Ruth shares with us a quick synopsis of the steps she takes to create her Silver Metal Clay and Faux Bone Rings. This is the third challenge for the second group of 5 Masters. This team has tackled Steampunk, Ice Resin with Metal Clay and now Faux Bone Rings with Metal Clay Components.
As a bonus, Ruth has designed not only one ring but two! You’ll learn several different techniques in each ring project. What a treat! Her designs are in true Birdland Creation form…whimsical and delightful!
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!
Ruth says “At the time I was given this challenge, it was in prelude to hosting my cousin’s wedding in our garden. A month before the wedding, all the roses and flowers were at their peak and the garden looked wonderful. Only a month left before the event! We diligently dead-headed all the flowers, hoping to encourage new blooms. We constantly sent good vibes to all the flowers saying “Keep Flowering”! So for this challenge, it seemed only appropriate that I do a “flowering” ring!! And thus these two projects are entitled “Keep Flowering” and as you wear the rings, they are a bold reminder that you can keep flowering and growing too.”
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 70 pictures with tons of detail in this #26 Tutorial!
In this tutorial you will learn:
- How to saw, sand and shape Faux Bone
- How to color Faux Bone
- How to connect metal clay to Faux Bone
- How to inlay micro fasteners into Metal Clay
- How to inlay micro fasteners into Faux Bone
- How to use UV resin gel
- How polish and patina
Determine the size of the ring you would like to make. Sand the Faux Bone Ring Blank until you reach nearly the same size as desired. Don’t forget to wear a particulate mask anytime you are drilling or sanding Faux Bone or anything dusty for that matter. Also don’t forget to check both sides of the ring opening to insure they both are the same size during sanding.
Using wet/dry sandpaper, sand and perfect the inside of the ring.
Draw your design with a sharpie marker onto the Faux Bone.
Using Skip Tooth Blades, which are made for sawing plastic, saw out the Faux Bonefinal ring shape. (Ruth shows how to load the saw and lots of tips on sawing through plastic in the full tutorial)
Using files, sponge sanders, and wet/dry sandpaper, create a rounded and soft edge on the Faux Bone.
Make the Metal Clay Components:
Roll out a small piece of metal clay and using a craft knife or pattern cutters cut out the flower petal shape. You are going to make 3 large and 3 small flowers.
Before the clay has dried you will insert the connecting screws through the flower center and then reinforce it with clay using the #0 Clay Shaper
Sand and file to perfect.
Preparing the flowers to be planted:
Ruth recommends using sanding paper on slotted mandrels to get into all the nooks and crannies. This gives her a beautiful finish on her silver metal clay. She shows you how to use the slotted mandrels and how to select the drill bits for drilling the holes in the Faux Bone in the full tutorial.
Sand and polish flowers and drill out the holes in the Faux Bone.
Coloring the Flower Pot:
Using StazOn pigment ink pads or Adirondack inks, color the Faux Bone. Use a small applicator pad or small piece of felt for applying the color to the surface.
Planting the Flowers:
Heat up the Faux Bone using the Heat Tool. While it is still hot, screw in the flowers.
When finished be sure to spray the piece with Nikolas Spray. Let dry and apply a second coat to all sides. If the color changed during the heat process, just reapply as necessary prior to spraying.
Ruth says “Enjoy your flowerpot ring and keep flowering!”
Ruth’s second Faux Bone ring is also included in the full tutorial. It covers many more complicated cold connections and metal clay components.
The second ring has a cold connection that allows you to change out the parts. Here are some versions she made or different “toppers” or signets you can change out on the ring:
The colored Faux Bone is yummy! I love the fun nature of the rings. Jewelry should make you smile and bring you joy. Ruth’s work always fills that niche!
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 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!
Ruth Baillie started making metal clay jewelry in 2005. Her creations always begin from a positive emotion. She hopes the wearer will feel this energy, thus creating jewelry that adorns and also lifts your spirits. Certified in metal clay, she has also studied Silver Smithing at Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts and other art/jewelry schools. She has exhibited in several juried competitions, receiving awards for her silver clay creations. Her work has appeared in PMC Guild Annual, Sonoma Magazine and Art Jewelry Magazine. In addition, she has written step-by-step projects for LJAJM. She is a member of: Society of North American Goldsmith, PMC Guild and Art Clay Society. Ruth works from a home studio in Northern California, where she and her husband grow Merlot grapes. They share the vineyard with their parrot, Harold and many other birds. These birds are a great source of inspiration for Ruth’s Birdland Creations.
Check out Ruth’s work at Photo credit: final piece Drew Davidson; step-by-step Ruth Baillie
Charming rings, Ruth ! And very playful ! Love the orange flower pot! You got some great colors on there. Aren’t those Faux Bone ring blanks the best ?! I love them ! I wish I was taking part in this challenge !!! :o)
That flowerpot ring is just too cute! I’ll bet everybody will want one of their own.
Those rings are so cute!!! The wee little flower with the dab in the center is such a sweet touch.
I had not seen the ring blanks before – very helpful! I can’t wait to try this sometime!
Ruth, these are just wonderful! The Faux bone blanks are really cool. Glad to know they’re available now.