New Bracelets

Started making some dangling bracelets with some of the many beads I have in my stash.  

The technology for glass beadmaking is among the oldest human arts, dating back 3,000 years^. Glass beads have been dated back to at least Roman times. Perhaps the earliest glass-like beads were Egyptian faience beads, a form of clay bead with a self-forming vitreous coating. Glass beads are significant in archaeology because the presence of glass beads often indicate that there was trade and that the beadmaking technology was being spread. In addition, the composition of the glass beads could be analyzed and help archaeologists understand the sources of the beads.

This blue bracelet is made with Furnace Glass Beads.

 Furnace glass

Italian glass blowing techniques such as latticinio and zanfirico are adapted here to make beads. Furnace glass uses large decorated canes built up out of smaller canes, encased in clear glass and then extruded to form the beads with linear and twisting stripe patterns. No air is blown into the glass. These beads require a large scale glass furnace and annealing kiln for manufacture.

 These handcrafted bracelets can be found in my Etsy Shop Polymer Panache

 

Bright and Bold Necklaces

Earlier this month I played around with the idea of making necklaces with large bold beads in bright colors combining polymer clay, wood beads, crystals and other assorted beads to see how they would work out.  Here are four that I liked the best.

Purple and Magenta

 

 Blue and Pink

 

Champagne and Gold

 

Orange and Yellow 

 

All four are available at my Etsy shop, Polymer Panache.

 

 

 

"Torn Watercolor Paper" Necklace

Here are two new necklaces made of polymer clay using the Torn Watercolor Paper technique which I recently learned.  The first one I tried is in a light blue clay and is 20 inches long.  I then thought I'd like to use this technique using several pastel colors which would look more like a watercolor painting torn into little bits.  I think I like this one the best.  The pastel necklace is 19 inches long and both are available at my Etsy shop, here. 

 

Hope you like them.

 

Beautiful Handmade Handbags

Just discovered this new Etsy shop where you can find some really different handcrafted fabric handbags that are up-to-the-minute styles.  Here are a few of them:

These beauties can be found at: Irene Johnson's Etsy Shop 

Small Flowers Necklace

After making three Rose Necklaces I tried making a necklace with small flowers in my favorite color combination, chocolate browns and aquas.  I used two shades of aqua and two shades of brown.

Another necklace in same style but with pretty Spring colors.

And I just finished another necklace similar to the above:  This one in all gold polymer clay with Czech crystals.

 
See these necklaces at: 
Polymer Panache 

 

Yellow Roses Necklace

I'm really liking making all these roses and buds so I decided to make necklaces with different color roses.   Here is one I just finished in three shades of yellow.  Lots of crystals and pearls on this one too.

 

See these necklaces at my Etsy shop: Polymer Panache

And here is a purple necklace with the flowers in three shades of purple.

 

Roses, Roses Everywhere

 Worked very hard trying to perfect my first Roses necklace.  It was a lot of work but in the end I think it turned out very nicely.  This necklace has lots of roses and rosebuds made of polymer clay and other small flowers of clay also.  Each flower has a pink Swarovski crystal in its center.  I've added lots of pink crystals, pink pearls and some pale green Swarovski bicone crystals throughout the flowers.

 

This necklace can be seen at my Etsy shop: Polymer Panache

 

Fun & Funky Necklaces

Ordered lots of beautiful designer beads from TLS Clay Design and here are the necklaces I made with them.  These are truly one of a kind.

 All these unique necklaces now available at my Etsy shop, Polymer Panache. Click here

Wonderful Colorful Beads

Searching through the internet for unique hand crafted beads I came across these beautiful beads by Terri Stone of TLS Clay Design on Etsy.  You can see more of her wonderful bead work here: 

 Click here.

Here are just a few samples.

 I would have a hard time trying to pick my favorite from all her colorful designs.  I hope you like them.

Torpedo Twist Earrings

Another new twist technique I've been playing with.  These are called Torpedo Beads.  They make cute earrings.

 

See these at my Polymer Panache Etsy Store 

New Swirl Bead Technique

I've been learning the swirl technique for creating polymer clay beads and it's not as easy as it looks.  Took a while to get the swirls just right.  Here are two necklaces I just made using this technique.

 

See them here 

Translucent Polymer Clay Rose Necklace

I'm having so much fun playing with this translucent clay.  The colors you can create from the alcohol inks are beautiful and the best part is after you bake an item, it gets even more translucent and has a slight shine to it so it tends to look like glass.

This past week I worked up a few roses and some matching beads and put them together with silver chain and lobster clasps.  I am very happy with the way they all turned out.

Here are some photos of the results.

  The round beads look somewhat like beach glass.

They can be seen here at my Etsy Shop 

 

More Translucent Clay Necklaces

A few more Pink petal necklaces made with translucent clay tinted with red inks.  One is more for everyday wear with small pink clay beads and small white glass beads, and the other has beautiful crystals which dresses it up a bit.

 

Both of these pink necklaces can be seen here on my Etsy shop.

Translucent Polymer Clay

I've recently come across some jewelry that was made with translucent polymer clay, and naturally, I had to get some.  It's interesting how you can actually see light through the clay, and although it's  not completely transparent, you can read text through the pieces of clay.  The clay is colored with inks and the colors are much more intense than if you just used colored clay.

Here is my first experiment with this unusual clay tinted with aqua/turquoise ink.

 

I love working with this type of clay and the inks.  Can't wait to get started on my next project. 

This necklace can be seen in my Etsy shop by clicking here. 

 

Two Color Petal Necklaces

I've recently decided to try some petals with a different color on each side.  There are so many ways to make pinch petals and I have a lot of fun deciding which method to use next that would make for an interesting necklace.

Here are two of the newest necklaces that would be great for summer.

Magenta and White

 

Lime Green and White

 Click here for my shop Polymer Panache on Etsy