Mokume gane - again....

Bracelet 672
Originally uploaded by Angela.B

For a long time I have been admiring other peoples mokume gane but never quite managed to get results I was equally stunned with myself.

Here's one of the pieces I love by Angela.










I was determined that I too was going to master this technique. I had already read several tutorials and played about with it a bit but still wasn't quite getting it how I wanted it. I reread some tutorials and played about last night until I cracked it! Having a decent deep texture definitely makes it easier so I am glad I bought the Lisa Pavelka texture stamps.

Here was my first attempt, well you can see the pattern but I had 3 colours (you might recognise them as being this weeks colour palette from the Color Palette a Week Group on flickr) and I was only seeing 2 and it just didn't have the magic.

Rereading some of the tutorials I decided my layers weren't thin enough. I made a stack that was 12 layers within a sheet that was made on the thickest setting of the pasta machine - pretty thin layers! Again I used the 3 colours from the coffee colour palette. Finally I am happy!

Successful mokume gane sheet!

I used the shavings on sheet of scrap clay and love this too!

I have made some things with the sheets but need to get them sanded, strung and photographed before I share them with you. Teaching a workshop tonight so I am off to prepare for that. I hope to share my finished jewellery soon.  Kids are home from school next week and we are mainly away with friends and family so it'll be quiet here, and I'll have to try and cope without my clay.....