Beginner Advice Please :-)

[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...

[Gemma]

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!! :D

[Tigerlily]

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]

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:D...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]

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 :D

Thanks again :)

[snow_imp]

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]

Oooh am about an hour and a half away from Peterborough so totally do-able :dance: Hmmm might try and see if she has any places, thanks for that Anne :Y:

Whoo hoo how exciting!!!

[Petal]

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]

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]

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

[Lisa Quinn]

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.

Bridget and I are also going along to Nic's course in January and I am soo looking forward to learning a new technique, especially following Su's rave reviews on Nic's tutoring skills and after seeing the pictures of the work that her students have created after only one day in her studio.

[Tigerlily]

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

Thanks Jules, thats a really good idea :Y: xx

[Tigerlily]

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!

Thanks for that Michelle, probably best to learn the basics first, and then move onto PMC? Its just that hubby offered to buy me a course as an xmas present, so thought I would take him up on it lol!!! Methinks I will ask him for a basic tool kit instead, probably best eh!!

Thanks again :Y:

[Tigerlily]

Hi tigerlilly,

Definitely go with what Babs suggests, mess around with a bit of silver sheet, cheap, affordable and fun, I started like that nearly 6 months ago and have never looked back.

Prepare to be perpetually broke and lusting tools though, it's an illness. :Y:

lol JJ!! Great advice thanks :Y: Oh dear think I may well have come down with the illness already :dance:

[Emerald]

Sheet metal, pmc lol just wait till you find the lampwork thread aswell x

[Tigerlily]

Oh no Jo, best hide that one from me too!!! #-o

[caroleallen]

Working pmc uses completely different techniques to working sheet metal. I'd say go for the pmc course with Nic 'cos that sounds great but also look out for a local jeweller who offers day courses in silver. All my students say that they learn more in a day with me than they do in a whole term at college. That's because my classes are small and they get much more attention. They usually go away with 2 or 3 items that they've made. Also at college you often only get to use copper and base metals until you make your final piece.

[Tigerlily]

Thanks Carole ... mmm decisions, decisions!! oh now I am confused lol! :confused: