New Beads on the Work Bench this Wednesday...

I have spent a great deal of this spring creating my own polymer clay beads.

After purchasing Statci Louise Smith's Tutorial, I was bead obsessed.

My beads were everything I always hoped to create....

They are textured and glossy and just the way I wanted them.

Some had a wonderful, primitive, organic look.

But then my friend came for a workshop and brought some of her beads.

They were so different than mine.

  And so very lovely.

So I started playing with different finishing techniques. 

I used one she did but mine did not turn out like hers.

So I tried a few other things.  

I got some neat new looks.

I liked them in the pan.

They sat there for days.

I loved the blingy shine.

Which was so different than my other beads.

I was not sure what they would be.

One afternoon,I sat down and began knotting.

I am a huge fan of waxed linen cord for knotting.

And before I knew it, this sweet beachy wrap bracelet came to be.

Like I said, it is a change from my other beads.

And I am loving it.

I am also loving my hand forged clasps.

I love how substantial they are.

This bracelet is a double wrap.

I have a couple single wrap bracelets that I wear all the time.  

They are actually very comfortable.

What do you make?

Thanks for stopping by....

What Was Once A Gourd...

I have a friend that grows pumpkins and gourds and sells them from a wagon in the fall.

At the end of the season, she dries the leftover gourds on pallets.

Recently, we got together to try to make something from the gourds.

Here is my little creation.

Like any project, it gets there in stages.

First I glued on pinecone petals for shingles.

I used Gilders' Paste to color the house white.

Once dry, I buffed it.

Then I made a little door and windows from Sculpey clay.

I'll be honest...

I loved the clay accents but hated how you could see the hot glue in the shingles.

And I wanted to add window boxes with flowers.

My attempts at adding little dried flowers looked goofy.

I love the shingles...

But the glue...

Not so much.

So I did some thinking for a week.

Then I got to work adding the final touches....

Polymer flowers and vines.

And "moss" for the roof.

Flocking.

It was perfect.

My husband suggested just heating the glue and adding the flocking.

Worked like a charm.

I heated a small section with my heat gun and used a brush to add the flocking while the glue was hot.

It looks intentional...

It added the perfect touch and covered imperfections...

The flowers and vines were built onto the already baked windows and then baked again.

Once finished, I glued all the pieces onto the gourd and gave it a bark base.

A tiny twiggy broom leans by the door.

I glued moss at the base to cover where the gourd is glued onto the bark.

I love how whimsical it is...

I even added tiny polymer flowers in a little wicker basket.

What a perfect fairy dwelling...

Have you ever made something that just makes you so happy?

I seldom keep the things I make but I think this one is staying...

Thanks for stopping by....

Linking up with these great blogs.

Guest Contributor at Plucky's Second Thought

I did a quick polymer clay post over at Plucky's Second Thought.

You can find the tutorial for this fun little owl here.

Fly on over to visit Jess and see the post there.

Thanks for stopping by...

Bohemian Owl Necklace

Just a quick little post today.

This sweet Bohemian owl necklace already has a home thanks to a post on Facebook, but I could not resist sharing.

Between the polymer beads are bamboo felt and vintage book page tube beads.

The whole piece is fun and a little funky.

Some pieces beg to be noticed.

This is one of them.

Hope you  have a great week.

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.

Add A Little Silk...

If you have been visiting my blog consistently, you may have noticed that I am a fan of primitive finish polymer clay beads.

You may also have noticed that I love recycled silk strips.

Sometimes once I string a bracelet of polymer beads, it needs a little something else.

That was the case for this little beauty.

So I wove a piece of recycled silk around the beads as well.

It gives the piece a very bohemian look.

Which I love.

The older I get, the funkier I like my jewelry.

That is a good thing.

What is your favorite kind of jewelry to wear?

Thanks for stopping by....

Guest Contributor at Plucky's Second Thought

Hello!

I have a quick tutorial over at Plucky's Second Thought.

Hop over to see how to make these cute and quick earrings just in time for Mother's Day.

Thanks for stopping by....

Guest Contributor at Pluckey's Second Thought

 If you want a fast and easy craft for spring, head over to Plucky's Second Thought and check out my Tutorial as a guest contributor.

You can learn how to make these quick and cute earrings.

Click here to hop on over to see....

Thanks for stopping by....