Beginner Advice Please :-)

**Tigerlily** · 10-11-2009, 10:36 AM

Morning all ...

I am a complete newbie to jewellery making (am semi experienced in wirework) and have ordered a couple of books off amazon (recommended from here

Jinks McGrath & Madeline Coles) I am hoping to start a part time course at the school of jewellery in Jan/Feb if a place becomes available. In the meantime I am thinking of taking an art clay course locally - do you think that this would be a good way to start whilst waiting for a place to come up?

Thanks and any advice will be very much appreciated...

**Gemma** · 10-11-2009, 11:07 AM

This may be a case of the blind leading the blind but...

...I thought the same thing (though haven't booked on a course). I ordered some silver clay cos I thought it would break me in gently to silversmithing. I've been to afraid to use it though as you don't get a lot for your money!! Instead I've started hitting silver after reading various books and reading everyones great advice on here. My first piece (I'll post pic later) is a pair of earings I made after experimenting with a bit of silver. I'd decided to buy some silver to just have a play and see how it worked.

I'd say- grab some silver and start playing!!

**Tigerlily** · 10-11-2009, 11:33 AM

Hey Gem, sounds great advice to me!!

I can't wait to order some stuff and have a play!! Just think I will wait for my books to arrive first so I know what I need to order lol!!! Ooh would love to have a look at your pics ... how exciting!!

**Solunar Silver Studio** · 10-11-2009, 11:56 AM

If you can get to a metal clay course near to you I would advise you go that route rather than try to teach yourself... From experience it is far harder than it looks and unless you have some skills in other media - like polymer clay, ceramics, sugarflowers - it is really hard to develop the skills when you are working with a material that costs £1 per gram!

Most people seem to be able to achieve success learning how to use a jeweller's saw...and a hammer

...on their own and you can get some great results with very simple designs and basic tools - so I think I would go with Gemma... You will find that £7 of silver sheet will make more for you than £7 of Art Clay if you are a complete beginner.

**Tigerlily** · 10-11-2009, 12:26 PM

Thanks Barbara, thats really sound advice!

I agree I am more inclined to enlist in a metal clay course, its just not something I would be confident tackling without any experience. Although will wait for my books, and then see what I need, and then order some silver sheet and have a play

Thanks again

**snow_imp** · 10-11-2009, 12:29 PM

Hi, where are you in relation to Peterborough? I'm booked on a course with Nic (MuranoSilver) in Jan to do some clay work (unless I'm completely confused of course) and she has other courses planned for during the year.

**Tigerlily** · 10-11-2009, 12:37 PM

Oooh am about an hour and a half away from Peterborough so totally do-able

Hmmm might try and see if she has any places, thanks for that Anne

Whoo hoo how exciting!!!

**Petal** · 10-11-2009, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

Morning all ...

I am a complete newbie to jewellery making (am semi experienced in wirework) and have ordered a couple of books off amazon (recommended from here

Jinks McGrath & Madeline Coles) I am hoping to start a part time course at the school of jewellery in Jan/Feb if a place becomes available. In the meantime I am thinking of taking an art clay course locally - do you think that this would be a good way to start whilst waiting for a place to come up?

Thanks and any advice will be very much appreciated...

Hi Tigerlily,

I am also learning a lot about silverwork ATM and use copper as my 'playing' medium. It has a similar feel to silver, though is softer to work with. You might want to have a go with that, its much cheaper than real silver !

good luck with the course.

xx

**shelliem** · 10-11-2009, 05:01 PM

I also 'play' with copper at the moment. I did use some PMC having done pottery in the past but I found that I needed more tools and practise than maybe I would need to actually make something using wire or learning to saw, so I have decided to start making chains, learning to cut and solder and playing with wire.

I think I'm going to learn PMC a bit later on, however, if I could afford a course at the moment and there was a good one around that would probably change my mind!

**luckyelephant** · 10-11-2009, 06:39 PM

hiya

im going on a course next week to learn pmc, I thought about just buying the stuff in and having a go myself but i figured it would be better to be taught how to do it properly and then try it at home after