Following my disastrous first attempts - when my tiny piece of artclay ended up looking like shortcrust pastry - I have just taken delivery of 3 x 7gm packs. Like I said, I will not be beaten!

I also got a new book, Art Clay Silver and Gold by Jackie Truty. This book is astounding! Okay, so it flogs Art Clay Silver for all its worth but the basic information is superb. It's a project based book and I usually turn my nose up at those - I don't want projects, I want knowledge - but this book comes up with both. It was here that I discovered why my first attempts were so buggered - I used too much oil (actually a rather expensive spray-on stuff specifically for the job) on my hands.

With that knowledge under my belt its onwards and upwards - but I'm a realist beneath my bull-headedness, which is why I bought three separate packs. The theory is I can only muck up one pack at a time