More fun with Cobblestone Canes

Before I show you the new canes I made I want you to see the beads and a pendant I made with the last cobblestone cane.

I cut a fairly thick piece of the cane, ran it through the pasta machine a couple time to get the shape I wanted then added the end of the cane and dots of textured black clay highlighted with bronze PearlEx.

I used bronze chain that compliments the bronze accents of the dots to completely the necklace.  The back is a solid black.

I used a triangle of the cane to make beads.  First I made black beads and covered then with slices of the cane.

I used two slices on each bead.  I cut them a little thicker than usual to give a more textured look to the beads.

I am not going to sand them. I may buff them a bit but I like the matt finish.

I made the next cane much like the first one, only this time I controlled myself and did not over reduced.  Three cheers for me!! Rah, rah, rah!!  This time I used olive green, mustard yellow, orange and grape for the colors.  I'm not sure I like the orange.... maybe I should have used turquoise or a lighter orange...

The two square canes are made from the triangle cane.  I am liking the orange better now.

I had a pile of  bullseye cane ends from the extruded canes I used in the cobblestone cane, when I put them together this is the result.  It's not a very long cane but  I should be able to get several nice slices.

And of course I had to make at least one mirror image tile from the scraps.

I love this cane.  I use the same colors as the one above but I added 3 sizes of bullseye canes in gray and black, I am  thrilled with the result.

Here it is before reduction

After reduction.... and once again I did not over reduce!!  Yeah!!

I made a slender border cane in gray and black to use with it.

This is the first pendant I made... it has not been cured or sanded yet. I has a bit of a pinwheel effect.

And here are all the new canes together.  Be sure to click on the photos for a closer look.

I have more pendants in the oven.  Lots of possibilities with these canes !!   Plus I need to make more cobblestone canes in different colors.  Monochromatic might be nice.  That's it for today.

Thanks for stopping by.

New Polymer Clay Cobblestone Cane

My latest "Senior Citizen Adventure" 

I am so sore right now, my ankles and knees are sore, my back is sore and my shoulder joints are really sore... A couple days ago I thought it would be a good idea to lie down on the floor and do exercises. Now I haven't  gotten down on the floor for a couple years, I  have a difficult time getting up off the floor. When I was young I hurt myself a lot... jumped out of tree, hurt my back and cracked my tailbone. fell in a barrel and broke my hip when I was trying to jump from the top of the granary  to the top of the chicken coop and smashed my ankle when I was thrown from a horse and had a college football player land on top of me.... I was out of school for several months that time.  Anyway, I don't know what possessed me.... well in a way I do, due to the lousy weather going out for walks everyday has been hit and miss.... so I thought I could exercise instead.  I knew I was in trouble as soon as I managed to get down on the floor, I kinda plopped down in a sitting position... should have stopped there but  what the heck I was already down on the floor so why not go all the way and lie down on my back.. then I was in a real pickle... I could not get up..... gives a whole new meaning to the old lady saying "I've fallen and I can't get up".  So I found myself lying on my back in front of the couch in my "sitting room" that is off my office (I call it that because it was the waiting room when this part of the house was a dentist office)   This was at 11 AM, Heather wouldn't be here until 3 PM and Lynn was sound asleep up on the 2nd floor. (He works night and sleeps during the day, doesn't get up until 7:30)  I could yell my head off and he wouldn't hear me.  So I could either lay on the floor like a beached whale for 4 hours or figure out a way to get up.  It should be easy, right?  Turn over on my stomach, get up on my hands and knees and push up from there.... I could see it in my mind but I sure couldn't do it.... first I got on my side by grabbing onto the couch..... then I scooted over a bit and ended up on my stomach... which hurt like hell cause my ankle doesn't bend. I visioned pushing up with my arms, pulling up my legs and getting on my hands and knees but it just wasn't happening..I got one arm up to the arm of the couch and somehow managed to wiggle around into a sitting position. By now I am huffing and puffing and have to rest  in between each maneuver. Once again I used the arm of the couch to end up on my hands and knees, now my knees and ankles are being attacked by daggers of pain.  My black cat, Fritz, was sitting on the couch watching with great interest and when I would put my head on the couch to rest he would reach over and pat me on the head.... I found this annoying but  he seemed to think we were playing a game and I'm pretty sure he knew I couldn't do anything to stop him.  I'd glare at him and tell him to stop and he would turn his head from side to side and give me a quizzically  look. I'm pretty sure he was grinning. Okay, I am now on my hand and knees with my head resting on the couch.  I should be able to put my foot on the floor and push up.... I tried that and almost fell back over on my back.... time to regroup.... by now I am sweating and cursing.... and had to rest my head... for another pat pat from the cat.  I discovered by taking the pillows off the couch I could put them.... one at a time... under my knees and slowly raise myself up to where I could grip the back of the couch and finally, using all my strength, shaking  like a leaf,  I pull up to a standing position...     Thank God that was over!!   I was worn to a frazzle and as Heather pointed out, turns out I got lots of exercise by getting down on the floor.  However from now on I will exercise from a sitting or standing position.  It also reenforced my need and desire to lose weight....  I'm telling ya this getting old is not for sissies!!  

