More bead making

I used much of what's left of my dark beads here:
Soil and Sacrament.
Those Chunky garnet tourmalines were part of Kathystash. Also a long Gobi Desert Agate and an awesome tassel from TeapotandTelephones' shop.

I even show three ways to wear it. That side one works because the stones are heavier than the polymer.

Nephefliad
I made these with two of the special sterling bits from Inheritance Haul, as well as lampwork and my own polies.

Citrus
I put more of these up, which I now call my Citrus series.
Citrus
I'll proly never sell any since I had to make them pretty expensive because of the time they took to make.

Crushed Bouquets
I was actually able to sell a few of these, mostly to the same lovely lady who gave me the idea to put them up for sale in the first place. It literally hadn't occurred to me. I thought I'd just make like a million different things with these. Then this gal convoed me about them and I was like, with the time it took to make I'd have to charge about $15/pair and I can't see anyone paying that. And she was like "I would!"

Broken Rainbows
All the different bits have a series name now. Like these are broken rainbows.

I put glass paint in the cuts.

Broken Rainbows
The wheel above has been back-painted with black.

Broken Rainbows
Back-painting is what I call painting then spending five hours removing the paint in all but the crevices.

Broken Rainbows
If anyone knows a real actual term for that, please let me know.

Broken Rainbows
Here, all these were back painted.

Fractured Stones
It's an amazing technique, brings out ten times more detail than you could see before.

Fractured Stones
If I ever manage to sell anything in this Fractured Stones series I'll have to make extra sure I'm packing and sending off the right ones.

Fractured Stones
Small beads are harder to make in polymer, since your hands are your main tool and fingers are clumsy, lumpy logs. So yeah, no lower price for smaller beads like in Czech glass.

Fractured Stones
But I find smaller beads more useful, more in keeping with regular sized jewelry, so I make the effort to make them.

Crackling Embers
Ok, these, are quite different. They take much of their color from glass paint.

There are so many things to try! I came up with all the above by blending together several different techniques from several different tutes. Polymer clay rewards experimenting rather a lot.

I still haven't listed these.


I was going to make Them into earrings like this doodle but then I realized I could just sell them as-is as a set of earring pairs or earrings almost ready to go or something... Like, I already put a bunch of work in, you do the rest. That could appeal to crafty etsy types? I'm just way backed up in my regular studio stuff.




Here's a bracelet connector that was a conglomeration of failures.
It has a wire base within and was baked in two stages...

But if you're wondering why it has a weird yellowish edge happening, yeah. I'm wondering too. So I either get rid of that or add it to the center. Good thing I went through the trouble of taking and editing all these pictures for no reason!
I kept some babies to make something finished myself. Here's what I have so far:


I figured out how to make a four-strand flat braid:

This is before treating it to my technique of tightening it up by getting it wet then running it over an open flame. But I did add a bunch of alcohol inks to even out the color. Here's the back without that, see?

I was about to list these:

But then I decided to make something with them instead.
And I never showed y'all these:

Which I haven't listed because I've been needing beads to go with a bunch of brownish things lately so I'm hoarding. The two lone beads in the middle I totally forgot to pierce before cooking.
Anyway, that's what I've been up to.

Thank you guys for your sweet comments about my beads. It was a real moral booster when the price makes a lot of sales unlikely. Especially Fade and Remain who wrote, "Those beads are everything. Forever and ever amen." I love you! She also asked for a tute. Sigh... OK... if you're talking about the brown ones, they came about because I failed miserably at this--when I did the one thing she clearly stated not to do, which was to use translucent pardo clay, cuz it'll turn your colors to mud. So then I back-painted with pale gold paint after those were a terrible failure. So there's your tute?

So much for my plans for shorter blog posts with more updates. I don't have the patience or wherewithal to plan that much.

YAY!

You guys I feel like I just emerged from a month-long bout of PMS. I can't stop making and I'm doing awesome at the gym, dancing like a maniac. Sheesh I finally feel good!

Puma.


Look at that cool-ass Uruguayan coin I soldered! And the Gobi Desert Agates and the baltic amber and the gleaming cab TeapotsandTelephones gave me and the chain I soldered and and and...



I hung the big agate on a knotted cord instead of a pin for a change... OOOOhhh so pretty.

Secreted Away.
And here's a keyhole I've been meaning to braceletify forever and finally this chain and ostrich leather from teapots made it all happen.

