The theme for the 2010 Silver Accessories Contest is "Connection" or "open theme". All pieces must arrive at the Art Clay World main office by February 1, 2010; late submissions will not be accepted for any reason.

We are excited to announce that Art Clay Copper has been released for purchase as of December 1, 2009. There has been an overwhelming demand for this product, and supplies are very limited. Click here for the announcement flyer.
Click here for the Art Clay Copper Pamphlet

The Art Clay World Commercial will be airing in the U.S. between October 19 and November 1, 2009. The commercial will be shown in 200+ cities during primetime. To view a listing of the different cities that will be running the commercial, please click here.

The tentative schedule of events that Art Clay will be attending in 2010 is now available. To view this list, please go to www.artclayworld.com/shows.php

The North American Design Competition will not be held in 2009. The Metal Clay World Conference as well as other extenuating circumstances made it necessary to postpone the competition. The competition will resume in 2010, and we will release the contest information as soon as it becomes available.

Sfona Pelah and Jay Whaley will co-teach this Workshop melding their specific areas of expertise, to the benefit of the student. The goal is to introduce metal clay workers to basic silversmithing techniques, and to demystify the torch.

Jay will instruct utilization of the torch, which will include melting, alloying, pouring and forming ingots, as well as basic soldering.

This will make use of scraps and rejected pieces of previously fired metal clay. Sfona asks that you bring in "problem" pieces, for this project.

Sfona will focus, among other things, on recovery of not yet fired metal clay, which may yet prove to be usable.

This is a new direction for a workshop, and we welcome questions and suggestions that you may have. Please direct them to terrie@whaleyworkshops.com

Jay Whaley has been a jewelry instructor for over 30 years, the last 25 primarily at UCSD’s Craft Center. In recent years Jay has established his own studio in the Hillcrest area of San Diego and has been offering private classes and workshops there.

Beginning in October, Jay will be teaching all his classes at his own studio. Jay is leaving UCSD at the end of this current semester.

Sfona Pelah is a known artist and printmaker, and more recently a metal clay instructor. She has given lessons and workshops in the San Diego area for some time now. Her own metal clay pieces reflect her exquisite artist training, and are masterpieces of design and quality.

When: September 26th, 2009 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: San Diego, California
Who Should Attend: Students, teachers, jewelry makers, suppliers, hobbyists
Fee: The cost to attend the Metalsmithing for Metal Clay Artisan is $125.00.
Contact: Terrie Masters, the Workshop Coordinator at 619-299-9619.

As of Monday, August 24, please make sure the contents of your shopping cart are correct BEFORE checking out. All online orders will now be final and cannot be changed or modified after submission. If you need to add or change items to an order, you will have to place a separate order, and pay for separate shipping.

You may cancel an order before it is shipped by contacting the main office as soon as possible to make your request. Remember, orders are typically shipped within one business day of receipt, if not the same day.

Any additions or changes to an existing order will not be accepted. If you would like to add items, you must place a separate order. Items that cannot be purchased online must be called in and ordered separately.

We are pleased to announce that a short corporate demo video explaining Art Clay is now available for viewing on YouTube. This video will also be broadcast on various television stations in the near future. You can view the video on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywwYsrZG5jo&feature=channel_page

The video is also being streamed on the Art Clay World website in two different resolutions:
High Resolution – www.artclayworld.com/Video/ACW_corporate_demo.wmv
Low Resolution – www.artclayworld.com/Video/ACW_corporate_demo_low_res.wmv
 

Carol Babineau’s piece, "Elegant Appeal–A Study In Grace" was awarded thrid place in the Metal Clay Category of the 2009 Bead Dreams Competition. Each year, Bead & Button magazine (www.beadandbutton.com) sponsors Bead Dreams, a juried competition of exceptional bead artistry from around the world. They display the accepted pieces at the Bead & Button Show and award ribbons to seven different categories.

