Mixed Media Polymer Clay & Wire Necklace

I added wire and some additional polymer clay adornments to one of the pendants I posted last week.... this is the result.  I love it.... hope you do to.

I've had this delicate chain for some time, I like the open weave balls, it goes well with the pendant.

I didn't like the wire showing through so I covered it up with a textured heart.

I added a row of textured dots on the layered heart..... they are from the same sheet of clay as the heart at the side.

I secured the wire swirls to the back of the pendant with Zap a Gap glue and then covered it with a thin sheet of clay in the shape of a heart.

I used one of my canes to make these tube beads and the end pieces of the cane to make the mirror image tile.

I made a few "end of day" beads and then textured them, highlighted with PearlEx and popped them in the over to be cured.

This is what I am working on now..... tiles for a bracelet and earrings.   I will texture a sheet of solid color clay to finish the backs of the tiles.  The round beads are made from the scraps I trimmed off the back of the mirror image triangles.   The triangles are made from cane scraps  that I smooched together, twisted and rolled into cones and them sliced in half lengthwise.  I'm not sure what brands of clay they contain..... I hope Premo and Kato....  I like the colors and don't want them to darken when cured.

Heather has been making attractive neck pieces from vintage neckties..... arn't they gorgeous?  They are available in her Etsy shop The Midnight Raven

Elegant in red and purple...

or  check out this lovely in greens and purples..... and rows of luscious tinted pearls.

She also made this pretty repurposed necklace and earrings from a vintage tin with drops and chain from a broken vintage necklace.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching...... I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving with friends and family and lots of scrumptious food.

Thank you for stopping by.

Polymer Clay Hearts

I finished the hearts for the swap..... and made a few more.

I was experimenting with Translucent Pardo Art Clay with the two on the sides. The one in the center I made from left over cutouts and wire.

After conditioning I rolled out a thin sheet of Pardo Translucent, #9, the thinnest setting on my pasta machine,  stamped a leaf pattern on the clay, covered it with a 2nd layer and cut out the hearts.  If you look closely you can see an air pocket in the top heart on the right.  I drilled hole along the sides and added wire.

I made a coiled wire bail and strung it on a chain.

Here is how it looks on a black background.  The air pocket shows up more in this photo.

I used the doubled sided cutters I purchased from Valerie to make the hearts.

Another experiment. This was suppose to be the front of this pendant......

.... but I like the solid color textured back better.... so now this is the front.

I tinted Pardo Translucent with Alcohol inks then added glitter to make these cabs.  

I attached layered & textured hearts to Pardo Translucent backgrounds to make these.

This is how they look from the back.

The frame is made with square wire and a bit of weaving at the top.  I haven't decided what kind of a bail I will make.

I stamped a design on the background.

For this one I used 16 gauge amber wire for the swirl then hammered it flat and added the Pardo Translucent backing. 

My favorite Valerie cutters are this set of hearts.  For more about the cutters see this earlier post.  I like that they are sharp on both sides.  I use a wooden block to push them into the clay. 

I like layers and textures.  The bottom heart is made from the left overs  of the one on the right. The puffy heart on the left is air filled.

The backs.  I still need to sand a couple of them.

Close up of the largest, the textures are highlight with PearlEx. To get the crackle effect on the border I made a thin sheet of the aqua, #4 on the pasta machine folded it in half lengthwire  and ran it though the pasta machine again, cut a long strip and wrapped it around the heart with the crackled side up, then highlighted with bronze PearlEx.

I like using aqua and bronze together.  I put a row of little balls inside this one.

I may add wire and use these hearts for asymmetrical earrings. 

And here are a couple pieces with little birds. The one on the left is very busy, has a lot going on, wire weaving, beads, ruffles, I had a hard time getting a good photo of this one... will have Heather take a better one.   The one on the right was made with left overs, I had those little rounds cut out and couldn't bear to toss them in the scrap bag.  The little blue bird was an after thought. 

That is it for today. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

A Journal for Jackie and my big News

Wow, it's been almost a month since I blogged last..... sorry, I've had a lot on my mind.  I've been claying quite a bit ....just not stuff I can put on my blog, at least not just yet.  I finished my inchies, all 4 sets,  have to sign them, do a little sanding and get them mailed.   I have also been working on hearts for Kim's heart swap.... 5 sets, 10 in each set.... what was I  thinking?  My problem is I really like some of the hearts and will have a hard time giving them away.  I may have to make more than 5 sets  just so I can keep some.

Then I made a Journal for Jackie... a gift for her birthday but I couldn't show you that until she got the package and opened it.  She has a PO Box and doesn't go to the post office everyday.... left me twiddling my thumbs for a couple days.... then she got it, opened it and liked it....I can show it to you now.

As you can see I was kinda caught up with a "heart" theme,  Plus I love Jackie so hearts seemed appropriate.

I used Pardo Art Clay.  I wanted a thin sheet for the base and Pardo works best for that, it is sturdy and remains flat.  I cured the base first and then added the decorative elements.  I embellished with PearlEx metallic powders to give it a little glitz.  You can see how thin the base is in this photo.

Now I want to show you this fantastic Halloween figure Heather made.  I wanted it so bad but she made it for a swap..... can you believe that?  I collect Halloween and I thought for sure she made this for me but nooooo..... she gave it away to a stranger.  She promised to make me one.

I just LOVE everything about her... look at that face.

If she doesn't make for me there is going to be hell to pay...... and I'm not kidding!! Well maybe I'm kidding a little bit..... but I do want one.....

Okay, now do you want to hear my big news?

My hubby is going to retire soon and we have decided to move to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Have any of you ever been to Eureka Springs?  What a great place! It's a small town filled with gorgeous Victorian homes, quaint little shops and over 100 restaurants.  Not to mention it's right next to Beaver Lake.  It has everything we want. A lake for Lynn and shops for me.... perfect..... plus an added bonus I  have relatives down there, folks that I absolutely adore.

I borrowed these photos from the Eureka Springs website..... hope they don't mind.

This is a birds eye view of the historic district..... you can spend days walking around to all the shops and galleries and good eats.....

This is what you first see when you enter the historic district..... winding streets that go up and down and all around.  I want to live downtown within walking distance of the shops.  Fortunately there are several properties for sale....

I love that wedge shaped building.

My cousins, Neal and Carol, own the Beaver Lake Cottages that is where we stayed on our last visit.  The views are amazing, the cabins are fantastic and the service is outstanding.  You will not meet nicer folks than Neal and Carol.

This is the 2 bedroom cabin we stayed in  

and this was the view from our deck..... the trees had just started to change.

Neal sent me this photo a couple days ago.... taken from his deck overlooking Beaver Lake

I still have hearts to make and I've been working on a couple canes so I better get back to claying. 

I know I have said it before.... but... I will try to do better.  Please don't abandon me, I would miss you. 

Thanks for stopping by.