Black and White Collection

Somewhere between studying and work, I found some time to bead this fall!  Here's a peak at some clay pendants and ear rings I'm working on for the 2009 Christmas collection.  Kudos to my sister for all of her photo work!

Interested in how these were made?  Check out my post on the clay art process.

Red Collection for Christmas Inventory

I finished a few earring styles to go with the stacked red pendants.

Interested in how these were made? Check out my post on the clay art process.

Stacked Clay Pendants

I made some new pendants this past weekend. I'm getting into a clay stacking mode - it's a new design style for me.

Seattle Collection

I made a few more green and blue pieces for the growing Christmas inventory.   These earrings use the green and blue canes I created in August as well as an older design from last year.

Return of the Wine Charms

I've received many requests for wine charms over the past year, so I added about 8 sets to the Christmas inventory.  I'm hopeful my sales projection is correct.  There won't be much time for last minute beading between final exams and papers this year!

The Clay Art Process

Designing clay beads is both tedious and fun.  The process begins by choosing a few colors and softening the clay with with my pasta machine.

With the softened pieces, I begin the creative part of the process.  I use different colors to form a design which begins around the size of a small cookie. Below is a snapshot that shows a butterfly piece "in the works".

Once the design is complete, the clay is reduced in size by rolling or extruding.  The pieces that you see below are commonly referred to as clay canes.

From here, the canes are sliced using a sharp blade and laminated onto clay balls.  These soft clay beads are then pieced with a skewer, placed onto my trusty baking rack (shown below) and cooked at 275 deg F for 15 min.  Yes - that is the only recipe I know by heart.

That's it!  Once the clay is hardened it can be fashioned into jewelry just like any other bead.  I find the entire process to be relaxing and creatively stimulating.  I like to call it my "clay therapy"!

White House Black Market Inspirations

I designed this red braclet set for a friend who adores White House Black Market. What color goes better with B&W?! This was also the first time I designed larger, flat links with polymer clay versus my traditional disc and ball shapes. I may try a few more of these...

Seattle Collection

The dreary Boston summer has inspired lots of rainy day colors. Here's a few shots of my latest work.

Cross Pendants

I designed these cross pendants for a friend last week. I started with the flat design (on the left) by assembling 3 different square shaped canes. However, after I baked it...it looked a little plain Jane. So, I decided to make a second version that was 3-dimensional. For this one (on the right) I layered clay pieces from several canes onto a clay backing. Then, I cut a cross shape from the finished design.

White House Black Market Collection

Unfortunately for Ann Taylor's stock price....I've discovered a new store! White House Black Market has some fabulous office and evening wear styles. A little pricey, but worth it! Below is a new braclet and ear ring set that I designed to go with a few of my new digs. Hoping to create a red set sometime next weekend.

Office Decor

I finally finished the polymer clay mosaic for my office. I selected warm colors to match the silk flowers on my desk. This was definately my most elaborate and time consuming project yet. :) Unfortunately, the picture was too small for the wall I wanted to hang it on... I guess that means I'll need to start the 2nd one for the office set!

A Birthday Gift for My 30-year Old Sis!

My sister turned the big 3-0 this weekend. Here's a picture of the necklace set I designed for her.

The Dead Monarch

Remember the Monarch butterfly from December? After several attempts to reduce the clay cane failed, I started to use the scraps to make Monarch beads. Here's a necklace fashioned from many pieces of the butterfly. I like the dead Monarch better than the live one! :-)

Variety Adds a Little Spice!

Lately I've been making more pieces with this blue, turquiose and silver theme. I've also strayed away from simple patterns and started making 'theme' beads in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors to use in the same necklace. I think it adds a little spice and variety to the designs.

Another Holiday Smile

Here's a picture of my sister-in-law modeling her Christmas gift. This is the 2nd necklace set that I made with black and white beads. The other was fashioned in a shorter choker style.

Sister's Debut in Crimson Snowflake Set

Somehow my sister has managed to dodge the blog for almost a year. What an incredible ability to hide from my camera! Here she is wearing a crimson snowflake set that I gave her this Christmas. This is the sister that designed my blog header and logo. She's both talented and beautiful!

The Butterfly Project

My mom absolutely adores butterflies; so I designed a butterfly pendant for her this Christmas. It proved to be my biggest clay challenge yet! The orginal shape and size turned out great; but the shape of the butterfly distorted as I reduced the cane. The translucent clay wasn't as soft as the other Premo clay colors. This difference in consistencies caused the butterfly to bulge at the ends of the cane - weird and frustrating! I tried everthing - resting the cane, an overnight cool in the refrigerator, even adding more translucent clay to the ends...but to no avail. The end result is a a lot of Monarch scraps which I've saving for beads.

Here's the pattern, my gradient tubes, and lower part of the wings...

I think I sat in this position for at least 4 hours.... ...and wa lah - a Monarch Butterfly appears. Then, the project gets a little crazy as I add the translucent clay and attempt to reduce the cane.

Stone and Silver Set

This polymer clay set was a Christmas gift for my sister. Designed to look like stone, each polymer clay piece is framed with a sterling silver link and buffed to a light shine. In between each bead I used French wire to hide the beadlon wire and give it a classy look. A fellow beader taught me how to make the matching ring this holiday season. Watch this space for more ring designs!

Beautiful in Copper Tones

This longer polymer clay necklace is the perfect accessory for a turtleneck or cozy winter sweater. I styled this one with my sister-in-law's red hair and green eyes in mind. Doesn't she look beautiful in copper tones!

In Style In-Laws

Here's a shot of my sister-in-law's modeling their new jewelry. One had been asking for dangly earrings and the other a homemade black and silver necklace. I think the necklace looks sharp with a simple white blouse.