Beading All The Way

I just finished my first ever peyote in the round necklace.  I have made a beaded bezel for a polymer clay cabochon that I made.  I thought it came out pretty good and I was eager to try another one. 

 Well life intervened and it was months before I got around to making another piece.
 I started beading the cabochon  several times, trying to make the bezel fit around the cabochon, just like it did for the "experts" on You-Tube.  I didn't have much luck.  My cabochon slid out, rolled under my refrigerator or the beads got twisted and became a tangled mess.

Now, my prescribed behavior for these setbacks is to throw the whole piece at the wall while muttering several colorful profanities, but I contained myself, seeing as how I was babysitting my grandson at the time. 

I finally decided to go back to the way I had created the first piece.  That worked much better and I completed the bezel in no time.

Now it was time to start the peyote round stitch to create the necklace.  I found some videos on the aforementioned You-Tube and went to town.  Yes, I went to town, but oh, so, slooowly.  The town I was going to could have pick up and moved while I was working on this necklace.   Did anyone ever tell you that beading a necklace in peyote stitch using 11/0 beads is so boring!!  At least, I think so.  The piece sat on my studio bench for months, growing in miniscule increments.  I really did work on it, but only for a few rows at a time.  Much more than that and I wanted to take a nap.

But I finally finished it!  And let me state right now, before all you beaders out there show up at my house in angry protest, in retrospect, beading the necklace wasn't that bad and I will probably do it again.  But I think I'll wait for the depths of winter before I try.

Here's the finished project.  I'm quite proud of it.
Victorian Bordello Beaded Cabochon and Necklace

The Color Black

The color black is a fashion essential from the little black dress to a touch of jet or ebony at your ears or wrist.  Black seems to set other colors off, giving them a pop that they would not possess on their own.  Here are a few items from around the web that I found and loved.  Hope you love them, as well.

Snowman Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs

Focal Bead by Blue Morning Expressions

 

Pin/Pendant by Andrus Gardens 

 Fingerless Gloves by Giese Deseigns

Modern Abstract Pendant by Valeries Stuff 

Shaving/Drinking Mug by Pottery Heaven

Black Bat Necklace by Fantasy Clay Store

Baby Beanie by TL Yarn Crafts

It's Smoosher Time!

For this week's blog roll topic for the      Polymer Clay Smoosher's Guild
on Art fire, I decided to focus on shops that have less than 25 sales.  So here are a few that I chose at random.

Creation In Clay  states in her bio that she has always loved creating.  Her favorite medium is polymer clay with which she creates some magical items. I love this Collectible Owl Magnet 

He's a little bit cross eyed, but soo cute!

Second Sister At MoArk Jewelry  moved to the Ozarks with her husband to retire.  She says retirement never happened.  Together, they work for the all volunteer local ambulance service and run a small home garden business.  She is a self taught jewelry artist who admits that when she first started selling her jewelry on line, didn't have a clue about marketing, Twitter or blogging.  It appears she's come a long way.  I love this Red Hats Bobblehead Nightlight 

TTE Designs  is another creative soul from the Smoosher's guild.  She has always been creative and has lived with her Navy helicopter pilot husband all around the USA, including Guam.  When they moved to Virginia, at the urging of her husband and her friend she started making and selling jewelry at craft fairs.  She finally landed at Art Fire and sells her wonderful creations there.  Here is one of her pieces.

Ocean Green Sand Dollar Pendant and Earring Set

Another creative member of the Smoosher's is the creator of Valerie's Stuff
She says she discovered polymer clay about six years ago, but it wasn't until she learned the mica shift technique that her art really took off.  Right now, she admits to being in love with the effect of alcohol inks and polymer clay.  This Iris and Spider Polymer Clay Cuff Bracelet  

 was made using a three color cane of brick red, yellow and green.

These are a few of the talented members of the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Guild on Art Fire.  I hope you find the time to check them out.

As Blue As The Sky And The Deep Blue Sea

The color blue is a favorite among a large number of people.  I'll bet that if a study was done about a person's favorite color, a large majority of the population would pick some shade of blue as their favorite color.

