Christmas day pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie, made with fresh Long Island Cheese pumpkin.  Topped with candied, bourbon walnuts.

We had a big snow storm, so couldn't get to a grocer to buy regular pie crust....so this pie got a graham cracker crust. 

Bronze success!

My first batch of bronze pieces. 

bronze green ware

My bronze clay mixture...in the green stage.

Been experimenting with compounding my own formula for metal clays.  

Crossing my fingers these come out .

Firing up the kiln tonight.....stay tuned.

Snow surprise

View from my window

Exquisite bead work

Can I ever have too many bags?????...no, absolutely not. This little bag is in mint condition. cannot imagine the patience it took to had sew on eery single seed bead. I won it last year at the auction benefit for "Meals on Wheels" in Asheville.

METAL CLAY SAFETY

Kate McKinnon's guidelines for metal clay safety.

STEWARDS:: Asheville, NC: Calvin Robinson, beekeeper

STEWARDS:: Asheville, NC: Calvin Robinson, beekeeper

Yay! Time to play with the copper pieces.

Now comes the fun part...designing!

Love the iridescent patina on the earrings.
Necklace is a copper pendant made with bamboo design I carved, coral, tourquoise, vintage trade beads.

Well maybe not.

Bamboo pendant


4 flower pots @ 1778 for 2 hours




Last night's firing was a disaster! Trying it again tonight, in small pots. Crossing my fingers.

Ok, I think I've got it.

At least with thinner pieces. Thicker ones are still coming out black and not sintered, and cracking apart when moved. But the graphics do show my success with thinner metal. Copper is new to the metal clay world, and we are experimenting here. Fine silver clay is soooo much more predictable. But since I'm at the beginning of my learning curve, I'd rather fool around with the relatively cheap new copper to get the techniques down. I do love the warm coloring and love the iridescence I can get when I patina the finished pieces. Like looking at, or wearing a warm rainbow.

Opps, burnt crispy

These were fired @ 1790....for 2 hours. Needless to say not the right firing temps. Some pieces disintegrated...and I found the chips.

Am now firing a new batch...full ramp to 1000 and will hold for an hour. Let cool then full ramp again to around 1500 & hold for two hours. Crossing my fingers...will post results.

Safety with precious metal clays

Aw hell!
Good thing I'm new at this, and haven't been working with it for years! Just stumbled upon Kate McKinnon's info on safe handeling of metal clays. Nothing in my first instructional class (or books) touched upon the potential "issues." That is simply irresponsible.