Pardo Art Clay Necklace

I made this necklace to test the strength of Pardo Art Clay. I cut very thin slices from the previous Pardo cane and rolled two corners to the center to form the beads. I used a pin vise to make small holes in the other two corners for the O rings.  To make the pendant I cut a thicker slice from the cane, ran it through the pasta machine to the #9 setting and then rolled it into a cone.  

Click on the photos for a closer look. 

I used faceted crystal beads, copper bead caps and brown wire to make complimentary links to go with the curled cane beads. 

Close up of the curled beads.  

The pendant is filled with a crystal bead and brown wire with a lacy bell shaped bead cap on the top.

View of the back of the beads. 

The clay held up really well, no tearing or breaking. 

I have more pieces almost finished, just have to do a little sanding and buffing. I will show you tomorrow.  

Mostly Wire Jewelry with a Little Polymer Clay

Sorry to report the little bunny is no more. Early yesterday morning, coffee cup in hand, I headed out the door on my way to the gazebo and there blocking my way was the mangled remains of bunny. Ick, Ick, Ick..... Poor bunny, I had stopped worrying, I thought him big enough and smart enough to elude the evil killer cat.... alas, not so.

I slammed the door and waited for hubby to get home. He disposed of the body for me. I can clean up bird remains and an occasional mouse body but not bunny. Corny is a small cat and looks so innocent but she an accomplished hunter. I wish she didn't feel the need to share her kills with me. She has a young squirrel in her sights now. He seems to think he can outsmart her but I'm not so sure.

My arm is still sore, it hurts to crank the pasta machine. The YaYa's chipped in to buy me a motor. I ordered it from Mona along with a Monafied pasta machine and am now waiting for it to arrive. In the mean time I've been playing with wire.

I love this necklace, I love the colors and the design is just what I wanted. I hope you like it too.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

I like to design asymmetrical jewelry. And by now you all know I love dyed freshwater pearls.
I used one of my polymer clay tiles as the center piece in this wire pendant.
I found a marvelous tutorial by Karla Kam on how to make a crocheted wire and bead necklace. This one is fall colors and was a perfect match for my wired maple leaf pendant.
I used red, white and black beads on red wire for this necklace and then added a polymer clay pendant wrapped in red wire.
And last but not least is a green crocheted wire necklace to which I added a green leaf pendant. I'll be making more of these. The necklace is easy peasy to make, doesn't take long at all.

Polymer Clay Cane Reduction Disaster

I'm a little frazzled, I've had two strange men peeking in my windows all day today.

The painters are painting the window trim, the front and back porches and the 2nd floor deck. Every time I turned around I had one or both peering at me through the window. I spend most of the day hiding out in my studio or the basement. When I got hungry or thirsty I would press up against the wall and slither down the hall to the kitchen. I'm a very private person, I do not like people looking at me... I would have never made it as a goldfish. This will most likely go on for a couple more days.... my cats and I are not happy campers. Every time I sit down a furry critter.. or two... lands in my lap. Normally my cats are not lap sitters.

It rained off and on all day today.... didn't stop the painters, they just kept painting. I went out and asked how they could paint in the rain and they said "No problem, when it rains heavy we paint on the inside of the porch and when it lets up we paint on the outside". Seems strange to me, I was under the impression you needed dry weather to paint, silly me... I have visions of waking up in the morning to puddles of paint all around the house. They also kept painting an hour or more after it got dark. I went out and asked about that too but they assured me they could see just fine.

Okay now to my cane disaster story.

I spent a couple days building what I thought would be a lovely butterfly cane with flowers in her wings. I assembled the cane... as you can see in the photo... Now I must tell you canes are not my thing, most all of the canes I make are fairly small, about 1 to 2 inches across and 1 1/2" high. There in lies the problem, this one grew to 4" x 5" and was only 1 1/2" high... so when I tried to reduce it I could not get the center to move. I got it down to 2" x 3" before I sliced it open and it was a total failure. It was a big disappointment and I forgot to take a photo... you'll have to take my word for it, it was badly distorted and didn't look like a butterfly at all. I haven't given up on the idea, I will try again with a more manageable size.

Click on the photos for a close look.

I chopped it up and made these... they look kinds like sting rays...
I also made several mirror image tiles.... and lots of what I call "rattlers" cause to me the resemble rattle snake rattlers. The one in the center has little flutterbys going up a chute...
I used a couple other "rattlers" to make a reversible pendant adorned with a bail made of coiled wire and freshwater pearls then completed the necklace with matching wire links.

This is the front view:

This is the side view
and here is the back view.
My muse is into purple lately, here are a couple more purple canes.
I made more mirror image tiles and beads from the disaster cane but I haven't sanded them yet. I"ll post photos when they are looking their best.

Polymer Clay Buttons to Beads

I'm still slogging around in my basement. The cleaning is slow moving as I keep finding things that distract me. My latest find was a box of large coat buttons, many with attractive designs.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

I like the pattern on this button, it is simple but very attractive. I was running scrap clay through the pasta machine and liked the copper look so I used it to make a couple tiles.

This large coat button has lots of texture so I used it to make the hollow pendant.

In between playing with clay, cleaning the basement (actually I'm making a big mess down there) and doing a little yard work I made a few wire doodads.
I made a necklace using one of the "copper" tiles and the blue wire doodad strung on dark blue waxed cotton cord. I have dozens of large buttons with fun designs, good thing I saved them, right?

Polymer Clay Mixed Media Necklace

After the "Thing A Day" challenged ended I took a couple days off from claying. I concentrated on wire work instead. Believe it or not it took me a couple days to make the three layered chain for this necklace. When the chain was done I needed a pendant so I headed back to the clay room. I made a couple other pendants but this is my favorite and the one I feel goes best with the chain.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Polymer Clay PINK Necklace "Thing a Day" Day 27

If you don't like pink cover your eyes.... this is PINK!! The lovely pink and silver beads are more loot from the Trash to Treasure Swap... they were donated by Miss Jackie of the The Pleasant Pheasant blog. (Check my blog list and pay her a visit, she has been making over the top beautiful canes)

I was going to use silver and pink wire but I was enthralled with the pink... and I'm not even a fan of pink. I am pleased with the way this turned out... fingers crossed that Jackie likes it too.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Polymer Clay Asymmetrical Necklace "Thing A Day" Day 24

I made the polymer clay beads from one of the canes I made on Day 1. I made a sheet with the canes, cut out 1" squares folded the corners to the center so the beads are hollow. On one side of the necklace I strung the beads with dyed cultured pearls on colored wire. On the other side I made round links filled with matching beads and the pendant is a swirly lentil filled with pearls on twisted wire. I used long beads of coiled copper to complete the necklace.

Click on the photos for a closer look.