Mixed Media Silk Ribbon & Polymer Clay

I bought these lovely luscious Silk Sari Ribbons from a shop Designtalentedone , on Etsy.  They are a perfect setting for some of my pendants.  The shop owner is a delight to work with,  the service was prompt and friendly and the shipping costs very reasonable. She has so many gorgeous colors I had a hard time picking.... as you can see!!

Heather was over the other day and I was whining about how I never get around to finishing necklaces... oh woe is me... sniff, sniff...  that kind of thing.... ( I've been taking whining lessons from my friend Moe)  so Heather took pity on me and strung a couple of the pendants on the silk ribbon.   She did a really good job... take a look.

The first one is a mixed media polymer clay pendant decorated with wire and beads.  Heather added coiled wire and beads for a touch of pazazz.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

The other one is in the same color palette with a pendant of  metallic clay and gold leaf.

Heather has also taken over the photography and the listing duties for our Etsy shop... how great is that?  Check out our Etsy shop, Knightwork Studio " for our new listing.  

Colored Wire & Polymer Clay Necklaces

I'm still pulling weeds and planting flowers. I am happy to report... my backyard is looking good! I still have the back flower garden to conquer... it looks like an overgrown briar patch and I've been dreading doing it. I've also been putting it off cause there is a little bunny living in the briar patch and I hate to destroy his home.

Speaking of the bunny... I've begun to think of him as my own Peter Cottontail.. he's so cute and he doesn't seem to be afraid of me at all. He comes out in the late afternoon and nibbles on the grass. I talk to him and he lets me get within a couple feet before he hippity hops back under cover, when I walk away he comes back out. Well a couple days ago I was planting flower seeds... I decided to just plant seeds in one flower bed and see how it turns out... it's the side flower bed closest to the back garden.... Corny, my evil cat, was napping in the gazebo. She usually goes out at night or early morning and naps in the air conditioned house in the afternoon but that day she decided to do her snoozing in the gazebo. I'm working away when suddenly. out the corner of my eye, I see this orange streak fly across the yard. Yikes!!...I knew I wasn't going to like what was going on behind me. I spun around and sure enough there was my poor little bunny hanging from the jaws of my evil cat. "Old legs don't fail me now"... I rush over, grab Corny... I'm yelling "Drop the bunny, drop it, drop it, drop it!! and shaking her like crazy. She finally releases the bunny, he falls to the ground, careens around the gazebo and back into the briar patch. I march to the house firmly holding a squirming, angry cat. "Bad cat... you are a bad, bad cat!!" I manage to get the back door open, enter the kitchen and not to gently deposit her on the floor. She jumps up on the table and give me a defiant "what the hell was that for?" look. I knew it was a mistake to let her watch "Big Cat Diaries". "No more tv for you missy!!"

That was about all the excitement I could take for one day so I put Corny in the bathroom... you should have heard her complaining...and went back outside to put away my tools. No sign of bunny, I hope he's okay. I then took a nap.

Yesterday it rained and stormed and rained some more so I stayed inside and played with wire. I was going to clay but I have a shin splint on my left forearm... I guess that would make it "forearm splint" ... from all the weed pulling and digging. Anyway it hurts to turn the handle on my pasta machine so I played with wire instead.

Here are the necklaces I made.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

I used black wire wrapped with peridot wire and peridot glass seed beads and glass square beads. The polymer clay beads have a swirl pattern that goes with the design of the pendant.

I used amber and brown wire on this one and added a polymer clay flower that was in my bead stash.

This is what the back looks like. I sandwiched the wire pendant between the polymer clay flower and a circle of raw clay on the back that I smoothed and then cut to fit the flower. I textured the back to give it a more finished look.

This is another focal bead I had laying around. I added some wire embellishment and then made the chain to match. I haven't seen bunny since the "incident", I'm hoping he moved on to greener pastures. Today, if my arm doesn't hurt to much, I'm going to tackle the back garden.

Colored Wire Leaf Tutorial

Some of my friends on Polymer Clay Central have asked how I make my colored wire pendants and pins. Here are some of the leaves I made from colored wire and embellished with square beads.

Click on the photos for a closer look.
Here is the one I will be making today.
Tools:

top:Flush cutters

2nd row: nylon jaw pliers, flatnose pliers and roundnose pliers.

