The brooch s leaf and bud inserts are made of polymer clay. 5 x 3 8 in. (12.7 x 0.95cm). FCT-CRON0216_ART35

Transcription

1 FCT-CRON0216_ART35 The brooch s leaf and bud inserts are made of polymer clay. 5 x 3 8 in. (12.7 x 0.95cm).

2 intermediate polymer clay/metal STERLING SILVER AND POLYMER CLAY BROOCH Less is More Sophisticated Spare lines and contemporary materials rejuvenate a traditional brooch motif. by Grace Stokes Handsculpting polymer clay cabochons for this brooch instead of using traditional gemstones means that you ll have more freedom with your design. You can use this chameleon material to create focal points in any shape, size, and color scheme, so your piece may evoke tradition or put an urbane spin on a classic motif. You ll learn techniques for making a simple lace cane and applying Skinnerblend overlays. You ll also use traditional metalworking skills to make bezel cups, solder a stem, and attach pin-back findings Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. facetjewelry.com

3 materials Polymer clay 2 oz. (56g), translucent 2 oz. (56g), white 1 oz. (28g), dark color 1 oz. (28g), pearl or light color 1 oz. (28g), scrap clay Acrylic paint: metallic silver Pearl: flat bottom, 5mm diameter Fine-silver bezel wire: 3mm, 28-gauge (0.32mm), 12 in. (30.5cm) Sterling silver or Argentium sterling sheet: 24-gauge (0.5mm), 1 x 6 in. (25.5 x 152mm) Sterling silver or Argentium sterling wire: 8-gauge (3.3mm), half-round, dead-soft, 4 in. (10.2cm) Nickel or sterling silver pin-back findings: hinge, catch, and pin stem, 2¼ in. (57mm) Sawdust (optional) 1 tools & supplies Nonstick work surface Pasta machine* Craft knife Tissue blade Acrylic roller Paintbrush: 2/0, fine tip Oven* Dust mask Wet/dry sandpaper: 320 grit, 380 grit Flush cutters Soldering station: torch, solder (hard and medium), fire-resistant surface (soldering pad, firebrick, or charcoal block), pickle pot with pickle, flux, steel tweezers, copper tongs, anti-flux Hand files: #2-cut flat; #4-cut to #6-cut half-round or flat Cotton cloth Pliers: chainnose; flatnose or half-round forming Rawhide mallet (optional) Steel block (optional) Burnisher or bezel rocker Marker Dapping tool Finishing items (choose from): Buffing wheel, tripoli polishing compound Flex shaft, Scotch-Brite wheel Scrap lumber Drill, bit *Dedicated to nonfood use. a Part 1 Polymer clay cabochons The polymer clay cabochons in the featured brooch provide the scale that dictates the optimal line, balance, and proportion of the piece. Use the following techniques to make cabochons that appeal to your own size, shape, and color preferences. Make a wrapped cane. Separately condition 2 oz. (56g) of translucent polymer clay and 2 oz. (56g) of white polymer clay (see Basics). Roll the translucent clay into a cylinder 3 in. (76mm) long and ¾ in. (19mm) in diameter. Run the white clay through a pasta machine set to a thin setting. Wrap the white clay sheet around the translucent cylinder [1], allowing the edges of the sheet to overlap. Gently press the sheet where it overlaps. Unwrap only the overlapping b 2 portion of the sheet, and use a craft knife to cut off this excess portion. Roll the wrapped cylinder on your work surface to smooth the sheet s seam. Reduce the cane. Use your fingers to pinch the midpoint of the wrapped cane [2a], forming an hourglass shape. Pinch, pull, and roll the cane to reduce its diameter and to lengthen it to 14 in. (35.6cm). Use the craft knife or a tissue blade to trim the distorted ends of the cane, and then cut the cane into seven equal-length pieces [2b]. Use the seven cane pieces to build a larger cane, grouping the pieces so that six of them encircle the seventh [2c]. Gently roll this large cane on your work surface until the outer layer is smooth. Make a lace cane. Reduce [3a] and cut the cane into seven equal-length pieces. Use the seven cane pieces to build a large cane, grouping the pieces so that six of them encircle the seventh [3b]. Roll the cane to smooth its outer c 32

