Lisa Horton Jewelry Metalsmithing Class with Metal Clay at FireFusion Studio

Date and Time for this Past Event

• Sunday, Jun 18, 2023  1pm - 4:30pm

Location

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Details

Embellished Leather Bracelet Class with Lisa Horton

Sunday, June 18
​3.5 hour group class - 1:00pm - 4:30pm
$120 per person
​All tools and materials supplied.

Want to learn a little bit about leather and a little about metal clay? How about some riveting thrown in? In this class, we will make silver embellishments from metal clay that will be riveted onto a leather bracelet. We’ll fire the pieces in a kiln, then polish and add patina. You’ll leave with ready to wear bracelet, sized to fit you. The finished bracelet will have copper jump rings and a clasp attached. This is a great introduction to metal clay, metal-smithing and leather work.

There are many suitable jewelry techniques for making silver embellishments but the advantage of using the “metal clay” method is how well it accepts textures. We will discuss how shrinkage during the firing process affects the pieces and how to cope with that. We will learn how to punch holes in leather and how to properly close jump rings. We will learn how to trim a rivet and how to tap it into place to hold the stacked embellishments on the bracelet. We will also talk about kiln firing versus torch firing and the advantages of each. There will be a demonstration of how to make your own clasp, and if there is time, you may make one to take home. I will also demonstrate torch firing clay if there is interest.

“Metal clay” is a process, not a material, in the sense that it isn’t “clay” at all. Finely powdered silver is mixed with a material that makes it easy to sculpt, just like clay. Once fired, the binding material is burned away and solid silver remains behind.