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What's New on the Metal Clay Academy Website?

This page provides you with a quick idea of what's been added in the past month. If you are a regular visitor, you can see what we've added since your last visit here.

Archived What's New pages for earlier months can be seen here

February What's New Archive - you can see everything that was added during February 2010 here

9th March

A new supplier was added to the UK bead suppliers page and the chain and cord supplier page.

SowZerR DesignS

UK supplier of handmade glass beads and handmade silk ribbons and strings.

A new supplier was added the jewelry findings page.

UK supplier of findings and jewellery blanks, including bangle and bracelet blanks, ring blanks, pendant, earring and brooch blanks, cuff link blanks, chains, clasps, Vintage and Trinity brass findings and cabochons.

8th March

Charms for Charity Event at the PMC Conference 2010

The popular and hugely successful Charms for Charity event from the PMC Conference 2008 will be repeated at this year’s conference in July. Once again, many, many generous metal clay artists will be creating and donating the hundreds of fabulous charms and assembling them into dozens of extraordinary, one-of-a-kind charm bracelets that will be raffled off to benefit the American Cancer Society and the Marrow Foundation. The event will be spearheaded by the original organizer, well-known American metal clay artist Holly Gage, in partnership with artist Carol Hamilton who also will reprise her original role collecting money and raffle tickets.

The Charms for Charity event was created to honor the memory of Robin Whittemore, a talented, generous and very brave metal clay artist and teacher who lost her battle with cancer in July, 2007. The event provides a wonderful way for all metal clay artists (whether or not they will be attending the conference) who wish to help raise money for cancer treatment and prevention to do so by donating charms, assembling bracelets or volunteering for one of the other needed contributions, or by purchasing raffle tickets at only $5 each or 5 for $20. The drawing will take place at PMC Conference 2010 (at Purdue University in Indiana) on Friday, July 30th, 2010 during lunch hour in the Dining Hall.

This event makes it possible for a large number of artists’ separate contributions of time, talent and money, regardless of size, to have a major collective impact. How much of a difference does it make? The first Charms for Charity event in 2008 raised a total of $12,270 for the American Cancer Society and the Marrow Foundation! This year, the metal clay community will pull together again to support the important work of these organizations in cancer treatment and prevention.

This fundraiser is not associated with any organization. Its success depends on the individual contributions of a large number of artists with big hearts! If you’d like to be among them, here’s how you can participate in this year’s event.

Create and Donate Charms

Guidelines for making charms:

Charms can be made from any type of metal clay.
As a rough guideline, charms should be around the size of a dime or nickel (roughly 20mm, give or take a few mm).
Charms can be any type of design or theme.
Please attach a strong (16 or 18 ga.) 5 mm open jump ring to each charm you send.
Please include the following with your charm(s):
A card or note with your name and contact information (optional – sometimes people like to acknowledge your gift)
A picture of the charm (optional – it will help identify your charm among the others on the bracelet).

7th March

A new event was added

International Jewellery London

When: 5th - 8th September 2010

Where: Earls Court, London

Celebrating the most talented, innovative British and International jewellery designers, wholesalers and manufacturers. International Jewellery London is the only dedicated UK jewellery trade event, unveiling the latest inspiring collections, contemporary and classic.

6th March

A new training provider was added to several pages.

Phoenix Designs - Altadena, CA

PMC introduction workshops, intermediate and advanced level workshops, project based workshops, copper clay workshops. They also offer open studios regularly.

A new event was added.

British Silver Week

British Silver Week is in its third year. This year’s launch will take place on 27 April 2010 at the Pangolin Gallery, London, to be opened by Lord Cunliffe, Past Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company.

Summer dining for two at British Silver Week 2010

The PMC Studio is pleased to again sponsor this years British Silver Week. Over the past three years this prestigious nationwide event has grown from being a week event to an event that runs for almost the entire year. The aim of British Silver Week is to promote the best of British silversmithing talent. Each designer is required to make a signature piece of silver tableware which is hallmarked with a unique British Silver Week hallmark which will be on sale at galleries throughout the country.

Since the launch of British Silver week various PMC artists have participated with great success. This year a group of artists including Emma Gordon, Leigh Armstrong, Carol Douglas, Mary Myers, Amy Surman and Pauline Scripps will be rising to the challenge to create a unique table setting entitled "Summer dining for two" to tie in with the British Silver Week theme of "Summer Silver".

The "Summer dining for two" installation will comprise of a wide range of PMC silver tableware that, although part of the same setting, will each be unique and represent the style of each individual artist.

Summer dining for two will be on show at the launch of British Silver Week at the modern art gallery Pangolin in Kings Cross, London on Tuesday 27 April.

It will also be on show at Bucks Open Studios in June, the PMC Studio stand C61 at International Jewellery London (IJL) at Earls Court, London on 5- 8 September and other events throughout the year.

5th March

A new supplier was added to the beads page.

A Bead in the Hand - West Inverness, FL

US retail bead store, no online sales. Also run classes.

A new bronze clay tutorial was added.

Sabine Alienor - Prometheus Bronze Clay Syringe Tutorial

Prometheus have developed a syringe bronze clay and this tutorial from Sabine shows you how to use it to make a lovely bead.

A new competition was added.

Metal Clay Design Contest

Deadline for entries: 1st April 2010

To add to the excitement of the premier issue of Metal Clay Artist Magazine, both in print and online, Metal Clay Findings are pleased to announce a collaborative design contest. They have put together a findings contest kit at a special price so you can start creating your contest submission. For more details please review the contest rules or visit metalclayartistmag.com.

Click here for Contest Rules.

4th March

New suppliers were added to the bead pages.

Flamingo Beads - Orange County, FL

US Retail store with online sales. Beads, chain, storage. They also run classes.

3 Bears Beading - Umatilla, FL

Retail and online store with beads, crystals, Czech glass, findings and kits. They also run classes.

3rd March

A new tutorial was added to the bronze clay tutorials page.

Sabine Alienor - Prometheus Bronze Clay Tutorial in French

Sabine shows step by step how to make this bronze ring. As always, there are wonderful pictures and even if you don't read French, you can pick up some great tips for making rings from this tutorial.

A new artist selling their work has been added to the gallery section.