Geared for Polymer clay Cuff Bracelets

The last couple of days were spent making tiles for cuff bracelets from my Batik and Shimmer technique for polymer clay as well a sort of crackle that I thought would suit some polymer clay cogs and gears for a bit of an industrial look. I can't really call this steampunk as it doesn't have enough of that element to it. Having made these I'm inspired to try something else and am making sketches.
I should have done my nails....but here you can get the point of the size...
I was asked if the gears are polymer clay. Yes they are. I have a tutorials on how to make bracelet tiles as well as the gears...

Now why did I delete that Program for?

For some reason I noticed this program on my computer and gave it a try, only to realize that while it was free it came with advertising. All I wanted was to be able and insert photos in a table sort of thing, but it turned itself into a slideshow which I didn't want. I inserted photos and clicked on 'save' (even though I wasn't quite finished) and was taken to a website. Then when it was published it had advertising on it and didn't like because it detracts, so deleted the program...
Just now I go into my Picasa and I see the photo collage there! ohhhhhh...but I have deleted the program and don't know where I had gotten if from, lol. tsk tsk...lesson learned...don't always be in such a rush to get rid of things! I suppose there are other ways to do collaged photos, but this was so simple!...drag and drop into space.
Here is the photo...

Polymer Clay Heart Pendants and Ancient Jewelry Series

This is my 22nd year with polymer clay. Seems like so long ago that I began to work with this wonderful chameleon-like material. It can mimic so many materials, stone, bone, wood, metal... with the exception of one long sought after...truly transparent glass. While we have translucent clay, it alone can't harness the shine. Sanding and buffing translucent clay is an arduous task and still doesn't compare to the silica based glass. We've added resin to this material, but are still limited to flat and level surfaces. Using thick glossy lacquers are limiting in dimensionality. There is still much left to explore and discover.
I've revisited some of my past work again...and returned to metal pulvers and mica's especially for my latest hearts some of which have an industrial steampunk look and also for the Ancient jewelry series or renaissance jewelry.

New Polymer Clay Tutorial - Steampunk Tile Bracelet

My latest tutorial is available. If you enjoyed my Polymer Clay Steampunk Gears, cogs and washers Tutorial, then you will like the Steampunk Tile Bracelet even more. I've listed them in both my Artfire and Etsy shops.

New Polymer Clay Tutorial - Steampunk Gears, cogs, washers and a Pendant

I finished my latest tutorial. The title is a bit lengthy, but since the tutorial includes gears, cogs, washers and a pendant...I suppose I could have left it at gears and gone with just the photo. Oh well, it's details.

If you want to fashion some 'steampunk' jewelry but don't have watch parts or immediate access to them, this tutorial would be ideal because you need few materials and tools to get started. You don't even need a pasta machine. Don't worry if you don't have all of the driver bits either, but every household should have at least a few on hand. If anything, at least a Slotted, Square Drive, Phillips or Robertson. If those names are like a foreign language to you, the tutorial includes a chart with names and photos. Google comes in handy when looking up images for Screwdriver bits and I learned a bit ('scuse the pun).

This tutorial shows you how to make your own gears, cogs, and washers. You'll make molds using the common screw driver bits, and all you need are a few other simple tools to complete molds, gears and a pendant.

Geared for easy to intermediate (pun not intended) Even an advanced clayer may get some enjoyment and perhaps even a few tips out of it.

46 steps, 55 photographs, 19 pages
Available on ArtFire

Steampunkery - Polymer Clay Bracelet

My Polymer Clay bracelet a day (almost) color challenge is taking a turn with technique. I'm still playing with my Batik and will continue making more, but am thinking of doing a tutorial again on how to make various bracelet tiles and thought it needed a theme that was simple to do. I chose 'steampunk'. This bracelet has a steel blue base with metallic silver and bronze highlights. The tutorial will focus on simple surface treatment, texturing and also show tips on how to create gear look alikes with common tools for those that don't have watch parts handy. Focus will be on simple materials and simple tools.

Polymer Clay Batik Bracelet - Color Challenge

This Polymer Clay Batik Bracelet color challenge imposed on myself is kind of fun. This one was supposed to incorporate pink, black and gold. The pink is very subtle underneath the surface treatment of golden bronze and texturing, but my husband commented with a big smile 'very regal' when he saw it finished. Little did he know the pink was a scrap blend from red, alazarin, white and gray...

