Firescoff....Excellent product!!

I have been researching on how to fire ear posts on the studs that I made for 2 years...yes 2 years as I'm a amateur and a beginner in this sort of silver craft.  I never have any lessons and I'm not trained in this sorts of stuffs too.  Lastly,  I'm afraid to use a butane torch...

(Past Working Methods)
Seriously, I used to mount the sterling ear post on the dried art clay silver piece and fire both pieces together.  However, this IS only a 50% success rate kind of approach.  As the sterling silver post cannot withstand such high temperature during the firing process, it just melted during most of time when I fire them...... Now that WAS really frustrating when I had orders and needed the studs urgently.  Finally I made up my mind to get a torch and whatever things that are needed such as flux, silver solder, boric acid, pickle pot and etc...

(Now)
Fortunately, I found this WONDERFUL product FIRESCOFF from internet during my thorough research and bought it from Rio Grande.  Well I need to clarify that I was not paid to write this review for the product as I have mentioned earlier that I'm an amateur.  This product simply helps me to skip the flux, boric acid and pickling part and this means a great deal as I was quite hesitating to use those things.  I have pets in my working place, so I will try all I could not to endanger their health.
Note that Firescoff is a spray on ceramic coating that gives consistent flow without using the flux and protection from firescale.  That will prevent the sterling silver post from melting.  Firescoff is non flammable and it's free of fluoride and chloride.

These are some of the pictures that I took when I used the firescoff.  The pictures are not so clear and I tried to be real careful as I was holding the torch on one hand and the camera on the other.

If you notice that there was a drip of water on the stud base.  This helped to gauge the temperature when I can apply the firescoff after it boiled off.  Then I sprayed the firescoff and added a tiny bit of silver solder on it and reheated the piece again.  

You will notice that the firescoff will become a white sort of cluster ceramic coat on the base.  

I tipped the ear post in the firescoff... though I supposed to spray on it.... and I reheated the base again. Please remember that the white powdery ceramic coat will be burned off if the temperature is correct and the firescoff is also a flux that create flow for the solder.

SEE!!  This was so much EASY than that old and non effective method that I used to do.  Lastly I just washed and brushed the fired silver pieces.

(After thought)

YES I will continue to use this product and you can find some ways to save the firescoff by dripping it on the pieces that you want to use instead of spraying.  This is really so so SOOO easy to use and the result is fast for amateur like me.   

Art clay silver, Hearts series

 Three different hearts necklaces newly listed in my Etsy shop.  Casual and sweet as gifts for all occasions.

Minimal ear studs

Well, I'm not sure if many are reading this post.  Still...do enter this coupon code during checkout to enjoy a 15% off any of these hearts series jewelry.  This offer ends on 30th Sept. 

Coupon code: iheartjoypeckjoy

What's inside their mind?????

Cant help to think "What inside their mind??"............

BEBE

ZHU

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEI

Custom Pendants with Personalize Initial Letter

 

~~ Personalize Initial Letter ~~

 

I am glad to have this chance to do personalize initial letter on art clay silver. Hoping to create more some and petite personalize name necklaces in my shop.

New Art Clay Silver Ear Studs in Shop!

 Which pair is your favorite?

Well, I think I have accidentally deleted the first script that have I typed just now for this post...sometimes words just do not come so easily...especially for me.  Again, I have created some new pairs of metal clay pieces ( the studs are already listed in my etsy shop) and I am very happy that I can use this medium again...urh...of course the price is as costly as before or should I said even more costly...( not a toy to play with -_-""  ...)  However though expensive, this flexible medium really opens up rooms for creativity and I finally get my brain working at least for the creativity sake.  Truly, I really really enjoy using art clay silver to make my jewellery. Hopefully I can get some ideas out of  my mind and continue to list new creations at least once a month. 

Good news for those curious ones who personally want to experience to create a one of a kind necklace or earrings yet do not want to sign up for some sorts of serious hard core jewellery lessons that are really costly too.  I am thinking of organizing a short term lesson, really short like 1 or 2 classes, a time to try something different.  I will probably get the lesson outline done by August and at least conduct this lesson once by this year.  

