Sand Dollar Pendants and Wire Kumihimo

I’m getting ready for the annual Blitz season of Shows, supplying shops and Galleries which has begun a month earlier than previous years. I make my usual products of Beaded Dragonflies, Sea Glass Jewelry, Enamel painted metal pendants, Polymer pendants which include Sand Dollars which do enormously well living near the Ocean. Also Sea Urchin beads and Starfish or Sea Stars as my husband insists on calling them and he would be correct as they are not a type of fish, but most people tend to call them Starfish.

I’ve created a myriad of things including my Euro style Beads with our townname on them, but still need to make Beach pebbles bracelets, assemble my handmade pendants into earrings, crochet a few sea glass bracelets and then tag and price them. Time flies!!

Here is my most recent set…my first attempt at Wire Kumihimo. I think it turned out well although for the necklace inserting the beads was a bit of a challenge as the wire cage wanted to pull in on itself. Now everything is strong and stable.

Should I do another set? Perhaps a necklace for this bracelet and earrings?

And I still need to assemble these…

So much to do…and loving it!!

Open Live Writer and Blogger

Everyone likes convenience, right? One of the reasons Istopped blogging for a while was because I couldn’t log into my Blogger via Windows Live Writer. I liked the convenience of being able to post with Word and use different Font, add frames for my photos etc. Going directly to ones blogspot doesn’t allow for those extra features. When trying to log in I kept getting errors “Password not found” even though I used the correct password. So I kind of gave up…until I read…

…that Googles 2 step verification process might have something to do with it, but despite trying everything I could find on the subject except for being able to add a mobile phone number (I don’t have one!) Windows Live Writer still wouldn’t budge. Then I discovered Open Live Writer. It’s very much like Word for your blog and looks very much like the Windows Live Writer. One can’t tell the 2 apart, really. Yay!!

Now I don’t have an excuse not to blog . Here is the link for the Program. http://openlivewriter.org/

Have you made your 10 x 10 for the Fimo World Project yet?

Covering the World...in 10 x 10 squares.

Here is the Facebook Group link https://www.facebook.com/groups/1810793605813598/

There is still time to make your project. Here is what I submitted. And yes I used Fimo. I switched back to Fimo (Professional) after a long absenteeism. Why did I switch back? Because I got tired of the inconsistencies with other polymer clay.

True, some say Fimo is a bit harder to condition, but if you have spent enough time with polymer clay, you'll soon appreciate why after a bit of  handling, the rolling snakes to a fine tip without a hitch makes it THE reliable clay. I don't mind whacking it a bit with my acrylic roller before putting it through the pasta machine, I actually enjoy it! lol

So here is my 10 x 10 titled 'Nautilus'. It's an 'Aquarium style' with free floating beads. I used Black Fimo Professional, my crackle technique (tutorials are on my website http://beadcomber.com). I even used some Fimo Metal Pulvers I still have in my stash. The metal vs. mica is obvious.

While I was at it, I also created one of my Aquarium Pendants...Want to see a tutorial? or two? I'm almost finished with an Aquarium pendant tutorial and then I'll share "Secrets of the Nautilus"....

2016...

I didn't mean to ignore my blog, but Facebook seems to have taken over in that regard. Still, I reminded myself that this blog isn't just there for others, but a journal for myself. Today I posted some pendants on Facebook with the intent of selling them. I haven't gotten them posted to my new Website yet and if I should also list them on Etsy since it's always been a good venue for me. I go back and forth quite a bit and it's so difficult to know unless one has stats etc. which I rarely look at because I just don't understand it that much. I just want to create!
I enjoy creating multi-colored pieces. I love Lotus, Owls and Sea Urchins. Right now the Cabochons are just that...discs, but I can drill them any which way, they can become earring pendants, maybe even matching necklace pendants or buttons! I made 3 colors of a simulated Ceramic finish with a Lotus, Owl, and Sea Urchin design that I created from my own textures. I can drill holes, just tell me top, bottom, middle. oh...and if I make buttons they can be put in a washer and dryer without worry.

I charge more for these on Etsy (because of the fees) but offer a special deal on them...The Owl pendants measure about 22 mm ($6/pr), the small urchin rounds 20mm ($4/pr) the large urchin 36mm ($5) and the lotus 30 x 38mm ($5). I have multiples of each. Grab them fast as I only make so many (unless you do a custom order) Just comment or message me your email, how you would like them drilled. Prices are in US currency. Shipping to US is $5.50, Canada $3 and I even ship International $8.75. I know...Canada Post takes a big bite...
oh...and check out my new website at http://www.beadcomber.com/

Aloha!

The kit is up for purchase

The Aloha Necklace Kit that I'll be teaching in May is now available. There are a limited amount of these. I've listed 12 but there will be more, but need to count all my materials as I've also started to list separate components if you want only some of the parts.

http://www.beadcomber.com/aloha-necklace-kit

Sign up for the Virtual Retreat here...Take classes at YOUR leisure, all year long...Go to the site and have a look at the Calendar of events, meet the teachers etc.
http://bit.ly/AJA-VirtualRetreat

This kit is for the Aloha Necklace that I'll be teaching in May

Cheers! :)

Special announcement! New Art Jewelry Adventure 2016!

 
News!!!
It’s been a while since I posted here, but well, I'm so excited and wanted to share this with you and can't wait any longer! 

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This is the first time I'm participating in the Art Jewelry Adventure 2016 with 19 fabulous teachers some of whose names you will be familiar with.

PLEASE help me SHARE the POST on any social media platform or with your guild or other polymer clay/bead group and ENTER with my links below to win. Simply clicking on the first link shows your support for me and the second is to be entered into the Contest. I'll announce a winner on Saturday the 24th. Also, if you enter the Contest I'll be entering you into a drawing for something personal from me.

Sales Begin Next Sunday the 25th

This is the class I'll be teaching...Aloha!

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There are classes in soldering, torch fired enameling, resin, quilling, soutache, wire work, molding, mixed media (painting, stamping) shrink plastic, silver clay, epoxy and polymer clay. We have tried to keep it down to materials you can easily get and nothing requires a kiln- so maybe you might need to pick up some things you don't have if you want to try something new, but the most "exotic" thing you might need is an inexpensive butane torch!

There was a contest, but sorry you missed it...you can still sign up for the classes tho!

Tina

Gilded Paths Surface Techniques

I finally finished another tutorial after starting quite a few and not finishing them…yet, however…

The tutorial guides you with 49 steps, 58 photographs and 18 pages which includes a Resource list at the end. Use a variety of simple surface techniques as a foundation to add onto with the use of stamps, textures, mica pearls, chalks etcetera. The tutorial also offers plenty of tips to incorporate into your own pieces. Create sheets of clay to use in various projects such as to wrap pens, crochet hooks, bangles or as journal covers, to create buttons, beads, pins, jewellery etcetera, or whatever you imagine. This project is technique based, so the projects are up to you. Here are some examples of easy works that I made using these techniques which you can leave as simple or enhance as lavishly as you want.

The projects are up to you, but here is a way to make quick ring dishes with some of the treated sheets.

  

I stacked two sheets, cut a large circle. Molded on a small glass ball. Cured in a dish of sand or on an oven safe nylon cutter. Voila!

You can download your copy of Gilded Paths Techniques on my Etsy or purchase it from my Zibbet shop and I’ll email you the copy shortly after.