Glorious mud

Purple and wasabi polymer clay choker

Purple and green polymer clay beads

"What?" you say "back already?" yes back with more blending of colours.
The choker is purple (mixed from premo navy blue, purple and white) and it is  combined with wasabi (just purest wasabi). The mokune gane beads are skinner blends of my purple with white and the wasabi with white, with a translucent and silver leaf layer (couldn't resist) the little beads are then either purple or wasabi muddied with the other colour. All quite harmonious I feel.

The beads below I made some months ago and as much as I love purple and green I have to admit they are a bit of a poke in the eye. Which explains why they are sitting about unused.


Next up fuschia and orange after my hols maybe.

Colour me inspired

 I didn't mean to leave it this long but stuff got in the way like it does.

After seeing the Polymer Clay Guild's stall at the hobby fair at the NEC I decided I needed to up my game a bit so I have been working my way through Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio.

The necklace and brooch are the first things I have made other than colour swatches since starting the book.  Its not a huge book, but boy is it meaty. I have still not got through all the excercises in fact, I am still working out my personal colour palett (pallett? pallet?) yes learning to spell it would be a good start.

 But I am amazingley pleased with the colour combinations on this necklace and I feel like my use of colour is already improving though I say so myself as shouldn't.

The brooch is also a playing with gold leaf after all why concentrate on one thing when you can muddy the waters with something else? That is nearer to my personal colours that I thought I was selecting untill I went off on the earthy tones of the necklace.

Oh I have also downloaded Donna Kato's millefiori book but not got round to any millefioring yet. Watch this space. But don't hold your breath obviously.

Ooops forgot the title

Blue Rose Pendant

It's that long since I've been here.

So here I am Sunday afternoon unable to get in my studio since TS needs my PC to type up his dissertation. It's based around online communities so I thought I would share what has been going on with me.

Been making a whole load of enamels which are now featured on Bejewelled Swan.

You might be able to tell that I have been having a bit of a love affair both with my cog stencil and cats eye beads.  Every time I think I have had enough of them I get drawn back.

Violet Pendant

Green Machine Earrings

 I was going to get a bit more silversmithy and 3D (but with copper obviously) and got my torch out all ready to start soldering up a storm. That was shortlived as I appear to have broken both my micro torch and my slightly bigger plumbers torch. They don't like getting dropped on the floor who'd a thought it?

Maybe it's the gods way of telling me to get a proper jeweller's torch or maybe give it up who knows. Personally I prefer the retail therapy option.

Navigator Pendant

Herringbone and the rest

Moonstone and steel pendant

Finally the other half got a piece of jewellery. He doesn't wear it as a rule but had a hankering for something. I think this moonstone pencil, or point as my mate Aims calls them, wrapped in steel on a leather thong is interesting yet manly a bit like himself.  Moonstone is said to offer protection while travelling at night so maybe something else to add to the flashing lights and hi vis jacket when he is coming home from Uni on his bike.

Agate and copper pendant

Of course envy set in and I had to have one too this is agate wrapped in copper. Strong but slightly more feminine I feel (no I didn't day it). This is good for warding off storms and controlling inner anger apparently so it might stop me giving shouty drivers the hi vis finger when I am cycling with my bright yellow gloves on.

Necklace - Orange enamel donut catseye glass beads
 herringbone weave copper wire

Another of my enamel donuts that were waiting for me to come up with the right technique. Yes this is where the herringbone bit starts, perhaps the title should have been The Rest and Herringbone. Its teamed up with zingy orange catseye effect glass beads. Perhaps I should have the whole piece of jewellery in mind when I start enamelling but that is not the Breezy Way.

Necklace - Glass marble and jasper beads
herring bone weave copper wire

And this is where the herringbone ends . . . probably . . .  with these marble glass beads interspaced with jasper. No stories of artistic angst to go with this I saw beads,  I liked them,  I bought them,  I wrapped them that is also the Breezy Way.

Golden Brown

Wirework necklace and bracelet brown

Still wrapping and coiling over here.

This is a necklace and bracelet set I am making for someone at work. She really liked the black and white crackle glass beads on the pendant I made for myself but wanted something like the chain but in brown (there's always one isn't there) .

Anyway because I'd ordered smaller beads and because the brown was more of a dark amber and  just didn't have the oomph of the black and clear I've added some coil beads in a chocolate brown wire.

I've only lightly patinated the copper this time so the overall effect is sort of a rusty colour perfect for a redhead.

It's fairly understated to wear with a suit at work but the clear part of the crackle beads just throws off the odd sparkle as they catch the light.

Now to master herringbone for some rather funky blue and orange crackle glass beads I just couldn't resist when I ordered these. Oh and then there's the brown/blue marble effect beads. Shopping it's really dangerous.

Inspiration

Sunrise Robin Hoods Bay December

Winter Shore Necklace Random Wool Series £20

As the profile says I love colour but I don't usually go seeking inspiration deliberately. I make things combining colours as they occur to me then later in will dawn on me (dawn get it?) where that particular combination came from







I'm sure I have told you why these necklaces are part of the "Random Wool" series. OK since you ask I will tell you again. Its because the way the colours blend as I extrude the clay remind me of the wool I always go for when decide to knit. The kind where it changes colour throughout the ball. Trouble is I then obsess as I have to see as soon as possible what kind of pattern comes out and  knit till my shoulder cramps up. Better stick to the clay then

and another set

enamel and fine silver foil on copper strung on jasper  and glass cube beads 

£35

 This is the second of the earring and pendant sets I made. I've used gemstone beads again, this time jasper plus some little glass cubes.

