_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Friday 29 April 2022

That Explains The Extra Bead

Today's post is late because I had to finish making the necklace first in order to talk about it which meant finding all the parts. I really don't know what to keep where right now but I will figure it out. Working on this piece, I've decided to move the basic jewelry making tools back into the main studio, into the dresser that I took the paint supplies out of. They're for assembly so I think that'll work best but I don't really know. Time will tell. I do know it's frustrating not to have a flow that works yet but that's the nature of shaking things up. They will eventually settle. 





In the end, I don't have a new outfit for the opening tomorrow but I do have a new necklace and it will be very easy to identify the artist who made the jewelry since it's in the same style. I started with a metal ornament. 





It was hollow on the back so I filled it with epoxy clay first and then added a base to soften the edges and give more interest. I drafted a shape around the ornament and figured out where the chain would attach on paper before working with the clay. 


 


At first, I didn't mix up enough clay and then I mixed up too much. I bunched it around the drawing until I knew it would be big enough and then rolled it smoother and...





... cut off the excess clay next to the edge of the paper creating a fairly consistent margin around the edge of the ornament. 
 




I knew I wanted to add embellishment to the front as well as texture the front and back surfaces and soften the edges. I used steel wool to create this texture. 


 


My past experiences working with epoxy clay have never reached the point where the clay was beginning to get too hard to work with. This time, as I was rolling the balls they got harder and harder to form and stopped sticking as easily so I worked a little quicker to finish all the way round the edges and then formed the remainder into some buttons before it got too hard and mixed up more fresh clay to finish the balls with. Eventually, I'll learn how to judge the quantities better. 





Back when I entered the exhibit, I'd ordered some bumble bee jasper beads, which were quite expensive, and weren't used in another piece, so they ABSOLUTELY needed to be in this one. In the image on right, you can see that I added gold gilder's paste to highlight the texture around the ornament and if you look where the chain attaches to the pendant, you'll see my mistake that explains the extra bead on the counter. I thought I was done and then had to restring the one side. 





The large beads are polymer clay formed over aluminum foil cores. They are the muddy beads I talked about in this earlier post. The necklace is quite large - definitely a statement piece. Astrix is going to wear it tonight for her daily picture to send to her person. She goes home tomorrow only the house is so fluffy with dog hair that my allergies are acting up plus a friend is coming to the opening and may stay overnight. I'll give the house a quick vacuum right after lunch (next) and then work in the studio this afternoon. It's a grey day. Perfect studio weather. Have a great weekend. 

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the luxury of making a huge, statement necklace just for the fun of it and of having all the parts and pieces in stash

No comments:

Post a Comment