Kelly Russell – Master Muses #7

Kelly shares with us a brief synopsis of the steps she takes to create her Steampunk Stenciled Bead. Kelly adds that “she wanted the bead to look like it had been around for the same 50 years, as she nearly has, and had a bit of grunge.”

If you are interested in the full step-by-step tutorial please stay tuned. It will be available in April at Whole Lotta Whimsy. They will be in a handy bench format too! This tutorial looks like it will be over 35 pictures with tons of detail! Kelly will teach you, in tutorial #7, these fantastic techniques:

• How to design a composed piece with layers
• Texturing with thick slip and a palette knife
• How to account for shrinkage from a drawing to include cold connected attachments
• How to pierce and saw out a stencil from your own drawing
• How to apply the Kelly Russell Spackling Technique to create texture
• Learn tricks to sizing sidewalls and posts to create perfect beads
• How to sand after firing, finish the surface and patina your beautiful piece

First think about the shape you would like and draw out a paper template. Laying out your watch parts and cut out the template.

Roll out PMC+ to 3 cards thick. Make sure the sheet is larger than the template. Set aside the clay to dry on the Clay Dryer.

Using 20 or 22 gauge brass, draw out your stencil pattern. For this design I did the number 5. Using a center punch and hammer, make a small divot into the areas that require a hole for sawing the brass image out. File and sand those edges to remove sharp edges. Lightly oil the stencil and set it aside.

Lay your paper templates onto the textured clay and draw around the edges. Taking a scalpel or craft knife and cut your pieces out of the metal clay sheet. Don’t forget to leave a little extra all the way around to break away later for the worn edge.

Using very thick slip or paste and the brass stencil, use a palette knife to spackle into the stencil openings. Once you are happy with the way it looks, it is time to remove the stencil from the surface of the clay.

 

Cut out the sidewalls and make the posts with an extruder which will space out the top and bottom of the beads.

Using water, wet the base piece and the base of the walls and attach them. Reinforce them with thick slip or paste.

Add the brass clock wheels and faceplate. Try to trap as many of the pieces with slip or paste. Fire the piece for 10 minutes at 1650F and brass brush to remove oxidation. Patina with liver of sulphur and paint.

Kelly’s bead stays true to her eclectic designs. Her clever design for trapping the watch parts in the bead is innovative. We hope it’s inspired you to try slab construction and mixed media too.

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!

We’d love to see you take this new challenge as well to try your hand at making a custom stencil and learn to cold-connect your found object. Time for a little steampunkery? Can’t wait to see your pieces. Send them and we’ll post pictures in a future Challenge Gallery.

Kelly Russell has been making art of all kinds since she was in grade school. Always working with beads, she’s become experienced with stained glass, woodturning, intaglio printing, watercolors, and color pencil drawings. In the early 90’s she took classes in polymer clay & beading, which led her to working with metal clay in 2004. She now combines all three of these mediums (and many new ones) when designing her jewelry. This year she’s learning new techniques to apply to her beads for a new look. Kelly has been married for 30 years to Ed and has two sons, Brandon, 25 and Morgan, 19. She lives in Baltimore, Md., where her studio is in her basement and she writes her blog from the living room upstairs. She has slowly taken over the majority of the house with beads here and there and papers and books everywhere else. Visit her website at www.BeadFuddled.blogspot.com.

Photo credit: final piece Drew Davidson; step-by-step Kelly Russell