Countdown to Bead Fest!

Today is Monday the 17th. I depart for Bead Fest in 3 days, and a few miscellaneous hours. Set up on Thursday - with a stint as airport shuttle. Then Friday we can let the wild rumpus start!  (Thank you Mr. Sendak for that one.) 

My glaze fort. Please note coffee aka elixir of life; and Netflix on iPad. Currently binge watching West Wing. 

In the last few weeks I have been spending most time in the Glaze cave aka basement studio, where I barricade myself in with jars of glaze and underglaze. And I paint, and I paint. My pieces are so detailed, and involve multiple layers of glaze. Base coat, shadows, highlights... as if I was painting in watercolors. Then a coat of clear glaze over the underglaze colors. I love that each piece is individual and unique...

I have new designs this year that I have added to my Mythic Nature line of ceramic pendants. All the favorites will be in attendance at Bead Fest, and there are new orcas - thanks to Lindsay, barn owls, sleeping foxes, and the Mermaid of Zennor. A Cornish folktale, her inspiration is carved in wood on a church pew. (St. Senara's Church in Zennor UK)

 I currently have a small kiln at home, and larger kilns to use at the studio where I teach. All my pendants are fired at home in my workhorse! (Olympic doll kiln). Its not large, but I love that I can fire it fast and frequently!

Approximately 50 pendants in a load, each suspended on a hook, from a bar of the bead tree... 

 Then there is the polymer. And the resin. Oh my! 

All the polymer is still in progress. Theres a lot to do in three days... 

So as of this writing - its pricing and sorting time!

Mythic Nature pendants fresh from my little kiln.

Look what has arrived! I will have a selection of treasures from Lesley Watt with me (and her) at Bead Fest!

Lesley's loot teaser pix! 

If you are in need - here is a discounted admission coupon! Stop by Artisan's Alley and say Hello! 

Hey, pssst Fill in my name as the "Referring vendor" ok? Thanks. 

Rebuilding a Kiln Controller: An Engineer's Story

A couple weeks ago my kiln failed right at the start of a firing.  We were getting an error message we didn't recognize.  It turns out that after 4 years of regular firing, the kiln controller needed to be replaced.  Fortunately, Colin (The Suburban Guy) is a systems engineer and his dad is an electrical engineer.  Rather than drain our account and buy a new controller, the two of them decided to build their own.

I'll let Colin take it from here...

Inside of my kiln's controller

See those white wires up at the top of the photo?  Those wires power the elements inside the kiln which generates the heat to fire Diana's work. The key to making the kiln work is to measure the temperature inside the kiln and then turn the elements on and off controlling how fast and to what temperature the kiln reaches. We fire to Cone 6 or around 1250 degrees Celsius. The work my dad and I needed to do was to replace the green board in the middle which is where the brain lives.

Testing the new controller-in-progress

The first step in the process is to make a prototype and make sure each part of the controller was doing what it's supposed to. What you are looking at here (besides a mess on the kitchen table!) is our prototype. What it does is measure the temperature of the room and then turn on and off a very high powered switch (the black box at the top left of the picture). There are a few safety parts in the way as the kiln is a VERY high powered device and I wanted to make sure we were safe (Diana runs with scissors).

Testing the controller with a lightbulb

This step was the fun part (to an engineer). To make sure the computer program I wrote worked right, the temperature probe (the part below the light bulb) was stuck by a heat source and then the new controller was given a temperature to control the probe. For our test I tried to have the controller hold the probe at 50 degrees Celsius. The result was a success and a lot of blinking on and off (the bulb not my eyes)!

Testing the new controller on the kiln

Here we have the setup outside and attached to the kiln. The original controller's box is on the floor in the back and our controller lives on the wood in the middle. This setup was a bit delicate as there is a lot of electricity which goes through the elements when the relay turns them on. My dad and I attached the computer to the controller so that we could watch the temperature go up with the program I wrote to make sure it did what was expected. The kiln was loaded with a few pieces to make sure things went right. I made a few adjustments after the first firing as it was a little too hot and heated a little long, but it was a huge success!

The brand spankin new controller

You are looking at the final package. All those crazy wires and bits and pieces wrapped up into a nice little package. The only addition to this is an SD card (the same thing that's in a digital camera) so that the program can record what it does giving us a record of each firing. It is important to know what the kiln does each time so that each batch can be compared when things go well (or not so much at times!).  I'll be installing the new controller into the old controller's box later in the week.

There it is in a nutshell. A little engineering experience and some really cool electronics and the controller for the kiln was duplicated in a weekend and a couple of glasses of wine (it's what fuels the Suburban Guy)! 

Diana P: There it is!  I have no idea how to do this stuff so I married an engineer.  Ok, that's not the ONLY reason I married him.  Thanks to Colin and my father-in-law for getting me back in business!

