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

Batik Amethyst Bracelet and Earrings

I promised to retake a photo of my complete Polymer Clay Batik necklace yesterday and completed the bracelet and some of the earrings. The earrings are round studs and clip style, but have still to finish the rectangular earrings. The various sets I'm creating are mix and match. Still to also finish up are the amethyst crochet bracelet, earrings and a simpler rectangle pendant on black cord. Basically the sets will suit tastes from casual to more elegant.

Polymer Clay Batik Necklace - Amethyst

This weekend I was only able to make a few Polymer Clay Batik tiles and assemble and finish one necklace. I crocheted some copper wire and amethyst chips for which I made a focal pendant as well as 2 side beads. The clasp end connectors are also covered in the textured clay.
In my haste the picture of the whole necklace turned out too blurry, but will take another tomorrow, along with the matching bracelet and earrings. It's too dark now...

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.

Art Week in BC, a fun hunt for my pendants and more

It's been a busy week and seems to be getting busier now that Spring has finally showing signs. Hummingbirds are here, flocks of Geese are arriving and daffodils and tulips are in bloom.
Am working on another tutorial which I hope to share soon. Actually I have a few on the go and have a hard time just keeping focused on one thing. Someone mentioned 'multi-tasking' and yes, maybe that is the word I should use. Or maybe it's just an excuse for not finishing other things, lol. I do eventually get around to them...

Lot's of things going on. During the week of April 18-25 is Art Week in BC which for our communities here on the West Coast it's time for RAATUU!! -  aka Random Acts of Art in Tofino and Ucluelet. To celebrate BC Arts Week RAATUU is a unorganized proliferation of instant art. If you are standing in the Coop line up, break into your favorite poem for all to hear, dance a jig on the crosswalk in town, paste one minute sketches on all the telephone poles, or whatever makes you feel enthusiastic about being an artist. Never mind the government cut backs, let your art be free! I'm planning on caching little pendants here and there with clues on the Bulletin Boards where they can be found ...kind of Easter Egg Hunt style...

Talk about hidden things...don't catch me peeking into Pandora's Box, but it sure looks nice from the outside. I'm pleased to share with you the recent box that Maja of Polipap Crafter in Slovenia has created. I like the antique effect and reminds me of an olden stone slab jar that is found in ancient toombs.
Maja says she didn't have any of the cutters handy, but used a card board box that was a similar size.

This is the original box. If you wish to create one, you can find the tutorial on my ArtFire

This morning, the usual routine is to grab my morning coffee to sit down at this machine, to check emails and found that a couple of Canadians, including myself and Gera Scott Chandler are featured on the front page of VOILA! 
Check out this great site when you can.

Versatile pendant - clip on and off

I didn't have time to work on any polymer clay today, but thought I'd give you a break from my daily bracelet and color challenge by posting something that may be of interest to you.

A local gallery once mentioned to me that on ocassion a customer will comment "oh, I'd like that necklace better without the pendant" or "I'd like that pendant but would like it on a plain cord". Well, it isn't always easy to have the right piece for a customer, but how about letting them choose? This way, a pendant can  be worn evenings in a more elegant way and during the day it can be worn casually on a cord.

A couple of years ago I started making a few of my pendants with lobster clasps, so they can be clipped onto a nice beaded cord, a plain cord, a chain or even used as a zipper pull. Works like a charm (pun intended), lol

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...

The Polymer Clay Highway - Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

My current destination creating with Polymer Clay is a virtual stretch of road with many stops and side roads inbetween. The last week or so I've been creating "Batik pendants, bracelets, earrings..." and now mirror compacts and likely some other things are on their way. The technique is a chameleon of sorts as one can change one thing such as the texture or clay color and it's like day and night.
Am I there yet? Not anywhere near finished exploring, lol
For photos and more read on...

Polymer Clay Batik Bracelets - Tomato Puree

I completed my challenge from yesterday. Red, white and black polymer clay tile bracelet in my Batik Technique. 
The red turned more into the Pantone 2010 Tomato Puree than true red and also picked up a few yellow/orange highlights. In some places the red and black are crackled and there are red metallic highlights here. I like this effect. I'll try some other colours next.

Polymer Clay Batik Bracelets

I have to say that my latest batik effect on polymer clay is one that got me hooked. I usually get bored easily and move on to something else, combining the old with the new. Not this time because a variety of things are done to the clay. Each finished piece turns out different and is a bit of a surprise, depending on the paint, the texture and the base colour of the clay.
I had another 'aha' moment yesterday that I will try next, but here are a couple of tile bracelets I made...