DIY Network

Fall into Fashion: PMC Charm Bracelet by Tammy Honaman From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-513

Host Jackie Guerra is joined by guest jewelry designer Tammy Honaman, who shows you how to create a Precious Metal Clay bracelet with interchangeable trinkets -- perfect for any holiday or season.

Experience Level: Advanced

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Host Jackie Guerra's guest shows you how to create a trinket bracelet using PMC.

Materials --

One 28g package metal clay (on the show Precious Metal Clay was used)
Olive oil or Badger Balm
6 playing cards or 2 pieces of 1mm thick mat board
Rubber stamps
Templates
2" piece of 1/16" brass tube
Chain
Clasp 4-5mm jump rings (one for each charm)

Tools --

Rolling tool (length of 1" diameter PVC pipe is sufficient)
Work surface
Piece of Teflon paper or other non-stick surface (available at cooking supply stores)
Saran Wrap or a piece of heavy-plastic report cover
Needle tool, fine knitting needle or beading awl
Sponge
Salon board
Round jeweler's file
Small paintbrush
Kiln with kiln shelf or micro-butane torch and soldering pad
Brass brush and dish detergent or tumbler with mixed stainless steel shot and burnishing compound
Burnisher
2 flat nose pliers
Liver-of-sulfur or patina agent of your choice (optional)

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

PMC Charm Bracelet

1. Set all of your supplies within your reach; the clay dries quickly so you want to have everything ready.

2. Lightly oil your hands, the work surface where you will be rolling out your clay, the rubber stamps, needle tool and templates.

3. Unwrap the package of clay and place on the oiled area of your work surface. Place Saran Wrap® or a plastic report cover on top of the clay.

4. Place a stack of three cards or mat board on either side of the clay.

5. Begin rolling the clay out (figure A), flipping it over and around after every two passes with the roller. You want the clay to be long and thin to help maximize the amount of stamped images you can get into the clay.

6. Clear the area around your clay, removing the cards and any extra tools. Pick up the clay and place it onto the Teflon sheet; keep the clay covered, preventing it from drying out.

7. With any oiled stamp of your choice, impress the image into the surface of the clay (figure B), keeping boundaries in mind. You want to have room around the edge of the image, sufficient enough to accommodate your template.

8. Cut the stamped image directly out of the clay. You can cut the image out freehand by using a craft knife, or you can cut the image out using a cookie cutter (figure C). Another option would be to place a template over the image then run a needle tool around the perimeter.

9. Plan how you want your charm to hang. Working in from the edge at least 1/4" place the brass tubing and press down. Remove the tubing and circle of clay. If the circle of clay is still present, poke it with your needle tool to remove.

10. Carefully pick up the cut-out stamped clay and place it onto the sponge to dry.

11. Repeat, making enough charms for your bracelet; approximately ten.

12. Once the pieces are completely dry, handle them very carefully because they are at their most vulnerable stage. Refine the edges with a salon board (figure D). Refine the holes with a round jeweler's file.

13. Using a dry paint brush, remove all the clay dust. Any remaining dust will fire in place.

14. Place the pieces onto the fire brick. Ignite the torch. Hold the flame about 2" above the first charm and ago over the entire surface (figure E), working in a circular motion.

15. As the clay heats up it will begin to smoke and a small flame will appear -- that is the binder burning off. The clay will also begin to shrink so you might see some curling or buckling.

16. Continue to heat the piece until it reaches a glowing orange. Hold it at this color for at least two minutes. Back the flame off if the piece begins to glisten -- it is nearing the melting point and you don't want to wind up with a melted blob. Allow the piece to cool slightly then go back to heating the piece at the orange stage to complete the two minutes.

    Safety Tip: It is very important to use a heat resistant surface to do this on and do not pick it up right after burning it because you will get burned!

17. Using tweezers, remove the fired charm from the fire brick then dunk into a bowl of cool water.

18. Using a brass brush and dish detergent, brush the surface of all the charms. Use a burnisher to get into any tight crevices, being careful not to scratch the silver. You can also place the charms into a tumbler with mixed stainless shot. Add burnishing compound so it comes to just above the charms and shot. Tumble until all charms are bright and shiny.

    Note: If you do not have a burnishing tool you can use the back of a spoon or any smooth surface.

19. Remove all the charms from the tumbler and rinse clean.

20. Using flat-nose pliers, open the jump rings. Add a charm to each jump ring. Loop the jump ring through a link on the chain then close the jump ring back up. Loop the clasp onto a jump ring and add it to the end of the chain.

21. Once all the charms and the clasp have been added to the chain, you can patina if you'd like (figure F). To patina with liver-of-sulfur, place a small chip of liver-of-sulfur into a plastic container filled with one cup o warm water. Let the chip dissolve (the water should be a faint yellow). Dip the entire bracelet into the solution, removing it and rinsing in cold water every few seconds. Repeat until the desired effect is achieved. Go over the chain and charms with a polishing cloth.

22. Your charm bracelet is now complete. Make other charms with different themes then add them to your charm bracelet, removing the fall charms until next year.

RESOURCES :

Beads, crystals, pearls, jump rings, head pins & tools
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Website: www.firemountaingems.com

Brass Tube Set
Website: www.celiefago.com

Rubber Stamps
Website: www.stampinup.com

GUESTS :

Tamara L. Honaman
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
We apologize no contact information is available.