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Learn How to Texture Your Precious Metal Clay for Jewelry Makers

One of the neatest things about precious metal clay (Pmc and ACS or Art Clay Silver) is you can add texture simply to your creations. Before Metal Clay came along, the only way you could texture metal as a jewellery maker was to etch with chemicals, stamp with metal stamps, or utilise a pricey rolling mill.

 

Metal Clay on the other hand is very similar to potter's clay or plasticine, so that you can produce one of a kind details, complex patterns, and shape and add texture to the metal while soft. Try doing that with metal sheet!

 

Be sure to keep in mind before you start though that metal clay has a tendency to be tacky and you want to use a release agent to anything it touches. I really like to utilise an extraordinarily thin coating of olive oil on my hands, work-area, and tools. Do not avoid this! You will be awfully sorry and have a mess to wash up. Be certain not to use too much oil though because this can also mean a big mess.

 

Here are some straightforward ways to add texture to metal clay while wet.

 

1. Rubber Stamps

 

Rubber Stamps are freely available and come in a bewildering selection of types these days. Art supply stores, scrapbooking stores, and also specialized rubber stamp suppliers abound.

 

2. Rubber and Silicone Texture Mats

 

Texture mats can be found in really amazing patterns, and because these types of mats are bendable, you can press them around curved forms.

 

3. Plastic Texture plates / Rubbing Plates

 

These are quite low-priced, and typically come with textures stamped on both sides of the sheet. Just press the clay onto the sheet or vice versa.

 

4. Push Molds

 

There are some lovely polymer clay push molds available, but as most are rigid, you will have problems getting your precious metal clay out of them. Be sure to use some olive oil or a product like Cool Slip to help the metal clay not stick to the mold. Permitting the precious metal clay to dehydrate and reduce in size a tad is going to help liberate uncooperative clay.

 

You'll be able to find flexible type push molds in candy and cake decorating supply merchants that are great tools as well.

 

5. Repurposed Materials

 

Found objects are the ultimate in inexpensive texturing gear! Coins, leaves, bark, driftwood, fabric, and textured wallpapers pieces will all work. Just remember to apply some olive oil or other release agent. Use your creativity and you will find a lot of other textured objects you may make use of.

 

Skewers or toothpicks may also be employed to make dots, and scrape lines into the clay. If you can find typewriter keys these may be employed to press letters and words into your clay. If you can't find old typewriter keys, inexpensive metal letter stamps are available.

 

6. DIY Texturing Tools

 

I really like to produce my own texturing gear from polymer clay. To make your own, just do what I am doing, and shape scrap polymer clay into a1 with a handle shaped bit that pokes from the back. Make a pattern on the lumpy part. This will be the part you press into the clay. I've made ones with crosshatch designs, blossoms, polka dots, and little leaves. After you create a tool, just cure your new texturing tool according to the polymer clay guidelines.

 

There are a lot of other ways to make your own texturing tools as well . Be certain to check out my other articles for additional recommendations.

 

As you can see, metal clay offers almost limitless possibilities for creating textured jewelry, charms, pendants, beads, and findings. What are you making today?

About the Author

Looking for metal clay, clay tools, and texture plates? Check out my metal clay resource web pages at http://shop.how-to-make-jewelry.com/metal-clay-supplies/. On these pages and posts you will find metal clay products and product links for a variety of providers and retailers worldwide.

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 10:07 pm and is filed under scrapbooking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.