Guest Blogger Post-How to Get Started with PMC Clay

Today is a Guest Blogger day, and my guest blogger is Elaine Luther, business-owner, teacher, PMC clay expert, and jewelry artist.

Since I'm not the one doing the post today, I asked Elaine for her "mood" and "studio noise." Her post begins immediately following.

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Elaine's Mood Ring:  Red  

Elaine's Studio Noise: Dido (Life for Rent)

How to Get Started with Precious Metal Clay:

Many of my students (I’ve taught PMC since 1997) already do bead stringing – I call that “the gateway drug” to jewelry making. And they’d like to add a handmade component to their pieces. Using metal clay (I use Precious Metal Clay +) allows them to make their own earring components, pendants, focal beads.

Others come to a metal clay class for the same reasons that folks have been taking metalsmithing for ages – they just want to make jewelry.

I’ve taught metalsmithing since 1992 and I’d say over the years, the most common thing people say is they want to make a ring. I don’t know why that is. There seems to be this human need to adorn.

So why try metal clay?

If you’re already a proficient metalsmith you might say, why bother? Which is a fair response. But on the other hand, why not? Would you thumb your nose at learning to use the hydraulic press? Why not add to your tool box of methods and materials?

If you’re not already a proficient metalsmith, you may wish to take up metal clay because the learning curve for metal clay is much shorter than the one for metalsmithing.

In my opinion, the people who can best exploit metal clay are those who can do both metalsmithing and metal clay – they can take the best of both.

I prefer to see stones set using conventional metals and methods, as opposed to in metal clay. (though I admit there are some folks doing amazing work setting stones with metal clay.)

So if you’re interested in trying metal clay, where would you start? A class is always great (I have to say that, I’m a teacher!), but if you can’t get to one, there are some great DVDs out there, plus tons of free videos and tutorials on the web.

The thing about metal clay is you might expect it to be familiar, like other clay-like substances you’ve worked with in the past – but it’s not. It’s different, and you’ll probably save time and money in the long run if you take a class.

It’s those little tips you get from someone else’s long experience that make a class worth it.

Here are some links to help you get started in learning more on line. Some are by me, some are by others folks, and some are links lists I’ve put together.

Mschindel’s Squidoo Lens on Metal Clay

Mschindel’s Squidoo Lens on Weaving Metal Clay Sheet

Metal Clay Gallery yahoo list

My blog, All Things Metal Clay

My Squidoo Lens, Getting Started in Metal Clay and Beyond

My Squidoo Lens, Top Ten Tools for Metal Clay

My blog post: Free Tutorials and Videos

PMC Guild

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Image courtesy of Elaine Luther.

To see some of Elaine's work with PMC, take a look on her blog.

Comments

[Tamra]

Hi Sue!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I think Elaine might be best suited to answer your question. I used to work with PMC clay a few years ago and haven't since then, so I, personally, can't think of any improvements.

Maybe perhaps they could add some kind of additional moisture agent to keep it from drying out so quickly--but then, I never used to work with it without having a spray bottle and other such items around me. Then, I remember having a couple of packages that dried out over time--never figured out how that happened because there were no holes in it from what I could tell. It was a bear to get them re-hydrated--I mean *whole* lumps of clay. Tim McCreight has some instructions on how to re-hydrate, but the process just wasn't fun at all. At least for me.

I'll shoot Elaine a note and let her know to take a peek over here at your question.

Again, thanks for visiting! --Don't be a stranger.

[sue williams]

Thank you-really enjoyed your site. Inspired to keep looking for the treasures that make life special. Agree that settings using gemstones
set in PMC have a way to go-generally speaking. What do you think would
most improve PMC ?