Happy Beading!

Diana P. & Colin "The Suburban Guy" Mellars

Suburban Girl Studio LLC

Experimental Saturday - Enameling on Copper Metal Clay

If you know my work or read my posts, you know I love metal...especially copper...and enameling!  You also know I like to try new things.  A few months ago, after really, really, really wanting to give metal clay a go, I played a bit and then dove in head first and bought a kiln. At the time, I wanted to add an enameling collar to the kiln so that I could expand my repertoire even more with cloissonne and other kiln-enameling techniques, but it just wasn't in my budget then.

Fast forward...my birthday is in a couple weeks (Happy Birthday to me!!) and hubby asked me what I wanted...can you guess what I answered?  Exactly - that enameling collar!  Sadly, I don't have it yet...should be here by my birthday though and just be warned that I will be inundating you with more progress because I have been researching a lot of different enameling techniques.

But you know I am impatient, right?  I want to enamel metal clay now!  My only option right now is my beloved immersion method torch-firing, a la the lovely and talented Barbara Lewis.  Maybe that would be do-able.  I queried over on the Facebook Inspired Enameling group and got some advice.  Barbara shared that she had tried it on a finished bronze clay piece that a student brought to class and was unsuccessful. Hmm...I decided to see for myself!

Here are a few of my 1st copper clay babies...one must sacrifice for the greater good, right?

I won't bore you with the details.  Here are the after photos...

It started doing this as soon as I took it out of the flame.  The smaller one I tried a 2nd time with the same results.

This sad one lasted a  little bit longer :(

Just look at those gorgeous color combos...in flakes on the paper!  I do have to admit that they are still sort of cool...perhaps salvageable!

So, in hindsight, I think one of the biggest factors in why this was an epic fail was that metal clay is more porous than actual metal sheet.  I also fired these pieces in the most straight-ahead program included in the clay's instruction packet.  I now know that there is a special firing program for enameling pieces in the kiln, so it would follow that maybe that would also apply to torch-firing them...maybe!

As for kiln enameling on metal clay...there are artists out there making gorgeous art.  I thought I would share a few with you...

Robbin Bowler is an artist/designer who creates sweet birds and other whimsical jewelry designs from CopperClay that has been enameled in a kiln.  Love these!

Pam East is a prolific artist who has written several books and tutorials  on enameling metal clay.

Gorgeous copper clay and enamel pendant.

Hadar Jacobson is well known in the metal clay world, not only as an artist, designer, and author, but the inventor of  Hadar's Clay.

Last on today's list, but definitely one of my favorites and one of the artists whose work really inspired me to want to work in metal clay, is Wanaree Tanner.  She breaks down creating this gorgeous piece, as well as many others, step-by-step on her blog.

Obviously not copper, but, HELLO? Gorgeous!

So, get ready for more metal clay and enamel from me...not going to let my little failures get me down! Now, off to bed with me since I will be getting out bright and early to drive over to BeadFest to do some shopping and visit with some of my team members here and other online friends...maybe you?!

Melissa Meman

Melismatic Art Jewelry

Art. Life. Love.

Bead Fest Stress....Errrrr Prep

Prepping for Bead Fest is stressful.  There are so many things that have to get done before the show;  make a ridiculous amount of inventory, new displays, pricing, sorting, jewelry samples...

Speaking of jewelry samples, remember this rainbow Byzantine weave chain from a few weeks ago?

Well it currently looks like this...

I finished the chain, added the clasp and got the pendant attached.  Then I created more mini links coming off the necklace.  There are supposed to be porcelain charms hanging from them.  Unfortunately, a few weeks ago I was firing a large batch and the kiln shut down during the firing.  Big ERROR message on my screen.  Ahhhhhhhhh!!!

It turns out that after 4 years of solid use, the kiln needed some parts replaced.  The Suburban Guy (Colin) ordered them up and then realized he needed a few other things.  The parts came in a few days ago and Colin made all the repairs.  We did a test firing and it ran a little hot (brand spankin' new parts will do that) so we adjusted the firing.

Yesterday I took that half-fired batch back over and loaded it back in the kiln.  Here's the bottom getting filled up...

And here is the top shelf...

I have never re-fired pieces before but my fellow ceramic artist friends were encouraging.  I'm heading back over to the kiln this morning to see how it all turned out.  I will update this post this evening with the results...good or bad!

*Update*  I do believe the kiln is working again.  Wouldn't you agree?   

Happy Beading!

Diana P.

Suburban Girl Studio LLC

Freeform Friday: ovals, rings, links... Oh my!

So there has definitely been a theme here on the blog...  Many of us hear the clock ticking down to Beadfest. I know, its months away... but clay takes time! I was back in the studio yesterday after a hiatus that involved shows, travel, and a bit of vacation... I have two weeks until I start teaching summer classes and then the days REALLY fly by. I need to make them count.

