Silver Clay & the Search for a Kiln

Yesterday I got a big shipment of silver clay from Val Lewis--157 grams--and I can't wait to start creating. I think about design ideas all day long. I'm hoping to take a class in the next couple of months. But in the meantime, Val has sent me a link to the Metal Clay Academy with instructions and video tutorials that may allow me to do more advanced work on my own.

I really love silver clay. I made a few pieces last year when I had access to my instructor's kiln. I put a few of them up on Etsy and 1000 Markets but most of them sold at craft shows. So I'm encouraged to make more. Here are a few on my Flickr page.

So now I'm shopping for a kiln. I've bid on a couple of used ones on Ebay, but was outbid by $100 or more each time. I guess I'm not being realistic about what I'll have to pay.

The Paragon kilns look great and are the ones recommended by others who work with metal clays. Then there's Skut which is really pricey and a couple of glass people have recommended Evenheat. It's a big, expensive decision so I want to get a good one. But I don't want to break the bank.

So the search continues.