Metallic Lustres On Polymer Clay

As you know, I love to play with finishes on white clay.  

In some ways it is silly, really.

I could start with a color then play with it, but NOOOOOO!

I will start with white, paint it a color and then mess with it again.

That is what happened with these pieces.

I used white as the base...

Painted them black and then rubbed them with Metallic Lustres paints from DecoArt.

I love the way they turned out.

But i am thinking down the road to make my life a little easier, I will start with black clay, then use the Metallic Lustres.

Work smarter not harder...

In all fairness to me, when I make polymer pieces, I never know how they will be finished down the road.

I do things in stages....

I make beads and components for a week.

Bake them all.

Then I divide them into groups for how they will be finished and start working on them in those groups.

Lastly I seal them.

Once they are sealed,  they wait to become a necklace, bracelet or earrings.

Anyway, Metallic Lustres are one of my favorite ways to finish beads.

I love rubbing them into the pieces.

Have you ever tried them?

Thanks for stopping by....

Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine Giveaway

As you know, I am a fan of the magazines from Stampington.

I believe they are the best on the market for quality and innovation.

If you have ever held one of them in your hands, you know they are printed on lovely heavy paper and the photography is exquisite.

I used to think that the price tag was high, but anymore, so many magazines cost around the same price and are not printed on the same quality paper.

And I mentioned before, the number of pieces and projects in one of their magazines compared to a book actually makes them a bargain.

It is true again for Belle Armoire Jewelry Autumn 2015 issue.

Stick around for a chance to win a copy sent right to your doorstep...

First let's peek inside...

Monica Johnson creates these lovely necklaces with my favorite medium, polymer clay.

One of my favorite artists, Cat Kerr, is at it again...

Her designs are genious and never-ending.

She tries so many mediums and styles.

She never gets stale.

I love that about her...

These necklaces are awesome and make me plug in the soldering iron...

Marlene Quigley has these fantastic earrings in this issue.

Justine Brooks' earrings are inspiring...

This ring from Roxy Lentz makes me want to play with metal...

Melinda Barnett is a dear friend and I am thrilled for her every time I see one of her pieces in print. 

Her ceramic pieces in this one call to me...

so much so that I am researching getting a kiln.... 

And those metal leaves....

Don't get me started....

Gorgeous!

Staci Louise Smith first inspired my deep passion for clay.

She also does some fantastic wire and metalworking as seen in this article.

When I was pregnant with my daughter many years ago I made dream catchers.

Mine were huge and made for hanging over your bed.

These tiny pendant size ones are inspiring from Ebru Kapsal.

Sometimes I look at a project and swear it is something I made...

It just looks so like me.

That is what happened when I saw these cuffs from Rochelle Gaukel.

They are so me....

And then there are these cuffs which also look like me...

Because THESE are mine...

They were a project that actually made me grin while I was making them.

I used DecoArt's Metallic Lustres on these.

I love the feeling of rubbing the colors in with my fingers.

I like to get messy when I create...

So, that is such a small sampling of what is in this issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

And I would encourage you to run out and buy a copy right away....

Or...

Leave a comment telling a little about your favorite piece of jewelry that you own and why it is so special for a chance to win.

I will select a winner next Friday and post the name here on the blog.

Stampington sends the copy right to you.

It is that easy.

So what are you waiting for?

Good luck!

And thanks for stopping by...

Workbench Wednesday: Polymer Bead Finishes

Sorry for the lack of Workbench Wednesdays.

I never stop working but sometimes I do forget to go take photos.

Here is a shot of an area I recently cleaned off and can now work on.

Before it had my vintage printer's trays full of vintage baubles on it.

  I got some new studio storage though so the trays got moved to there.

Which freed up this space.

Working on beads.

Actually, that is an understatement.

I have been bead obsessed.

These Metallic Lustres from DecoArt are amazing.

I use my fingers to rub the color into the beads.

I love the tactile process.

After they dry, I buff them with a soft cloth.

I will also seal them.

See?

Beady goodness.

Yup, bead obsessed.

As I make and fall in love with some of them, they start to live in my mind and work their way into new designs.

All in my head for now.

My hands are busy making the beads.

Here they are before the Metallic Lustres.

I use white Sculpey and dye my beads.

It allows me to get all new colors and finishes.

These things are to die for.

And they have expanded their line of colors to include some luscious new pastels.

As well as some bold colors like red and orange.

I usually work with one color at a time and see how the color looks against the dyed beads and focals.

Just a few that have been buffed.

There are still so many beads to be done....

Ahhhhh.....

The possibilities...

Is your head dancing as much as mine right now?

Thanks for stopping by.....

Linking up with these great blogs.