Welcome to 2011. To help kick-start a new direction in my work I've joined TADA365 (http://tada365.blogspot.com/). It's a blog for a group of artists that have committed to take time everyday for their art. " This blog will commit to be there for all of us who are together on this journey. Every day a post will reveal the progress of the members of TADA as well as trying to help solve some problems, sharing helpful links, giving ideas..... anything necessary to reach the goal."

My goal is to push myself in a new color direction. I want to wrap my polymer jewelry in the everywhere/everyday colors that swirled around me while in India.

Want to see where this color fusion or yellow, orange, fuchsia and gold takes me.

How to add splashes of turquoise and chartreuse???


Stretch and find new patterns that flow between colors

Craft Hobby Association (CHA)

Attended the Craft and Hobby Association super show in Chicago. Now I'm playing with Pardo Jewelry Clay from Viva-Decor. I REALLY like that it's made with bee's wax and has an environmentally friendly approach. I'll be posting some pictures.

New glazing technique

The following pictures have not been 'photoshoped' or edited. I took them today with an overcast sky. The shining reflections you see are real and not added or enhanced.

This is a preview of a new glazing technique that I'll be posting here. I was going to do an article for PolymerCafe, but decided I'd rather just share it. Sooo, now I'm trying to figure out how to set it up so you can download the tutorial. Watch for FULL details.

But, for now I thought you might enjoy wondering what and how......

Close up of pendant

The pendant bead is scrap clay with applied details. The shimmer and shine that you see is the white background reflecting off the pendant.

Looks like glass and is almost as durable as glass.

Deep deep glaze

Look closely. Notice that the inside of each fold is evenly glazed. No drips, runs or pooling.

Very cool, eh?

Rich color with high gloss

Navy blue beads show off the high clarity and brilliance of this glazing technique.

Even with my very amateur picture-taking these beads look great. I took all these pictures in natural daylight with my little pocket sized Nikon Coolpix S600. All of the beads are resting on a piece of soft white construction paper.

Using a custom color mix of the glaze to produce a VERY realistic glazed tile bead. This will be part of a tiled bracelet.

This polymer clay bracelet was made using Dan Cormier's mokugame technique.  I love the exploration of cutting into the clay slab and discovering the variations of each slice.  I guess it's the controlled randomness that appeals to me.  

I think that the process parallels life (mine at least).  You have something that's familiar, clay; then color it; then you alter the colors and combine them.  Next you cut into the familiar and recombine it.  When you slice into this reconfiguration you find beauty - the familiar mixed with the unexpected.  See, you thought it was "just clay", but it's really the same process as living.  

I know it's winter but these colors are so warm that it's like basking in the soft glow of a friendly fireplace.  This necklace is on a 16" gold wire and the beads made with polymer clay.

Beads have silver backs.