The Precious Metal Clay (PMC) Process: Bronze

I used Hadar's Clay which is bronze in powder form (also available in copper).

Just out of the kiln.


Scrubbed with a metal brush.

Filed, burnished, patinated and polished. Finished off with copper jump ring and chocolate-colored silicone cord.

More sheep, more chocolate-makers

A few months ago, I started working with precious metal clay (PMC) and, at the same time, learning metalsmithing. While working with metal sheet seemed difficult because of the drilling, sawing and soldering involved, I was finding PMC more challenging because it would dry out before I was satisfied with the result.

So, I started working with polymer clay, testing designs on it before trying them on PMC. Unfortunately, polymer by itself is not very interesting and -- not wanting to just discard the tests -- I thought of finishing them just like Tamara of blockpartypress had been showing on her blog.

Silver, copper and bronze clay pendants headed for the kiln.


Pieces in polymer inspired by Tamara's work. However, I only do fine-fleeced friends and chocolate-makers.


Here's a clay rendition of another of my dad's drawing of the chocolate-maker.

JumpSheep pendants make it to knitty.com

See under Cool Stuff! here.

My dad's drawing

The drawing was done in the 1980s for me to make an ex libris rubber stamp. My name used to be underneath the frame. I reduced the size to 1" x 1.5" and had the rubber stamp made to make silver pendants using Precious Metal Clay. Here is the result. It's a woman in a Philippine 1800s dress frothing Spanish-style chocolate in a tsokolatera with what we call a batidor. The chocolate is served in demitasses because it's thick.

Handmade Mart, Silver Spring, MD last Sunday