Not in photo: Slender rod
Supplies: 10" length of 20 gauge wire, 36" length of 26 gauge wire and 30" length of 26 gauge wire. 5 square beads.

I used 20 gauge copper wire and 26 gauge amber color wire. I use the nylon jaws pliers to straighten and strengthen the wire by firmly grasping the wire and drawing it though the jaws.
Use the roundnose pliers to made a loop at the end of the wire.

Slip the 26 gauge wire through the loop leaving a 1 1/2" to 2" tail. Feed the end of the tail through the loop again and tighten snuggly in the loop. Using the long end of the 26 gauge wire coil it around the 20 gauge wire 3 0r 4 times.
Slip a bead onto the smaller wire feed it down until it fits over both wires.
Hold it firmly next to the coils and wrap four coils around the wire below the bead.
Continue adding beads in this manner until there are 5 beads on the wire.
Use the flatnose pliers to bend the wire upward. Use your fingers to shape the wire in a half oval shape. Using the flatnose pliers bend the wire down and shape the wire along the other side.
Using the flatnose pliers bend the wire up again at the bottom to form the outer line of the leaf. Bend down at the top and bring the wire back to the bottom.

Bring the tail of 26 gauge wire at the top though the round loop and around both wires twice. This secures the wires and keeps them in place for weaving.

At the bottom trim the 20 gauge wire to 1/2" and form a loop with the roundnose pliers. (sorry I forgot to take a photo of this step.)

Like at the top, feed the 26 gauge wire through the loop and around both wires in the bend twice.
Begin the weaving by wrapping snuggly around both wires for 3 or 4 times. Then feed the wire down through the narrow space between the two wires. When weaving there is less tangles if you push a loop down through the opening and pull the wire through rather than trying to feed it though from the end of the wire.

Wrap it around the outside wire twice. Then bring it up through the center space and wrap around the inside wire twice.
Continue in this manner 4 times. The out side wire is longer than the inside wire so every 4 times add an extra wrap on the outside wire.
Continue in this manner until the 26 gauge wire will no longer fit between the two 20 gauge wires.
Wrap around both wire until you reach the bend. First side wrapped.
Lay a slender rod flush with the leaf and coil the remaining 26 gauge wire around the rod ( I used a copper rod but a slender knitting needle or wooden skewer will work as well) leaving an inch tail.
Slide the coiled wire off the rod, bend it down and using the tail secure it at the bottom of the leaf.
To weave the 2nd side of the leaf use the 30" length of 26 gauge amber wire. Leave a 1 1/2" to 2 inch tail and wrap around both wires several times. Wrap in the same method as the first side.
And again coil the remaining wire around the slender rod, bring it down and wrap at the bottom of the leaf. Trim the ends of the wires and using your pliers (or fingernail) to tuck the ends in so they won't snag on your clothes.
Okay, that is it. I am trying to learn how to write tutorials, your input will be greatly appreciate.... Please let me know what you think. Is there enough photos? to many? are the directions clear? Could you make this using these directions? Do you have any questions?

Polymer Clay Necklace "Thing A Day" Day 18

Today is my final day for recycled canes... I don't know about you but I'm plenty tired of the recycling... although I am pleased with the results.

I recycled two canes to make this necklace. I made matching chain links from beads and wire and then finished it with copper chain.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

This one is a work in progress. I made a kinda striped marbled background with one of the canes and then stamped it with my handmade kite stamp. I highlighted the raised areas with silver which, as you can see, needs a touch up. I ran out of amethyst wire for the chain so had to put that on hold until my wire order arrives. I designed the wire links to pick up the circle pattern on the pendant.

Polymer Clay Rings & Beads "Thing a Day" Day 9

I have been working on my "bead quilling" but it is going slow, so far I've managed to "quill" around two beads. Moe has sucked me into another time consuming project that requires trying to keep miles of thread from tangling while holding little beads around big beads.

In the mean time I had a much better day playing with clay... the planets are back in line and my muse is back at work. I'm pleased with the way this necklace turned out.... it actually looks like what I had pictured in my head. I was going to string it on navy blue cotton cord but decided on the satin cord... it looks better with the pearls. The color name of the pearls is blueberry...they look like sprays of blueberries scattered over the rings. It's a pretty necklace to wear with jeans.

And the photos came out good too... see.

Click on the photo for a closer look.

