Celebrating the Holidays with Fabulous Deals!

Happy Holidays from the Metal Clay Heads! We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the upcoming Holidays and to express gratitude to our wonderful customers with fabulous deals this coming Black Friday to Cyber Monday (November 25th to 29th). Participating members are offering free shipping and/or various discount on their handmade arts. Check them out today and don’t miss out! Please refer to the list at the end of this post for codes and details.

Here is a showcase of the feature item from participated members, enjoy!

Members	Use Code:	Details
AbellaBlue		Free shipping
adornedbyrobin	XMAS2010	20% off
ArtisanSilver		Free shipping
DaVoria	metalclay	Free shipping + 20% off
DestinysCreations	Gobblegobble	Free shipping + 10% off for all orders over $30
envydesignsjewelry	BLACKFRI10	Free shipping + 10% off
erinelizabeth	Thanks10	Free shipping + 10% off
FacciaFelice		Free shipping + up to 20% certain items
fishbonesilver		Free shipping
GSCreations	MCHBLK10	Free shipping within the U.S. + 10% off
heartsabustin		15% off
InMyOwnBackyard	holidayfrenzy	Free shipping within the U.S. + 10% off
jewelflyt	MCHBLK10	Free shipping + 10% off
LizardsJewelry	blackcyber	Free Priority insured mail + 10% off
lynncobb		Free shipping within the U.S.
mangosteenjewelry	PLAIDFRI	10% off
mybrownwren	wren10	Free shipping within the U.S. + 10% off
nineteenthirteen		Free shipping + 10% off anything in the store.
OxOriginalArtJewelry	THGVGWKND	15% off
Seavbeach	Gobblegobble	Free shipping + 10% off next purchase
SilverBlueberry	BLFRIDAYMCH	20% off entire store
SilverWishes	silver10	Free shipping + 10% off
somethingxtraspecial	SXSCyberwkend	10% off
sophistiquejewelry	TurkeyDay20	Free Shipping + 20% off entire store
SweetleafSisterz	Sweetleaf10	Free shipping + 10% off
Willowandme		Free shipping + 10% off

Lynn Cobb: Saul Bell Award Finalist

We have many talented and award-winning members on our Metal Clay Heads Team and it's always so exciting to "talk" to those about whom I have read or whose work I have seen in books.  I love to say I know these people!  One of our newest members is Lynn Cobb, who recently announced that she is a finalist for the 2011 Saul Bell Design Award in the Metal Clay Division for this beautiful Fine Silver Flower.

Photo by George Post

Lynn has been working with PMC for about six years.  Her background is in painting (mostly abstracts with acrylics) and polymer clay jewelry and she says the transition to PMC was a natural one for her.  She has always loved abstract, sensual, flowing forms and continued using them in her PMC work. 

The inspiration for her beautiful flowers is best left in Lynn's own words:

Of course as with most of us, I have made plenty of silver leaves by building up layers of paste on the back of actual leaves. They sometimes seem a bit trite perhaps, and yet I have been able to keep a steady flow of these flowing out of the booth at craft fairs. One day, I had a group of ginkgo leaves that I had not yet fired. When completely dry, the actual leaves pop right off the clay, so I began to play with arranging the leaves into a flower and realized that I could form them by using a small lump to hold them together, I began with two leaves and added as I went along, after each addition had completely dried. I added tiny balls of silver clay or slithery forms to draw the eye into the center of the flowers. (I add gold by painting gold paste on to the unfired silver, 2 layers before firing and another 2 layers, torch fired after the whole piece has been kiln fired.)

