Shaded Rose Cane

Roses are one of my favorite flowers so I had to try the http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/backgroundless-shaded-rose-cane-polymer-clay-tutorial-video/12497/">shaded rose cane .  I'm going to be making some beads, earrings and some hearts.

Wild Woman

Here's the complete set I made with the  leopard print .  There's the watch bracelet, necklace and earrings. I sanded and buffed the polymer clay animal print beads till they had a glassy appearance. I had so much fun making the ear wires out of copper wire. I used wooden beads for the watch and necklace to give it that earthy, wild, jungle lookand strung the pendant on a leather cord.

Natasha bead necklace - gone!

Here's the completed necklace with the Natasha Bead.  If you want to know more about the Natasha Bead just scroll down to an older post with information about the bead. It's a unique one of a kind bead made with left over scrap polymer clay. Since it was a large bead and very patterned, I thought I'd keep it really simple with a leather cord and fancy bead caps to show off the bead.

Sand dollar pendant

This is another pendant where I used some left over scraps of clay and mixed it.  It had some inks and mica powders.  It turned into this beautiful pale peachy color with a shimmer and hint of deeper pink.  I engraved this design into it and filled it up with some shimmer powders and then put resin on top.  It looks quite different and I'm pleased how it turned out.  A couple of friends told me it reminded them of the sand dollar so that's what I called it. I strung it on black leather cord with a little silver spacer bead.

Folkart pendant

This pendant was made with left over scraps of clay. I used some black clay with a folk art face mold and then used strips of left over clay from another textured pendant. I added a design ontop of the joinings and it made quite an interesting pattern. I don't like to waste clay and this is what's so good about polymer clay.  You can always use up the scraps and they turn out into a surprisingly beautiful piece.  I used a plain leather cord and a silver spacer bead.

Animal time!

I loved this copper watch face and bought it. the watch band is handcrafted animal print polymer beads. The leopard print polymer cane seemed just made for it.  I used copper findings, a copper clasp and wooden beads. The animal print, colors and wooden beads go together to make a 'natural,wild' look.  Will be posting photos of the earrings and pendant too.

Fabric Roses

I made these fabric polymer roses with scraps of left over fabric, alcohol inks and pearlex powders. I used a light pink fabric and I like how the inks bled into the fabric and the powders and inks just blended together. It kind of gave a depth and shading to the roses all of it's own. I think I'm going to use the smaller roses  for earrings and the bigger one in a necklace.

Dangle Bangle

This polymer clay bead on this dangle bangle  was made with left over scraps of clay.  I rolled and swirled the scraps together and it turned into a beautiful bead.  Thats what i love about polymer clay; nothing is wasted. Since it was just the one bead and the size was right, I decided to use it as a dangle on this copper bangle.  The copper color made the colors really stand out.

Art sheet and copper - Sold

These beads were made with left over polymer clay mixed media art sheet The colors in them just needed to be highlighted with the deep wine brown rattail cord, rich copper beads and spacers and copper findings. I hand rolled the beads to give them that handmade, natural organic look. I forgot to take a photo of the  wire cord end finding I also made with copper wire. I used a bought lobster clasp.  I sold this set at school.  the teacher was looking for something bold and I suggested this necklace and earring set.  She said it looked like it would be too heavy so I told her to pick it up and she was surprised at how light it was.  She loved it and bought it right away.

Jewelry sale

It's been a long time since my last blog; I've been busy with choir practices at school and singing with the choirs at church and senior's residences and of course my piano students.  I've also been getting ready with my jewelry for a party at my home on Friday, the 10th and a display at the school Friday morning.
I had really good sales and I'm pleased.  People thought I had a wide variety and something for everyone. I sold beaded jewelry and polymer clay jewelry. They also thought my jewelry tags were very professional. Now I can relax a day or two and get the cookies baking with my children.  I'm accompanying the school choir again for a mass follwed by a little concert and carolling in the parish hall on Tuesday and the school/parents carol sing-a-long on Friday 17th , the last day of school.

Jungle Fever

This was a very exciting project for me. I made this necklace for the 'Jungle Fever' Competition in the Canadian Beading Magazine. There are three techniques in this necklace.The faux bone  and carved drum beads  are handmade by me from polymer clay. The pendant is in brick stitch. It was a challenge to build a circular brick stitch around the faux bone disc bead. The pendant gives the necklace an exotic touch. I used greenish, brown ceramic beads and added the shell leaves in green and brown for foliage, the 'drum' beads making it 'wild' and 'feverish' - Jungle Fever. For the earrings, I flattened the ends of the steel wire and used them as head pins- the flattened end gives it a tribal /jungle look.

