding repairing a garden statue with two-party epoxy clay? And you thought it was just about the jewelry!

And Scott David Plumlee kits! If you like his books - check out the kits - assembled to complement the projects in the books. But, in case you were wondering - you don't have to have read the books - they come with instructions that stand alone.

You can click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out the categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Summer!

I hope you all had a fabulous long weekend! We spent the last week and a bit preparing to put up a new pool for the kids to enjoy over the summer. Of course - not one part of the process was in the slightest bit smooth ;-) It was however an adventure that I'm glad is over (knock on wood). The pool is up, and now we just have to wait for the sun to warm it up, and the chemicals to settle. It's currently a frigid 54F. :-)

I could not keep the kids out of the pool while trying to fill it. Here is a pic taken early evening just after we fixed a leak, and we were refilling. It wasn't quite as cold at that point.

Now all I need is a laptop, and some beading trays so that I can work outside while the kids are playing in the backyard - if you can keep me out of the pool that is :-)

Dragon Repair and Apoxie (Epoxy) Clay

All these things you learn about making jewelry - ever find that you end up using them in "real life?" Which is not to say that making jewelry isn't "real" - but I mean out there in the practical, everyday, mundane, workaday world.

I have a couple of garden statues of dragons – they weren’t expensive – but I’m very fond of them. And sadly, this spring, I idiotically placed one in a position where it was vulnerable to being knocked down – and so, of course – it was. The puppy jumped over it, clipped, and sent it spinning off the wall and crashing onto the flagstone pool deck – where it didn’t just break – it blew up. The jaw cracked off and went in the pool – a horn and an ear sailed off into the grass, toes came off – a big hole in his chest – St. George could not have done a more thorough job.

Here is a photo of him from last year – in a safer place – well away from the jump prone corner! Isn't he handsome?


And here he is - on my workbench - with his chest broken open, foot torn off, ... .


First - I tackled the obvious and easy pieces with glue. I used a 5 min epoxy, so that I could hold it in place while it set up. That worked well for the jaw and horns - but you can see - I started to get into trouble in the chest area - with all the multiple pieces and the way each new piece was dependent on the last being in the right place. It started to get a bit messy.

So - I thought to myself - what about the epoxy clay? So I mixed up a batch of the Apoxie - choosing the brown as the closest colour match. I built up the missing pieces - here - you can see I performed dragon dentistry and built him a whole new tooth!



I reattached the toes and built the top of the foot back up, and filled in the missing pieces in the chest cavity. I textured the clay with a paring knife, and let it set up.

I discovered that large areas - the clay sagged before it cured, and dished in, creating a significant depression. This photo shows this effect on the side of the chest cavity - but interestingly enough - there was a large hole on the bottom as well - which cured flat and downward, so you would think that the effect of gravity would have prevented this - but it also shrank inwards.
Much as I liked the way I had reproduced the texture of the scales, I decided to re-fill this area and do it again. It came out perfectly the second time - as there was no way for the clay to shrink away - now it had a backing.

At this point - I had a fairly successful repair. He was intact again - you can see a spot on the side of his jaw where I filled in the seam from the repair to his jaw - filled it in with the epoxy clay. A few chips and dings were still visible.
And he had some colour irregularities. White spots where there were chips, brown epoxy clay vs the original brick colour of the dragon.

So - tune in next week for the Colour makeover for the dragon!

The Joy of Metal Clay - Activated Carbon?

What is Activated Carbon?

As promised, I decided to investigate for more information about carbons that are used in firing many base metal clays. I must say there isn’t a lot of understandable information.

Activated is carbon that has been processed so that the carbon is more porous allowing a greater surface areas for the absorption of chemicals. The process used to activate carbon can be varied sometimes oxygen is used and in other cases a various of chemicals are used. The idea is to create a much more porous surface to allow better adsorption. There are several complicated ways this is done I won’t try and describe them as they are beyond by understanding.

Anyone have a Brita filter or aquarium, activated carbon is used in these items to filter the water by absorbing chlorines and other impurities.

In the metal clay world there are several types of carbon on the market. What I find confusing is that not all carbons work with all types of clay. From my experience Cocunut carbon seems the most versatile and reliable as I recently tried Coal Carbon with my Fast Fire Bronze and it did not work. It can be quite confusing and I don’t have it all figured out and there is not a lot of understandable information out there.

Regarding the failure of my Fast Fire BronzClay to sinter using the coal carbon, I was able to pull together a small batch of my Cocunut Carbon and refired it all. Success!!! So remember if a batch fails you may be able to refire it again.

Next week I will outline there different types of carbon that is uses.

The Business Chat - Success is...

Thank you! Thanks for all the well-wishing about the new (soon, very very very soon) small crafty business website I will be launching this fall and thank you for your input about what you would like to learn about. (You can read all about it here.)

It was really interesting to read your comments and get your feedback, it took me back to my beginning days. Sometimes I find it amazing that I’ve been running my little crafty endeavour for 9 years now! Where did that time go? I think this is one of the most satisfying parts of running a small business that you love, it doesn’t seem like work. 9 years in a cubicle would have seemed like eternity and yet 9 years of this has gone by in a blink. And I still wake up in the middle of the night with a new idea in mind and wish it were daytime so that I could go to work!

I think the biggest difference between a “regular” business and a crafty business is in the WHY of the business. Regular businesses live for the bottom line, it’s all about the money. The more money a business makes the more successful it is deemed to be. Yet for most of us, the money isn’t the driving force behind what we do. It’s really critical to the success of any craft business that you truly love what you do. Craft businesses are different from “regular” businesses. When you go to a job, you may be really proud of that report you wrote, or the committee you steered, however it’s not your heart and soul. Not like when you make a piece of art and put it out on display. And it’s the heart and soul and You The Artist that a customer is looking for. And because you are pouring your heart and soul into your fledgling venture, no matter how small or part time it is, your crafty business will occupy a part your brain cells 24/7.

So if you are going to pour a portion of your entire being into this little business of yours I think it is really important to know WHY you are doing this.

In a previous life I worked at a software development company. It was fun for a long while, and then it was not. At the same time as it became un-fun we had bought a sailboat down south and I was craving a life beyond the 9-5 of a cubicle. I decided that life was short and should be lived to the fullest. Hence Sailorgirl Jewelry was born. Part of my company mission is to take 3 months off a year and go sailing. I do that every year. Hence I feel that I have a successful company even if, frankly, I would have financially been much better off in a cubicle.

Every time I lead my “Start Your Successful Micro-Business Class” I ask the participants to tell me, why are you here? What do you want from your business?

I’ve heard a great variety of answers from my students, everything from paying for a hot tub, a European vacation, a new kitchen, to the most common, covering the cost of your bead addiction or providing a second income. What it boils down to is that if you don’t know what your idea of success is, then how do you know when you have a successful company?

Today I am asking you the same question, why do you read this column and why do you want to run a small craft business? What is your definition of success?

Next week is a meat and potatoes column – A step by step: How to Register Your Business.