There is sky blue and indigo blue,  periwinkle blue and baby blue But, no matter, what shade is your favorite, you're sure to love at least one of the blues used in these pieces by the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on Art Fire.

First up is a Morning Glory Covered Needle Case by Art Maker's Worlds 
This piece is a wonderful place to store your needles, whether you are hand stitching, doing needle point or beading.

Although winter is over, at least in most of the country, this pale blue Shimmering Star Snowflake Ornament by Creation In Clay 
caught my eye for its intricacy and beauty.

 

This amazing Double Sided Teardrop Necklace by Art Asylum 

has patina added to give it an antique look and the back is as lovely and interesting as the front.

This Soulful Sprite By Amy Crawley  was inspired by Celtic worry stones and can be used for meditation.  The serene face on this piece has me itching to get back to my yoga and meditation.

 And finally this Black Heart Pendant with Blue Flowers. by Strange Whimsy  

is another in her long line of heart pendants.  The metallic blue is gorgeous against the black heart.

Hello Yellow

So, this week's topic for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Guild Blog Roll is the color yellow.  Now, yellow is not one of my favorites when it comes to clothing, but I must say I found some gorgeous examples while looking through member's shops.

This Bold Tropical Bracelet by Desert Wind Designs is reminiscent of the hot tropical sun on vibrant flowers.

   






  The Glow In The Dark Gold KokopelliDancers + Suns Tribal Candle Holder by Creative Critters  has yellow suns to highlight the golds and blues of the piece.

The sunny yellow flowers on these Millefiori Angel Earrings by Harrison Hollow Designs  are both delicate and elegant.

The Fairy Flower Pendant by KaelMijoy  is a gorgeous piece of cane work.

And last, but not least, is this yummy Sweet Surprise - Polymer Clay Desserts Necklace by Mystical Me Designs  

the yellow cupcake looks good enough to eat!

Mokume-Gane In Polymer Clay

Mokume-Gane is a mixed metal laminate with distinctive layered pattern, in which sheets of metal were stacked and heated to form strips that could be forged and carved to increase the pattern's complexity.  Developed in Japan in the 17th century. it was mostly used for sword fittings until a decline in the katana industry forced artisans proficient in this art into making purely decorative items.

The mokume-gane technique can be used with polymer clay.  The technique consists of different colored  sheets of clay that are stacked, then textured using a variety of tool and cutters.  The resulting block of clay is then thinly sliced to reveal the interesting pattern created.  These thinly sliced pieces can then be used as a veneer on any polymer clay piece that you choose. 

Another method is to roll out sheets of  different colors of polymer clay on the thickest setting of your pasta machine.  Then applying different materials, such as, gold or silver leaf, acrylic paints, mica powders, or alcohol based inks.  You let these applications dry, then press them together firmly and top the entire stack with an unpainted sheet or polymer clay.  Then you texture and slice the block, using the same method as mentioned above.

I've never had much luck at this technique.  I think I need a new and sharper clay blade to make it work but the following artists from the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on Art Fire have mastered this intricate technique.


 Greystone Pink Layered Polymer Clay Pendant Necklace by Art Asylum

Polymer Clay Mokume-Gane Pendant by Sharp Art By Dawna      

Stars and Asteroids Art Bracelet by Drunkenmimes

The Art Of Cane Work (Millefiore)

I have always been intrigued by those polymer clay pieces that use thin slices of a intricately crafted polymer clay canes.  The technique was originally used in making glass making and is called millefiori, which , in Italian, means thousand flowers.  Pieces of this detailed glass work have been dated to  ancient Roman, Phoenician, and Alexanderian times.  The technique was lost by the 18th century but rediscovered sometime in the 19th century.

I don't know who first tried to reproduce those beautiful glass beads using polymer clay, but they were a genius.  The process is long and involved, using rods of conditioned polymer clay in a myriad of shapes, round, square, triangular, and so on.  These rods are then wrapped with thin sheets of polymer clay and stacked together to form one unit.

