I've been so absolutely focused on seed bead weaving for the last few years, that I've set aside all of my metal tools.
Last year, Bead and Glass Boutique hosted a demonstration for our local bead society using the Vintaj Big Kick machine. We embossed lots of metal blanks, used hole punching pliers to punch holes in the blanks, and connectd them together, adding beads & embellishments. It was a blast!!
This month, Jessica, our resident metal smith, is teaching the session at the Boutique!!
Since my interest in metals is being rekindled, I've picked up a few books to review.
"Mixed Metal Jewelry Workshop" by Mary Hettmansperger
Combining sheet, clay, mesh, wire and more
Published by Lark Books
This book is a really great resource for those interested in the various types of metal clay. While she does cover basic sheet metal techniques such as forming, annealing, patinas, and soldering, there is a strong focus on metal clay techniques, tips, and tricks!!
Mary goes into quite a bit of detail in her Equipment and Tools chapter, sixteen pages to be exact. It's the most comprehensive detail on tools I've seen from most metal focused books for jewelry. Bear in mind, however my point of reference is of a beader, so I'm sure there are others out there that I haven't been exposed to.
I think this is a fabulous resource for anyone seeking to get started with metal clay.
She details silver clay, bronze clay, and copper clay.
The projects are just fabulous, and if I ever try my hand at metal clay, I would want to make an attempt at the "Perforation Pendant" on page 84.
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