Inspiration Fridays

Before I get to the current pics - I need to show off Nathalie's work.  Do you remember this pic from a few weeks ago - This was inspiration 1:


"My bracelet is a “looser” interpretation of the image... my thick swirly wire that supports the focal represents the tendrils, and the big round focal (a lampwork glass cabochon made by one of my friends) had those bright colors, shape and flow of the big tropical flower. "

You can see more of Nathalie's work on her site.
 Also check out her Artfire Studio

This next piece is one I designed with the dogwood blooms as the inspiration. Loosely, as I used cherry blossoms instead... 


This piece was more of a compilation of sorts. I actually designed the branch at the last metal clay play day. In Kate McKinnon's newest book, one of the projects was a branch made from a fine silver wire armature, then built up with clay and paste.  I've had this sitting on my workbench unfired for a while - I also had some cherry blossoms cut out from paper clay in a little dish of bits I keep on my bench. 


Something quite bizarre happened somewhere along the line though. When I put my pendant in the kiln to be fired - It had three full blossoms, when it came out - half of one blossom was completely missing. And I mean gone. Right there on the tray, before I even picked it up - a chunk was missing. The missing piece wasn't on the tray, or anywhere else in the kiln. Two possibilities - 1) it vaporized, or 2) I'm loosing it. I prefer to go with option 1. :-)

That's all we have for this week..I hope I didn't miss anyone!  


For next week- here is your inspiration pic: Home for a Knome   - We invite everyone to play along. Make something, anything at all, inspired by the weeks picture. Send it to info@beadfx.com with the subject "Inspiration Fridays"

Inspiration Friday post - coming up shortly

I made something - as usual, very last minute :-)  I'll be back a bit later with pics - and some of Nathalie's awesome work as well.

Has your Ice Resin crystalized?

One of our customers noticed that her bottle of part A had become somewhat crystalline and quite viscous. I had never come across that before, so we put the question to the manufacturer. Here is what they had to say:

Give these instructions to the customer with cystalizing Resin.  The ICE is ultra pure resin and sensitive to cold.  Actually what happened to cause this was cold while traveling during the winter. 

 

 

Dear Valued Customer:

Your recent order of  ICE Resin needs a quick Hot Water Bath.  Please follow these instructions and your product will be perfect.  Run your hot tap water for a couple of minutes to get full temperature.  Put in the plug and fill sink or use a bowl or bucket.  Secure the cap on your resin only (Part A)  and stick  the bottle in the hot water for 30 minutes.  You do not need to do anything with Part B, it is fine.  The resin got too cold this winter and needs to be warmed up.  You should only need to do this one time but please check the product for easy flow and clarity before each use. 

More playing around (part ?)

I have to say, my short lived addictions to certain old television shows can be entirely credited with my bouts of creativity. I am probably somewhat ADHD. I can't 'just' make jewelry, I also need my mind engaged elsewhere. That could be listening to an audio book, or watching a dvd on my computer. I like to work listening to music, but not for as long.

So this is what I worked on last night, while engaged in three separate things. An online game I've become addicted to, watching season 4 of Buffy, and doing 15 minute bouts of entering gst amounts in a spreadsheet. I stayed up quite late, which is why my blog post is so tardy this morning :-)

Last night was resin night. I tend to save up my pieces that need to be coated in resin, as to not waste the resin. When mixing resin, you need to mix up a certain amount to make sure that it mixes properly. That amount, is far too much for one piece.

Here is an example of a piece that I will need to remove the resin on. This is a fine silver (metal clay)  heart,with a fairly deep bezel. I wanted to colour it, and haven't yet decided what I want to use. In this case, I used an acrylic paint, that I brushed on, and then wiped off to highlight the shiny bits. I don't think I like it. If you apply resin, and need to remove it for any reason - soak it for 15 minutes in a bowl of acetone based nail polish remover. It'll peel off easy peasy :-)

These two pieces are both silver, but with a bake on enamel paint, then coated in resin. These I like much better:

This green heart may need a bit of work - Unfortunately, I missed an air bubble, and the resin spilled from the bezel bowl. I may be able to clean it up with an exacto knife - we'll see.

