kate M

c

kinnon

techniques

+

explorations

j e w e l r y

sculptural

metal clay

Materials

50–75 g of fine silver clay for Amphora
50–75 g of fine silver clay for chain (optional)
1 glass 14 × 63 mm tube bead or size of choice
1" (2.5 cm) of 10- or 12-gauge fine silver wire to

snugly fit bead hole
16 or more dry fine silver clay 8mm rings
12 or more dry fine silver clay 3mm balls
2 fine silver 15 mm jump rings and 2 fine

silver 13 × 30 mm S-clasps or 8" (20.3 cm) of

12-gauge fine silver wire
Liver of sulfur
2-part epoxy resin

tools

Work surface
Roller
Rolling guides
Texture pads or rubber stamps
Sharp tissue blade
Heavy-duty flush cutters
Soft paintbrush and water
Cocktail straw or small drill bit and drill
5mm circle cutter
Ball-end burnisher
Kiln
Hammer
Anvil
Tumbler
Flat- or chain-nose pliers
Torch (optional)
Kiln brick (optional)
Large round-nose pliers (optional)
Brass brush

Lampworked bead by Stephanie Sersich

one of my favorite fictional charac-
ters, hercule poirot, always wore a
silver boutonniere on his vest, given
to him as a young man by one of
the two women he ever loved. Make
this interesting amphora setting to
show off a favorite bead, practice
your appliqué, fusing, chainmaking
and open box-building skills, and to
evoke the well-dressed poirot and
his romantic devotion.

Finished size

necklace 22¼" (56.5 cm)
pendant 1¼" × 2¾" × ½"

(3.2 × 7 × 1.3 cm)

amphora

necklace

3

4

sculptural metal clay jewelry

01

|

Back.

Roll and texture a sheet of

fresh metal clay to a finished thickness
of 3–4 cards. Cut an elongated fan shape,
1

5

⁄

8

" × 3

1

⁄

8

" (4.1 × 8 cm), to form the am-

phora’s back. Cut decorative windows
in the back of the piece, to show the
bead from behind, and to cut the weight
of your finished piece. Cut hanging
holes at the top right and left corners,
either when the clay is bone dry, using a
small drill bit, or when it is fresh, using
a cocktail straw. If you cut fresh, you
can remove the cut material from your
cocktail straw and either use it to roll a
little ball of clay for an egg or a ball-end
head pin. Let the back piece become
hard-leather hard to bone dry, and, if
you wish, appliqué small pieces of dry
clay to it for interest. I used three plain
circles, cut from a thinly rolled sheet
with a drinking straw and attached
them bone dry, with a wash of water.

Project notes

This lovely project can be made entirely of metal

clay. Just create larger hanging holes and attach

a metal clay chain directly to the pendant. I used

S-hooks to connect my piece so the chain could

be removable, giving the option of wearing the

amphora on a plain, less expensive chain if

desired.

techniques + eleMents

Box building
Rivet post
Appliqué
Rings
Chainmaking
S-clasp
Fused rings (optional)

amphora

necklace

It can be helpful to lay your 8mm bone-dry clay

rings onto the freshly cut sides, to help you

position your divots.

Note

I used a long, narrow lampworked

bead for my design, but you can use any
large bead for yours; just design the setting
to accommodate the bead size.

02

|

Side rectaNgleS.

Roll and

texture a sheet of fresh metal clay to a
finished thickness of 3–4 cards. Cut two

1

⁄

2

" × 3" (1.3 × 7.6 cm) rectangles. Use a

ball-end burnisher to make small div-
ots along the length of the rectangles
where you’ll add the dry clay rings. Use
the circle cutter to cut out a few of the
divots; the rings will frame the holes
later. Let the rectangles become hard-
leather hard to bone dry.

03

|

BaSe.

Roll a plain sheet of

freshmetal clay 6 cards thick. Cut a

5

⁄

8

"

× 1" (1.5 × 2.5 cm) rectangle to form
the amphora’s base. Use the wire that
will support the bead to make a hole
in the base where a rivet post will go.
Keep in mind that the hole may not
be dead center, depending on the fit of
your bead in your setting. Let the base
become hard-leather hard to bone dry.

