SILVER CLAY CAFE
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

 

Welcome to ASK ANNA

Get answers to those tricky silver metal clay questions!

Hello, I'm Anna and I'm your host for this SUPER SERIES of episodes of Ask Anna. I'll answer some of the many questions that I get asked every week so you can improve your skills, get up to speed on the best products to use and learn lots of new and very cool stuff!

SPECIAL SUMMER TREAT!
August 2025 >> FREE BUTTERFLIES & GEMSTONES COURSE

I've been sitting outside watching the butterflies this week and decided, rather than film a regular ASK ANNA Q&A, I'd gift members to my Silver Clay Cafe one of my best selling courses, the Butterfly and Gemstone Course. If you've not watched one of my online video courses before, there are 27 videos to enjoy in this FREE COURSE. I'm busy writing about making bumble bees and bugs using moulds right now, because I'm writing a NEW GUIDE, which I hope will be available very soon!
 
HOW TO GAIN ACCESS TO YOUR FREE COURSE >> You should receive an email and access information for the FREE COURSE. If you don't, please contact me and I will send you an email to reset your password. Any problems at all, just get in touch. I'm always happy to help.
All the best, Anna x
 
ps if you're already a member, I've now added this free course to your membership area.
 
AUGUST UPDATE FOR STOCKISTS LINKS PAGES >> I have added stockists links for the UK and USA at the end of the free course. Visit these pages to see many of the products and tools that I use. You will also find links to these stockists pages on the homepage.

 

 


July 2025 >> Episode 10

It's a this time of year that we want to wear our jewellery on our holidays, on the beach and when we're away from home. Clean it before you go! I'll show you the best way to clean your jewellery, how to size gemstones and ring bands, and how to drill dry clay to flush set gemstones.

Do you think that ringmaking should be fun? Let's enjoy making stackable, gemstone flower rings together. In this new course, I'll give you the confidence to make beautiful rings to feel proud of. Click the link below

STACKABLE RINGMAKING MASTERCLASS

 Timeline - 28 mins 54 secs
 


June 2025 >> Episode 9

Want to take a first look at the new ring collection? Here's a sneak peek behind the scenes of my new RINGMAKING COURSE 2. I've set up my camera to show you what I've been working on for the last 3 weeks. In this month's episode, I'll show you the techniques I'm using, the teeny, tiny moulds, how to shape open ended rings, and give you an insight into my next course - released in early June.

Want to make beautiful silver metal clay rings? GET 60% OFF my RINGMAKING MASTERCLASS, series 1. Click the link below

RINGMAKING MASTERCLASS

 Timeline - 18 mins 30 secs
 

May 2025 >> Episode 8

I love the idea that you can create a piece of botanical leaf jewellery that is truly unique, and no one in the world with have the same piece. You can do this too! In episode 8, I give you all the information that you will need to collect leaves, make moulds and use them to create silver metal clay jewellery. And, all using a hand held torch!
And, that's not all. I'll pop a link in the caption, for any of you who'd like to get 35% OFF the Botanical Guide Bundle!

CLICK THIS LINK TO GET 35% OFF MY BOTANICAL BUNDLE

Timeline - 24 minutes
 
 

April 2025 >> Episode 7 in Parts 1 and 2

In this video, I'm going to talk about a technique that I'm obsessed about in 2025 - enamelling. I will show you what tools and equipment that I use for torch firing enamels, and talk through the different types of enamels that I use, and various techniques included in my new online video course. I recorded this Q&A in February when I was recovering from the flu, so apologies for my dull voice! The good news is that I'm better and you can now buy my NEW ENAMELLING MADE EASY Course, which has 60% OFF + 2 bonus courses included. I'll pop a link in the caption, for any of you who'd like to see what's inside this wonderful new course.

CLICK THIS LINK TO READ ABOUT ENAMELLING MADE EASY

Timeline - 24 minutes 6 seconds
Note - I've been experimenting with my settings so this should be the last video that I've had to split over two videos! The videos have just been too long to upload because I talk so much ;-) Anna x
 
 

March 2025 >> Episode 6 in Parts 1 and 2

Timeline - 25 minutes 26 seconds
+ Show and tell the larger Redesign with Prima moulds
+ Crowns, butterflies and faces
+ CoolSlip release agent
+ Estimate how much silver metal clay you will need for a mould
+ Shrinkage rates for different brands of silver metal clay
+ Adding tiny cubic zirconia gemstones
+ An essential piece of my toolkit
+ How to create apertures within a piece
+ Add embellishments to rings
+ Add jump rings for hanging
+ The process of making a decorative clock pendant using Prima moulds
+ Show and tell Rings from the Ringmaking Masterclass
+ What torch do you use?
+ How to fill a hand held torch
+ How to use a burnisher
+ How to use a brass brush to polish
 

February 2025 >> Episode 5

Timeline - 24 minutes 49 seconds
+ Talking about butterflies and bugs
+ Reveal of some of my pieces
+ Using moulds
+ Cool Tools Finishing Touches Moulds and how to use them
+ Do you need release agent?
+ Get the Finishing Touches Guide!
+ The Cool Tools jump rings mould and butterflies moulds, dragonflies and bumble bees
+ Decorating a cylindrical bead using butterflies and bugs
+ Instagram (the numbers have increased since I recorded this episode!) and my viral reel
+ Using a poppy seed head to make a mould and a silver metal clay butterfly
+ Get the Butterfly and Gemstone Online Course
+ Gemstone bezels
+ What to do to stop a gemstone dropping out of a bezel
+ How to dry you pieces at home
+ How to fix a bezel if the gemstone drops out, using silver clay syringe!
+ My favourite moulds
+ How much clay do I need to fill a mould?
+ Making pieces to sell
+ Using jewellers scales to weigh your silver metal clay pieces
+ Review of Redesign with Prima Butterfly and Bugs moulds
Get the Soldering Guide!
+ Using liquid release agent
+ What are the eyelets that you can add as jump rings, and how to choose which one is best?
Get the Jump Rings Guide!

