Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

My finished Pueblo Ring The second project we made in Hadar’s class on ‘Architectural Jewelry’ was a ring with 3 layers.   It has dimension in the front, an integral band in the back and the bottom is enclosed.   I made a mini pueblo with a tower, middle building and a wall.   The clay is Hadar’s Brilliant Bronze.   Each layer has a different texture which enhances the 3-D effect.   Using the paper ring to dry the separate pieces.  These are parts from different class member's rings. The band starts with a strip of paper taped in a circle that is 2.5 times larger than the actual ring size.   That adjusts for the shrinkage during firing.   I should have made mine a half size larger.   Now I have a pinkie ring that is a little heavy.   Someday when I make another, this may end up in my etsy store.   Right now, I’m just excited to have made it!   Each layer is made separately and dried before attaching to the main band.   The bottom is then attached and dried.   This

  Just needs a chain! Taking Hadar’s ‘Pictorial and Architectural Jewelry’ class was a 3 day adventure into using Hadar’s clay and her techniques.   The first piece we made was with Low Shrinkage Steel XT clay with a small amount of copper added.   She just discovered that the Steel XT low shrinkage clay does not need 2 phases of firing.   Her manual is updated. www.artinsilver    I’ll be using a lot more of that in the future.   It was easy to mix and work with and has a longer working time. Our first project was to be the interior of a room.   We were to start drawing a rectangle on tracing paper.   Then we were to draw a second rectangle that would be a window. We drew lines to the corners of pieces.   Now we had a ceiling, a floor, and two walls.   We transferred that to layers of clay.   Hadar’s direction for the perspective drawing was very simple and very effective.   She wanted us to use her perspective technique, use several textures and add some copper to the ste

Pre-Workshop Necklace Hadar's Clay - my pre-workshop necklace February means Tucson!   It’s the Gem Show and The Bead Show with warmer weather than Prescott!   This year I started with a 3 day intensive class with Hadar Jacobson.   Twelve artists met at Lyle Rayfield’s studio in the beautiful Tucson Mountains to learn how to make architectural style jewelry using Hadar’s clay.   Our Class! As a member of a Face Book group, I’ve been reading for quite a while of artist’s challenges occurring in the process of sintering (when clay becomes metal), firing, etc.   I was totally intimidated.   Intimidation is not a state I’m comfortable with but I continued to delay using the clay myself.   One day I received an email and phone call from my good friend, Lyle, who also certified me in Art Clay.   Lyle wanted to invite Hadar to teach ‘Pictorial and Architectural Jewelry’ and needed attendees.   I whined a little and said, “OK.   I guess it is time to tackle this.”   I sent

Off to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show!  Actually I'll be spending 3 days in an intensive workshop with Hadar Jacobson artinsilver.com  learning to use her clay and producing (I hope) some lovely pieces of jewelry.  I'll be sharing that experience when I return.  It is also an opportunity to see some friends, take care of having taxes done and seeing my old home town of Tucson.  I understand the downtown area is much improved!  And the temperature should be warmer than Prescott! Later!

 Copper Bell using Hadar's Clay  Last January I listed my goals for year 2012 as: I will have fun doing whatever I am doing. I will experiment with new techniques and share them. And I’m very pleased to say I accomplished them.   In fact, I think I will continue them for 2013! Having fun doing whatever I’m doing is pretty easy.   I’m at the age that “If it isn’t fun, why would I do it?   And if I have to do it anyway, I might as well make it fun.” Experimenting with new techniques turned out to be a mixed bag.   I experimented with polymer clay and became known as the “Button Baroness”.   (I laugh about that).   I have several mixed metal, silver metal clay and polymer pieces on consignment in two cities.   (Amazing myself).   New tools have made experimenting easier and fun.   The copper bell really tinkles!   And somewhere this year I signed up to take Hadar’s   artinsilver.com/ class in Tucson in February 2013 using her powdered clay and learning new