I'm not a gadget girl. It was a good five or seven years into the cell-phone age before I got one, and then only because I was taking a cross-country road trip. I don't have an iPhone, iPad, iPod, or i-anything else. I'm a very old-fashioned girl and that goes for technology, too, except in one case: online video. When I learned that I could watch movies and television shows on my laptop, I hopped right on that bandwagon.

I love being able to see episodes of my favorite show that I've missed or watch movies online when I'm traveling. When I returned to knitting after a few years away from it, I used online video to refresh my memory for how to cast on stitches, and while making a rosary for a very dear friend, I watched several online videos to find some good tips for making all those wrapped loops look good and be consistent.

Having a video demonstration of creative techniques is so handy and helpful. You can return to the video again and again to watch a technique over and over, at your own pace, as many times as necessary until you've learned what you want to learn--whether it's casting on stitches or making wrapped loops. The convenience of downloading video online can't be beat--no trips to the store on $4-a-gallon gas, no shipping charges, and no waiting on the delivery guy (it's instant!).

That's my favorite part--the instant gratification of downloading videos online. Most of my making (jewelry or otherwise) usually takes place late in (okay, in the middle of) the night, when no stores are open to cater to my craft or jewelry-making needs. So I was very excited to learn about our 10-cent download deal. For one little dime, day or night, you can instantly download jewelry artist Susan J. Lewis's metal clay workshop DVD, Metalwork: Exploring Metal Clay Basics--and then you can watch it over and over as many times as you want to, whenever you want to.

Susan has been teaching metal clay jewelry-making classes for twelve years. Imagine all the tips, tricks, and techniques she has learned, developed, and perfected in all those years! You can benefit from her expert metal-clay knowledge when you instantly download her DVD, Metalwork: Exploring Metal Clay Basics. In the 75-minute workshop, she shares many of her metal clay tips, such as how to use a damp paint brush to manipulate tight areas of wet metal clay and properly finish edges.

Watching Susan's Exploring Metal Clay Basics DVD, you'll learn the magic of metal clay itself and the tools used to work with it properly during a comprehensive tools and materials overview. You'll also learn:

• tips for preparing your work surface to maximize your time for metal clay's quick work pace
• metal-clay jewelry-making uses for household items such as straws, playing cards, tile or Formica samples, and craft paint brushes
• how to create pendants, bails, and other metal-clay jewelry in any shape or style that you want, with any texture you choose, and how to set stones in them
• polishing techniques to finish "green" (unfired) and fired metal clay jewelry pieces to perfection
• money-saving ideas for using any leftover metal clay, such as how to make metal clay slip

You'll also learn to understand the shrinkage factor inherent in metal clay and Susan's sizing tips for making pieces that will be the size you want after firing with the help of a photocopier. To know what size your metal clay piece will be after firing, place it or a sketch of it on a copier and set it to reduce to 86 percent. This approximates your finished size. To make a piece turn out a certain size after firing, place a sketch of it on a photocopier and enlarge it to 114 percent; then make your metal clay design that size.

Don't procrastinate one more minute! This is the kind of deal that allows you to learn something you've always wanted to learn and try out popular, convenient technology--all without risking tons of money. For ten little pennies, you can download Susan J. Lewis's Metalwork: Exploring Metal Clay Basics DVD instantly today and you'll be making metal clay jewelry by tonight! (This offer is good through Thursday, May 26, at 11:59 p.m. MT.)

 

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