Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

  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

Taking a walk through a forest, on a mountain trail or through a meadow, always inspires me.   One of my favorite flowers on these walks is the thistle.   The details of that flower make me smile.   When I found this thistle stamp in a store, of course, I just had to have it.   I put it on my work table waiting for the right time to use it.   One day I decided to make the thistle in fine silver clay and put a wire staple on the back.   That staple would allow me to make a backing of polymer clay and attach it securely to the silver.   I also made a silver flat bail with a hole toward the bottom so I could put it between two layers of polymer.   Both the staple and the hole would force polymer clay into those openings locking the silver in place.   These are the 3 slabs of polymer for the Illuminance & Clarice beads The back of the medallion is made from the sunburst slab in the front of the picture. Combining metal clay with polymer clay fascinates me.   I love blen