Surface Sheets from Scrap Rolled Logs

A few days ago I described a process that makes striped sheets from clay scraps which are then cut into slices to make a checkered or plaid look.   It's a really fun thing to do with your bits and pieces, and I really like watching the patterns just sort of "emerge" as you place one cut strip next to another.

Here are four examples of pendant and earring sets I made using this technique.  The width of the slices I cut gave the pieces different looks.  The coral set to the left was made with wider slices while those in the turquoise set on the right were thinner.

They all have a Magic Gloss finish which adds depth to the design.


 

Torn Patchwork - A Variation on a Theme

One of the first surface techniques I ever experimented with was the watercolor technique developed by Maggie Maggio.  A variety of directions for this technique can now be found on several web sites.  It uses a Skinner blended sheet layered over sheets of white and black.  The pieces are rolled thin, then torn apart and recombined in a random pattern.  The result is always unique, and the process is a lot of fun.
I was looking through some of my canes, and it occurred to me that using the same layered and torn process with canes that have stripes of sorts might create a different look.  As I worked on this, the resultant sheets looked to me like torn patchwork quilting, so that's what I decided to call it.
Each of the different canes I used were created in the same manner, so these patchwork pieces have a similar look.  You may also have noticed that I've been experimenting with a couple of new shapes...new twists for a New Year.

Mokume Gane Cylinder Pendants

I really liked the cylinder pendants I made a few weeks ago, and decided to make some more in different surface treatments.  I first turned to mokume gane. It's one of my favorite techniques, possibly because every time I use it, the end result is different. The color combinations are usually custom-made, and I vary the objects I press into the polymer stacks, so I always get an unique look.
The pendants on the left demonstrate 2 different impression techniques.  On the purple and pink cylinder, I used a deep cut rubber stamp to make the impression in a rather shallow stack.  The aqua cylinder was made from  a tall stack that included composite silver metal leaf.  I used a variety of metal and wooden objects pressed into the stack to create the pattern.  While the left pendant was hand sanded and buffed for a satin shine, the pendant on the right has a coat of acrylic varnish.  When I use metal leaf in pieces, I like to add a protective coating to guard against possible tarnishing of the metal.

The pendants on the right also represent different techniques.  The red and white pendant has layers of gold composite metal leaf sandwiched in translucent, with a design created from curved metal bands and hollow tubing.  Rubber stamps were used for the patterns in the other two pieces.  These pendants are fun to wear and the metal tassels add a touch that swings as you move.

I'm in the midst of another surface look in cylinder pendants - stay tuned!