4 b a c layer. A cross section of the cane should reveal a lacy pattern [3c]. Place the cane in a refrigerator to chill. Make a Skinner blend. Separately condition 1 oz. (28g) of dark-colored polymer clay and 1 oz. (28g) of lightcolored polymer clay. I mixed green with black for the dark color and pearl with just a bit of yellow for the light color. Make a Skinner blend (see Basics) with your color mixes. For insight into my color sensibility, see A Personal Approach to Color. Make leaf forms. Condition approximately 1 oz. (28g) of scrap polymer clay. Form the clay into two leaf shapes that are approximately ¼ in. (6.5mm) high with flat bottoms [4]. The leaf forms in the featured brooch are 2¼ x 3 4 in. (57 x 19mm) and 1½ x ½ in. (38 x 13mm). Add the Skinner-blend overlay. Select the most interesting part of your Skinner blend, and mold it over one leaf form [5]. Use the craft knife to cut around the base of the leaf form to remove the excess overlay. Gently roll an acrylic roller over the overlay to remove any air pockets and to ensure that it is securely bonded to the form. Repeat to make the second leaf cabochon [6]. Make the bud form. When you re selecting a piece of scrap clay to make the bud form, keep in mind that it will be covered with the lace-cane overlay, which is rather translucent. Shape the scrap clay into a bud shape that is approximately ¼ in. (6.5mm) high with a flat bottom. Add the lace-cane overlay. Use the tissue blade to cut very thin slices from the lace cane. Place the slices over the bud form, avoiding the bottom of the form [7]. Trim excess cane if necessary. Use the acrylic roller to remove air pockets and secure the bond between the form and the cane slices. Add painted highlights. Use a 2/0 fine-tip paintbrush to apply random dots of metallic silver acrylic paint to the bud cabochon [8]. Allow the paint to dry completely. Bake the cabochons. Bake the leaf and bud cabochons in a preheated oven according to the manufacturer s instructions. Allow the cabochons to cool completely. Refine the cabochons. Put on a dust mask and refine each cabochon by sanding any uneven edges with 320-grit wet/dry sandpaper. To level the bottom surface of a cabochon, use a figure 8 motion to sand it against 320-grit wet/dry sandpaper placed on a flat surface. To minimize dust particles, hold the cabochons in a pan of shallow water while you use the wet/dry sandpaper to refine them. 33

5 a personal approach to color My color palette tends to be quiet. I am uncomfortable with large blocks of primary colors and am rather drawn to a more muted, natural palette that often borders on the monochromatic. My tendency is to take a pure or primary color and gradually tone it down to a more natural-looking shade of the original color. 1 2 Bright colors and jewel tones do appear in my work, but sparingly. Color doesn t have to be bright to be rich. Plant forms, with their wonderful complementary colors, and the lovely, exotic color patterns in wildlife are neverending inspirations I repeatedly draw upon. Part 2 Sterling silver setting Make the bezel cups. Use 1 8-in. (3mm) bezel wire to make a bezel cup for each cabochon and for a pearl [1]. For detailed instructions on how to make bezel cups, see Basics. Use 24-gauge (0.5mm) sterling silver sheet for the back plates, and use medium solder to solder the bezels to the back plates. File the back plate flush with the bezel, using a #2-cut, flat hand file [2]. Cut and shape the stem. Cut a 4-in. (10.2cm) piece of 8-gauge (3.3mm) sterling silver half-round wire. Protect the wire with thin cotton cloth, and steady it against a flat surface while using flatnose pliers to make a subtle curve in the wire. Alternatively, use halfround forming pliers to curve the wire. Be careful not to twist or torque the wire. If the wire does not lie flat, anneal it (see Basics), and use a rawhide mallet and a steel block to flatten it. Position the bezel cups against the stem. Place the bezel cups against the stem, leaving enough space between the bezels to fit a burnisher or bezel rocker. Using a marker, draw marks on the stem to indicate the placement of the solder joins [3]. File or sand the stem at the points where the bezel cups will be soldered; there should be no gaps between the bezels and the stem at the soldering points. Solder the bezel cups to the stem. Flux the bezel cups and the stem. Solder the bezel cups to the stem, one at a time, using pallions of medium solder [4]. Be sure to quench, pickle, and rinse the assembly between each soldering operation. For more information on soldering, see Basics. 3 Position the pin-back findings. Determine where to place pin-back findings so that the brooch will be well balanced when it s worn. The catch should be placed with its opening facing downward to keep the brooch from falling off when it s worn. Measure the pin stem to ensure a proper fit. Use a marker to indicate the location for the catch and hinge [5]. Solder on the catch and hinge. I used nickel pin-back findings because nickel has a higher melting point than sterling silver does, and nickel does not get as soft as sterling when it s annealed during soldering. However, sterling silver pin-back findings are preferable for people who are allergic to nickel. Use a dapping tool to make two depressions in your soldering block to hold the catch and hinge. Brush anti-flux on the catch to prevent solder from flowing into the mechanism. Allow the anti-flux to dry 34

6 4 Process photos by Kevin Olds completely. Flux the catch and hinge, and insert them into the depressions in the soldering block so that the surfaces to be soldered are exposed [6]. Sweat easy solder onto the catch and hinge. Quench, pickle, and rinse the findings. Flux the brooch assembly and the findings. Position the catch and hinge on the corresponding marks on the back of the brooch assembly. Use a soft, bushy flame to heat the assembly until the solder flows [7]. Quench, pickle, and rinse the assembly. Finish. Use #4-cut to #6-cut half-round or flat hand files and 380-grit sandpaper to refine the edges and smooth the surface of the assembly. A buffing wheel and tripoli polishing compound will remove any remaining scratches. For a soft, matte finish, use a Scotch- Brite wheel in your flex shaft. Set the cabochons and pearl. Compensate for the protruding pin-back findings by making a jig to hold the brooch flat while you set the cabochons and pearl. Drill two shallow holes in a block of scrap lumber so that the holes correspond to the position of the catch and hinge. Place the catch and hinge in the holes, and set each component [8]. For information on how to bezel-set, see Basics. If your pearl doesn t have a level bottom, place a little sawdust in the bezel cup to cushion the pearl and prevent it from rocking in the setting. Attach the pin stem. If necessary, cut the pin stem to the proper length. Sand the end to a tapered point, and use chainnose pliers to secure the stem in the hinge [9]. Because the brooch is asymmetrically balanced, it looks good whether you wear it vertically or at a jaunty angle. 35