The next few pictures are all my attempt to make those little image pendants a lot more interesting - now if only I had a smidge of artistic talent, I would use my own images...However, I can't draw or paint to save my life...

I like these :-)

I think these are my favorite ones by far - they need a bit of clean up work, but just a bit of filing, and then attaching a chain - plus being copper, are much more affordable than the silver version.

Wednesday Linky Love

I've somehow in this insane heat managed to come down with some sort of flu bug - as such, my big plans for last night (inspiration for tonight, playing with the glass clay, writing a blog entry for today) did not get done...I'm awake and headache free for the moment, but I can feel it coming back. So I quickly give you a few eye candy sites. It's too hot to go out, so stay inside and bead!

First off - Have you checked out Marcia DeCoster's blog? http://maddesignsbeads.blogspot.com/  - Since she's coming to teach, I thought posting that one would be timely!

Then I decided to go blog hopping - randomly choosing a blog from the list of links - I like this one, and will certainly add it to my feed:

http://curiousgirl-lisa.blogspot.com/  - Are you curious? I double dare you not to click on the link!

Okay, I'll let you continue from there :-) Looking at the computer is not helping my pour pounding head!

July Classes at Beadfx!

The month of July is here, and there are tons of classes in store. For one, we have our guest instructor, Marcia Decoster, author of Beaded Opulence, teaching three classes: Bellisimo, Falling Leaves Lariat, Queen Anne's Lace Bracelet.

Our guest blogger, Sailorgirl, aka Catherine Winters, is teaching two classes this month: How to Run a Successful Craft Show, and How to Start and Run a Successful Jewellry Microbusiness. Catherine Winters has a lot of experience both in the show circuit, and in selling her own jewellry.

This weekend, Marilyn Gardiner, is teaching two of her beginner classes:

Japanese Stepping Stones Bracelet


Convertible Necklace

If it's too hot to be outside, we might as well be indoors beading!


Cheers

This, That, and the Other: A Rose by any other Name

Well - Swarovski has done it again. They have changed their brand name for the beads and pendants and rhinestones.

You may remember that a few years ago - Swarovski re-branded themselves Swarovski Crystallized Elements. We whined. We complained. So did others. I'm fairly certain that our complaining alone didn't do the trick - it is probably more like it was such a mouthful that no one could manage it. They shared some stories with us of supplying the crystal elements at no charge for some Hollywood red carpet events - crystals for Oscar gowns and such, and then have the stars, when asked about the dress, blow the line about the "Crystallized by Swarovski." You could argue that maybe they weren't using the brightest stars, but you can also argue about if trained professionals can't get the lines right ... .

So - they have simplified it to "Swarovski Elements."That covers a lot of territory - as it now not only includes the beads and pendants, the rhinestones and hotfix stones, but also the components that are for use in lighting, home decor and manufacturing.

I think this will be an improvement - 'cause I was having a lot of trouble with calling them "Crystallized." As I said when we went to Swarovski headquarters - "I want a noun. 'Crystallized' is a verb."

As Shakespeare said - "A rose by any other name, would smell as sweet" - and it really doesn't matter what you call Swarovski Elements - they are the most drop dead gorgeous crystal beads, stones, pendants, etc.

Segueing right along, I've always had an interest in big, flashy faceted stones (as does, apparently - the owner of this site- Famous Diamonds) - and so, it stands to reason that I am interested in the historical gems and their stories. This would be the "named" gems - the few, the fabulous, the famous. The Hope, the Taylor-Burton, the Kohnioor, etc. If you share this interest, you may also want to check out MuseumDiamonds.com. This gentleman puts huge amounts of effort and time into researching a stone, and then cutting an accurate replica in cubic zirconia. I think this is a great idea. I always wondered why museum gift shops didn't offer more replicas of the the gems and jewelry on display, like this one.

Apparently - it can be fairly hard to really get the specs on a named gemstone - the owners are not too inclined to let people handle them and take measurements. Imagine. If I owned one of those babies - I'd never take it off! I'd be gardening and walking the dog in it!

At least we can make our own fabulous jewelry without having to spend an empire to do it! Not that some of us don't try . . . .

