Life is more than just knitting - just about!!

Although I run a yarn business, spend much of my life thinking about yarn or knitting with it, I do love lots of other creative arts - sewing, and quilt making being up there as quite fab!!  Also, whenever I get the chance I'm always up to try something new - bit of a crafty tart really..so in that vein, I will be starting a Stained Glass course in September and today I went on a one day workshop about silver PMC - Precious Metal Clay.

What an absolute revelation and the most fun I have had in one day since...well..since forever it seems and was run by Janet Richardson, an experienced Silversmith.

At the beginning of the day Janet explained that we would have the opportunity to produce three pieces of jewellery out of a small packet of Silver Clay – something none of us could actually believe we would achieve!  The three examples she gave us were a small pair of earrings, a pendant and a charm but we could also choose to make one large item or whatever we liked.

First of all we practised on plasticine before using the clay itself, as it is quite expensive and none of us was keen to make mistakes!  We then rolled out the clay before adding texture to it with items such as stampers, lace, leaves and buttons.  We then created a shape by using a cutter, for example, a leaf or flower shape or something more freeform.  The clay pieces were then left to dry while we enjoyed a delicious lunch.

After lunch, Janet showed us all how to fire the pieces using a blow torch- a process know as sintering, as well as how to solder on fixings before all our pieces were put into the polisher.  When the pieces were added to the polisher, they still looked like clay, but what a transformation took place in the fifteen minutes they were tumbled in the polishing machine.  They all came out as highly polished pieces of pure silver which we were totally thrilled with!  We were all so inspired that we have asked Diz if she can organise another workshop where we could perhaps make a ring.  Examples of Janet’s work can be seen on her website at http://www.janetrichardson.co.uk/

Three of the pendants I made out of a ball of clay-don't do earrings!!