Now on to my Cobblestone Cane. Click on the photos for a closer look. 

I used my extruder to make this cane. 

I used washers in different sizes as well as the disks that came with the extruder, to make bullseye canes in a variety of sizes.

This is what is on my work table right now.... I love the scraps.

These are pieces I've made so far. 

I used sandpaper for texture on the backgrounds of the two square pieces and all over on the round one. 

This is my favorite, I made a bead to use with it.  It will look good with black buna cord or black chain.

Close-up of the round pendant.  I added "dots" of black textured clay and high lighted them with PearlEx.  There is a dark red Swarovski flatback rhinestone in the center.

I used some of the scraps to make a couple mirror image pieces and decorated with strips of textured black clay highlighted with gold PearlEx. I think it gives them a lacy look.

Today I am going make another Cobblestone Cane in different colors... with a bit of a twist ... I do hope the cane gods prevent me from over reducing... I get to pulling on the cane and just can't seem to stop myself.  Anyone else have that problem? 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Premo Translucent Polymer Clay Jewelry

If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend you read the article on Comparing Brands of Translucent Polymer Clay  by Ginger Davis Allman.  It's an excellent article full of useful information and my inspiration for the jewelry I want to show you today.

My favorite translucent clay is... or maybe I should say "was" Pardo Art Clay.  However Pardo is hard to find, I know Poly Clay Play is one of the few places that carry it but every time I check it is "out of stock" so I was very pleased to see Ginger's results regarding Premo White Translucent.  And the price is right, especially when Michaels has a clay sale.

I tinted the Premo with a couple different green Adirondack Alcohol Inks, added layers of "Dawn Leaf" foil  and made this jewelry.  I rolled out a thin sheet of the clay, #7 on my pasta machine.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

To make this one I cut thin strips of the clay and layered them on a light bulb to get the rounded effect. I then added beads and wire to make the pendant.

Here is how it hangs on the display.

For this pendant and earrings I cut round disks in two sizes and put them on light bulbs to form domes. I folded the sides in and stitched them together with wire.

I also cut a strip and curled it on the top of a light bulb to make the top of this pendant.  

I used wire and beads to make the "filling"....  I took a close-up to show the transparency of the clay.  It is quite sturdy, it held up well to all the folding and the holes I made for the wire didn't tear when I secured the wire.

Here is the front of the earrings.... they look a bit like insects or space creatures. I had to pull the wire really hard to tighten up the beads on the disks and had no problem with the clay tearing splitting.

Here is the back of the earrings.

I have more tinted Premo ready and waiting for my next project.  First I have to go air out the kitchen... I managed to burn hardboiled eggs.  I keep telling myself I cannot leave the kitchen when there is anything cooking but then I set the timer... and leave the room, confident I will hear the timer.  Nope, not this time, didn't hear it.... but I did hear the eggs exploding.   And that was the last of my eggs.... guess I will have cereal for breakfast.

Thanks for stopping by.

Polymer Clay Zentangle Journal Cover

After TAD ended I took a day off from claying. I was watching television and doodling zentangles when it occurred to me that I might be able to translate some of the designs onto clay.  A couple times I've tried drawing zentangles on clay with ink but this time I wanted to use all clay.

I decided on a variegated background so I first mixed the colors I wanted to use and rolled them in to cones
....

I then flattened the cones with my acrylic roller and using the pasta machine I made a variegated sheet.  I ran it though again on the #2 and #3 setting, textured it with sandpaper and cut a piece approximately 5" x 8".  I left the side edges rough.

I then condition a sheet of black clay rolled it to #4 thickness,  again using rough sandpaper for texture and cut out the shapes placing them on the background sheet. I used a variety of tools to cut the shapes.  It was time consuming but  not difficult.

Here is the final result before I put it on the journal....

and here it is on the journal. I have several journals in different colors, after trying a pink and a darker brown I decided it looked best on the medium brown.

I made a couple beads with left over cutouts.... I like the way they look, they have a kinda  "biker" look or I can see them with a steampunk pendant..... so I will make more.

I enjoyed making the journal cover and I think I can make attractive jewelry with this method too so I am going to make more Zentangle sheets... hope you like them too!

See you soon, thanks for stopping by.