Faux Raku for You

There is still one more day to enter into my giveaway as detailed in my last blog entry.  So far, there have been only a few people who commented and hence are eligible.  I know that they are hoping that no one else   comments ... greater chance for them.  I will check immediately when I get home from work Halloween evening and let luck choose the winner.

I had a very productive Saturday.  I got a lot of beads made.  Unfortunately, the productivity was paid for the next day with a flare of the carpel in the right wrist and a new pain in my left shoulder.  Every time I complain to the SO about getting older, his response is "Consider the alternative".  Trite but true.

My newest kick is experimenting with a faux raku technique that Lisa Pavelka showed us on the Clayditarod.
She used foils and inks to create the look.

This is the piece I made in Lisa's class.  There was not much faux raku, so I put little tidbits here and there in the pendant.

Believe it or not, the same color ink was used for both of these.

 The piece on the left is the technique on a flat surface. I love the look and wondered what it would look like if I tried it on a rounder form.  The crackle is good, but the color of the ink seeped under the foil resist and colored the clay. I was hoping that when I sanded (yes, I SANDED), that the color would revert to white again...but no such luck.
   Then I wondered what other, non traditional raku colors would look like.

Using my favorite ink color, Stream

Colored with "Plum"

I love the effect and want to get the time to work with more colors and shapes.  I could do without the sanding though.  I watched a whole episode of "Upstairs, Downstairs" on Netflix while sanding 6 beads. I gotta get faster .... I did get them made up into simple earrings pretty quickly though, so at least in that aspect I am improving.

 I do wish I could figure out how to get

 my pictures to line up next to each other on the page. It would look
so much nicer.  Anything good on the llayout that does happen, happens by accident and I can not figure out how to do it again.

A Milestone Reached and a Giveaway

I was excited this morning when I checked out this blog to see that the view tally was at 9,999.  Now I know that is not a big number for a lot of those popular musings in the blogoverse, but it is a huge number for little ol' me.  Thanks so much to all those readers who actually take the time out of their day to puruse my ramblings.

I have decided to celebrate this milestone by having a giveaway of a pair of Artybecca inspired beads. And it is easy ... all you need do is leave a comment as to which pair you would like to win.  That's it.

   Since I am not a mega blog with tons of readers, I am going to give a bit more than the typical week for people to comment. I will pick the winner by random number generator on Halloween in the dead of night  (for those outside the U.S. that is October 31st at midnight PST).
  These are special beads to me in that I actually SANDED them ... yes, me sanding ... I had no fingernails left on my right two fingers afterwards, but it was worth it.  Just wish I could get into the Zen of sanding:  I really like the smooth feel of the finished bead, but it is soooo boring.

Thanks again to Rebecca for the FREE  tut on how to make these.  The
Polymer Community is full of very generous people.  Maybe that is why
I love this medium so much.

   There are two pair of bongo drum beads, blue and lavender, and a pumpkin colored pair to choose from.  I posted pix of earrings made from the other beads made from the same clay blends on my last blog entry, so you can get an idea of their size and how they can look made into something.  Just leave a comment as to which pair you would like to have, and  you may be a winner.

Back to my roots - Polymer that is

Finally, some polymer earrings to share with you.
I have been busy making earrings for the upcoming Artisan's Show in Edmonds next month, and slowing working on the massive beaded necklace project.  I am over half done with it, adding a few beads a day.  I remember a friend once told me that shovel by shovel full, she could move a mountain. This is the friend who is gluing seed beads to a door ( I blogged about her in August) so she knows about patience.  Me, I am not so patient ....
   Most of the earrings I have been making are not polymer.  I am trying to use up some of my stash in the hope that I can make more space for working with metal clay.  I have the kiln I won just sitting there, waiting for me, calling to me .... and I have no space to work in.  Mean hubbie won't let me expand outside my studio .... he actually gets upset when he wants to come to bed and finds me in it surrounded by my beads and findings, frantically trying to get get in "just one more pair, dear" before lights out.  Imagine the nerve of him!  Womans' gotta create and I NEED space....lots and lots of space ..... must have more rooooommmm

   Opps, back to earth, girl.
  I wanted to show a few of my latest.

Love Apple

This is my newest favorite pair of earrings, made with some of the tinted translucent from my huge necklace project.  Love the color.

  Remember a while back when Artybecca (Rebecca Watkins in real life) posted a tut on flickr and actually caused me to SAND my beads.... well, I finally got around to making them into Earrings.  When I first posted my beads on Flickr, Rebecca actually commented that they reminded her of bongo drums (hence the names I have given the earrings).

Babbaloo

Lucy... I'm home!

And finally, just in time for Halloween....

Pumpkin Spice

What have I got myself into?!?

