Floral Swirls

As you've seen in recent posts, I've been playing with circles and wavy shapes.  It's fun exploring something a bit different - or at least different for me.  Earlier this week, I taught a workshop on a petal cane made from bull's eye wedges.  I loved what the students in the class developed, and came home with a new cane of my own.  What to do with it?  Somehow, the ideas of petals and wavy shapes merged, and I came up with these floral swirls.   I made the swirling vines out of Kato clay to give the pieces a strong and flexible base.  The flower petals are made of custom-mixed Premo! colors.



Once I had the floral swirls assembled and baked, I knew they needed something special in the centers.  I had planned on using pearls or crystals, but they just didn't "do the trick."  Looking through my stash, I discovered I had these tiny micro-beads, so decided to give them a try.  I think they work perfectly. I've strung these pendants on simple chains, through they would look good on wire or even a thin ribbon.   Light and airy, I think they're perfect for spring and summer wear.

Floral Brooches

More florals, yes, I know. I'm stuck on flowers right now  - and thoroughly enjoying it, so it must be a good thing. :)  They're all a bit different. Some may resemble real flowers from our gardens, others are just my interpretation of what a flower could be.  The colors are all mine.  This first set shows 3 very different pieces.  All but the yellow/coral piece are pin/pendant convertibles.  I like the idea of giving someone the flexibility of wearing a piece as a necklace or a brooch.  This just creates a lot more options.

The next piece reminds me of gladiolus.  Given all the colors they come in, I figured my mix probably exists "out there" somewhere.  This piece originally was supposed to be an off-center necklace, but the wire I was using was too soft to handle the weight of the clay. So, the piece became a pin.  I'll try my idea again when I find something less flexible for a base.

Here is another variation on a starburst I first tried a few weeks ago.  For some reason, this particular design created with this particular cane almost looks like it's in motion.  I really like this design.

Finally, here is another of my "special" triangular shaped flowers I developed one day while playing with petal shapes.  The blends and fades from yellow to violet really makes this piece come alive.