First silver clay design attempt

My first attempt at using Silver Art Clay for jewelry was interesting, and I'm not sure whether I'll continue using it much in my jewelry making but felt it was important to try out different methods and materials, and also decide whether it is worth my while investing in a kiln.

I bought a blow torch from the same supplier I bought the silver clay and other tools, but the torch wouldn't fill despite trying all of the nozzles on the butane gas filler, so had to buy another blowtorch from the local DIY shop.

Originally was going to make a silver chain link bracelet but decided to use a single chain in each different piece because the total weight of the intended piece was over 7 grams which meant I would need to get it hallmarked.

As these are just experimental pieces I thought I would incorporate a focal shape of pure silver in a mixed media bracelet with copper tube beads and other beads threaded on to silver coated copper wire.

The result was a delicate and magical looking piece which I've called Lady of the Lake, as it seemed slightly Arthurian, plus I spent a bit of time by the lake today. It can be worn further up the arm or more loosely around the wrist, but I prefer it as an arm piece than a wrist piece. I also loved the combination of copper and silver, and having the hook clasp at the side. The focal square has a leafy pattern on it, and the bracelet which fits all sizes is fairly flexible so that you can adjust its shape snugly once it is on the arm.

I'm not sure what I'll make from the other squares yet but I thought I'd put my first piece up on my blog, and then into my online shops. All of these will be one of a kind pieces, so even though I may list the same piece in more than one shop, I would delete all other listings whenever an item sells. So far I have just listed it in my UK shop Artefact Creations at Folksy.

Selling on Artfire for free

Since my May post Where to sell handmade products online
I have felt somewhat homeless on the internet, a bit like in real life when I haven't felt sure where exactly I wanted to live or put down roots. The result has been a handful of items listed on one online selling venue and a handful there, while I make up my mind where to put the majority of my listings. Not having tried them all yet and not having sold anything either because I need to list more, promote more and buy more in order to build up my feedback, I am nonetheless getting a FEEL of what these different venues are like, so anything I write about any of them are all based on personal preference and not on sales figures (yet).

Etsy is a site that a few seem to do well on but is swamped with so many listings, and from what I've heard they look like they are going the way of ebay now they have become so big, as the complaints sound very much the same re customer service, treatment towards sellers etc and I still have the scars from ebay not to want to repeat all of that. Admittedly they get a lot more traffic to the site than some of the other online venues for handmade goods, so I will keep some presence there at least for now.

Folksy is the UK equivalent although only a year old and so not in the same league as Etsy even though some sellers have migrated over from there. It will no doubt grow but I'm getting the impression that there is little promotion going on for the site if the forum is anything to go by. Deciding whether to list some jewellery components under supplies I was surprised at how little there was in the category I was going to list in. Now this could be viewed either as negative in that there was less choice on this website, or positive as there was less competition and my listing wouldn't get buried like it would on Etsy. In fact the forum is the best part of Folksy for me (same for eBay now) and I have had some useful advice for improving my shop and am glad that I've now changed the banner more to my liking.



I remembered a seller on DaWanda who I had bookmarked as liking her banners so bought one from her, which I'd seen via a link to her website and which was also listed in her Etsy shop where I finally bought it. So I think this illustrates how having a presence on a number of websites is the way to go, but to maybe have a couple where the most effort towards listing is directed. For me I've decided to open an Artfire shop recently (or studio as it's called there) as my USA presence and to have DaWanda as the European one. At the moment I haven't found one based in the UK that I feel happy about joining, not that it matters as everything is shipped from the UK from any of my shops and Paypal converts the currency.

What I like about Artfire is the way you can see everything in your own currency and can also link to your other shops like Etsy. I've only taken out a basic account which allows you to list 12 items for free. For unlimited items and other features you can pay $12 dollars a month for an upgraded account as a verified member.

At the moment they have what they call a Freeride Program which involves referring 12 people to sign up for a verified account for the $12 a month subscription, and when you get 12 others to also sign up you can have your account (plus one for a friend) free for life - which means no subscription, no listing fees, no commission on sales, everything free - for ever! So check out Artfire yourself via my link below. I've only recently opened an Artfire shop so am still listing my items. If you decide to join as a verified member via my link (thank you!) I am one point nearer to having no fees and you can do the same once registered by referring others.

This promotion is for a limited time only, so act fast to start qualifying for your free account for life.

Click on this link to join Artfire's Freeride programme as a verified member and refer 12 others to get your account free for life.

Related posts:

Buying and Selling on DaWanda

Where to sell handmade products online

Week in the West Country

Glad I chose the hottest week of the year to escape the city, and what was meant to be 3 days in the countryside turned into a week. Even though I’m now back in London and meant to be making new jewellery to sell, I know that online sales slow down in summer and I do have other areas of my life to attend to as well. So I’m uploading some of my pics of Cornwall and Devon.

My search in the Tamar Valley and Cornwall for a good location to buy a property is not entirely unrelated to this blog and my interest in copper, as Cornwall by the early nineteeth century was the greatest producer of copper in the world.


The affect of copper mining on Cornwall was drastic, demand for the metal was high with the industrial revolution, and prices were good with little competition from elsewhere in the country. With the discovery of huge deposits of copper abroad in the mid 19th century, the price of copper fell and by this time the best Cornish deposits had been mined out. No copper mining is carried out today.



Gunnislake Clitters Mine was a large copper mine located near Gunnislake in the Tamar Valley in East Cornwall. I stayed in Gunnislake for 3 nights and took the hourly bus into Tavistock through some of the most beautiful countryside I’d ever seen. I decided I couldn’t live in Gunnislake because it was too quiet with just a couple of pubs, a post office and a shop selling garden gnomes. It would have also been too big a contrast after living in central London, plus I was constantly out of breath walking up and down those steep hills.



Tavistock in Devon (3.5 miles from Gunnislake on the Cornish/Devon border) is unlike any town within the Cornish mining district. The dramatic remodelling of much of the medieval town by the 7th Duke of Bedford during the mid-19th century was achieved with profits from his mines, whilst a substantial proportion of the mining workforce was housed in model cottages built within the town. I actually went to view one of the 19th century miners’ cottages down by the canal in what I consider to be one of the prettiest locations in Tavistock.



It was just a short walk from the main shopping area, following a wonderful river walk, and I am still hoping another property will soon be available for sale in this area as the cottage I saw was just too tiny, especially the kitchen. Being a grade II listed building you can't just extend anything without planning permsission.




Lostwithiel was not far from Gunnislake by train, and had a few more shops. To me it was a quiet village but I was told by the Tourist Office that it should be called a town. I went to view a delightful early 19th century cottage here that I’m still considering buying, but the only drawback is that it doesn’t have a garden. Having adored Tavistock as a town to live in, especially as there is an indoor craft market where I could sell my jewellery, I was undecided between the two locations.



Throughout the 14th century Lostwithiel was the Capital of Cornwall.
It is surrounded by wooded hills and is known for its antiques shops and auctions.
Lostwithiel felt more like a community where everyone knows everyone else, and it has its own charms. I thought it would be too quiet for me at first but after the first day, and especially after my walk along the river to Coulson park and the Nature Reserve, I decided to keep this location on my shortlist.




It also has a train station, which Tavistock doesn’t have, so it is easy to get around the county to see other interesting places or to shop in the nearest big town.
I’m finding it really hard right now to concentrate on anything other than finding myself a home in the west country, with room for a studio.