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...

Button Button who's got the Button?

Julie Witt does! I was pleasantly surprised when Julie of Sewknitful sent me a photo of her wonderful Flower pin that she knit up. Julie then used one of my buttons for the flowers' center and I think it turned out just perfect. The contrast between the blue of the jacket and red of the flower just pops. Julie has posted a link for the pattern on her blog. I think I'll want one of these! Thanks Julie!

I've done various types of mokume gane and have a tutorial on a variation that I call Dichroic Pendants, but learned this style with the 'River channel' from Julie Picarello when she came to Vancouver in November of 2009. I didn't make very many and am honoured this button found a prominent place.

Polymer Clay Colour Play Tutorial

With so many fashion colours this season I decided to play a bit with colour and made some recipes for the popular Pantone Spring 2011 Fashion Colours. Here is a chart of these 10 popular colours and my interpretation.

While these colours vary from monitor to monitor they are probably not quite accurate because when you tilt your computer screen the colour changes as well. Also my photography lighting makes a difference also as my silver in the photo looks slightly more blue than it really is.
Here is a link for a cool Pantone Color Table Matching System
and the link for the Pantone Spring Fashion Report for Spring 2011. It's a pdf file.
Paint chips would have been much better and easier to translate, but they don't come cheap. Perhaps a visit to the nearest Home Depot is in order. If you like my colours tho, I posted the recipes (using Premo) below.

Honeysuckle:
Violet 1 part
Fuschia 3
White 5
Translucent 3
Pearl 4

Coral Rose:
Orange 3
Raw Sienna 1/4
Ecru 1/4
Alazarin 1/8

Peapod:
Seagreen 3
Turquoise 3
Cobalt 1
Pearl 3
Translucent 1
White 1

Beeswax:
Ecru 2
Orange 1
Pearl 1
White 1
Translucent 1

Silver Peony:
Honeysuckle Pink mix from above, 1
Pearl 7
White 3
Translucent 1
Violet 1/4
Cobalt 1/8

Russet:
Raw Umber 1
Raw Sienna 1
Ecru 2
Alazarin 1
White 1
Ultramarine 2

Regatta:
Cobalt Hue 4
Turquoise 4
Pearl 6
Translucent 2
Ultramarine 1
White 1

Blue Curacao:
Cobalt 2
Turquoise 4
Pearl 6
Translucent 1
White 1

Lavender:
Violet 2
Cobalt 2
Pearl 7
White 2
Translucent 3

Silver Cloud:
Silver 3
Pearl 17
Lavender (from above) 1/4
Translucent 2
cobalt 2
Fuschia 1-1/4
White 4

If you find an improvement on the colours, leave a comment as many of us are curious! :) Enjoy!

Imitative Rocks and Ryolite

Just when I thought Spring was around the corner I wake up to Snow on the ground. Everytime I'm on the Beach I collect a few rock samples, but this morning the snow had even blanketed the pebbles on the beach, so I kept my hands in my pockets.
 Imitative Rocks and Beach Pebbles from Polymer Clay are a passion of mine and probably for many others as well. There seems to be something facsinating about rocks, maybe it's the shapes, the colours, the textures.

Recently Christina Kosinski shared with me her interpretation of my Ryolite Tutorial. I quite like the Bhudda...You can find it on her ArtFire site.

If you'd like to share rocks you've made with my tutorials, email me or leave a comment.
And should you want to create your own pebbles, but don't know where to start, I have 3 tutorial series package. All 3 in a bundle (for more than a dozen rocks) or if you want to try one pebble at time, there is Ryolite, you can find a variety of them, all of them on my ArtFire as well.

Surf's up! and no bones about it...

 My husband is busy creating with some surf board pendants I'm making for him. I like the swirl lentil bead method for these although a few Batik and Shimmer resin pendants are being worked in.







I'm also working on a few bracelets with various methods. This one is faux bone, but it is missing some colour. Am thinking of adding some turquoise to it, probably some beads from the copper links, not sure yet.

Romantic Renaissance Heart Pendants, a tutorial in time for Valentines

This is what I've been busy with since breaking my finger. Luckily I had shot plenty of video to edit. It's been only 1 1/2 weeks, but is less painful, so am able to start work again. Am thinking of creating myself a custom splint though for extra support.
Anyway, Valentines Day is around the corner and meant to have this out a week ago, but it's finally finished!

In this lesson detailed step by step will guide you to create a renaissance heart shaped pendant. Tutorial has 51 photos, 49 steps and 18 pages.

Through different stages you'll learn to create:

- A pendant that is textured front and back
- Embed wire for secure hanging
- Shape bezels and edgings for stones and pendants
- Inlay chain and stones
- Form prongs/claws to hold chain or stones in place
- How to texture the bezels
- To apply metallic powders
- Adding other decorative elements to enhance your piece.
- Plenty of tips to help you create a stunning piece

If you want this tutorial, I've listed one in Etsy and several in my ArtFire...I have the links on the right sidebar.

Boticena Marble Dragonfly - Polymer clay tutorial

I'm happy to present you with my latest Polymer clay tutorial on how to make Dragonfly pendants. You can find it in my Etsy or ArtFire shop in the right side bar. Here is the header...

Beginner Polymer clay - Marvelous Marble

Got Scrap polymer clay or don't know what to do with it? Make Marble. Click on the photos to enlarge...

 

How to wrap a wire loop

Making jewelry and pendants from your polymer clay will often require a little wire work, so here is a mini tutorial on how to make a secure wire loop.

Step 1:  Use the tip of round-nose pliers to grasp the wire right above the bead. Form a 90° bend in the wire.

 Step 2: Grasp the wire at the bend with your round-nose pliers and pull the tail wire over the top of the pliers' jaws.Here the top jaw of the pliers is in the loop.

 Step 3: Change the position of the pliers so the bottom jaw is in the loop.

Step 4: Swing and bend the tail wire around the loop.

Step 5 : Keep the tail wire horizontal as you coil it tightly down the neck wire.

Step 6: Crasp the loop with flat nose pliers and tuck the end wire in as much as possible.

Step 7: And trim with flush or side cutters.

 Done...except now I need another one for some earrings!

To cure, bake, cook, fire or harden?

Depending on what terminology you prefer, we bake, cook, fire or harden polymer clay. Isn't it a bit confusing? Or do we really care as long as the project turns out! The terminology doesn't really bother me.
Even various Polymer Clay manufacturers are divided on what to call the hardening process. Premo clay says "Baking should be completed by an adult". Fimo clay says "Harden in home oven..." and Kato polyclay says "Bake in oven at..." although the front of the package says "oven hardening". I believe many Artists are just as divided on what to call the process.  I'm curious...what do you prefer to say??

About process...I just finished and listed a new tutorial, based on some recent projects. Here is one for

Bead Cord Ends with Personality - Imitative Metal