Note

This rivet post will hold your bead in

place, so be sure to choose a wire gauge that
fits your bead hole tightly. Beware of large
beads with tiny holes; you want your wire
to be thick enough to support the weight of
the bead without bending.

04

|

Use water and pressure to squidge

the dry clay rings to the two dry

1

⁄

2

"

× 3" (1.3 × 7.6 cm) rectangles so they
frame the divots or cut-out holes. For
the rings that frame a divot, fill the ring
with a drop of water and drop in 1 dry

Place the dry clay balls in the drop of water in your

dry clay divots, and let them get sticky.

amphora necklace

5

clay ball. Let the balls set up briefly,
and, when sticky, press and rotate them
in their divots to secure.

05

|

Use a small amount of water

and pressure to squidge the box sides
together, assembling an open box form.
Brush the joins with a damp paintbrush
to gently smooth and clean them.

06

|

Let the box dry completely. Fill

any errors in your joinery, if necessary,
with tiny snakes of freshly rolled clay,
and smooth in place with a thin wash of
water or slip. Let the box completely dry.

07

|

optioNal.

Make and assemble

a 16" to 24" (41 to 61 cm) metal clay
chain for hanging the pendant.

The prepared box back, sides, and base, bone dry,

and ready for assembly.

The finished box form, ready for the post imbed

and firing, and a finished Amphora box in the

background. Note the different look of flush vs high

sides.

08

|

Reset the rivet post into the

hole in your base, which should have
shrunk in drying. This is one of my
favorite techniques to get a really good
fit on a large wire imbed; make the hole
in wet clay, set the post in the dry clay.
The drying process offers just enough
shrinkage to ensure a tight fit of the
wire in the hole. Fire the box and chain
for 2 hours at 1650° F (899° C).

09

|

After firing, work-harden the

chain by hammering the links on the
anvil and a bezel mandrel.

10

|

Attach 1 commercial or hand-

made fine silver jump ring to each of
the hanging holes. Fuse the rings closed
if desired.

project

gallery

circle of flowers

necklace

wave

ring

knobby

rings

owl peeking

pendant

6

sculptural metal clay jewelry

project gallery

7

pebble prong

pendant

sea prong

rings

sea prong

bracelet

MAsTeR TeACheR and jewelry artist Kate
McKinnon begins Sculptural Metal Clay
Jewelry with an overview of metal clay
basics: terms, techniques, and tools. Next,
she offers detailed instructions for creating
a variety of metal clay and fine silver
wire elements: components, settings,
findings, attachments, 3-D forms, and
textured effects that are the foundation
of her signature jewelry designs.

The technique section is followed by 10
unique projects that combine foundation
techniques with one-of-a kind design
elements. Projects include:

+

three-dimensional rings

+

organic chain designs

+

metal clay and lampworked bead pendants

her designs have multiple components
made from metal clay and fine silver wire,
including not only clasps, chain, and
settings, but also moveable and remov-
able pieces, unusual textures and patinas,
unique construction and engineering, and
creative ways to incorporate beads.

All of the techniques are shown with
crystal-clear step-by-step photography. For
added instructional assistance, the author
and her techniques in action appear on the
enclosed DVD bound in the back of the
book. This book and DVD combination
offers jewelry artists both the techniques
and design inspiration needed to create
gallery-level jewelry that is truly art to wear.

sculpt

art to wear

about the artist

Kate McKinnon is a mixed-media artist who

lives and works in Tucson, Arizona. Her work

focuses on the engineering of how elements

work together, connect, and grow into finished

pieces of jewelry. She won the prestigious Rio

Grande Saul Bell award in 2003 for her innova-

tive design with metal clay, and has taught

and lectured internationally. Kate is the author

of several self-published books on jewelry

design, a mixed-media book, and a novel about

rebuilding Thoreau’s dream in a form to suit the

digital age—an urban

Walden.

paperback w/flaps, 8½ × 9

160 pages + dVd

150 photographs

iSBN 978-1-59668-174-3

$26.95

available april 2010