Gemstone tests

As I mentioned in a previous post new gemstones arrived at BeadFx. When I add a new material that I am unsure of I will test fire it out of clay to make sure it can withstand the time and temperature I intend to fire it at.

I took six of the new gemstones and tested them at 1650F for 2 hours to see if they would withstand to maximum temperature I would fire my silver metal clay creations. Here are the results, the stones on the LEFT are the test stones that have been fired :

Garnet Cz (no obvious colour change)

Lab created black saphire (no obvious colour change)

Aqua Cz (Oh oh, BIG CHANGE -FAILED all my tests)

Lab created Blue Spinels (no obvious colour change)

Lab created Ruby (no obvious colour change)

Lavender Cz (no obvious colour change)


It looks like all but the AQUA cz's survived. I retested the aqua cz's at 1200F for 30 minutes (the minimum I would fire at) and they failed yet again, they turned a lighter yellow brown. I torch fired one for two minutes and yet again I got a shade of brown. Disappointing as this stone would look awesome embedded into silver, of course you could set it in a fine silver setting after firing. I will test them in carbon in the next few weeks.


Lastly, I had mentioned my tests with a piece of Labradorite at 1650F here is a picture of what happened:

Remember, if your fire gemstones in metal clay DO NOT quench them, allow them to cool naturally or you may cause thermal shock and the stone may fracture.

The Business Chat - let's go marketing!

Merci beaucoup to all who completed last weeks survey. As I pointed out, marketing in this day and age is a 2-way conversation and that survey allowed you to have a voice in the content of my posts here. 87% of you want marketing advice, 73% want online sales tips and craft show advice and general business tips were asked for by 53% of you.

So let’s talk marketing. First we’ll define it. From Wikipedia: Marketing is the process by which a company creates customer interest in its products or services. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business development. It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves. Marketing is used to identify the customer, to keep the customer, and to satisfy the customer.

I find that most small business crafters, those who sell occasionally to friends or family don’t think they do any marketing at all. They do, everyone has a business card and a business card is the simplest form of marketing. It informs a customer of who you are and what your product is. That in a nutshell is marketing.

Sales are when you knock on a customer’s door.

Marketing is what you do to get a customer to knock on your door.

Advertising is the method you use to publicly acquaint your customers with your product in order to get them to buy what your business is offering.

Why is marketing the most important thing in your business? Because marketing is concerned with attracting customers. Ever try to run a business without customers? The name of the game in marketing is attracting and retaining a growing base of satisfied customers. How does this apply to you? Who doesn’t want to sell more at each show they do or in your online store? In order for your business to be successful, you need to make money. For your business to make money, you need sales. To make or increase sales, you need to market your product effectively. Bottom line: You can increase your sales with some marketing.

When I go to the One of a Kind Show in Toronto (juried show of 850 artists), just by being there I will sell some jewellery. These are what I call random sales. People randomly walk by my booth, stop in and buy. Each customer who walks into the door of a craft show has a limited amount of money to spend. I can passively wait for them to randomly walk by to receive a portion of their cash. Or I can plant my company name in their mind so that when they walk into that show, they look for me first and spend their dollars on my jewellery before they randomly walk into someone else’s booth. Now I have 2 types of sales, those who look for me, and the random sales.

So what can you do to get the customer to look for you first? You need to plant your company name firmly in their brain. We talked about how marketing is to inform a customer who you are and what your product is. Let’s tackle the biggest problem most small crafters have, defining what you sell.

At the start of my seminars, I ask each person to tell me their name and what kind of jewellery they make – essentially to market themselves to me. The answers are always one of two:

1. the simple – “I make jewellery”; or
2. the long-winded – “I’ve always really liked working with wire, when I was 4 I started playing….” And on and on….

Although each of these answers are true, as a consumer in neither instance do I have any idea of what the product is. Jewellery is so vast a creation. Do you make lip rings? Toe rings? Custom Celtic wedding bands? Diamond tennis bracelets? If you can’t define your product, your customer doesn’t know what you’re selling. The ability to define your product enables you to convey a strong image to your customer. A strong image will stay in the customers mind.

I’m going to leave you with a question this week and I’d like you to think about this and send me answers.

What do you sell?

Next week we’re going to start branding your company.