Polymer Clay Bytes! - Turtles

Well, these Polymer Clay Turtles don't bite, but some have gears. You know those wind up toys? My daughter put one in my stocking for Christmas and been thinking of trying that with polymer clay, but the gears those toys come with would in all likely-hood melt before making it out of the oven safely...
Anyway here are a few turtles, some with resin, some with glass...

Ancient World meets Future - Myriad Polymer Clay Pendants

While working on these polymer clay somethings, including some spirals (not shown), the first thought that came to mind was Archimedes. I was looking for a name for these pendants to be and had to ponder why that word would jump out like that.

Archimedes was a Greek astronomer, inventor, engineer, physicist, and mathematician.

The watch gears hint of steampunk, and yet the pendants don't look anywhere near Victorian which is a major criteria for something to fit into the Steampunk genre. I know that a lot of people stick some gears and bolts in some clay and call it Steampunk, however, true Steampunk does not contain an iota of plastics, only metal, glass, leather or the kinds of things that were around in the Victorian Era. And frankly, polymer clay or PVC was not invented until 1933 in Germany by Semon B.F. Goodrich. Check out this interesting time-line of polymers.

So what do I call my pieces that are more inspired by 'Ancient World meets Future' along with gears, nuts and bolts, resin, inks of the now...I was trying to guess how many pendants I have created since I started claying, beading etc and a wild guess would be in the thousands. 10,000 is a Myriad in Greek...A Myriad of Polymer Clay Pendants, or just a few.
Stay tuned...I'll be blogging about a wonderful new component resin.

Steam punk Turtles, Urchins and Flowers

Spent this later part of the week with some Polymer Clay play. Created some Turtle pendants and Flowers. Some of the Turtles are Steam punk....or Borg, whichever term one prefers. Some of the turtles have glass backs. The urchin has a wire wrapped cage.


For the flowers I used Lisa Pavelka's technique, the foil tear away method. One of the pendants has a blue agate, the other dichroic glass. I glued those in and then used Magic Glos. Worked beautifully on a sunny day, but had to do a few coats.

Bazaar, Art Fest and Polymer Clay result

Polymer Clay not glitzy enough? Notes to myself...add some 'bling' to it in future. All my beadwork now is pearls and some sparkle. The crowds were definitely drawn to that first.
Well, the community got together for a great weekend!
First it was St.Francis of Assisi's Annual Christmas Bazaar, then our Winter Celebration Art Fest. The Church raised a fabulous $18,000 for Charity with an amazing $6000 on baked goods alone! As usual we made our bids in the auctions and ended up with a whole bunch of goodies, including the coveted 'Basket', filled with donated goods from the local business community. Will be a fun thing to open at Christmas.
In their basement sale of the Bazaar I made some great finds too, a beautiful scalloped amber glass bowl, an amber and red glass dish, two awesome odd sized column candleholders and 13 antique silver spoons. The spoons lay on a platter that read .10cents. I thought maybe the platter was .10. I asked one of the Sisters running the show if the spoons were really .10cents or the platter and she sighed: "not the platter and no-o....." (ok, I thought, I bet they will be more like $3 or $5 a piece..??) when she says:"I guess they could be 5 cents a piece." I laughed:"no, no, NO! I'm definitely going to pay the 10 cents!" A big sweet smile on her face lit up so bright. You can bet I left a tip too! Some of these spoons are actually antique butterknifes and another one I will take a picture of because I have no idea what kind of tool that was. No idea what I'll do with those yet.
Anyway....I utilized the glass dish right away for my polymer clay bangles and the columns for my small black busts....I don't know if you can see them in the pics.
My "Elizabeth I-Inspired" line was well-received with the twenty-somethings...those drops look great with cleavage or even a turtleneck (see on necklace on red bust above with earrings and just below here).

My Bling Rings, some 'steampunk' style, some chunky sized disappeared just as quickly.


My polymer clay stuff did alright, but women are definitely attracted to my glitzier stuff, especially this time of year.
Are you having as much fun this time of year as I? All your shopping done?...I have and am glad...decorating time today!