Polymer Clay Beads!

I was recently talking with someone about polymer clay and what I've made with it. I thought the easiest way to show some photos of the beads would be to post them here.

Polymer clay is an amazing material to work with. It does not dry out, so you can work with it on and off for a long period of time. Some days I would mix color blends, make bead blanks, make simulated stone colored canes and so on.

The tools you use with it are simple and easily found. I bake the items in a toaster oven on my patio. The best thing is, that it is a very inexpensive material to work with. Many times, you can create a faux stone for much less than you would pay for an actual stone.

The clay items are very lightweight after baking. You could wear the largest earrings and they weigh practically nothing! You can also make buttons for clothing or tote bags.

I have made beads that look like turquoise, ivory, wood, bakelite, jade and coral.

Thanks for looking!

Fine Silver/PMC and Fresh Water Pearl earrings

I made the floral stamped centers of the earrings with PMC/Precious Metal Clay. I oxidized the sterling wire, fine silver and lever backs at one time. I then wire wrapped the fresh water pearls and attached those to the bottom. I did not buff these out very much because I wanted that darker metal color. These earrings are fun!

Kili Pendants in Progress...

I have made some pendants to donate to the Foundation for Blind Children. The pendants will be part of the Silent Auction held during the "Night for Sight." The pendants are made of PMC which is precious metal clay. It is shaped, dried, then fired in a kiln at 1650 degrees. After the pieces are finished firing, they are brushed with a brass brush, tumbled, oxidized and polished some more. I have used an organic oxidation process that was fun to do.

For more information on the "Night for Sight," please visit www.seeitourway.org

Thanks for looking!

Additional photos of Purple Backpack!

New Straps for Patchwork Backpack!

I have changed the design of the straps on this bag to be adjustable. They were longer before and now they can be adjusted a bit shorter or to the full length. I have added a D ring on one side and velcro to the other end. There is close to a few inches in adjustment on the straps now. The person interested in the pack is giving it to a child. The model is almost five and the pack will be for a seven year old. It should work out just great!

Tiny Zipper Pets!

Was recently at the quilting shop with my son and he saw some samples of these. The rest is history and I ended up leaving with a pattern in hand. They are really tiny. The one shown measures about 3 1/4" x 3 1/4". Imagine sewing through all the layers and then turning it right side out! If you unzip the toy, a tongue comes flying out! Just as amusing for the adults as kids! I will be making some of these in different styles. I great project to do if you need practice with zippers... which I did. I used up a lot of scrap material from some other projects.

Blue and Purple Batik Backpack

I just finished this backpack a few days ago. I really like the bright colors and it is so padded! This bag is available through my shop on Etsy.com. Enjoy the photos!