 

BONUS Technique Video February 2025

Here's another BONUS TECHNIQUE VIDEO! >> Want to make a beautiful silver metal clay crown? I'll show you how to make a stunning silver metal clay crown using a Redesign with Prima mould

Timeline - 11 minutes 54 seconds
 

January 2025 >> Episode 4

Timeline - 24 minutes 56 seconds
Showing you the different types of clays that I use
Art Clay Silver & Phoenix Torch Fireable Clays revealed!
What are their shrinkage rates
Opening the packs to look at the clay
How to store the leftover bits of clay
Art Clay Silver Syringe explained
How to stop syringe from drying out
Mending a broken ring using syringe
How to use the syringe
Silver Syringe Nozzles explained
How to make a perfect straight line of syringe clay
Top Tip for practising making lines of clay
What's inside my tool box?
An explanation of the tools that I use
The difference between silver clay syringe and soldering syringe
A hand held torch explained (see below for a short video on how to fill with gas)
Botanical Leaf Project Guide
Showcasing rings from my Ringmaking Masterclass
 

BONUS Technique Video January 2025

This BONUS TECHNIQUE VIDEO is live >> Come on a journey with me in this first BONUS video where I chat about using CoolTools textures and moulds to make ring bands.

Timeline - 11 minutes 31 seconds

Discover what the textures look like once they're turned into silver metal clay rings. I show you what the measuring spacers are used for, and how they differ from using playing cards to get the thickness that you want. See a demonstration of how to use the texture tiles to roll out a piece of silver metal clay to make a ring band. I use Art Clay Silver in this demo, but you can use any metal clay.
 

December 2024 >> Episode 3

Timeline - 23 minutes 23 seconds
Which moulding compound to buy and how to use it
Showcase an acorn 3D mould
Jump rings explained
Round jump rings v straight-sided jump rings
How to make jump rings using tiny circle cutters and CoolTools moulds
Equipment you will need for soldering on jump rings
Jump rings sizes
Where to buy finished chains
Adding a patina to your jewellery
Essential equipment of a 3rd hand
Pickling for soldering
Making no-join rings
Sizing no-join rings
How to cut out your silver metal clay from templates
Using a ring multi-sizer
 

November 2024 >> Episode 2

Timeline - 24 minutes 40 seconds
+ Ring mandrel set explained
+ How to size a ring with shrinkage rates
+ How to use textured papers and release agents
+ Make a freestyle Art Clay Syringe ring with gemstones
+ Cubic Zirconia gemstones and how to test them for torch firing
+ Do gemstones change colour and what are faceted gemstones?
+ How to stop stones dropping out of a flush setting
+ CoolTools textures for ringmaking
+ Showcase rings from the RINGMAKING MASTERCLASS
+ What is a hand drill, how to use it and drill bits explained
+ Torch firing rings
+ Polishing explained, using 3M and Cousins own brand radial discs and my Proxxon drill
*correction to video, I got carried away talking ;-) the hole for setting the gemstone should be 1.5mm not 0.5mm
 

Summer 2024 Launch >> Episode 1

Timeline - 17 minutes 15 seconds
+ What do I use to stop the silver metal clay sticking inside a mould?
+ Explaining how to use CoolSlip
+ Have I ever worked with Sterling Silver 950 Metal Clay?
+ Which clays I use for torch firing
+ Explaining how to attach handmade silver metal clay jump rings
+ Which gemstones are fireable and how to test them for torch firing?
+ Do I leave a hole in the back of a gemstone setting?
+ Where did you buy the set of circle cutters?
+ How to decide on the thickness of the clay for a gemstone setting
+ Should I leave the clay in the CoolTools Finishing Touches moulds to dry?
+ What is the blue teal powder that you're using?
+ Explaning what's inside the MEGACOURSE

Do you have a silver metal clay question that you're puzzling over?

I'm here to help you and as a member of the 101 Club, you have the opportunity to ask me questions about technique, products, tools, in fact whatever you like!

Simply drop a question in the ASK ANNA chat. Plus, if you see a product in one of my videos on ASK ANNA that you'd like to know more about, comment in the chat and I'll happily find out the information for you.

Contact me
WANT TO START MAKING SILVER METAL CLAY JEWELLERY?

Which online video course is right for you?

21-VIDEO MEGACOURSE

60% OFF! Buy for £48

RRP £120 - A complete course with 21 easy-to-watch videos showing you how to make two sets of beautiful silver metal clay jewellery

TAKE A LOOK

6-VIDEO TASTER COURSE

Try and buy for just £20

A 6-video starter course to see if you like it! I'm hoping that you will so I've included a £5 voucher to spend on another online video course

TAKE A LOOK

2-in-1 RINGMAKING MASTERCLASS

60% OFF! Buy for £48

RRP £120 - Get a ringmaking course plus a gemstone bezel making course. The easy way to learn how to make beautiful silver metal clay rings

TAKE A LOOK