Angela Baduel-Crispin – Master Muse Challenge #25

Angela shares with us a quick synopsis of the steps she takes to create her Silver Metal Clay and Faux Bone Box. This is the third challenge for the group of 5 Masters. The first team has tackled Metal Clay Clasps, Torch Fired Enamels and Metal Clay and now Boxes with Metal Clay Components. This tutorial is a primer for Master’s Registry C2 Project.

As a bonus, in traditional ABC (Angela Baduel-Crispin) fashion, the lid to this box IS a pendant! She is so clever that her pieces have two functions as a beautiful box and wearable jewelry. What could be more spectacular!

We hope the tutorial will serve to inspire you to create! No matter if you just get out your sketch book and draw a similar project based on these challenges. It’s a place to start. It’s a way to start off your day in the right frame of mind with a creative exercise!

Angela says “When I was asked to make a mixed media box for this challenge, the choice of materials and shapes seemed obvious for me: Faux Bone™ and silver clay! Two of my favorite materials! And, since I feel things need meaning, this piece for me also brings together 3 of my favorite artists and friends: Robert Dancik (Faux Bone) Linda Kaye-Moses (LKM Doming Plates) and well, of course, Tonya Davidson, since it’s for the Master Muses! You guys rock! Thank you for the inspiration!”

If you are interested in the full step-by-step tutorial please stay tuned. It will be available at Whole Lotta Whimsy. They will be in a handy bench format too! This tutorial looks like it will be over 80 pictures with tons of detail in this #25 Tutorial!

In this tutorial you will learn:

• How to make a box out of Faux Bone
• How to form and drill Faux Bone
• How to construct a metal clay structure/box
• How to use the Makins Professional Ultimate Extruder to create feet and embellishment
• How to carve into clay
• How to pin stem set a pearl
• How polish and patina

Trace your cone shape onto the Faux Bone (using Angela’s detailed steps on how to measure and make the template in her full tutorial).
Cut out the shape using a Jeweler’s Saw with Skip Tooth Blades or Angela’s favorite, a grout removal tip.

Sand and file the outer edge. You’ll also need to grind down the overlap area to make the Faux Bone thinner (Angela shows each sanding and filing step in detail with all her handy rotary bits tips).

Heat the Faux Bone with the Heat Tool and form it around Linda Kaye Moses’s Cone Doming Plate. Be careful when heating Faux Bone as it is plastic. You may want to wear a respirator in case you overheat it. However, it can be done safely if you do not take the heat high enough. It takes very little heat to soften the material.

Sand and file all the edges and inside the cone as well.

Buff the surface with your rotary tool to polish the plastic.

Before going to the next step, make sure you clean your work surface completely from the Faux Bone shavings and particles with the Craft Vacuum.

Making the Support:

Roll out silver metal clay and wrap it around the LKM Cone Doming Plate to make the support band. Angela provides all the steps to figuring out how long of a piece of clay and how to make the seam in her full tutorial.

Using a #0 Clay Shaper mend the seam and perfect.

You will need to make a second ring to form the inner band of the fitted lid. This one is made smaller than the first. You can do this step after you have removed the first larger band to dry.

Then sand both rings flat after they have dried completely. You will want to sand the inside and out as they are both visable, plus the edges. Angela provides lots of helpful tips for this.

Using the Makins Ultimate Clay Stainless Steel Extruder, extrude 4 half round coils. Place these on a large doming form to dry.

Once mostly dry (forming a outer dry “skin”) remove them from the support to dry completely.

Dry with a heat source (heat tool or dehydrator) along with the large support ring from the LKM Cone Doming Plate.

You will need to mark the ends of the 4 legs and sand them flat. Make sure they all have the same length.

Roll out more metal clay and cut a triangle shape using Kemper’s Pattern Cutters.

Attach the triangle to the outer larger ring. Using the FB Cone as your support and forming shape.

Dry, sand and perfect.

Using the 1.5mm Dockyard Carving Gouge, carve out your design.

 

Divide the ring into 3 sections using Angela’s helpful tips (provided in the full tutorial where there is ample room) and attach the legs using the Clay Shaper and a pinch of clay.

Repeat for all 3 legs, dry, sand and perfect.

Fire in a stainless steel container in vermiculite at 1650°F for 2 hours.

Polish (great polishing tips and tools shown)!

Using your rotary tool drill out holes in the pattern. Clean off marker lines. Sand and polish the shape.

Making the Lid:

Roll out the clay and cut a circle just larger than the opening of the cone. Place on a large dome shape so the clay dries curved.

Dry and sand to perfect.

Roll out clay to make a 10mm wide tube. Sand and perfect.

Put the inner ring and the domed shape together. Using the Clay Shaper and extra clay, mend the seam so the two elements become one.

Sand and perfect.

Add the tube to the bottom of the domed lid (or concave side) using both water and then the Clay Shaper with some clay.

Using the Makins Extruder and LKM Cone Doming Plate, make the coil shape and add this to the top of the domed lid (convex side).

Using wire, attach it to the surface to provide the pin stem for the pearl.

Sand and perfect.

Fire at 1650°F for 2 hours.

Polish, patina and attach the pearl to the pin stem. You can use Epoxy 330 for this step.

Angela’s piece is curvaceous and elegant. I love the fact that it has holes/piercings and also a hole in the bottom of the cone. This would be perfect for a box that holds a scent. The lid is a fabulous pendant as well. I love the open coil and pearl. My knees get weak for for pearls!

We’d love to see you take the challenge and make this or a similar piece as well. Can’t wait to see your pieces. Send them and we’ll post pictures in a future Challenge Gallery. Challenge yourself!

Don’t forget to leave a comment. We are giving away a $49.99 Makins Ultimate Stainless Steel Extruder this month. How to win? Leave a comment on every blog (even older posts) or get two entries for tweeting, putting it on Facebook, the Metal Clay Yahoo Gallery forum, your blog etc. Just send us a copy of the link to support@wholelottawhimsy.com! Let your friends know how to make their Wednesday’s rock…. with of course, the Master Muse Tutorial launch!

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.

Check out Angela’s work at www.LAngeEstLa.com. You can purchase her work online!

Photo credit: final piece Angela Baduel-Crispin; step-by-step Angela Baduel-Crispin