Mini Bowls

Bowls aren’t only decorative but small dishes and bowls are so handy and I use a few myself. They don’t just hold rings and other jewellery removed at bedtime or when doing dishes, but can be used for an assortment of trinkets. My husband uses a small wooden one for pocket change. They could of course hold all sorts of other things like sea shells and bits of sea glass, beads and even soap etc.

These here measure between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 inches. My favourite is the one with Batik & Shimmer and Faux carved bone trim. I stamped the undersides with either my signature stamp or used initial cane slices.

Bead Soup Blog Party Partner: Jen VanBenschoten

Looks like I’m skipping Phase 3 of my Vases instead of adding the other components I had prepared. I decided I liked them better as they are with the bright faux abalone speaking for itself. Sometimes ‘less is more’.

About more! I’ll have some more beading to do!! About a week ago some gorgeous beads showed up in my mailbox all the way from New Jersey. My Bead Soup Blog Party partner this year is Jennifer VanBenschoten. Beaders should be familiar with the name because Jennifer is the Editor of  Interweave Press’ Beading Daily! ‘Beadwork’ and ‘Step by Step Wire Jewelry’ magazines are just a couple of fabulous hardcopies that Interweave publishes. I’ve had the pleasure of having a wire macrame tutorial published in a past issue of Step by Step Wire. I need to renew my subscription!

When I opened the package and read Jen’s note I had to giggle…yes I LOVE sparkle! Jen hit my taste spot-on. Jen sent me two bead soups. The colours are amazing and look at the dichroic cabochons!! The clasps are beautiful with colour reflecting vintage swarovski crystals.


I’ve already started on the purple set of beads, but can’t show you yet what I’m making, although I may post a sneak peak soon. Jen and I are in the 2nd reveal of the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party which takes place on April 6th. You can visit Lori Anderson’s blog to learn more about this annual Party which this year tops 500 participants from all over the Globe!

I sent Jen some of my handmade beads. Will be fun to see what she’ll create with these.

Vases–Phase 2

Here is the progress of my polymer clay covered glass vases. I used real beach glass for these as I want to use my handmade faux sea glass beads for future polymer clay beach pebble bracelets.
The vase on the right, just under the urchin rim has reflections, and the bottom half looks lighter than it really is, also due to light reflecting. Am pleased how shiny the faux abalone veneer is. The ‘spikes’ on the bottom of the taller vase are supposed to be sunflower starfish arms.The ones on left vase are octopus tentacles.














I could consider these vases finished, but will let them simmer a bit more. I have some boxes planned next.

Vases-Phase 1

I’ve been determined to make a few non-jewellery type of items this year. A few weeks ago I made covered some pens, if that counts, but I also used to make clocks, boxes and candle holders. I’ve had these glass vases for a while. The left measures just over 5 inches tall  and  the other one 6 1/2”.

I used the same mokume gane cane as for the Kaweco Pens. I had aimed for Abalone Shell and it’s ‘close’ but the colours just need a bit more tweaking. Although our West Coast Abalone is paler than New Zealand Abalone, my green is a tad bright and not quite teal enough. I sanded and buffed this first phase.

Close up…

Stay tuned for Phase 2…these aren’t done yet.

Sea or Beach Glass Tutorial is done!

UPDATE!

thanks for being patient.
Also, since I was asked...no...this tutorial doesn't use Pardo clay. Pardo clays are still a bit hard to find, but Fimo products aren't.

You can now find this on my ETSY and ARTFIRE. 

Sea or Beach Glass from Polymer Clay

Many of you have asked me last year when I’d be writing this tutorial on faux sea glass. You waited patiently and things tend to take me forever from concept to doing and I’m happy to say that I should have this ready within the next day or two!! I’ll try and do it sooner, lol.  I thought I’d announce it now since I’m not just thinking about it, but actually doing it.

Update: it's on my Etsy and ArtFire now...


You may remember the earrings I had made with this technique and the post of some of my experiments back in February of last year and here as well. The teardrops on the earrings are faux glass as well. Polymer Clay Daily had posted about my experiments also, which is why I received quite a few emails afterward asking, but I can’t find the post there now. Anyway, this is a shard like I will show to do in various colors.



The tutorial will focus on making faux beach glass shards that one can use in jewelry such as my earrings. I’ll be posting here to update when it’s ready…stay tuned

Polymer Clay Swaps–Hearts & Textures

This deadline for the mailing date for this swap has come and gone and happy to say I can finally blog about it since I’ve received the items from both my partners and they have both received mine. Yay!

The theme was Hearts and Textures, meaning that for the challenge we would create Polymer Clay Texture Plates (from polymer clay) and Hearts which we could stamp with the texture/s we created, but not necessary. Since I primarily work in jewellery I chose to make heart pendants.

Here are the ones I created for my partners, Bonnie Kreger in the USA and Leila Bidler in Italia. I have to say I am very lucky to have had these two ladies as my partners! They both spoiled me as you’ll see in a bit. The first set I sent to Bonnie. The bronze heart has a multi color stripe back with mica clays which I sanded and buffed. You can just barely make out my signature stamp on the side. The green blue heart has just about everything including a bit of crackle.

The second set I made for Leila. The blue heart has crackle and was silkscreened with one of my stencils and then has a layer of resin applied. The bronze hearts’ back, like Bonnies' has mica clays and was sanded and buffed.

Bonnie surprised me with something extra…a Shambala bracelet made with her handmade polymer clay beads that have the same cane as the Heart. Love the shimmer in the cane (darn photos can’t show that) . Of course the resin adds great shine and the pink & black go together like pie & ice cream…mmm. I think the keychain idea is so clever and I’ll never have hubby borrow my keys again!! hehe  Love the kumihimo work with the beads. Bonnie you have way more patience than I do! Bonnie made me laugh when she sent me a note saying the texture plate can be used to feed the birds, lol. I still think even if I don’t use it for texture, I can put it on a Journal as a cover!  

TADA!

Leila too spoiled me… with not 1, but 3 plates! 1 of them is a negative of the other. She made these laying one stripe at a time, baked, sanded to smooth the edges and then carved wiggly lines into them. Pretty nifty and am looking forward to using them. The heart is also sanded smooth and buffed. She left it so I could choose to add a pin, magnet or for stringing, but this might be a cool pocket ‘pet’. I like carrying things in my jacket pockets to play with. I tend to have my hands in my pockets when I walk or stand around. Leila also has a very neat signature stamp, but I forgot to take a photo.

If you are interested in joining our FB swap group, send me a comment or message with your email and I’ll let you know the details. Have a look at these blogs for more…

http://www.lbidler.com/apps/blog/

http://beadcomber.ca/ <<<<<You are here

http://www.fishwifery.blogspot.com

http://www.jainniejenkins.com

http://www.dakotahspolymerplace.blogspot.com

http://www.pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

http://katersacres.com/blog/

http://bleekreations.blogspot.com/

http://minacreations.mo-blog.jp/

http://gesmpccorner.blogspot.com

http://leggendesegrete.blogspot.it/

http://knighttwork.blogspot.com/