Butterfly Princess

Above is a picture of my Bronze Butterfly Princess Pendant necklace that I finished for Kate's Princess swap.

I have to say that I'm totally loving this particular stamp set - I've used it on a number of different projects over the last month.

Following is a detail image of the butterfly:



I was in a hurry and was only able to make just enough for the swap. But I like it so much, I think I might have to make a few more!

Several people have inquired about how I make metal jewelry using rubber stamps. It's not any more difficult than creating jewelry with stamps and polymer clay. Like most things, it just takes some practice and a little patience. But it does take quite an initial investment, because several specialized (and sort of expensive) tools are required.

I'm a PMC certified artisan, having received my certification formally last year. I still use traditional jewelry techniques with sterling silver such as hammering, cutting, and soldering, but I moved into Precious Metal Clay (PMC) after I was introduced to it by my good friend, Joanne. PMC is pure silver (99.9% pure - more precious than sterling) However, the switch to PMC was ideal for me, since I was also an avid rubber stamper and paper artist. I could just imagine all the possibilities that I could create with textures that are not easily accomplished with traditional jewelry smithing techniques!

Having said that, if anyone is interested in a class, come on over! You can experiment with the medium, at mere fraction of the cost - and you don't have to worry about initial investment before trying it out. Of course, most people who visit my blog don't really live that closeby. No worries, I have a spare bedroom! And if you can't make the trip, I'm sure you can find a studio near to you that offers classes.

A little history for those interesting in learning more:

BronzClay has only been around a short time and is a cost effective alternative to PMC. It was introduced into the market in August 2008 by RioGrande. When the price of silver reached an all time high, a few PMC artists started looking for some more cost effective alternatives. As a result, one of them, Bill Struve, started experimenting with powdered Bronze and organic binders, eventually perfecting the recipe and firing requirements for BronzClay.

For more information on BronzClay, I found a great PDF that covers all you need to know about how to work with it, so that you can also create some really beautiful jewelry with your rubber stamps: Welcome To BronzClay