Solutions and Confidence Wanted – Jewellery Making Journal

by Char.
(USA)

I’ve been haunting this web site for over a yr now and was hopeful somebody may assist me out.

I make jewellery (primarily earrings) from chilly porcelain clay which is a kind of air dry clay. I’ve been doing this for over a yr now. I’ve had many ups and downs whereas studying to sculpt in air dry clay. I sculpt my items, allow them to dry, paint them with acrylic paints, then varnish them. Whereas my abilities have progressed my confidence has not.

How do you resolve when your items are sturdy/sturdy sufficient to promote confidently? I’m continuously second guessing my items (sorry I couldn’t embrace a photograph resulting from technical difficulties). I’ve made many items and solely had three break, one resulting from an accident with a tree department, the opposite piece was too skinny, and the opposite had a bubble in its paint job. Some would in all probability inform me that’s nice, however I nonetheless fear over each piece. I’ve solely bought a couple of and haven’t had any of these come again damaged. How “sturdy” is sturdy??

I’ve had some current points I hoped for assist with as nicely:

1. Does anybody on right here do air dry clay jewellery and the way do you cope with cracks? This hadn’t been a problem for me till just lately, so possibly it’s the climate, unhealthy clay batch, I don’t know.

2. Does anybody on right here varnish their jewellery? In that case, may they advocate a matte varnish appropriate for air dry clay? I needed to throw out about fifteen pairs of earrings merely resulting from discovering that the matte varnish I used to be utilizing was unhealthy.

3. Is there a varnish for making paper appropriate for being a part of a jewellery piece?

4. I’ve not began “formally” promoting my jewellery resulting from my confidence points and attempting to construct up my stock. Can anybody give me a spherical about guess what number of pairs of earrings can be “sufficient” for a craft present or truthful sales space? I merely don’t have any clue as a result of I don’t have anybody else that may give me skilled recommendation on this.

Thanks, guys, I really like the web site and also you all are so useful.

Char