I did manage to spend some time playing around in my studio yesterday. Because it had been such a long time since I had last spent any real time in the studio, I decided to do something fun and without pressure. So I made polymer clay poker chips.
I’m going to the Clay Carnival in Las Vegas next month and I needed to make a pile of poker chips to swap there. I got out my Stewart Gill paints and just played around. They’re definitely not high art, but they were fun to make. Plus I got a chance to use translucent Kato clay for the first time. Wonderful stuff. Very clear, easy to make extremely thin sheets and it bakes up with a shiny finish. The more I have worked with the new Kato clay, the more I love it.
I started the day with metals class at the Guilford Art Center. I had a grand time soldering some bezels together. It was so great using the studio’s acetylene torches. Having a decent torch makes the process go really quickly.
I use 24 guage sterling strip to form the walls of the bezels, bending the shape I want with chain nose pliers. Then I solder that closed. File the joint smooth and solder the form to a base sheet of sterling. Then using a jeweler’s saw I cut the shape out of the base sheet and file, file, file until everything is smooth. It still takes a fair amount of time to make them, but at least I wasn’t fighting with my tiny torch. Now I’ve got four empty shapes. Think of all the possibilities!
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oooo love the chips Libby! I am doing a buzz through to Vegas to meet Sylvie the day before CC. Would love to meet you too if possible! Keep making them pretties