Today - white stoneware. 

Stamped and textured. 

circles cut... 

Centers cut... 

Diverse piercings. You never know what the shape and configuration might inspire... 

I decided to save the center piercings and make tiny charms. Perfect for earrings.
I may loathe glazing them, but for now it seemed like a great idea. 

 So I made a huge pile of pieces: approximately 200 because I counted over 100 little tiny charms! Seems fast? Sure - but there is SO much to do to each piece before we get close to "finished". 

Sponge, sand. Dry. Bisque fire. Glaze and stain. Glaze fire... Its going to be weeks until all the stages in the process are complete! ( For more information on the kiln and ^10 reduction firing - see this previous post. ) 

When I first made these large ovals and links, it was on a whim, test them out and see how they were received. I did some in high fired stoneware ( ^10) - very earthy, rustic. I did others in my low fired earthenware with a diverse, more colorful palette. 

Stoneware on left. Earthenware on right. 

This is what I imagined their future to be when I created them: 

Hi fire stoneware oval pendant by Staci Louise Originals. 

Low fire earthenware pendant. Also by Staci Louise Originals.  Smaller charm by Barbara Bechtel/Second Surf. 

 This happened at the Bead Soup Blog Party this year. I am blown away! It shows how versatile these links can be - more so than I imagined! (Thanks to Sally Russick for sending this link in her soup! )

Hi fire Stoneware as toggle, created by Rose Rushbrooke

Hi fire Stoneware as toggle, created by Rose Rushbrooke

I am still excited to see my components used in such fabulous pieces. I suppose that never gets old! I admire the creative use of the oval as a link, and the presence of the negative space as a design element. It helps me see things with fresh eyes! 

This year will be my third Beadfest exhibiting and my first teaching. While I don't want to wish the summer away - I need time! I have things to do! - I am super excited... 

Hope you have a creative weekend!
Until next time... 

Jenny

www.jdaviesreazor.com

A New Toy and Adventure!

Remember a couple of weeks ago, I experimented with some PMC3?  I shared with you that working with metal clay had been a big "want to do" on my art bucket list!  I had fun playing and really liked the outcome, but I will be honest with you,  the price of the silver clay and the limitations were a huge drawback.  I didn't want to admit it at the time, but after looking at the 2 little pairs of charms, plus the very small amount of raw clay I had left out of a 16g package, I realized that if I was going to go further with this dream, I had to rethink some things.

After a lot of research, discussions with my sweet hubby, advice from my awesome, talented, knowledgeable, patient and giving teammates here at AJE, I decided to purchase a kiln!  Yes! Jumping up and down, clapping hands!

Here she is!  A Paragon Caldera...perfect for metal clay, ceramics, glass fusing, and more!

The consensus in the group was that this kiln would be the versatile tool for someone like me who is still testing the waters.  While I think it will predominantly be for metal clay, I would be able to dabble in ceramics or glass.  I will probably eventually purchase the enameling collar which will enable me to play with cloisonne, and other kiln-fired enameling!

I jumped right in and bought some 3 types of metal clay...Copper, White Copper and Bronze.  I found out later that I should have probably opted for FastFire Bronze, but that will have to be another day!  After reading all the firing instructions, I decided that the copper was the most straightforward so chose to work with that first.  I'm glad I played with the PMC3 before...this was similar, but not quite as finicky, and since I was able to afford much more of it, I wasn't so scared to mess up.

I was happy to see that a lot of the tools and texturing materials I had been collecting for my polymer clay worked perfectly with the metal clay as well! I have a running list of things that I know I will be going back and getting.

My 1st batch...they haven't dried yet.

So, I get some pieces made, drying, getting ready for cleanup and think I am ready for my 1st firing! Excitedly, I post to my team and they are all.."whoa, hold your horses, have you done a test run?"  I found out that I needed to run the kiln empty to make sure it worked.  Okay, I can still get these done, just a lot later!

After a successful test, and cleanup of my dried pieces, I loaded my new kiln for the first time.  By this time it was late, so I set my alarm to get up and check on it several times!  This morning, I opened it and found my treasure!  It was a bit sad to see my shiny new firing pan was now black and ugly, but I knew that was going to happen.  I found a slotted spoon and started sifting for the buried treasure!

Another thing I knew would happen, but maybe not quite so much was how much shrinkage happened.  The little squares and circles came out really tiny!  I need to remember to compensate for that more in the future!

My pieces right out of the charcoal, before cleanup!

Here they are, cleaned up with a brass brush.

Aren't they pretty?!  Next step is to patina and make them into something!  All in all, for a first try, I think this was a success!  I think one of the hard things will be to work at finding my own style with this..I mean, there are such talented metal clay artists out there...some of the best right here at AJE...Kristi, Karen, and Lesley! Thanks to them for the inspiration and sharing of knowledge!