Tools have arrived!

Eleven, count 'em, eleven biiiig heavy boxes arrived today. Almost 700 pounds of tools and other stuff. The UPS guy was NOT pleased.

But you will be - because a lot of the tools that we were out of stock on, have arrived at last. Chasing hammers, beaders tool kits, punches, anvils, steel shot, steel ring mandrels, third hands and lotsa other tools and supplies. So come on down to the store and grab them before they disappear again.

Inspiration Fridays

We've got a couple creations to show this week! Both were inspired by last weeks sea/crab pic



Andree made this fabulous bracelet. I love this!

I made a metal clay, and fine silver bail for a couple lampwork beads I made recently. Although I didn't make them specifically for this project, I think they fit in quite nicely. Then, I attached some twisty fine silver wire that was balled up on both ends.

If you have made anything, but haven't yet had a chance to submit it yet (not done yet). That's ok, feel free to send it whenever it's done!

Now, here's your inspiration for next week:

A new obsession?

Maybe, maybe not - But I do have something new and fun to experiment with! And I think everyone knows by now that I love new toys. :-)

I'm quite curious about this product, but to be completely honest - I haven't really seen much done with it yet that I've become enamored with.  This is powdered glass, and when mixing or sanding this product - you do need to wear HEPA particulate mask. As soon as I find it (it's somewhere in my basement) I'll mix it up and have a go with it.

Glass clay is similar to metal clay's in that it does need to be fired with a kiln, and torch firing is not an option with this.   I have the system 96 version of the sample pack - and I've also got a stash of Uroboros glass rods. Not sure if anything can be done with both, but we'll see.

Stay tuned next week to see what I've come up with!

Happy Canada Day - Hopefully, we'll have some good weather! Enjoy your day...

The "Reading Room"

The nature of my health is that I have spent large portions of my life in the, ahem, "reading room." T'is a room I like to have well-appointed.

But this artwork-with-running-water is way beyond anything I ever imagined.

This is the washroom at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey - and not a word of mention of it on their website, I might add.

Now - I'm thinking to myself - I have enough beads - I could do that ... . Dangerous thoughts indeed!

Leafy Waterfall Necklace and other Classes.

What a beautiful way to end the month of June... The Leafy Waterfall Necklace


Our very own Malliga Nathan will be teaching this beginner class tomorrow. Imagine... for just a small fee, you will be able to dabble into wire working (bending, hammering, and shaping sterling wire), and still work with beautiful beads.

Here's some of what's coming up in July:

Japanese Stepping Stone with Marilyn Gardiner


Right Angle Weave Lariat and Earrings with Rae Huggins


And don't forget, we have our guest instructor, Marcia Decoster, teaching three classes this month: Queen's Anne's Lace Bracelet, Bellisimo, Falling Leaves Lariat.

Design and Problem Solving

Sometimes, design is mostly a matter of problem solving. In my case - the problem is: "I made this really cool bead - how do I show it off?"

In this situation, it was a large bead - ok - that's not news, and I wanted to do something other than stick it on a chain. That is my usual approach - just to hang the bead on a chain.

I found a strand of beads that I bought a few years ago that I thought went well with the focal bead - the dark blue of the beads picks up the dark blue undercolour of the focal bead. I had been looking for a way to use these beads - as I think they are very handsome in their own right.



So - the obvious solution is to string the bead, hang the focal and bingo!

Except - the strand of beads was not long enough by itself. So - I needed to supplement the length.

One good way to do this is to add spacers or smaller beads in between the beads, and I added a few at the center - but I just really like the unbroken stretch of blue, and wanted to keep that look. So I opted instead for sterling rounds at the back to extend the length.

The other issue was how to hang the focal bead - which is definitely vertically oriented.

I searched through my stash of bails, and found one I liked - but my first attempt at stringing this reveals that the large hole in the bail made it hang very low, relative to the surrounding beads. I found some sterling round beads to string inside the bail so that it would sit centred relative to the beads on either side.

(By the way, if I am problem-solving like this, I start stringing from the centre of the necklace - not the ends.)

