Tube-Style Necklaces

I love the warmth and glow that translucent clay imparts to a piece.  Recently, I made a couple of blended "cell" canes that have a lot of translucent in them.  I call them cell canes because they remind me of a group of cells clustered together, or perhaps a bit like the inside of a bee hive.  Each "cell" is a bull's eye blend fading to translucent, with a white polymer wrap around it.  Of course, once you've made a cane, the next challenge is to use it.  I decided to make hollow tube beads, keeping the irregular edges as part of the shape.  I made a set which I combined into a necklace. I had done a similar necklace with this type of cane a few months ago in a different color combination.  I really like the way the navy pearls and light blue crystals complement the tube beads.

Just for fun, I decided to try something a bit different.  I made just one larger tube, and figured out a way to hang some chains with pearls from the inside of the tube.  The results are shown here.  I really like the way these turned out.  I particularly like the look of something hanging from inside the tube, and will have to give this idea more time soon.

Sweet Floral Dangles

Here are some new earrings I've been making - sweet flowers and hollow buds.  I must admit that these were an off-shoot from the Moroccan beads I was working on a while ago.  The idea to go small and add some three dimensional dangles for fun just sort of evolved.  And here they are!

I have them hanging from a wire "earring tree" that I spray-painted white.  It was a black and brass color, and just didn't shout "spring" and flowers.  I'm happy with the white.  It's surprising sometimes what just a simple change of color can do.  The tree and earrings are to the right.

Here are a couple more close-up photos of some of the earring pairs.  I made a couple pairs for myself. They're fun to wear, and they've been drawing attention.

A New Lariat Necklace for Spring

I should really make more lariats.  They are such statement pieces and really stand out.  Though they take longer than some other pieces, I do enjoy making them. Besides, they are fun to wear!

This particular lariat has 3-D petal designs on the focal piece and smooth, rounded pods at the ends of the strands.  I used ultra-suede strips for the necklace straps. They are strong, yet feel good on the neck. One of the beauties of this necklace form is that it is very adjustable, and one size really does fit most.

Lei Necklaces for Spring and Summer

I really enjoy making these "lei" type necklaces, and I think they're fun to wear, too.  These pieces have some nice natural components.  The pale yellow core on the aqua ruffle beads provides a really lovely contrast, and makes the necklace "glow" from within.  I found some lovely turquoise stone beads with yellow markings, and they match the polymer beads perfectly.

For the burgundy and white petal bead lei I used freshwater pearls and garnets for contrast.


The orange and yellow polymer focal piece below went perfectly with some coral chips I had.  I like the way the unevenness of the coral chips compliments the swirled shapes and colors in the polymer.  Mixing natural stones and pearls with polymer adds another dimension to these pieces.

Earrings on a Moroccan Theme

Continuing on the Moroccan theme, I decided to use the cutters and the leather imprint stamps to make some fun and colorful earrings.  In a couple of the pairs, I added a silver daisy bead, while others I left open with a tiny Kemper star-shaped cutter.

These go well with the hollow Moroccan pendants, and can certainly be worn on their own. It was fun to cut these cheerful shapes while I experimented with colors.

Moroccan Bead Necklaces

In early March, I posted some photos I took of some Moroccan themed beads I made in a CFCF 2017 workshop taught by Lisa Haney.  For more information about the class and Lisa's great ideas, take a look at the March 8th post. Today, I'm just going to share some pendants that I made using the hollow beads.  As you can see from the photos, I went a bit wild and made several of these beads in various sizes, colors, and finishes.

To the left is one of my favorite pieces. I used mica powders to add some sparkle and shine to the clay.  I found a wonderful metal bead with a verdigris finish that compliments the piece perfectly, then hung everything from a chain.

To the right is a cluster of other focal pendants hanging from chains, each with their own dangling bead.   These were fun to make and will be fun to wear!

The photo at the bottom shows a few more necklaces made with hand-dyed silk ribbons instead of hanging from chain.  The ribbon is pretty, allows these pieces to be adjustable, and creates a softer, more rustic look.  These necklaces are all going to the Westerly Art Gallery where I'm a featured artist for April.   Drop by if you're in the neighborhood!