Well,that went well.....not

Well, as you can see this what my experiement with Art clay paper type looks like. The two squares were before firing glued together, but this didnt work as i was able to split them with ease using a sharp blade. I also tried to coil a strip around a skewer to see how it went. The paper tears easily i found. But it did fire using a torch, but i was very careful. The biggest issue i see with this brand of paper type is strength, there isnt any!. I doubt this would change even if layered a few times. So i shall try to find out about PMC sheet type and whether it is thicker. On a brighter note, i did have some lump form so was able to make a start on the earrings for the 'IMPERFECT' collection. Although they do need a lot of clean up pre firing,and i need to decide on a way to secure an earwire to them, but i think i may well just craft a small 'block' to be pasted onto the back of each top square.

*Correction*

This is what i get for trying to post and having several conversations at the sametime hahaha.

The last paragraph should read 'ID style bracelet' not idea style.

Paper type

Another trip to hatton garden saw me buying some Art clay silver paper type. Not used paper type before but i've read as much as i can. After purchasing it i was a little shocked to find just how thin it is, 0.25mm YIKES. Am going to try using it to make earrings to match the 'IMPERFECT' squares pendant. With it being so thin i'm going to have to double it up as i've been told it shrinks more than the lump type. Of course all this hassle could prove fruitless as it's ment to be kiln fired. I have a feeling it's due to the nature of the product, with it being very much like paper direct flame could well simply burn it, so i may well try a gentle flame and not directly on it until the binder has burnt away. Hoping this works, whatever happens i'll post pictures of the results.
Am also hoping to use some of the paper type for a bracelet for me :D. Like an idea style bracelet with my initials. Not sure yet whether to design it with one 'plate' for the initials or 3 individual 'plates'. Most likely with be individual style as i dont want a standard rectangle and cant quite design anything i like for a single style.
So hopefully tomorrow i'll get at least one of these pieces sorted.

Imperfect-first piece

Ok so the picture isnt great..still, but it's much better than my first attempt. I tumbled the piece, but didnt quite get the surface finish i was hoping for. Was hoping it would be a little more smooth and burnished, but no matter it fits with my original idea of a brushed finish. This picture really doesnt do it justice. It turned out exactly as i wanted it too. Simple, smooth surface finish,but not mirror smooth like sterling would have, the brushing worked very well, except for the small spaces between squares, but this fits in well with the whole idea behind the mini collection of 'IMPERFECT'. To be honest the whole piece is brushed, it's just that the brushing on the overlap doesnt quite go in the same direction, but you have to look really hard to notice.
So, my first silver clay piece in ages, went exactly how i saw it.

Balancing act

No pictures this time. I have left the copper clay alone for now due to the firing issues. A shame as i really like working with it, it produced some really nice pieces i thought. Just the fact it is sold as 'torch fireable' yet the instructions from the manufacturer say nothing about this, whereas their silver clay variant the instruction sheet does. Well if i'm able to get hold of a kiln then i will go back to it.
So i got some silver clay the other week, which i have used before so know it fires well using my current torch/gashob options.
So i re-did the 'squares' piece, and this time it worked without falling apart or needing rivets haha. Having used it before i know paste making with scraps and filedust is pretty easy, i think this helped the piece work this time. Although i havent plier tested the piece i have tried to 'twist' it in my hands and it didnt budge, all good :D. I have put a brushed finish to the piece, but this is purely an initial finish and i'm going to tumble it tomorrow and then brush the foreground squares to give depth, thank you to F from making jewellery for that one, and all their lovely comments to the picture i posted there *better pic to follow*.

Unfortunately, me being me, once this piece proved a success my head went off into overdrive, as it usually does *hey i am an artist afterall haha*. I have since had various ideas to produce a mini collection based around the 'imperfect squares'. Most of these i can do without problem using either my torch, gashob or a combination of both. However my idea for a bangle/cuff is so far proving difficult. I am limited to what i can fire purely by the tools i have to hand. I have neither the space nor the wallet to get a kiln yet, so i really need to find a balancing act between wallet and head full of ideas hahahaha.