Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Clay Camp Productivity

Despite starting to come down with a cold Sunday night at Clay Camp, I was quite productive.
I had several projects planned, but got hooked into making controlled marble beads.  I blended several colors to try and forgot that with this technique, a little bit of clay goes a long way.  I was  making beads from the same colors Monday morning and still have some of the blended colors left to make more now that I am home.

Out of 4 basic colors, I got a plethora of beads. It's all in how you combine the colors.


 With this technique, you only get a few beads of each color run.  These 4 beads are made from one of my favorite color combinations.

 I discovered right away that I had left my smallest Kemper circle cutter at home. These were the first set of beads that I made, being forced to use a circle cutter larger than I liked for the end caps. I tried something different on these, texturing the beads slightly.  After baking, I discovered I really did not like the textured look. What to do?
    I mixed a bit of dark brown ink with my LPC and colored in the textured part of the beads, giving them a speckled appearance.  I like this look better.


I discovered that I had some eyelets in my stash, so I used them in these beads.  Unfortunately, I only had a few and they were quickly gone. I like the finished look I get using them.


My guildie Janis loaned me her small cirlce cutter, so the next beads were made using it.


There are more bead sets, but that is enough for tonight.  Tonight was my first night back to work after vacation and I am finally ready to fall asleep.  

4 comments:

  1. Hi Julee,
    Sorry to hear that you were sick. These beads are great. Really like the yellow tube beads best, if indeed they are yellow. I have trouble with colors, but I do like them what ever color they are. All are very summery and cheerful. Do you have to glue the eyelets in or are they put in before baking and just stay put?

    Hope you feel better,
    Jay

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  2. Yes, Jay, I am feeling more like a human again this last week.
    Thanks for liking my beads. I have a lot of fun making them.
    As to the eyelets, I find that they stay put pretty good on their own if I push them into holes smaller than they are. I have tried to pull them out after baking to glue them in, but unless they come out easily, I just leave them alone. Since I make the beads mostly into earrings, the findings or crystals I use on either side of the eyelets hold them in place.

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  3. Hi JuLee,
    Thanks for responding. I was reading back on your blog and am amazed at all the other beautiful beads you have made. The pumpkin color you used on the 'bongo drum' beads back on 10/19/12 post really 'pops'. How did you come up with that color? Secret recipe?
    Thanks, Jay

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  4. I wish I could tell you for certain what combo I used to get that color. I am horrible at writting things down. I mean to but then I get busy mixing colors and forget. I think it is just Premo Orange with a bit or white or yellow mixed in, but am not certain. That set of beads was made using a Flickr tut by Artybecca, a kind of Mokume Gane, that she posted last year.

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