After I finished the first few flowers, I realized that I had created these sensual flowers that brought forth the beauty of Georgia O'Keeffe's spectacular flower paintings in three dimensional pieces of jewelry. I have been very strongly influenced by her flowers that just pulsate on the canvas.  I also love the work of Judy Chicago, particularly The Dinner Party which, you may know, was an installation of dinner plates and place "mats" representing 99 women from his(her)story. These plates in some cases were painted flowers and others were far more representational, in three dimensions, of a woman's own flower, her vulva. Not in the least bit vulgar, Chicago's work was meant to show the power of women's art and craft and indeed, women's bodies. This work was done at a time when women artists were beginning to demand that the male dominated art community exhibit art done by women. And, to demand that women's art be accepted equally with art done by men and that women's art is as legitimate as men's, regardless of the subject matter, materials used and style.

All of this has been brewing within me, as an artist for the last 30 years. I feel that with metal clay, I have finally found the medium that allows me to express myself, in a way that feels very authentic and this flower series, I would like to think, is my own contribution to women's art. Our art, often relegated to the back of the gallery in the past, has begun to truly flower within the art community.

It is no surprise to me that a majority of metal clay artists are women. We have always been drawn to craft, art with function: needlecraft, pottery, jewelry. We have added beauty to everyday items throughout the millennia and we, as women, should be proud of our heritage and continue to create real art as we see fit, whether to adorn ourselves, our homes or gallery walls!

 Lynn has made other beautiful flowers in this series as well: 

Photo by George Post

Lynn is a Certified PMC Artisan, Level 2, and is currently working toward the Metal Clay Masters Registry professional development program.   Her work has appeared in Metal Clay Beads by Barbara Becker Simon, Jewelry, the 'zine by Catherine Witherell, the 4th PMC Guild Annual and in Mixed Metal Jewelry Workshop, by Mary Hettmansperger.

Lynn lives in the San Francisco Bay area and teaches classes in PMC.  Her work can be seen in her Etsy shop as well as at fine craft shows in the Bay area and at www.lynncobbsilver.com.

New Beginnings Challenge Winner

Our winner is Jennifer of Envydesignsjewelry! Her Phoenix from the Ashes Pendant is totally amazing and well-deserved to win!




Twig and Buds Earrings by FacciaFelice came in second and the Growth Pendant by Sophistiquejewelry came in third.





We've a total of 108 votes, thank you for your participation. And the one who post a comment will be entered into our December blog giveaway featuring Willow and Me. Please stay tuned!

Congratulations...

to Ali of Ali Bali Jewellery.  She won the Ya Meana Patina contest by Metal Clay Today with her awesome coral rings:  http://www.metalclaytoday.com/alison_reid.html

November Challenge - New Beginnings

Every other month, we challenge our members to think outside of the box and create a unique metal clay piece. This month challenge is "New Beginnings" chosen by last challenge winner Ghislaine of GSCreations. The followings are artistic expression and interpretation of the theme by our members.

Please cast your vote on the right column; and if you post a comment, you will be automatically entered into our December blog giveaway.

New Beginnings Pendant by Mybrownwren

This cross represents new beginnings in my work and in my life. The embellishments are made with pmc paper - a process that I just recently attempted at my PMC certification class. [more]



Closeness Pendant by Somethingxtraspecial

A new beginning - innocence to maturity and the close bond that bind them.



New Beginnings Bracelet by SilverBlueberry

New beginnings was interpreted as supernovae, old stars that explode to generate new ones. The supernovae shown are painted after real examples. [more...]



Growth Pendant by Sophistiquejewelry

Meg says, "I feel the image of a tiny fern just beginning to unravel fits the theme of "New Beginnings" perfectly. It's also a nice reminder that Spring will come again, something to hold us through the winter ahead. :)"



Phoenix from the Ashes Pendant by Envydesignsjewelry

The phoenix rises from the ashes to be reborn again and again. A constant cycle of renewal. [more...]



New Beginnings Pendant by SilverSirenDesignS

It is a miniature copy of a statue I got for my husband the first year we met. We went to a lot of art fairs and rock & gems shows and these African couple statues were every where. That year was the beginning of a new life for me and when I wear it, I can remember to make each day a day for renewed love.



Twig and Buds Earrings by FaccaFelice

Buds are the symbol of new start, a new beginning. These twig and buds earrings represent hope. [more...]