I saw a necklace in last month's (August 2012) issue of Bead Design Studio that I absolutely fell in love with.  It kinda surprised me, as I am not usually attracted to this type of necklace, but there ya go.  I am not one to argue with inspiration when it strikes ... BUT I am really wondering if I bit off a little more than I can chew.  The original necklace has 90-95 larger glass beads in it.  They are the most yummy colors and I thought to myself, if I don't have glass, I will use Polymer, of course.
  But how to get those colors?  A few experiments later, I found if I mixed small portions of clay  with translucent, I could achieve colors that were similar.  There is still a long way to go, I am working on getting all the beads made.... but here is a peak at what I have been doing.  Will post the finished piece when (if??) I finish.  I esp love the deep sparkly look that is achieved when mixing a pearlized clay into translucent.  Yum!

I LOVE the look of these beads and plan to work more with
Translucent clay when this project is finished.

 Because I am so wrapped up in making these translucent beads, my 52 earring project is suffering.  If only I did not have that darn J.O.B. getting in the way ... but it does pay the bills and allow me to create...
   As I result, I whipped up a month's worth of earings in one afternoon (sorry.... only one using polymer).

Polymer colored with inks and
mica powders, surrounded by
an abalone ring

Kitty Queen.  Earrings made from the
adorable kitty beads I picked up at
the NWBS show last weekend.

The nights are getting chilly...  here
are my "Prelude to Winter" earrings.

I titled these "Disc Believe" in
homage to Terry Prachett's
Disc world Series

I can be so forgetful at times

Yesterday I went to what I consider the best bead show held in our area each year, the Northwest Bead Society Bead Bazaar.  I just don't say that because in the past my Polymer Clay Guild has had a table there, but because it features local artists.  It is a joy to purchase a OOAK bead from the maker  ... I get a thrill from talking to them, finding common ground, comparing notes, delving into their thought processes and feeding a little off their energy and love for their art (in a good way, like a root beer float on a warm day).
   I work mostly in polymer, but that doesn't mean that I don't like, and to be truthful, some what crave other medias, esp. glass.  I was just starting to learn glasswork beads when I had what the Dr referred to as a venous occlusion in my right eye (in other words, a mini stroke).  That blew my depth perception as now I have a "bumpy" retina and I can no longer focus well enough to see where to add stringers, etc to the glass.  Big Bummer..... as I LOVED working in glass, and so I am reduced to admiring the work of others and bringing it home with me whenever I find anything I can't live without.
   And so it comes to the title of today's blog .... While at the NWBS show I found the table set up by Fire and Rain, a local glass bead group.  There were 17 artists represented and I spent quite some time talking and ohhing at all the pretties.  I bought a few but I totally SPACED on getting names or business cards of any of the artists.  All I have is their initials on the tags attached to the beads.  I went to their website hoping to find names to match the initials, but no luck there. Here is what I brought home, with apologies to the makers for not being able to give them credit

This reminds me of Van Gogh's Starry Night, even if.the
color's aren't the same. Bead by D.P.

The color of this glass is called Krytonite.  Reminds me of
Jade.  Beads by E.H.

These guys are just too cute for words.  By C.M,

But my favorite bead was by F.W.  I fell in love with the color, the texture and flow of the design.  After purchasing it, I had to find coordinating beads as I wanted to string it right away. That was another delightful hour going from table to table (like I really needed an excuse! ya, right).  I found the lovely Vera Wieland of Cave Dweller Beads who helped me pick the colors for the companion beads (this time I got a name ... still don't know why I spaced at Fire and Rain). Vera specializes in making well priced beads to compliment focals and does a great job at it.

I wish I knew who F.W. is.  I love her work.

Temporary stringing job,  just to see how they play out.
Don't Vera's beads go great, like they were made for it.

Mould Give Away

I just love the Blogosphere.  How else would I have found out about Moulds by Mel?  I read the blog this morning from Davinia (Deez News - see sidebar) and from it followed the link to Mel the Mould Maker.  She is giving away 8 (yes 8!) moulds and the rules are so easy.

So, if you are interested, check it out here. I just love the color she used to make them, don't you?  (if the link doesn't work, go to Deez News and follow her link ... I know it works!!!)

Finding Nino

I have not been playing with clay since the cruise, so I decided to spend Saturday in my studio. But first I had to clean it a bit .... mistake!!!!!  I found some beads that I bought recently and decided that I would string them instead.  Since doing the Bead Soup and hopping all over the blogosphere getting inspired, I have been thinking more about how present beads than feeling the need to make them.
   Of course, my studio is not set up for stringing, so I have to hunt through bins looking for wire, crimps, hooks, etc.  Can find them all except the crimps.  So off to the friendly local bead store ... another MISTAKE.  It is their anniversary and everything in the store is 20% off.  I tried to be good, really I did, but I found these lovely abalone beads in all sorts of shiny colors ..., they are kinda like potato chips to me.
  Got the crimps and was finally able to finish the necklace and earrings to match.  I had found another set of beads that I also made up.  Now, I am no great shakes at design, so these are rather simple, but I am pleased none the less.

Finding Nino

 I know that one is not supposed to take pictures in sunlight where shadows are being cast, etc. Not professional. But I kinda like the shadow play where it makes ripples on the bottom left.  It shows the texture of the beads.

The second set I don't like as much, but it was a learning experience.

Sunrise Sonata

And here are some of the Abalone  beads I was telling you about.