Petite Ear Studs

Cute little studs handcrafted using art clay silver, the posts are .925SF...though the steamboat stove is still my main source of firing the silver pieces, getting a torch is still my goal for this year.  The torch allows me to solder the studs behind the animal shapes and also a step nearer to silversmithing.  The process that I am doing now is really troublesome but it does save some cost... Guess there are always pros and cons...
Recently I bought a new packet of art clay silver and the price is...erm....expensive of course.  As the price of the gold is dropping....I am wondering if the price of the art clay is going down too...  I am hoping to upload a simple art clay silver tutorial however I wonder too if how many people will really read the post...haha...

Whimsical spring.....

 

"Spring is here.............??"

 

 

Seriously, it is so hard to experience 'Spring' in Singapore....the hot and humid climate down here is killing me....Fortunately,  the process of making these lovely jewelry filled me with sweetness and moment of tranquility....

'Pin Interest'...

'Pin Interest' 

 

 

Blissful spring is here and I have created these lovely bobby pins hair accessories recently.  They will be listed in my JoyPeckJoy shop soon...... 

Public Garden in Feb at National Museum

 

 

Public Garden, Singapore National Museum

Great Success for the Public Garden Flea Market in Feb at Singapore National Museum!!  Personally, I could say that I HEART this flea market more compared to SCAPE.  Most of the vendors during this event are introducing handmade products such as soap, jewelry, recycled notebooks, pottery, bags and many more.  This handmade spirit is really something missing locally where flea markets of real artisan stuffs are so common oversea.  However, it is delightful to see that our local handmade markets are catching up slowly.  Also I was so surprised to find that vintage goods had such a lure of attractions!!  Of course, I do fond of some of the dresses I found there.  You will get to see some of the vendors that I HEART, please support them by adding them to your Facebook.  We all hand makers do need such publicity to keep our little shop surviving...yes I mean surviving...

Things I bought

 

 

 

 

Printed cards originally painted by Teo Ban Siang.  Items related to animals are something that I can NEVER and EVER resist especially when the artist mentioned that some of the sales go to the 'needy' cats.  Hopefully he will have some new ones for the next march event again. 

 

 

This is the 2nd item that I bought.  I love handmade recycled notebooks.  The seller really do have many wonderfully created paper, sadly I didn't take pictures of those.  Yes Yes, in order to prevent myself from over spent, I only kept $30 dollars in my wallet...  Well, I do follow up those shops that I like, visiting and adding them in my shopping list for next time.

 

Shops I heart

 

UYII

 

 

This is definitely in my shopping list for next time.  Always love this kind of handmade bag.  Something different than the mass productions.

 

thesoapArtisans

 

 I always support handmade soaps.  My soaps are all handmade by this etsy shop WildHerb .You will understand the goodness of handmade soaps only after you have tried it.  I am surprised to find this handmade soap shop at this flea market.  Imagine you know the ingredients of the soaps and they are all healthy stuffs, essential oils and no hidden suspicious thingy inside.  Though you can find handmade soaps locally but once you smell the strong fragrant...you know that something is 'out'...so do try these soap made by thesoapArtisans. Seems like they sold all their soaps during this flea market...what a hot catch!!

 

 maykeMe

 

 

Handmade ceramic owl cup is one of my favorite after I checked her etsy shop just now.  I used to have this one of a kind mug but was unfortunately broken by my sister.  I still can't get over the sadness even 10 years later.  You can imagine how much I love that mug...Kind of disappointed even until now as I could not find anything that is similar, so I decided to make one of a kind on my own in the future.  I believe that you will understand this sentiment.

 

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New Locket Necklaces

I have not been making any new pieces or even update my Etsy with much new pieces of jewellery, have been neglecting my blog...  Sadly I have to stop making art clay silver pieces as the price of just a packet of 50g of art clay silver has reached a high price of $200!!!  Crazy isn't it???  Right now I have only left just 10g of silver clay.  Its really sad as making the art clay silver jewellery is REAL FUN! And also most of my Etsy sales come from my sales of fine silver pieces.  Actually I have these vintage lockets for a year in my jewel box and finally I made something with them and of course, they are created with touches of love, romantic and spring feel. These are the images of some new jewellery I made recently.  Some of them are listed in my Etsy shop already.