Carol’s work is a necklace with a focal arrangement of three calla lilys in their leaves. These were colored using Pebeo Glass Paints. The lilys are hung from a graduated colored bead crochet rope with metal clay end caps. The necklace is a gift and was created specifically for that person.

We know you want to come, so we’re making it easier to attend the 2009 MCWC. You can pay just $125.00 USD now and the remainder (depending on the discounts) anytime up to, and including, the time of registration at the conference. NOTE: you must call to register if you’re using the "partial payment" option. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express! Phone lines are open Monday – Saturday from 9am – 5pm CST. US TOLL FREE: 866–381–0100 / DIRECT: 708–857–8800

For more information on the Metal Clay World Conference, please go to the website at www.metalclayworldconference.com

Art Clay World, USA, Inc. is now selling COPPRclay™! Instructions for the new COPPRclay™ are available in the Tips & Techniques section, as well as under Product Instructions & MSDS Sheets. You can view the two different packages of COPPRclay™ as well as the COPPRclay™ Combo Pack on our online store or on the New Products page.

Certified Art Clay Senior Instructor and reknowned polymer clay artist, Lisa Pavelka, was awarded the grand prize in the metal clay category of the 2009 Your Designs Rock Contest for her piece "Far East". For a statement by Lisa, as well as photos, please go to the Rings & Things Gallery at http://www.rings-things.com/gallery/index.html

We would like to congratulate Diane Sepanski, and Alexandra Daini Brando for their award winning works. Diane Sepanski’ s piece, "The Gate", won the Award of Excellence for Overseas Artists. Alexandra Daini Brando’s piece, "The Anniversary Gift", won the Award of Judges’ Encouragement. The complete listing of winning pieces with pictures is available at http://www.artclayclub.com/gallery/

You can also view pictures of the North American entries by clicking here.

Master Instructor Pam East has been invited to be a presenter at the Biennial Enamelist Society Conference. Pam will be lecturing on her experiences working with Copper Clay and Enamel. Pam was selected to be one of the first beta testers for copper clay, a new metal clay product that will be available to the public this Spring. For more information on the enamelist conference please go to http://www.enamelistsociety.org/Activities/Conf2009/Conference2009.html.

More details at www.halsteadbead.com/grant
Halstead Bead, Inc. is calling for entries to its fourth annual Business Development Grant competition for new American jewelry designers entering the bridge jewelry trade. The grant will be awarded to a winning candidate in August. All finalists will be eligible for a mentorship program that matches new designers with established and successful jewelry entrepreneurs.

The Halstead Bead Business Development Grant differs from other jewelry industry competitions and awards because of its emphasis on business skills. Entrants must demonstrate not only extraordinary design, but also a strong business strategy.

Designers utilizing a wide variety of fabrication techniques including casting, lampworking, precious metal clay, beading, or metalsmithing are eligible to enter the competition. Candidates must be US citizens who began their businesses after January 1, 2006.

Previous grant winners include Bridgland Studios, Belle Brooke Designs, and Ananda Khalsa Jewelry.

DEADLINE JUNE 17, 2009!

There are over 30 products that will be subject to pricing changes as of February 23, 2009. If you would like a list of all the products that will be affected, please click here. The list will give you a list of the items as well as their expected retail price. If you are a certified instructor or an authorized distributor, please email us for a copy of the list with your pricing structure.

The results for the 12th Annual Pearl Competition are now available online in English. This yearly contest receives submissions from around the world. There were over 400 submissions for the contest from around the world. To view the 2008 results, please click here.

The details for the 2009 contest will be available this summer; so check back often for updates.

Master Instructor and President of Art Clay World, Jackie Truty, will be giving a presenation on metal clay at the 2009 NAMTA Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Her presentation will be given on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 from 12pm to 1:30pm. For more information on NAMTA please go to www.namta.org

We have uploaded nine new project sheets available to everyone. These projects include three different ring designs, four pendants, a brooch and an ornament. All of these sheets are in PDF format and can be found by clicking the Project Sheets link in the left hand margin.