This workshop meets Friday and Saturday, August 25 & 26, 2023, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm each day with a lunch break
 
There’s only one way to say it: Mokume-gane is a blast! This workshop utilizes Donna’s favorite category of tools—pokey tools—to create playful, improvised, colorful polymer clay patterns that are almost always a gorgeous surprise. Students will have plenty of time to play and explore the process, sure to find color combinations that will knock their socks off. To turn these miniature artworks into jewelry, students will make silver clay frames designed with hidden mechanisms that will keep the polymer clay locked in place after curing, without glue. The leaf shape shown will be the starting point for learning how to build the frames, but a variety of shapes are possible. After the silver frames are fired/polished/patinaed, the mokume-gane veneers will be made into customized cabochons to match. Students will even be able to make double-sided pendants, if they like. As a last step, Donna will also teach how to polish the cured polymer clay, taking the students’ creations from good-looking to absolute gorgeous. Come play!
 
Kit fee: None
 
Materials students should bring: 
—Metal clay: Students should bring 25g of fast-firing fine silver clay, plus matching slip. Flexible clay is ideal. Closer to the workshop, I will look at what clays are on the market at that time and contact students about the one(s) I would like us to use. 
—Polymer clay: I suggest students bring at least 5-6 different colors of Premo Sculpey, available at craft stores and online. The more colors, the more experimental combinations can be created! Including some contrasting colors is recommended. Those students who have scrap clay can bring a little of that, too. It will be used as unseen filler material, so the colors don’t matter.
 
Tools students should bring: 
—writing materials and paper
—magnification device, if available (Optivisor, reading glasses, handheld magnifier, etc.)
—a small box (about 4”x6”) to take home leftover mokume-game veneers
—any favorite textures 
 
Students are welcome to bring their own tools, but I will provide everything they need. These items will be available for each student: 
—Teflon sheets (approx. 3” x 4”)
—plastic roller
—needle tool
—X-Acto knife/scalpel and small cutting mat 
—slicing/tissue blade 
—playing cards or slats 
—very fine round brush 
—1/8”-1/4” flat brush 
—fluffy dusting brush 
—ball stylus 
—palette knife
—rubber-tipped “clay shapers”
—tweezers
—extra-fine permanent marker
—sharpened pencil
—ruler
—“laminated” graph paper—graph paper simply taped underneath plastic "report cover" 
—armatures
—spritzer bottle/distilled water
—water dish
—olive oil/other release agent
—280- and 400-grit wet/dry sandpaper and sanding sponges
—ProPolish pads
—ceramic tiles
 
Some tools will be shared, unless students bring their own: 
—mug warmers
—texture plates
 
This workshop is part of the Metal Clay Artists Symposium and requires the purchase of the General Registration.