Angela Baduel-Crispin – Master Muse Challenge #4

Angela shares with us a brief synopsis of the steps she takes to create her beautiful clasp. If you are interested in the full step-by-step tutorial please stay tuned. It will be available in March at Whole Lotta Whimsy. They will be in a handy bench format too! This tutorial looks like it will be over 60 pictures with tons of detail! Her tutorial #4 teaches you the following techniques:

• How to engineer a key and slot sliding mechanism
• How to set a stone
• How to embed connectors
• How to finish

Make a template for the main piece of this clasp out of index card. This piece has a slight curve. When designing your template, remember to take into account that it will shrink. Place the template delicately on the clay and cut around the shape with a scraper, NuFlex Blade or craft knife.

To define the size of both your passage hole and of your stone setting, check the size of your stone against a Round Kemper Pattern Cutter. Using a craft knife, cut a zigzag line from the circle to the other end. This creates the slot.

Allow clay to dry. Align both pieces back to back, texture outwards, and sand all the way around, making sure not to let them move out of alignment.

To make the rod for the slide button clasp base, make the rod larger than the diameter of your stone in order to give the “bezel bottom” a solid base. Using the Makins Professional Stainless Steel Extruder with a round insert, extrude a rod of clay at least 8mm long. Once dry file down both ends of the rod, making sure they are flat and even. Make sure the rod fits into the end hole.

Measure the height of the stone for the bezel setting. Place the stone face down between your slats or playing cards. Place a plastic Coil Roller against the slats and over the stone.

Roll out clay. Using the Round Kemper Cutter, cut a hole into the clay for the clay bezel button. Remove the excess clay and allow to dry.

Check to make sure the stone fits nicely into the clay bezel. Join both pieces of the button (rod and bezel), pressing firmly.

Before firing, check how the piece hangs. Be careful because it’s still delicate at this stage. This allows corrections to be made before firing. Fire the pendant on a Hard Fiber Kiln Shelf for 2 hours at 900°C or 1650°F.

Angela’s pieces are always a technical delight as she stretches her skills with each design trying to make them engineering feats! As with each Master Muse, she will expand your technical approach to a piece to an all new level.

We’d love to see you take the challenge as well to make an incredible clasp. Can’t wait to see your pieces. Send them and we’ll post pictures in a future Challenge Gallery. No toggle or c-clasps. Challenge yourself!

Remember for leaving a comment on any of the blog postings, you’ll be entered to win a give-away. The drawing will be held soon. We’d love to hear from you!

Angela Baduel-Crispin is a jewelry designer and maker living in the Northwestern coast of France where she teaches metal clay and makes her line of handmade, one-of-a-kind jewelry under the name “L’Ange Est Là”. Angela is passionate about her work and about sharing her knowledge. To this effect, Angela teaches metal clay under her own program, is the president of the Guilde PMC Francophone, is Instructor’s Teacher for Art Clay, France, and is a contributor to Metal Clay Artist Magazine. Angela’s work has been published in a number of respected books and magazines in the field within the United States and Europe. She is currently one of the 5 finalists in the Saul Bell 2010 Design Award, metal clay category. www.LAngeEstLa.com

Check out Angela’s work at www.LAngeEstLa.com. You can purchase her work online. She will be teaching an Art Clay Certification Level One class in Paris, France from the 24th thru the 27th of February 2010. Contact her for more details.

Photo credit: Angela Baduel-Crispin; step-by-step photos: Angela Baduel-Crispin