More Polymer Clay Faux Fabric "Thing A Day" Day 6

I'm still doing my thing with "faux fabric' pieces. This time I made pendants. I used amber color wire to add the beads on the first one and gold colored wire on the 2nd. I highlighted the raised areas on the textures with gold PearlEx.

I need to make more matching beads and order more of the cultured pearls so I can string the pendants.

Click on the photo for a closer look.

Polymer Clay Faux Fabric Pin Thing a Day Day 4

We are moving right along with our Thing A Day on Polymer Clay Central, I hope you all are checking it out.

Staying with my Faux Fabric theme I made another pin... this time in shades of pink and embellished it with glass pearls and pearl seed beads stung on red wire.

Click on the photos for a closer look.
and here is the back....I haven't put the pinback on yet as you can see.

Polymer Clay Faux Fabric Pins Thing a Day Day 3

I spent a couple hours yesterday afternoon making this cane... it didn't turn out the way I wanted, it's kinda blah and I over reduced. I put it aside for a while and then started playing around with it. I wanted to enlarge the pattern so I cut 4 thick slices put them on a thin backing sheet and ran them through the pasta machine.....

Click on the photos for a closer look.

With the help of texture sheets, amber color wire and dyed culture pearls I made these faux fabric pins... which I love!! It feels good when one of my "lemons to lemonade" ideas work.

I'm working on tutorials so I won't forget how I made'em.

Polymer Clay & Beads

I apologize for neglecting my blog.... I have a head cold and now that the holidays are over I have a bit of a let down and am experiencing a case of winter blues. I do this every year and turn to my hobbies to pick me up. So be prepared, I'll be making lots of stuff.

I made these pendants from thin sheets of polymer clay that I folded, gathered and twisted into different shapes. I then added lots of crystal beads in complimentary colors. I will make matching chains when my wire order arrives.

Click on the photos for a closer look

Same pendants from a different angle.
I will be showing you the Christmas wrapping entries soon.... I have to edit the photos and write descriptions... right now my brain is a little fuzzy... head cold... or old age... or both.

Polymer Clay Mixed Media & Long Beads

Boy I tell ya all that cooking for turkey day took a lot out of me... all I want to do is sleep. I've tried to pass the chef duties to my daughters but the grandkids have a fit. I told hubby I will continue doing it until I reach 70 then I'm retiring. We'll see if I can last that long.

Today is the last day of the Holiday Challenge on Polymer Clay Central. I had fun and I hope all the folks who took part had a good time too. I was hoping for a big finish but this is the best I could do.

Experimenting with long tube beads.... and some chunky beads to match. Hopefully they will make a pretty necklace, if I can decide on how I want to put them together.

Click on Photos for a closer look.
I've been dying to do some wire work so I added wire dodads and beads to these. For the next few days I'm gonna just do wire work.... I can do it sitting in my recliner and watching t.v.

Something Different Mixed Media

It is cold and rainy again... my "rain, rain go away" chant isn't working. The dark dreary days are not making my muse happy. I need to get started on my Christmas projects but nothing is coming to mind plus I am waiting for my order from Boston Clay Works.

In the mean time I made this mixed media brooch. I used yellow Kato and bordeaux red Fimo Classic. I was mixing the two together to make a pretty carmel color... and ended up making this, go figure. I added glitter in the cut outs and then after curing and sanding I embellished with cultured freshwater potato pearls, glass seed beads and copper wire.

More Mixed Media Necklaces

I used another of my canes to make the beads... and made the holes with my pinwheel skewer (still tickled I found them). The pendant is a combination of polymer clay, peyote beaded band, colored wire and Swarovski crystals in variegated colors.

The polymer clay beads and two sizes of stardust beads are stung on green waxed cotton cord. I haven't put a clasp on yet, I'm trying to decide if I should take it apart and make two necklaces, one with the beads and a second with just the pendant. Then they could be worn separately or together. What do you think?

Click on the photos for a closer look.
I finished the blue cane necklace. I strung it on waxed cotton cord tied in Chinese button knots.

Polymer Clay Mixed Media Necklace

This necklace has all of my favorite mediums. I made a striped snake in green and yellow polymer clay, slipped on a band of beads in complimentary colors, added tendrils of wire for a little pizzaz and finished it with satin cord adorned with coils of wire. I'm still experimenting with beading and polymer clay... I'm pleased with the way this one turned out. For a closer look click on the photo.