My Adventures in Precious Metal Clay

I researched for MONTHS before I bit the bullet to buy a kiln.  Type of kiln, size of kiln, manufacturer, and, my research also included due diligence of the website from where the kiln would be purchased.  Specifically - warranty, ease of communication with problems, etc.

Well, somewhere along the line, I did not read the teeny tiny print under "shipping".  All I saw was "we strive to ship all orders within 48 hours".  The teeny tiny print I missed (and it was truly a smaller font!) stated "small and medium size kilns are drop shipped from the manufacturer, thus extending the shipping time".

Hmpf.  The box I received last week was the kiln shelf, kiln furniture, and a few other accessories, along with a packing slip stating that the kiln will be here in another "12 - 15 days".

So, what is a middle aged woman ANTSY to get started in PMC to do when her kiln has not yet arrived??  Use a torch.

I started slow and tiny.  Granted, this silver clay is expensive.  But, I started with two itty bitty little charms.

I was so pleased with the texture on these charms!  So, I decided to go just a tad bigger.

The charms above have a bark-like texture - deep grooves that capture the colors of the patina. I added a squirt of ammonia to my liver of sulfur solution and used the hottest water that would come out of my tap.  I was excited by the deep pink to purple rainbow patina I was able to achieve - I kept it in the crevices of the bark.  Believe me - achieving a rainbow affect with liver of sulfur/ammonia is a hit or miss event.  For me, it's more miss! 

I have some more charms drying, prior to firing later this week.  I am being very careful to ensure they are not too thick as from what I have gleaned, the thinner the piece (when torch firing) the better - or sintering will not happen.  The entire process that a clay can be formed, dried, and fired to turn into silver just fascinates me beyond belief.

I will keep you updated on my successes and failures - there will be failures...GUARANTEED! :)

Thanks for stopping by today!

xo

Patti