Making my own jewelry findings

Tried making my own clasps.  You can see the progression here.  The little hook on the right did not come out exactly the right size. I'm pleased with the hook and clasp on the left. These clasps are made with  hammered copper wire I must say I had a hard time turning the little loop at the end of the hook (I tried it on the middle hook and clasp) So I just tilted the end of the hook in the one on the left; It was a bit easier on my wrists.

Blend 'n Switch Earrings

I meant to post this earlier but somehow got to other projects.  The blend and switch technique is such a fun technique; it looks like a colorful jigsaw puzzle and like stained glass ( I love both doing gigantic jigsaw puzzles and stained glass!) This is a combination of two techniques. I  used  the  rainbow blend .  To get the jigsaw effect I followed blend n switch technique . The big shapes just seemed to go with this design. I put a thin layer of Judikins resin.

Fall pendant

Made this pendant for my daughter and gave it to her on Thanksgiving.  It's adjustable; I strung it on a simple black rattail cord and I added a copper bead to highlight the warm fall tones in the maple leaf. 
Check this technique Faux Dichroic Glass

Dichroic swirly pendant

This pendant turned out really colorful. It's the Faux dichroic technique .I used a swirly texture sheet and strung it on rattail cord with a silver spacer bead and made it an adjustable necklace.

Website problems!

Trying to set up the online store and still haven't managed to do it. it's so confusing but I don't want to get it done professionally, too expensive and can't afford that now.  Has anyone set up an online shop?

Great shopping!

I had a super shopping trip at Michaels;  everything on sale today.  I saved the 40% off coupon and used it to buy alcohol  inks; I have quite a few colors by now.  Got myself some stamps form the $1.50 bin and a couple of really great ones that were 40% off.  Clay was on sale 2 for $ 4.00. I did not get my music stamp- will have to try again!

Shades of Fall

I love the fall colors, so warm and rich!  I tried to get my polymer clay leaves to look like the fallen autumn leaves.  I still have some work on them, sanding, antiquing and  putting findings.  I followed Cindy Lietz's leaf tutorial

Been workin with polymer clay

I haven't posted in a while .  Just find that to post and get jewelry completed along side teaching is sometimes really hard.  However, I have been playin with clay and have actually got a few items done.  I've done some resin work, art sheet jewelry, some leaf earrings and pendant,  some beads and also a few pendants to give my daughters at Thanksgiving.  The pendants are an idea I had when my youngest daughter looked at the leaf pendants I've done and said she would prefer to have a leaf in a stone. I also did a last minute rush order of a necklace for my friend ( for her son's wedding)  so I have been really busy and will post photos as soon as I've finished up the pieces.

I'm a new member of Artisans Jewelry Designers Ltd

Check out this page; I've just become a member.  It's a place where artisans & jewelry designers meet and share their views, photos etc.

http://artisanjewelrydesigners.ning.com/profile/CherylPereiraHodges#

Mixed media art sheet technique

I'm so loving this technique. It's fun to do and lots of possibilities.  I just made some pendants, earrings and beads with the left over pieces of the sheet.  Go to  Polymer Clay artist and tutor Cindy Lietz' site
 http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/polymer-clay-tutorial-mixed-media-art-sheets-technique-video/11266/ to take a peek at this technique. 

Resin

I've just completed a batch of pendants and earrings using Easy Cast Resin.  Found it's a bit messy as you have to keep pouring from one container to the other.  Also it pulled away from the edges so i need to redo the edges.  i did not have any other problem; no bubbles, it degassed well. You don't need an oven for this resin.  Will hopefully post photos tomorrow.

Easy Cast Resin on polymer clay pendant

I'm experimenting with Easy Cast resin I had bought from Michaels on a couple of blue morpho butterfly wing pendants.  So far I've tried Ultra Dome and Judikins Flux Enameling Resin.  Will post the photos when they're done.

Natasha bead

This is a 'Natasha bead' invented by Natasha.  The great thing about it is that it turns out different every time - a one of a kind original bead.  It's kind of magical.  The patterns that emerge look quite intricate but it is actually just scraps of  left over polymer clay lumped together.  You can't really plan a design , just maybe move the clay bits around when you smoosh them together. It ends up having a mirror image on each surface of the bead.  It's like an abstract  painting, the colors flowing and blending and falling into their own pattern. I still have to sand and buff this bead.

 

Blend and switch earrings completed

Yesterday I put on the jump rings for the blend and switch.  had a bit of a mishap with the Judikins resin.  The hole was too small for the jumpring, so I tried to make it bigger.  The resin around the hole cracked.  I had to peel it off and reapply it. Will post the photo in a day or two.  I still have to finish the other set - the triangular pendant and earring set.