Polymer Clay Faux Turquoise and Paracord Bracelets

I'm still experimenting with simulating turquoise in polymer clay.  If you are using a food processor, it's best to use a clay that is firm and hard, then break it into very small pieces before mixing.  From my experience, I like to use Premo and Fimo Classic for this project.  If you use a softer clay, it can smear in your food processor and then when you want to change colors, you may have unwanted colors mixing.  See the photo!  If you look close, you will see a lapis color speck in one of the beads!  I didn't really want that there, but it's alright.

I have tried to make the matrix look as real as possible.  I stained the beads with a couple of different colors and then sanded them through five grits of wet/dry sand paper.  These were buffed on a muslin jewelers wheel.

I made bracelets with my beads and black 550 paracord and used black plastic clips.  This style of bracelet has become very popular within the past couple of years.  The paracord contains seven strands inside and in the event of need, the bracelet can be unknotted and the cord may be used.  The inner strands may be used for sewing thread, fishing line and you name it!  Some call these knots the cobra or double cobra.

If the clay is more firm and hard when you process it, the pieces will break up really small and this will give you lots of pieces to press back together.  I have been working on some other simulated stones I will post photos of soon.  Thanks for looking!

More Tiny Sculpted Beads!

Here are some tiny sculpted beads that I made last week.  You can see by the size of the dime how small they are.  I sanded and buffed these to a nice shine.

Gold Bar Beads and Lost and Found

Here are the bar beads I made with a gold clay.  I stamped them a bit and added some color accents.  I sanded the tops to 1200, so they have a nice buffed shine.  I dropped one in a bush while taking some photos outside, but was able to find it!  The risk you take trying to get some photos in warm, natural light!

Finished Sculpted Bead!

I finished staining, sanding, heating and buffing this bead yesterday.  I have made quite a few other styles, but this was the only one like this with the batch.  I really like the earth tones that to me, look like bands of textiles wrapped around it.  I didn't want any sort of perfect caning, but just strands of color that look like fabric.  Each piece was carefully cut out and put in place and this is my own design.  Still for some reason, this reminds me of straw art from New Mexico.  No inlay here, but just the geometrical theme and colors.

I also finished some beads that I will add to a bracelet.  They aren't anything fancy, but I like the gold color and sanded, then buffed them to a nice shine.  I was trying to take some photos in the warm light right before sunset.  I was holding the beads on a denim shirt and one popped right off and went into a bush.  I had to shake and shake it.  Finally found it!

Rattesnake Accent Bead

In case you missed this in the other photo, here is a close up of a rattlesnake accent bead I sculpted.  It's really tiny and cool!  I will place that on the cord with the rattlesnake pendant.  One of my favorite tools lately seems to be the hair stick or chop stick.  If you use a crochet needle and press the clay, it can sometimes get stuck.  If you use the hair stick or chop stick, one side will be smaller and it will come off more easily.  This works great if you want pony size bead openings or centers.  Just say no to distorting your beads!!!