Contact Information
You can contact me at alchemistgarden@hotmail.com
with any questions, and payment information.
Melanie Miller
The Alchemist's Garden
2255 Allison Road
Blairsville, Ga. 30512
706-781-2878

A little about me...Melanie Miller
It is my intention that the jewelry I create will be healing, uplifting, positive, and a celebration of our beautiful Earth. A Level One Certified PMC Artisan working in this medium since December 2004, I find excitement EVERYDAY in working with Metal Clay!?In my travels, I pick up branches, leaves, other treasures, making them into molds. In addition, I make texture tiles from found organic objects, such as old wood, coral, stone, cement, plants ... too many to list. I also use my own carvings, pressing the clay into these. I found my artistic calling early in life, constantly looking for the details in the smallest of things. I grew up in the coal mining fields of West Virginia, with all sorts of animals, with the horse being my favorite. My hands were always my best form of expression, digging up mud to create a model of the Universe, teaching myself the aspects of color and form by painting still life portraits, dabbling in stained glass, animal care, horse training, retail sales, waiting tables, make-up artistry, pottery, textiles, and wax, have all brought me to this path on my life's journey.
I have no formal art training, just love of dimension, form, and all things beautiful!
Being surrounded by nature most of my life has left an indelible mark upon my soul, that has finally found it's way out into the world. I have settled in the Blue Ridge mountains of north Georgia, with my husband, Warren, after 16 years in the Atlanta area. The beauty and tranquility aids in the creation of my jewelry! Working with Metal Clay allows me to work in two mediums, clay and metal, which feeds my creative fires in ways that I think are mind-boggling.

Metal Clay?? What it is...
Metal Clay, is new to the art jewelry scene, having been in the United States for about a decade.
Each piece starts in the form of soft "clay",a malleable form of microscopic fine silver particles suspended in an organic binder, and water. Once formed, each piece is dried and finished with various files to refine the details then fired in a kiln. The firing, 1650 degrees for a total time of nearly three hours, burns away the binder, leaving behind nothing but pure silver. Burnishing, polishing, finishing, adding various patinas, and other accents finish each piece. There are little bits of myself in each and every piece I create!