Silver clay workshops - see below for dates for 2013

During my workshops you will be able to make up to six fine silver charms and pendants from silver clay (Artclay silver). I will teach you how to handle the clay to make flat textured and even three dimensional shapes that we will then make into at least two pieces of beautiful silver jewellery. You will then have then skills to make pieces at home to give to friends as gifts or even to sell.

My own silver clay jewellery is heavily influenced by nature and vintage found objects. Fine silver flowers, leaves, buttons (using my tutorial published in Kirstie Allsopp's book 'Craft' ) shell-like shapes and beautiful pendants made by imprinting vintage crochet into the clay are common themes in my workshops.

I keep my workshops small (4 or 5 people) because I like to offer a good deal of one-to-one time. This allows people to follow any ideas or particular designs they might like to make during the session and to maximise the time they have. I have found that in workshops of this size people are often pleasantly surprised at the level of skill they can gain and the quality of the pieces they are able to make.

Cake is a *very* important fuel for crafting. We always break halfway through the workshop to eat homemade cake, drink tea and coffee and have a chat.

The workshops are held at my 18th Century cottage in a tiny picturesque village in Cambridgeshire.

Workshops cost £70 per head. 6g of silver clay, sterling silver chains, headpins and gemstones are all included in the price.

or via my blog www.silverpebble-jewellery.blogspot.com

Silver clay

Silver clay is a ceramic that contains particles of pure silver mixed with finely milled cotton fibres and a non-toxic binder. It can be modelled like any ceramic and in my workshops we use it to make a variety of silver charms and pendants using both hand-modelling techniques and shaped cutters.

We then dry the pieces, smooth them off and fire them. Once fired the charms are polished and the fine silver is revealed. This is always a *very* exciting moment indeed.

Once the charms and pendants are polished we attach them to silver chains to make beautiful necklaces. Sometimes we have time to add a few gemstones and freshwater pearls to your designs (see the shell necklace above).