Turquoise in Polymer Clay with Micro Paracord Bracelets

I taught a workshop in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago and we made faux turquoise of polymer clay.  We made a lot of other things as well, but the turquoise is just so fun!

The polymer clay is put in a food processor, then pressed back together.  *Just a reminder that any tools used for polymer clay will then be dedicated for polymer clay. 

The results will vary on how finely ground the clay is and how you roll or press it back together.  There are so many things you can do with this such as beads, slab pieces and accent strips.

The pieces are cured, stained, wet sanded and buffed on a jewelers wheel.  There is a bit of labor and several steps involved, but the results are really nice.  Many people think this is real turquoise, then I tell them it's polymer clay.

I used a micro paracord for the bracelets with black clips in the back.  This is more of a herringbone type weave and it takes a little longer to tie vs. the basic macrame or cobra knot.  This makes a really fun and rugged piece of wearable art.  The bracelet can be untied and the cordage may be used for various utility needs.  This may also be called a survival style bracelet which is really popular with the hikers and campers!

Southwestern Pot Beads in Polymer Clay

I recently made a series of my Southwestern Pot Beads in polymer clay.  These are a similar style to the beads I had published in "1000 Beads" by Lark Books last year.

I mixed all the colors, created the stripe accents, sculpted, used my own custom stamps for the tops and added all the accent lines by hand.  These were cured, stained, sanded and buffed to polish.

I made bracelets with these and they were delivered to a gallery shop in Phoenix.