October 17, 2009: Ahhh Sweet Success!

After buying all kinds of tools and 'getting ready' - honestly I think I was avoiding. You know, you buy everything you need, you read, you research, you quiz people, you draw - all while avoiding the one thing you really want to do 'create'. Anyway after the enamel class I decided... this is it. Just do it as the commercial says - so I did.

I made a mold of the maple leaf that I enameled in Enameling on Copper class. Then I made a silver clay maple leaf. AND... I fired it! OK so not a big deal but to me, yes. I needed to get past the hump of worry. Just do it.

I used my little micro torch - that is what drew me into this little addiction. The fact that I didnt need a big kiln to fire the pieces. I could fire it with a micro torch - the same thing the Iron Chefs would use for creme broulette. And I did it - it came out sooo cute! Then to add to the panic - I added 24K gold to the leaf! Yes, you read that right... 24K gold! Talk about nerve wracking. Not only had I never done it before but I'd never seen it done in person - only what I learned on the internet. God I love the internet!

Then I combined this sweet little silver maple leaf (well maybe not so little - I'm still working on the thickness thing! :o) ) with my enameled pieces from class - and with some gorgeous chocolate pearls from Fire Mountain Gems and poof - the kitchen sink was born! It's got a little bit of everything - copper, enamel, silver, gold, pearls - everything! :o)

I think this will forever be my favorite little piece. My first "on my own" and my first big step into metal clay.