Once the image is completed, the entire piece is rolled, squeezed and manipulated  until it is the desired size.  The messy ends are cut off to reveal a miniature masterpiece inside!  Then, thin slices are cut and applied to the base piece of polymer clay.

I've tried my hand at making some polymer clay canes.  I have never been too successful.  Most of the time my slices get distorted, smeared or are of varying thickness and are useless for the project I envisioned.   I keep trying, though, because I am fascinated by the process.

Some of the polymer clay artists from the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild on Art Fire have mastered this difficult technique.  Below are some pieces from those talented artists.

This Flat Modcane Pendant by Dream Weaver's Designs  is a wonderful example of the intricate pattern you can achieve using a relatively simple cane.

This Set of Purple Flowers on Yellow Clay Beads by Blue Morning Expressions  show the delicate beauty of these purple flowers using this intricate cane.

This Black and White Wine Bottle Stopper by Amy Crawley is made with extruded clay.  I'm not quite sure how that works, I'll have to research it, but it produces a bold and striking pattern.

Another piece using the extruding method is this lovely Red and White Extruded Rounds Necklace by Flower Child's Artsy Jewelry

 

These gorgeous Green Web and Orange Tigerlily Focal Beads by Art Makers Worlds  use the traditional method of cane making.

The Black and White Zentangle Cuff Bracelet by Second Sister At Moark Jewelry  fascinates me.  I just recently discover the Zentangle method and I am itching to try it, both on paper and in clay.

After seeing all these wonderful items, I suggest that everyone run out, buy some clay and start smooshing!

Spring Has Sprung, Almost

With the coming of Spring, my thoughts have turned to the promise of green grass and flowers in my garden.  Although, here where I live, the ground is still rock hard and covered with a mixture of snow and ice, with the promise of more to come in the coming week, Spring is less than a week away!

So, in honor of the new season, I created a Spring Flower Necklace to celebrate the potential for  warmer temperatures and gentler breezes.

Spring Daisy Necklace from Wyvern Designs

The pendant is quite large, measuring 4" across and is a bold Spring statement piece.  The daisy is hand crafted from polymer clay and the petals are filled with Delta PermEnamel glass paint, giving it the look of enamel.  Some of  the beads for the necklace, the green, yellow and gold leafed ones, are hand made.  The larger beads are a combination of acrylic pearls and cultured freshwater pearls.  The whole piece is finished off with an antiqued silver plated toggle clasp.

I really like this piece and plan to make a similar on for myself, maybe in a different color.  The gold leafing gives the necklace a retro/vintage look and reminds me of some of the vintage costume jewelry from the 50's. 

Black Is Black

Black as night, little black dress, black as my soul, these are expressions using the color black.  The color black, when used in polymer clay as a medium sets off other colors, making them more vibrant and vital.

I have chosen some pieces made by members of the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Guild on Art Fire to highlight this.




Night Fire Polymer Clay Pendant by Valerie's Stuff

The use of black in this pendant by Valerie's Stuff really shows off the flame pattern in this striking pendant.

Polymer Rainbow Swirl Adjustable Copper Ring by Flower Child's Art Jewelry

The black clay used in this adjustable copper ring by Flower Child's Art Jewelry brings the other colors to life, giving them an added depth. 

Black and White Raw Polymer Clay Cane by Blue Morning Expressions

The black in this raw cane by Blue Morning Expressions, provides a vivid contrast to the pattern.


Black Bear Polymer Clay Charm Necklace by Black Dog Jewelry

This adorable black bear necklace by Black Dog Jewelry shows a wonderful use of black polymer clay in the bear figure.


Black and White Kaleidoscope Earrings by Amazing Designs

These earrings by Amazing Designs, again shows how black contrasting with white can make a simple pair of earrings, striking.

OOAK Cat Sculpture by Creative Critters

And Creative Critters talented use of black for her cat sculpture brings back memories of some of my favorite kitties.

All in all, I think the color black draws our eyes to a piece of jewelry the way no other color does.