Stay tuned!

Melissa Meman
Melismatic Art Jewelry
Art. Life. Love.

Freeform Friday - ready, glaze, fire!

Ready, glaze, fire! 

A photo essay of sorts this week... regarding my process of glazing pendants for a ^10 reduction* firing. I love ceramic clay, "real" clay as it is so elemental. Made of earth and water, it is tempered air and fire. There are many clays on the market, to be sure... but there is a magic, an alchemy in true ceramic clay and the transformations it goes through during the firing....

I work in two clays - stoneware and earthenware. The earthenware is a lower temperature clay, low fire glazes, brighter colors... another days topic, I promise. But make no mistake - still a fired ceramic clay -  fired to 1850 deg F, mind you!

At the ceramics studio where I work/teach we use stoneware; and we fire  "High fire" to ^10  - a toasty  2381 degrees F (1305 C)! The studio has a palette of glazes that we mix in house. They are made in 5 gallon buckets and are the correct consistency for dipping functional ware. I have the glazes I use most often in containers for brushing; I like them to be a bit thicker.  For my pendants - I glaze the top, and then wipe off the surface, leaving glaze in the designs. I showed the process below on a figurative sculpture:

1. Containers of glaze, and coffee! 2. Glaze brushed into designs. 3. Sponged off, leaving glaze in designs only. 4. Goddess figures ready for stain.

1. Pendants, bisques and ready. 2. Top surface glazed. 3. Edges and backs cleaned with a sponge. 4. Backs stained, holes cleaned of glaze.

 Since this is a communal kiln, loaded by the instructors - it needs to be streamlined, no fiddley stuff. There's no way to hang or stilt my pendants, so they are free of glaze on the back surface. In a group ceramics studio - the kiln is filled and fired as needed - when there is enough work ready to go. During a session in our studio, this is usually once a week. To be clear - firing the kiln TAKES a week! Not the firing itself...
Monday - load the kiln - 3 people, with breaks in the cold - app. 3 hrs. 
Tuesday - Fire the kiln. Varies due to ambient temps - app. 8-9 hours. 
Wednesday - the kiln cools. all day. 
Thursday - unload the kiln.
(Friday - no class) 

Pendants arranged on a piece of shelf for ease of kiln loading. 

Pendants visible midway up stack of shelves, on right side.

Can you still see the pendants? The kiln is almost half loaded here...
I believe the firing chamber is 5' tall at the center.

There is an air of excitement and mystery for every kiln unloading. The reduction process* creates a unique atmosphere in the kiln and results can vary every time.  Glaze application varies - thicker, thinner. So it is always exciting to see this:

After the door is removed, unblock the opening... 

Looks good! 

That carved tree? Its on the side of my shrine... and the pendants are at the bottom right corner of this picture. 

Success! Kiln harvest of the week.

I have probably written on this topic before - but I confess... its very exciting to have things in the kiln! I haven't had anything in the high fire glaze kiln since... November last year? These are new designs for pendants and components, stamps I carved from linoleum during the Polar Vortex days of January. And Berks Bead Bazaar is right around the corner.... So thank you for sharing in this week's journey! 

Jenny

www.jdaviesreazor.com

* Reduction - Reduction (adjective) refers to a kiln atmosphere which does not have enough oxygen in it to completely consume the fuel as it burns. Due to this deficiency, the flame pulls oxygen molecules out of the clay bodies and glazes, changing their character. Reduction can be also be used to describe clay bodies and glazes that are especially developed for reducing atmospheres. Reduction (noun) refers to the state of being oxygen-starved. It can also be used to replace the full term, "reduction atmosphere".

For more information: 

( These are simple overviews, not in depth treatises... ) 

The firing process - bisque and glaze

Oxidation and reduction 

Building a Raku Kiln: Part 1

 Yesterday was the perfect day to start building the new raku kiln.  A few months ago we had a little "incident" and the other raku kiln was destroyed.  Anyway, this gave Colin the opportunity to get creative and build a brand new one!

 The first thing Colin did was assemble a cart.  He wanted a more permanent kiln but it was going to be HEAVY so he needed a way to make it mobile.  He found a gardening cart with a 400 lbs capacity.

Once the cart was finished he started laying out the fire bricks around the tallest of my bead racks.  We needed to make certain it would fit.  He then disassembled the bricks and started laying out the bottom.  High-fire cement was used to keep all the fire bricks together.

This is about how far we (when I say "we" I mean Colin.  I just sat around eating watermelon and "supervising".) got yesterday.  He's going to add another layer of bricks inside for added insulation and he has to build the lid.

I'm hoping to get 2-3 raku firings in between now and August so that I can have some of this at Bead Fest...

I'll share more photos as this kiln gets finished up!

Diana P.
Suburban Girl Studio LLC