Difference between engraving tip and blunt tip with guest Cindy Pope

I was so excited when Cindy Pope agreed to a guest post with the Chomas Creations engraving tip and blunt tip to show you what they can do with metal clay.  If you are a blog fan of mine, you know I'm really a paper crafter so big thanks to Cindy for doing this hard work for you all :)

Guest blogger intro - Cindy Pope is a 2nd career artist and jewelry designer. Cindy started creating Jewelry in 2007 and fell in love with the jewelry arts.  Beading was definitely her gateway drug to a fascination with metal. Once she stumbled upon metal clay, a powderized metal clay that becomes solid metal when torch or kiln fired, she became instantly enamored of the medium. The sheer possibilities metal clay offers and the changing techniques have kept her hooked since then. Cindy has many teaching credentials including Precious Metal Clay Rio certification, Hadar Jacobson’s teaching accredidation and level 1 Artclay Certification. When Saul Bell Award winner Wanaree Tanner came out with the concept of cutting and etching metal clay with a machine designed for paper called the Silhouette, Cindy Jumped on board with the new technology and has become one of the most recognized teachers in the field internationally.

Silhouette Magic – Using the Silhouette to create beautiful Jewelry – Featuring the New Chomas engraver with a blunt tip by Cindy Pope.

Metal Clay Artists are completely enamored with the Silhouette Machines for designing and cutting Metal clay to create beautiful jewelry In Silver, Bronze Copper and Steel. None of the intricate engraving Metal clay silhouette artists achieve would be possible without the wonderful Original Chomas engraving tool. While the original tip is fantastic for doing sharp detailed lines, we asked Amy to create a tip that smoothly filled the inside of designs. And she came up with the Blunt Engraving tool and it does the trick perfectly! It works especially well with the newer Flex versions of Metal Clay which carve and etch wonderfully. She originally introduced the new tip during one of Craftcast’s wonderful I love tools presentations. https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/i-love-tools-8

Many Metal clay artists have asked me to explain how I like to use the new Chomas engraver when designing for metal clay. I have provided 2 examples to get you started.

Filled in Text

The blunt tip can be used by itself to create thicker lines and it can also be used with the sharp engraving tool to easily etch deep smooth chambers. It can also be used to fill in text or Monograms smoothly like these shown compared to the original engraver fill.

I have prepared a video for you showing exactly how you can achieve this new smoother look with your fills. These A’s were etched on 3 card clay using the engraving tools. You can see the big difference on the bottom two which were etched using both engravers versus the top one engraved using the original engraver only – These were all done with one pass. - Letter fill video

Deep smooth chambers

I have used both tips to achieve this smooth chambered look using 2 mm thick clay. This opens up so many possibilities of filling the chambers with findings, resin, enamel and just about anything.

I have prepared another video for you demonstrating how I achieved this look. creatingchambers with the chomas engravers

Resources

If you are interested in learning more about how to use the silhouette with metal clay check out my silhouette classes on Craftcast or join the McSilies facebook group - MCSilies Facebook Link. I also teach one on one skype classes and intensives throughout the US and in my hometown Portland Oregon.

The Craftcast organization https://www.craftcast.com/ is committed to making quality Silhouette Videos for many different mediums. They have kindly provided a coupon code for Amy’s readers. For 25% off or buy 3 get a 4^th for free, The code is  memorial2016.  Alison Lee, Craftcast’s Director and producer, has produced hundreds of classes with wonderful teachers and projects. Here is a list of the Silhouette classes available:

Craftcast Silhouette classes

Suzanne McNenly – Beautiful Paper Bracelet with silver clay section at the end wonderful starting place 

https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/silhouette-cutter-how-basics-and-beyond-suzanne-mcnenly
Cindy Pope - Basic metal clay how to class with lots of bonuses and instruction.

https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/deciphering-silhouette-constructing-mixed-metal-pendant 

Cindy Pope - 960Flex class - how to design and construct using this amazing flexible silver clay. https://www.craftcast.com/videos/how-create-and-cut-using-flex-metal-clay-and-silhouette%E2%84%A2-cutters

Fauxbone with Robert Dancik and Cindy Pope – Curio leather tooling and faux bone engraving - https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/silhouette-curio-%E2%80%93-new-possibilities-leather-and-faux-bone-cindy-pope-and-robert-dancik

Mags Bonham - Polymer class - Fantastic beginning class if you are nervous about starting with Silver or want to take your polymer to a new level

https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/create-3d-flower-polymer-clay-necklace-using-your-silhouette-cameo

Mags Bonham - Polymer class - slightly more advanced and uses the curio. 

https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/learn-make-polymer-clay-faux-ivory-jade-lapis-turquoise-and-more-mags-bonham

Wanaree Tanner class silver clay - Our fearless Metal clay trail blazer intermediate level

https://www.craftcast.com/recordings/new-metal-clay-possibilities-using-silhouette-cameo-cutter-wanaree-tanner

Maggie Bergman - Etching on Aluminum using silhouette designs as a mask

https://www.craftcast.com/videos/creating-aluminum-cutting-etching-colouring-maggie-bergman

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 2!!1 3$ !

##!!%

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