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....

Silk, leather and clay

I was playing with new ways to use polymer clay beads.

Of course, no design is complete without silk strips...

This one has a little leather cord as well.

Hope you are having a great Tuesday!

Thanks for stopping by....

Felt Snowflake Ornaments

I wanted to share another quick and easy ornament for the tree.

It can also be used as a package topper.

I love to cut all the felt circles and then lay them next to my spot on the couch.  

I find the stitching relaxing while I am watching tv.

This little guy just uses some felt, stuffing, cotton crochet thread, and an old button.

Stitch the snowflake design on one circle.

Sew on the button.

Blanket stitch the two circles together.

Before completely closing the opening, add a little stuffing.

Then finish closing and tie off.

Add another loop of string to hang it.

You can do a bunch of the same design or do all different snowflakes.

Thanks for stopping by....

Linking up with these great blogs.

Triple Strand Bracelets

What is a good day like for you?

A good day for me is making something...

A friend, a good dinner, or something beautiful.

I have a lot of good days.

I have a lot of amazing people that I call friends, a few good meals here and there, and I make A LOT of stuff.

Here are a couple triple stand bracelets.

Today's material of choice is buttons.

Buttons and waxed linen cord.

If you have been here before, you know I love that stuff.

There is something so relaxing and satisfying to me to string and knot with waxed linen.

This bracelet has vintage buttons, pearls and these fun blue beads.

I love that little turtle charm dangle too.

 I love multi strand bracelets for the look and the ease to wear.

  They look like you took time to gather and assemble the pieces and put them on, but nope!

One simple hook clasp and you are ready to go.

Thanks for stopping by...

                  Linking up with these great blogs.

Over Dyeing a Thrift Store Quilt with Rit Dye

 A couple years ago I found this sweet quilt at the thrift store for a few dollars.

It has been washed and worn so it is soft and just the right weight for summer.

I love the white color but am not a fan of peach.

I apologize to anyone who loves peach.

You may want to stop reading now, before it it too late.

I have been wanting to overdye it....Blue.

So I washed it, dried it and hung it here to take pictures for you.

Then I took this in and threw it in the washer and turned it on rinse to wet it.

I did a cold water dye bath right in the washer.

I chose cold water and the correct water level.  

Once the washer filled to that level, I added a cup of salt since the quilt is cotton.

Then I added one box of Royal Blue RIT powder dye.

I wanted a very pale blue.  

For a darker blue, I could add another box of dye.

I let the machine agitate for a few minutes to insure dye water was swished in everywhere.

Then I lifted the lid to stop the cycle and let it sit about 20 minutes.

I let it agitate again for a minute or two.

  I used an old butter knife to poke all the fabric down into the water when it was done agitating.

Then I let it sit another 30 minutes or so.

Then I closed the lid and let it finish agitating and rinsing.

I ran it through the washer with a little soap 2 times to remove all the extra dye.

I wanted a pale blue.

And I wanted to be sure there was no more dye anywhere in the washing machine.

Then I hung it on the clothesline to dry.

I love how it turned out.

The color is exactly what I hoped for.

It was easy peasy.

I think this would work great on a blanket with stains too.

  You could just over dye it a darker color.

Keep in mind when over dying that it will follow basic color mixing rules. 

This worked out since the quilt was white. 

 I tried it with a yellow blouse too and got a green I did not like.

The hardest part now is deciding where to use it.

Maybe in the back porch on my reading chair.

Maybe on the swing out front....

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs.

Disk Bracelets...

In the Spring 2014 issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry,  Gaea Cannaday made some inspiring polymer bracelets.

I fell in love and began pinching and making my own disk beads.

Piles and piles of them.

My husband looked puzzled as I filled the tray to bake them.

After they were baked, I colored them in all sorts of ways.

And then the knotting began.

In an evening, a little pile of bracelets grew on the couch arm beside me.

I was in love.

And then I started wearing them and realized they were more comfortable than you can imagine.

The two I wear all the time are rustic stone looking and rustic redware looking.

I am thinking I may need to adopt a big pile of these pales and brights as well.

I have come to prefer my own hand forged clasps.

They add to the look I want and they are really easy to maneuver by yourself.

Worn, beachy blues...

I may have to keep this one...

Thanks for stopping by....

Linking up with these great blogs.

Blue and Pink Wrap Bracelet

I wanted to share an easy peasy polymer bead wrap bracelet today.  

Pinks and blues and waxed linen and steel findings.

Simple as that.

It's a wrap bracelet.

My favorite.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs.

Oh My Stars! Rustic Polymer Clay Set

Do you ever think about why some things are interesting to you?

My style is ever-changing and my interests are broad and varied.

I am eclectic.

I love cottage chic, country, primitive, tribal, steam punk, modern, classic and more.

I have a friend that says she can tell my pieces...that they have a voice.

I don't always see a connection between the different series.

These grungy, primitive disks and stars are so much fun to make but once they are done, they sit in my printer's tray and wait to become a part of a whole.

When I made these pieces, they were for a magazine challenge.

The colors and stars are not normally something I would do.

But I liked the challenge.

And I like the way they turned out.

I find lately I love fibers/silk and I love steel findings.

Sort of the strong and soft together....

And I like the colors though they are not ones I would have created without the challenge.

I have been thinking a lot lately about artists.

How some create a body of work that is a slow progression through their medium.

And about others who try multiple styles and mediums...exploring as much as they can.

I am definitely in the second group.

I love a new challenge.

To me, there is no such thing as failure....

Just learning a way NOT to do something.

For me, there is great joy in re-purposing things and creating things.

I cannot imagine a life without those two activities.

Thanks for stopping by....

Linking with these great blogs.