NOTA DEL AUTOR[Hope this product help you as it have been helping me. I also want that all of you know that I'm not working for this company, I don't sale this product or have something to do with them. I am just one of you guys, that love to do jewelry.Read and find here the name of the product I am using to practice.]
PRACTICE METAL CLAY OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS ECONOMICALLY
Precious metal clay (PMC) or similar materials* are really expensive for when we are just learning the technique. When I discovered this product and the ease of doing any piece in silver, I definitely decided that this will be part of what I will learn, make and teach.
I searched everywhere for metal clay classes and someone told me to take the certificated course by Rio Grande since I wanted to teach, so I did. I don’t know if you guys know but they ask the person that is taking the course not to be new in this technique. Students have to be able to handle this product, know the PMC basics, its characteristics, etc., so I took the basic course in a place that is recognized here in my city, The Beaded Frog.
Carambas*, how surprised I was when I was doing my first piece with PMC. The fast drying of the material almost didn’t let me achieve everything I desired. I used everything they told me, the water spray, the little oil, the grease for the hands, everything!! I finished that course being able to dominate the PMC, and doing really nice things. I was full of dreams to do more and more, to practice more and more and try new things but the cost to practice was killing me and my pocket.
At the beginning I tried to do some new ideas I had, but they didn’t end up very good. Definitely the practice makes the master, but it is difficult to practice with a product that is so expensive.
It is good to have the possibility with the beads, having them in glass, wood, plastic and other materials that can be economic for our pockets. The same chance we have with the wire. We don’t have to practice with sterling silver or gold wire when we are trying for the first time to do a wrap or any of those pretty tutorials we have here. But how can we practice to make a PMC piece?
I searched everywhere for a product with some similar characteristic. I tried different clays and products from different companies, until my hands came across this Activ-Clay that gets dry with the air and also that I could return to be chapped again if I add water on it as we do with the metal clay. Oh! This product was exactly what I was needing.
I placed on the table the same tools that are used for the use of the metal Clay. Although the amount of activ-clay to practice that I bought was big, I only placed in a small hermetic bag the same amount of product that comes in each one of the packages of metal clay. This way I could control if what I wished to do I could obtain it with a real Metal clay package or more. It was wonderful to see as that clay almost fulfilled the properties of fast drying that I wished, the similarity with the granulated and the same way to obtain the fine finished ones. I could make leaves, pyramids, flowers, clasps, my pretty hot pen, and rough drafts of projects in an economic way.
As you already read, the clay I mentioned to Practice Metal Clay or Similar Products Economically is Activ-Clay. I know you can buy it in your craft store.Practice with this clay until you finish your desing the way you want.Here is some information I found in their web page:
Activ-Clay Air Dry Modeling Material for Active Hands. Dense, durable, responsive and air drying.Fine grain for finer detail; white or natural terra cotta color; carvable, paintable and light weight -but not TOO light.
Here I add the web page link:
http://www.activaproducts.com/products/sculpture/activclay.htm
You should know the Precious Metal Clay before, or a similar brand to be able to manage very easy this clay.Don’t forget that as soon as the air have contact with this product, it start to be getting dry and dry.You can shape the forms, make hollow forms too, dry them in a coffee cup warmer and sand it as you do with the PMC until it looks fine.You can also prepare the creamy solution to paste one part to another, adding a little part of this clay inside a small recipient, with a small amount of water and waiting until the clay becomes soft moving it with a tooth stick. Keep the recipient close.
NOTE: Don’t forget that this clay is just to practice and to make new forms and pieces until you find the one you really like.If you have any question or want to know any tip, please send me a message.If you liked the article please rate it. If you want to know more, just ask me here.
To see better the product you can see it here:
http://www.createforless.com/InterchangeData/images/2/2005/1117/20070516...
Franchezka Westwood(sorry for my english)
Similar materials: PMC-Precious Metal Clay-Silver Clay-Metal Clay-Arcilla de Plata-Art Clay Silver..
*Carambas: Latin nice expression :) In this article means "oh my gosh"
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