The silver foil is fine (ie pure) siver and it bonds with the enamel during firing.

The photos are a little dark as Dora decided to "help" by batting one of my lamps onto the floor and breaking it. I can't help but think it was in revenge for being shooed out of the light box

enamel and fine silver foil on copper £10

Two in a row

Tuquoise green and chestnut brown enamel on copper with chrysocolla
Earrings £12 Pendant £35

So here I am again, how about that? Two days in a row.

The enamels here were made with the chrysocolla beads in mind as I've always thought they would go really well with copper. Of course they are in my new favourite shape too.

I don't often make sets/suites of jewellery except for my friend who likes to co-ordinate her look perfectly probably because I'm a bit more thrown together myself.

To be honest they remind me of chocolate limes which is perhaps why the minute I finished them I baked some fairy cakes they look good enough to eat though I say it myself as shouldn't. I wouldn't recomend it though

So as I was saying

I am going to keep posting pics as I make stuff for the craft fair yeah right.

Enamel on copper with copper coils and wooden beads
£35

The picture taking is frankly taking a back seat to the jewellery making which is why I'm not getting my new stuff on MISI either
So OK it's not the best picture but it's my new shape I am playing with at the moment. I don't actually know what it is called I call them donuts but it would be a pretty drunken baker who sited the hole like that.

Enamel on copper polymer clay
and wood beads £35

So there you go the mystery shape with the coils that I am still obsessing over as they are just so damn versatile (did I say that in the last post?).

And another without a coil in sight oh OK except for the spirally bit in the middle but another rubbish pic

must try harder, must try harder . . . . .

Springing back into action

Spring green necklace £35

It was such fun doing the craft show but such a relief when it was over too that I was in two minds about doing the next one on 1st March. But I decided to go for it so now its full throtle making again.

This is the first new design for the show but it does bring together a lot of ideas I have incorporated into other pieces. I feel like I am building a library of techniques and elements to use in my designs now.

So its copper coils and cages and green polymer clay beads where I tried to mix bright fresh greens with some green catseye effect beads discovered in my stash that echo the lines in the copper and polymer nicely.

I'm going to try keep the blog updated with my makes for the craft show but already I feel like there are just not enough hours in the day

Halloween Flowers

The kiln called and I answered and made a job lot of copper flowers. Some in orange and some turquoise.

Then I spent ages wondering what to do with them. I was blocked obsessing with the idea of using them all in one project and it just had to have rivets.

Then I remembered some black knitted copper wire I bought because I had to have it even though I had no idea what I wanted to do with it. I made the three bracelets below in quick succession then having cleared the blockage so as to speak went on to make the little flower pendants which are riveted (yippee) to the bales. So not a bad weekend all in all. Except for falling off my bike but that's another story.

Coils and leaves yet again

Woodland walk necklace

This might be the last of this series for a while but then again . . . . here copper autumn leaves are teamed with copper coils and wooden beads for a simple seasonal pendant.

Now well my kiln is calling probably to distract me from the bunch of beads I have made up that I haven't done anything with yet.

Not to mention the cuff bracelet obsession that has had me turning base metal into, mmm scrap metal for most of the week.

Also the new hammers are fab bet the neighbours are getting tired of them though. So much to try so little time I just love this hobby!

Woodsmoke and autumn leaves

Definately a seasonal one this with autumn colours in abundance and the autumn leaves.

I can smell bonfires and that sweet smell of leaves on the woodland floor

Good intentions

Forest necklace

 I had every intention of posting things here as I made them but I was too busy making stuff. I was even too busy to list stuff on MISI and Folksy . Yes a bit daft I know but I will be doing my first craft show in December and I'm panicking about not having enough stuff, the wrong stuff, rubbish stuff. In fact you name it I'm worrying.

 I did finally have a few moments of sanity though so here is my forest necklace full of the bits and bobs I am enjoying making at the moment. My new bale design, copper coil beads, copper fold formed autumn leaves and polymer clay beads using a mokume gane technique

Coils and coils

Tropical Coil Necklace

 Despite the death of my extruder I've still got a coil thing going on so I've switched to copper.

In the Tropical coil necklace my coils are teamed with the beads I made as an antidote the the all black necklace.

Then the copper coil necklace is just coils "neat" with a dash of copper beads.

Tonight .... well I will mostly be making coils.

Maybe I should get out more

Copper Coil Necklace

Black on black

Black "jet look" necklace
Sold

Boxed up with matching earrings

A friend recently asked me for a plain black necklace complaining she had big chunky black necklaces and cheap shiny looking black necklaces but nothing simple.

Colour is really my thing so I wasn't thrilled at the prospect but when I sat down to work it proved to be an absorbing challenge to create interest from texture and shape yet stick with simple.

The end result a combination of glossy black glass discs and beads along with matt textured polymer clay beads reminds me of Whitby, the jet and the place. I usually make my own catches but this silver one that I found in my stash seemed to suit the mood. A pair of matching strud earrings is the icing on the cake for my friend who likes to co-ordinate her look perfectly.

Beech and Sands

Experiments with the polymer clay extruder which I have managed to kill off completely sometimes I think I should stick to hammers.

Ochre Sands Bracelet £15

Hot desert colours hence Ochre Sands

Beech Necklace
Sold

and cool winter bracing walks on the beech