And guess where it's from yeah that's right Uruguay.


EIGHT.

Speaking of which, so is this amazeballz cast bronze house number which I set this bomb-ass druzy into. Which btw, I rimmed in gold leaf cuz I does it like that.



And I used more wire wrapping than I ever have in any necklace before- just cuz. It gave the beads a lot of breathing room so I didn't need to add any chain or cording... Gotta do something new every time to keep myself entertained.Nightscape.
PUUUUURPLE- from pinkish lilac to indigo. I always do this shades of a color thing. I wonder if it has to do with the way I see color.


This sweet cab is from inheritance haul. Crackle beads mine. Oh, and that is a little belly button ring with an amethyst glass gem set in it- used here as part of the clasp! Squee. Of course the twist balls are permanently adhered in place. But I love little clever bits like that.

Aaaannyways. The reason I wanted to do all four remaining items in this batch all at once is cuz I wanna share my next project I've been spazing over since I started feeling better. POLYBABIES!
*Manic squee-ing ensues*
Howzabout some previews?

Crackle porn. LOOOOOOK.
I made mokume game out of translucent layers coated in alcohol inks and sprinkled with chalk pastel shavings, I put that on a layer of white then a layer of translucent, I slightly cured with heat gun then ran through pasta maker to crackle, I layered it over scrap clay bases...

Sides that came out boring, I cut into with my tissue blade to show off the layers- eeehh?


Cubes. Below, these crappy ones I painted black to see if that improved them, and it did-

The wacky blue ones in the middle I'll be re-painting in black.
Crazy colorful, I know. But I'm also going to put some subtler things for sale-
Some sets with a variety of shapes and colors, but a unifying dark grungy thing
Some more regular, like this set of five wheels.

I think these coins would make cool earrings on long modern ear wires that went right through them.

These big ol' door knockers aren't exactly subtle but I loved how they looked in these caps teapots gave me.

I'm also going to be listing these connectors I made in little brass cups with nail decals and crackle and all kindsa stuff.

Here's some of the vintage decals teapots sent.

Someone asked how I made them soooo...  I start by filling the bottom of the bases with scrap clay. Then I fill th rest with sheets I've made into clear and white striations, cook, apply decals with a layer of clear medium, dry overnight, apply crackle medium, dry overnight, then darkish paint then matte medium... Phew! Oh then tint the edges with alcohol ink. Oh but then I have to re-drill the holes which by now are full of mediums and paint, and stain the inside of the holes with more alcohol ink or else they'd be stark white.

Some like these on the left, I tinted the edges with chalk pastels before baking.I have a lot more to photograph, but it's 3 am and my manic ass should be sleeping.


I don't have a theme for this post's gifs- I'm too focused on bead making to organize one.

Hey is this thing on?

Nocturne
I meant to be listing and blogging, but I've become distracted. I can't stop playing with clay.

From the description: "This little 14 carat rose gold bird in elaborate frame used to live on an ornate antique necklace focal but was coming off. I removed it, slightly curved it, then soldered it on to this section of brass sheet for a fascinating bracelet connector."

The chain, also from inheritance haul, is fine silver stamped 925... I think? and also "Peru". Faaan-cy!
Being and Non-Being
The polymers here are from my colab with shipwreckdandy and the bezels I've pinched together on top so they'd fit the opal hearts. I almost never use the right size bezels.



"Earth, mountains, rivers, hidden in this nothingness.
In this nothingness, earth, mountains, rivers revealed.
Spring flowers, winter snows.
There's no being or non-being, nor denial itself."


-Saisho Hiroshi


These little zen poems really speak to me. I'm a nihilist, but like in a nice way.
Epicedium
Uruguayan leather button toggles into architectural dig buckle. That sterling connector is from my inheritance haul that I already mentioned in that post. The jet cameo is teapotsandtelephones haul and the beads are handmade ceramic and Indonesian.

OK, I'll try not to forget my online presence again. Well, I haven't totally forgotten Instagram. For example:

Some connectors with decals and crackle.

"Some beads that came out way too black and some cords I'm trying out made from lovely variegated yarn. I love yarns but it tends to turn out too fluffy for jewelry. Well, turns out you can tighten them up by wetting them then running them over an open flame! These were all fuzzy and poofy a minute ago. Clever me! Mr. Devices, however, is not loving the smell permeating the entire house." Mr D was pissed.

I'm drowning in beads y'all.