Now, I need a clasp. The clasp can make or break the piece. It has to look integrated, like it belongs there. The only one I could find that I really wanted to use was already in use - but on a necklace that I had earmarked to take apart and re-cycle the components of - it's a little bland for my taste.
Oh, and yes - this is typical of the sort of chaos that I work in. 65 different ideas on the go at once. See how the big bead at the bottom right really goes with the Chrysocolla and Lapis that has just been dumped next to it? Those of you who want to know where to get inspiration from - stop cleaning up.

Next design discovery was that the larger sterling rounds were tall enough to make it difficult to get a finger in to depress the lever on this clasp in order to open it.

So I wound up taking out one large bead and replacing it with two smaller ones to make up the same length. The end result looks fine - possibly better, and highlights that you have to make sure everything works before you finalize it!



I wired up the pendant - and then decided I didn't like the way that looked ...


... and cut the wire off and tried again - this time finding an actual headpin that was long and strong enough to do the job - a rare thing with my beads.



And the final step was that there is a little bit of play in the necklace - the tension can't be extremely tight or the beads won't drape nicely and sit beside each other, but it is enough for bail to move and sit at a bit of an angle relative to the beads on each side of it - I want the bail and the two blue beads beside it to remain level. I was going to slide a piece of wire through the assembly - but of course - it won't fit - should have wired them up as one piece first.

So I put some glue into the holes instead - so they won't slide around. Seems to be working fine.

Problem solved.

Firing you silver metal clay - Torch, Kiln, Temperature, Time?

There are many opinions about how to properly fire your metal clay. Today I am going to give you my OPINION about firing your silver metal clay and some tips that may help you out.

First, silver metal clay is made up of a binder, water, and fine silver particles that when fired the metal sinters and binder will burn off. The process of sintering is "to cause (ores or powdery metals) to become a coherent mass by heating without melting". So in this case we are heating our fine silver to below its melting point to bond together to become solid metal. The way I understand this is that when metal clay is fired it is made up of a mass of silver particles bonded together.

Now in order for silver metal clay to properly sinter two factors need to be taken into account: temperature & time. Both these factors are important in to making sure the metal sinters properly. The metal clay need to reach at least a minimum temperature and it needs to be held at this temperature for at least a minimum amount of time.

There is a philosophy out there that in order for metal clay to sinter properly you need to fire the clay at 1650F for 2 hours. I agree with this philosophy in most part - I do believe that you will get the best possible sintered metal clay if you do this but other methods are options although not ideal and I will explain this as I write. (by the way there are other methods of firing metal clay which I am not touching on today)

KILN FIRING SILVER METAL CLAY

No matter what brand of metal clay you use the manufacturer will recommend firing times and temperatures. For example a Art Clay Silver 650 (low fire clay) it is recommended that a 5 gram piece could be fired at 1200F for 30 minutes or at 1475F for 5 minutes. Hmmm...these manufacturers recommendations can seem confusing as to why I said earlier that I agree that you should fire your metal clay at high temperatures for long periods of time.

The main reason I believe that longer at higher temperatures can give a better product. If I fired my metal clay piece as recommended and then fired it again for longer at a higher temperature the second firing may very well result in the piece shrinking more. This example was highlighted in a class in which I was a student that I took quite a while ago where a student made a ring and the instructor had fired it for the minimum requirement and when it came out it was too big for her, the instructor proceeded to say well lets fire it again and it will shrink. I was a student at this time and was trying to figure out the whole issue of firing metal clay and this was a great example. IF a piece is fired at the minimum temperature and them is re fired and it shrinks more then the increased in firing has made the metal to bond much closer and in my opinion giving you a stronger piece.

There is an extremely detailed explanation of firing guide from Cool Tools that will give you even more explanations The Ultimate Firing Guide

Unfortunately it is not always ideal to fire at high temperatures or for long periods of time (examples of this are when you are firing certain stones, if you include sterling silver or glass). Hopefully after reading the above reference and what I have said will help you make up your own mind.

