Works in progress

Here is a little sneak peak at what I've been working on as of late.  A few sets of beads basking in the sun.  These lassies have all been sanded using 400 and 800-grit sandpaper, glazed 3 times and are now ready to be strung.  I'm just awaiting a few more essential findings. 

                                                                         

Klimt cane and a day of pendant experiments

[First off, allow me to apologize for the mediocre photos.  I have to take them in the daylight, using my actual camera instead of my phone's camera.  The lighting here is pretty poor and the camera's flash was blowing out all of the colors so I used my phone's camera instead.]

This past Sunday I was finally able to devote some serious time to working on my polymer clay beads.  I thought I'd share a sampling of what I came up with. 

These lovelies were made using a Klimt, or retro, cane design.  I'm very happy with the end result and I am very excited about the plans I have for them.  However, they still have a lot of prep work ahead of them before they are ready to be strung and donned around the neck.  The final steps of sanding and the varnishing can be rather tedious but I believe that the time put in pays off in the end.

The image above shows two of the six pendants I designed.  This was an experiment that I had been thinking about for quite some time now.  It again utilized the Klimt Cane- at left, before reduction and at fight, after the cane was further reduced and then quartered.  Again, the clay will be sanded to a smooth, level surface and then encapsulated in a pool of resin that will be poured into the bezel settings, atop the baked polymer clay.  I can't wait to get started on this. 

I also ordered some lovely raw brass vintage findings today.  They make me swoon.  I can't wait until they are sitting at my doorstep.  My (soon to be) pretties: a simple solid brass chain that I plan to use with the Klimt beads, raw brass head pins, and stunning vintage brass leaves on stem branch findings that I will use for wrapped filigree.  So inspiring, they've already given me ideas for future polymer clay jewelery designs.

I'll be sure to photograph them (in better lighting) as soon as they arrive!

A New Necklace

I thought I'd share the necklace that I made Saturday.  Literally 45 minutes before I was to head out the door for my friend's birthday evening.  

I'm fairly certain Dan was less than pleased when he realized what I was doing, after witnessing me furiously stringing bead after bead.  

Dan: "You plan on wearing that tonight?"  

Me: "Yup."  

Dan: "You realize we are leaving here in 30 minutes." 

Me: "Yup"  

Dan: "You're nuts"  

Me: "I realize this."

It was at this point in the conversation that I pointed out to him that if he helped me string the beads on I could finish getting ready and we could pop out the door on time.  And you know what?  He obliged.  He's good like that.  

See all those tiny black seed beads?  Yup, that's Dan's good work.  He usually helps me string my necklaces together and I love him for that.  It's been a while since I've made a new piece of jewelry so he could have been a little rusty but I think he did just fine.

 

The necklace is composed of dyed Green Quartz round beads, faceted Red Jasper briolettes and Miyuki Delica matte black seed beads.  I used an old clasp that I had in my supplies but I plan on making a new one for this out of hammered sterling silver or copper wire.