The Experiment

So here's the results of yesterday's bronze experiment. Remember, a while back, I'd made some porcelain pieces that I wanted to make into toggel clasps? I just never got around to finding the inspiration for making the metal clay toggle bars. I was sitting in the sun on the deck, waiting for the spirit to move into a glazing mood. Actually, I wasn't waiting for anything at all. I was day dreaming and wasting time. Ms Alice brought me a stick. Ms Alice does not think that I should sit quietly and look at the sky. If we are outside we need to play. None of this sitting around stuff.



I looked at that stick and had one of those moments. A little cutting here, a bit of shaping there, a silicon mold, add bronze, and a toggle bar is born. I'm not sure how well it really works with the design of the porcelain pieces but I sort of like the little stick. Best part is it fits through the hole and doesn't slip out. A rather nice thing to have in a toggle clasp.

But there is a design issue. See that loop up there on the back? Well it is too big. I forgot to take into account that the bronze clay shrinks in all directions, not just length. Easy fix though (she says over confidently).

Just to make sure it works, I decided to make one of the toggles up into a bracelet. My thinking was that of all the pieces of jewelry you can wear, bracelets are the piece that get the roughest treatment. Well maybe some of you are more delicate than I am. I've had this on most of the afternoon and nothing has broken, the toggle has stayed toggled, and even though the loop is too long, it lays reasonably well. So now all I want to do is make toggle bars. But wait, is that a glaze jar I hear calling me? Nope, the glazing is still not done.