TORCH FIRING SILVER METAL CLAY

So now on to torch firing silver metal clay. After explaining the above what about torch firing? Do I think torch firing is sufficient for metal clay? Yes and no, will be my answer. One of the joys of metal clay is that it brings people who may not otherwise find there way to working with metals. The supplies for silver metal clay, if you don't purchase a kiln, are affordable and people can make some great simple pieces. Traditional metal work is labour intensive and intimidating to many. Metal clay has it's challenges as well but simple roll and cut charms are manageable for many. Torch firing pieces for those who have no access to a kiln can make it all possible. Torch firing is deemed an acceptable means of sintering your metal clay and hopefully when you are finished reading this you will be provided with enough information to make your own decision.

I will not got through a tutorial on how to torch fire metal clay here instead I will refer you to this decent description Art Clay Silver Torch Firing Instructions. I will highlight that not everything can be torch fired, this reference will give you most of the details. Briefly, the size of you piece (if it is larger than a silver dollar, or if it is large than 25 gram also if you include other things in your metal clay such as glass or organic materials they shouldn't be fired. Refer to this reference for more details please I have not included everything here. One thing that is missing from this reference is that when torch firing pieces that are shaped such as a domed item they may flatten or loose their shape, I don't know all the limitations here as I rarely, if ever torch fire these days but I know that domed pieces can flatten so be aware (a solution to this is to place the dome so that the flat edges of the dome are on the block and the dome is up, then the friction of the edges on the brick will reduce the pull of gravity on it and will lessen if not eliminate the flattening).

Torch firing has many downfalls and I do believe many people do not do it properly, which reinforces the issues and questions as to whether torch firing is sufficient to properly sinter.

Remember earlier that I said that proper sintering requires both time and temperature to be correct in order for torch firing to work. When you torch fire it is difficult to measure both of these items. The temperature you need to determine by visual changes in colour and the time well you need to time it properly both these things can become problematic. Add on the factor that you may accidentally melt your piece and well torch firing can be tricky for the beginner.

Temperature is determined by the colour of the piece. It is often described as a salmon glow. This is where you need to keep your heated. Often you need to move your heat source to adjust the temperature...if it becomes glossy red it will start to melt.

Timing is initiated once the piece is the salmon colour (the colour indicating you have reached the proper temperature). You only start timing once it has hit this temperature and you need to HOLD the piece at this temperature for the recommended length of time. If any situation arises where your piece slips to being more white or you have to stop in the middle such in the case of running out of gas, YOU NEED TO START OVER AGAIN. The piece needs to be held for a continuous amount of time not cumulative. Hopefully this makes sense. The amaunt of time you hold the piece depends on the size of your piece(there is a list on the Art Clay reference) but my philosophy is to firing it at at the end range of the recommended time.

Tips to avoid melting: Torch fire in low light, it is hard to see colour changes in bright light. Set a countdown timer beside you when you are torch firing that you can start the timer when the piece reaches the appropriate colour so that you don't have to be glancing at you clock and taking you eyes of your piece while you are firing it.

I think that in the situation of a hobbyist who has no access to a kiln and understands the concept of torch firing and it making simple piece that won't get a lot of stress and strain then torch firing although not ideal may work for them.

In the situation of someone who plans on selling their work and is making rings, bracelets and more then they should SERIOUSLY think about kiln firing their pieces.

Now to answer the question. What do I do to fire my silver metal clay???- I tend to fire at 1600F for 2 hours and I tend only to put fine silver findings in my metal clay and use manmande gemstones that can take the heat. Rarely do I stray from this. Hopefully this gives you some information to make your own descisions.

The Business Chat - Who are you? A Survey

Once upon a time in a land far away marketing was a scary word for micro companies because marketing cost a lot of money. To get your message right required people who went out and studied your customers, these people charged a lot and then they printed brochures that also cost a lot. It was tough for a small business to compete. Marketing was about you shoving your message at your customers and hoping they would listen. It was a one-way conversation and a dull one at that.

And then came the internet (cue the angels singing). Reaching your customers has never been so easy. Selling and marketing is simpler because now you can talk to your customers directly and they talk back! You have the ability to target the people who actually want to buy your product.Online it’s hard to tell the size of a company and budgets, while still important, can take second place to ingenuity. With all the new social media tools marketing has become more of a two-way conversation. As a creative business this conversation is critical because customers are buying more than a pair of earrings, they are buying a piece of the artist. Social media tools allow them to connect with the person behind the work and feel the magic behind the earrings/painting/sculpture. One of the easiest and most powerful of the social media tools are blogs. Doesn’t everyone have one? If you don’t, you should start thinking about one. It’s a way of explaining your work, your inspiration, you. And they’re free. It is important to remember that they are a tool, not a magic formula, and you still have to market and sell your work. As much as the new media have changed the rules of the game some of the old school marketing tactics still apply; the first being, know your product, the second being know your customer.

