Metal Clay Academy Launchpad
The new Metal Clay Academy Launchpad
Take your jewellery making to another level with this full on metal clay workshop designed to make you Diploma ready.
The Metal Clay Academy Launchpad is not just another silver clay workshop, it will prepare you for an exciting journey down the road to metal clay excellence.
What is the Metal Clay Academy Launchpad?
The Launchpad is a fully immersive workshop where you will not only learn the basic fundamentals of making jewellery with metal clay, but you’ll also get an insight into the follow-on Diploma and Certification Courses available at Metal Clay Academy.
With the option of a 1 Day or 2 Day Launchpad Workshop, you will be introduced to the magic of metal clay and be shown how to make some fantastic jewellery that you’ll be able to take away with you on the day.
We promise you a full on workshop and from the beginning we will introduce you to what metal clay is and its history. From there we will walk you through the essential fundamentals of planning your project, setting up your work station and preparing your tools. These points are often overlooked but are essential for getting the best from your precious materials. Throughout the session you will undertake 3 projects (4 projects on the 2 Day Launchpad) and these cover the essential fundamentals and key techniques for working with metal clay. These projects are designed to not only show you the versatility of metal clay but will also give you some freedom to experiment and get your creative juices flowing.
How does The Metal Clay Academy Launchpad differ from other introductory courses?
The Metal Clay Academy Launchpad has been specially created for anyone who is at the start of their metal clay journey and is looking for a structured introduction to working with this amazing material. It's not just a day of making simple pieces of jewellery by sticking pieces of clay in a mould, the Metal Clay Academy Launchpad will introduce you to some key skills required for working with metal clay. We teach you the essential fundamentals that few others teach.
What's more, you will also work with copper clay on the 1 Day Launchpad and copper and bronze clay on the 2 Day Launchpad only.
Project 1 To begin with you will make a layered pendant from silver clay that will teach you so many techniques in one project. In this one project you will learn how to:
Project 2 The next project is an overlap ring, again from silver clay. Here is an example of one made by one of the students. Rings are a popular choice in jewellery making but making rings from silver clay can be challenging, especially when it comes to the sizing. Again, we will guide you through the process so you have our full support.
Project 3 will introduce you to copper clay, one of the base metal clay products that we feature in several of our courses. For project 3 you will make a copper necklace based on a brief given to you by your tutor. There is plenty of flexibility in this project to change the design if you are bursting with ideas. Whilst the basic fundamentals of working with base metal clay and silver clay are very similar, there are also subtle but significant differences in order to get the best from your project. This project is a great introduction to our Base Metal Fundamentals Certification and our Diploma in Base Metal Clay (launching in 2027).
Project 4 (2 Day Launchpad only) is exclusive to the 2 Day Launchpad and introduces you to Bronze Clay, another of our base metals. For this project you will make a golden bronze brooch. Bronze clay has, yet again, small differences that can make a difference to how you work with your clay.
Throughout the course we will be discussing and demonstrating various aspects of working with metal clay, not only to increase your knowledge, but also help structure a development pathway for you.
At the end of the course you will have the opportunity to have your work assessed and marked by your tutor. This will give you an idea of what to expect in the Diploma as well as our follow on courses. You will also be given a Certificate of Achievement and details of your marks for future reference. Of course, you don't have to know your marks if you don't want to, it's up to you, and you will still receive a certificate.
You will also receive a development plan which will help you decide what your next steps are. If you decide to sign up the Diploma, your tutor will guide you through what's involved and support you with your application.
