Saturday, November 18, 2006

Beads and Ham Radio


Today I have been working on a necklace and bracelet set for my Mom. She likes black and white with red accents. I made some really cool black and white beads and a few of them have just a little accent of red in them. I think the necklace is pretty. I hope she likes it too. I used white Topaz and Smoky Quartz chips with them too.




BF and I went to a Ham Fest in Fort Wayne today. He used to be a ham operator and I think he wants to get back into it again. I found a few cool tools I could use in my polymer work. :D

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Showing off my stuff


It's been a little while since i have had time to post here.

I am gearing up to start making pretties for sale t
hrough local craft and gift stores. I am making pens, jewelry and pretty soon ( I hope) dragons and other figures both animal and human. I have also started making bowls but the first few aren't very impressive as far as I am concerned. They will get better with practice though. I wanted to make small bowls the size to become ring holders or some such other use for small stuff. Or just to look pretty 'grin'.

These two bracelets are made from plain old jewelry wire that I bought at Joanne's. The bigger one is gold colored and measures 7 1/2" long and is 5/8 wide. It was made from 16 gauge wire. It has a really nice chunky look to it. I created the whole thing including the clasp without the help of a jig. The same goes for the smaller, more dainty version above it.

This smaller one measures 6 1/2 inches long and 3.8 wide. I made it from 20 gauge wire the same way the larger one was made. I like it's dainty look and feel on my wrist. It seems to have no weight at all.


Here's my first polymer and wire combo jewelry set. I really like it. It was all handmade by me except for the wire earring hooks.

I have a coiling gizmo so I made two short gold wire beads to go with the polymer beads I made for this necklace and earring set.


You can't see it but the polymer beads are made with a crackle technique using Future floor polish and yellow acrylic paint. I made a flat sheet of the stuff and covered clay beads with it. After they were baked, I brushed them with a mixture of liquid clay and gold mica powder and re-baked them. I had some mica left over from my old melt-and-pour soap days (they're over now, I don't like the stuff so I can't sell it in good conscience.) The little gold tube beads are made from clay too.

The wire components, including the jump rings, were made from twisted wire that I twisted using my handy little drill.

Well, I am just going to put a few photos up here now without descriptions.










































Tuesday, October 24, 2006

My craft room

I thought you might like to see my work area, it could give you an idea of how I work to create my polymer eye candy.

This space also holds my beading, sewing, crochet, and soap making supplies. Yeah, I love to craft. I spend more time doing that than anything else.

LOL The shelf with the Bud Light case is my soap and candle making storage space. The beer case holds my fragrance bottles. NO I did NOT drink all that beer. LOL

For those of you who don't know much about working with polymer clay, the pasta machine is used to condition and soften the clay before use and to make flat sheets when I need them for a project.

That cordless drill on a shelf is an invaluable tool to me. It is variable speed, I love it. It not only drills holes in my beads, it also twists wire used for making jewelry and will one day hold a final buffing pad.

Yup, in the background behind my work table, is the water softener I share the room with. LOL

Thought you might like to see me working at one of my crafts. Here I was attempting my first ever quilt. I didn't like the colors after it was finished so it was sold as a quilt top. Check out that gorgeous Indiana sunset out the window. :D

Saturday, October 21, 2006

For more years than I care to remember, I have done some sort of art/craft. Starting with crochet and sewing when I lived with my Grandma in my pre-teen years all the way through to when I started beading from time to time in the 70's. I remember always having a crochet project to work on. Of course I did other crafty things too such as rug hooking, painting pictures for kids rooms, and little home decor thingies when I became inspired.

Since I now have arthritic fingers and have had carpel tunnel surgery in both hands, I have cut way back on the crocheting which really hurts the old fingers LOL.


As a natural extension of my beading, I took up making my own beads with polymer clay. WELL, I am here to tell you that there are sooo many other fantastic things that can be done with this stuff! The sky is the limit! One is limited only by one's imagination.


THEN! As another natural extension of beading and making wonderful things with polymer clay, I have recently taken up learning to make wire jewelry. It is such a satisfying feeling to see a project just completed which I have made completely from scratch.


Being an 'Old Hippie' I love flowers and bright colors. Polymer clay fits the bill perfectly with it's easy workability and bright colors that can be made into a rainbow of MORE bright colors. Making flower canes to embellish my various projects is the most fun of all. I am surrounded by pretty posies now.