Edyn's African Adventure

Okay, so I always feel like I could make many of the crafts in various stores or shows or whatever. I usually never get around to actually trying to make the thing, and I imagine that it would never ever be as good or easy as I think it is. Well, I'm now all about seizing opportunities of late, and grabbing life with both hands so...Anyway, since I've been here, I have a new interest in beading, so Jac and I went to a bead trade show in September and saw something else that piqued our craft imagination...chain maille jewelry and clay art silver. Chain maille is what you think it is...like the stuff the knights or whoever wore...except one uses the patterns to make necklaces, bracelets and the like (though some people do make bras (!?) and club clothes out of it.) Jac grabbed a flyer for lessons and we finally got around to going in mid January. I took a class in chain maille and jac took a class in making a clay art silver pendant. I loved the jewelry I saw so we went back a week later and made rings. I have to say...I AM HOOKED!!! I didn't realize it would actually be so easy and turn out so well.

Clay art silver is basically like working with regular clay..it's gray/brown and handles like that. The difference is that it is actually reclaimed silver and it is mixed with an organic material like ground rice or whatever to make it like clay. It looks like regular clay and one would have no idea it's going to be silver. One makes the item, dry it, fire it, then brush the organic material off with a wire brush and voila, and get a beautiful piece made of 100% silver. Amazing.

Here it is in progress...