Surveys are a great way of finding out more about your customer/audience and tailoring your message to meet their needs. A survey also creates the beginning on a dialogue. If you have a blog or a website are you publishing the sort of information your reader wants? For that matter, who is you reader? Who is your online customer? Why not ask them with a survey?

This week I’m here to ask you, what do you want to read in The Business Chat? Who are you? Do you craft for fun or profit? What do you want information on? How can I help you? This was also an excuse for me to create my first survey! Yippeee!!!! I used surveymonkey.com, a free survey tool that many of my online colleagues have recommended. And I have to say, it was easy-peasy. So please, take my survey so that I can deliver the right information to help you with your creative endeavours. Let's begin our conversation.

Click here to take survey

Inspiration Fridays

My original plan for last week was to make a metal clay ring with a concave flower, filled with resin, and a bunch of copper tendrils poking out through it. - Well, as usual - I didn't get the time for that, but I did make these cute little earrings. I think I'll enjoy this, even if no one else plays along!  It's the same idea as the ring a day projects, and even skull a day.  As much as I'm always inclined to join in on those types of things - I have a hard time finishing one project a week - let alone 7! 

So, here is my little pair of earrings - maybe with this next one, I can take on something a little more ambitious. :-)

And here is your inspiration for next week:

If you would like your work showcased - send your pics to info@beadfx.com - Subject: Inspiration Fridays.

Copper Clay Firing Schedule

Just a quick note today for those who have been following my firing problems with the base metal clays.

I have come up with a firing schedule that is now working consistently for MY kiln. Everyones kilns are different, and experimentation with what works for you may be necessary.  I've now fired about a dozen batches all successful! (in a row mind!)  I'm now due to replace the carbon, and hopefully that won't cause problems.

I have a paragon SC2 with the bead door. I'm using a large firing pan, with coconut carbon.

ramp full speed to 665 - hold for two hours. Ramp full speed to 1620, and hold for an additional 3.5 hours. Shut off, and let cool naturally. This is able to fire a variety of thicknesses without over, or underfiring!  If I went up to 1650, I was seeing blistering (sometimes), If I brought it down to 1550, I would occasionally have batches that wouldn't sinter.

I hope this helps! Try something similar in your kiln with a few test pieces, and see how it works out.

Metal Clay Playdays - and more on the sneak peek

Yesterday was another fun metal clay playday at beadfx. In my seemingly unending busyness - I forgot to tell my usual crew that we were having a play day, so Marija and I were both quite productive. I managed to make 84 little worry beads to get up on etsy, and bring some into the store. I've got about 30 of them firing right now.  

I do want to point out that anyone is welcome to join us on our playdays. You do not need to have a lot of experience. In fact, it's perfect for the beginner who does not have a lot of tools, and is just that little bit afraid to open their package of expensive clay.  In fact, opening it with a bunch of people who will help you out - is much more liberating! While our playdays are not classes per say, I am here to support, and help out in little ways!  It's the perfect opportunity to fire off those million and one questions you didn't have a chance to ask about in a class, or after reading an arsenal of metal clay books.

Our next metal clay playday is Tuesday July 27th - $10, and includes firing of silver/gold, or Art Clay Copper clays only.  Bronze/copper (other brands) clays can only be fired after speaking with me (you have read my posts on my firing problems right?)  - if not, go back and see if you still want me to fire them :-) I have zero experience with Prometheus Clay, but I have a decent amount of success with both Hadar's Clay, and Metal Clay Adventures clay.

Ohhh, and tonight - just wait for tonight. If you saw Dwyn's post on Saturday regarding the sneak peek with the insanely fabulous (huge) Swarovski stones.  That's NOTHING....I poked through two boxes of stones - each more fabulous than the next!   You need some of these - really. :-)