Diva Disks I

My hands want to make BIG beads. For my purposes, that doesn't really work. Smashing them into disk beads makes them more manageable. I love to string diva style bracelets of disk beads and matching spacers. P.S. The names are as important as the beads.

Painterly polymer

Inspired by Polymer Clay Daily (as I am most weekdays), I tried some controlled surface imagery in polymer clay. Normally I love to put colors together, manipulate the clay and let images emerge as they will. This new technique toward a more controlled surface image was very labor-intensive but worth the effort. The beads have an oriental, delicate look

OOOOH, shiny!

Though I love matte finishes and the detail you can make with polymer clay millefiori, sometimes a girl just wants something shiny. Copper leaf in the clay gives the beads just that bit of sparkle that satisfies.

Carved Beads

I know the blog has been neglected for a while in favor of actually working at the clay table. I'll post small groups of the experimentation that has fascinated me for months. Let's start with simple carving. The two Ancient Mystery sets were carved and backfilled with white clay and paint. Calypso started out as a bead covered with multicolored extrusions and then carved to reveal the layers within. Silver spice was an attempt to carve more complex designs and add a patina to show depth. My favorite is Ancient Mysteries I.

Making the mala

I made this mala for someone I love very much. I saved beads for months to have 108 that fit perfectly. First I started with 7 glow-in-the-dark beads. After a spacer, 21 beads were added. Another spacer came before the main body of beads (mostly in earth tones). More glow-in-the-dark beads were interspersed to represent that there is light ahead when things seem bleak. Some of the beads are rough-textured just as some days are rough. Some are smooth and shiny. There is a ball of yarn bead to stand for the times when our words get tangled. Other beads stand for memories I cherish that even the recipient doesn't remember.

How the Rainbow was invented

I found this lovely tutorial on Parole de Pate, the French polymer clay site. These beads were made and hidden in a pile on the bead table for weeks. Lately I've been adding a patina to some sculptures I did a few years ago, and the look is completely changed. I decided to do the same for these beads and I love the earthy look. I'm adding stuff gradually to etsy-just not sure what direction the shop should take: loose beads, bracelets, sculptures? For now I'll add a bit of each and keep preparing for future craft shows.

Everything old is new again

These are focal beads made especially for pendants. I've been sculpting little people since the 80's. Normally I made them about 4 inches tall with a hanging loop in the top of the head so they could be used for ornaments or hung from a car mirror. These are slightly smaller with a stringing channel hidden in the hair so that they hang perfectly as a pendant. The peacock queen and the mermaid are on etsy. Today I made a baker, a cat lady and a hippie chick. I have over 300 designs from the ornament days that I need to adapt slightly for pendants but I'm trying to get the patina just right before letting them out into the world. What do you think?