Polymer Clay Jewelry in Process

Although I have been creating things for as long as I can remember, I really only started creating jewelry designs in the late 1980's.  In the early 1990's, I discovered polymer clay and became immediately hooked on this wonderful medium.  At one point, I can recall other artists transferring images onto polymer clay, but I wanted to do something different than what others were doing.  Frankly, I wanted to impose images into my work in a manner that was more foolproof with less trial and error.  I developed the technique for incorporating images from real paper into my jewelry designs.  At first, I utilized postage stamps into little framed pieces of polymer clay jewelry, and gradually started using other images, as well.  I sold my designs on EBay and couldn't keep them in stock. Then, when I shared my technique for my framed postage stamp/polymer clay jewelry designs in Belle Armoire Jewelry II about 10 years ago, I noticed that all of a sudden, I had competition from people who were using my technique to create and sell their versions of framed polymer clay jewelry designs on EBay.  To this date, I can't recall anyone giving me credit as the person who discovered this technique. And yes, it is still a sticking point with me.  It is what it is, I guess.  Live and let learn, right?  OK, enough about that.  I am getting off of my soap box now.  LOL

Some of my earliest postage stamp jewelry designs (circa 1999-2000):

 Even though I still created with polymer clay at home, the pieces I made to sell on EBay and Etsy were primarily made of other mediums.  I focused on creating mixed media Catholic and pop art jewelry designs.   These days, I am known more for my Catholic jewelry designs than anything else.

Lately, I have decided to return to my polymer clay making roots while still focusing on the Catholic aspect of things so as not to alienate my customer base.  Earlier this week, I spent an entire 12 hour day working on just polymer clay.  I wanted to share some pictures of what I am working on right now.  Please keep in mind that all of the pictures show the designs in process.

This design utilizes the Klimt cane as a base.  It will be fashioned into a necklace and possibly matching earrings:

 Another pendant in process.  I'm still toying with the idea of adding more clay into this piece and then covering the top with resin:

A Virgin Mary pendant with handmade rose beads.  I am thinking about adding some rhinestones to this piece:

Polymer clay focal jewelry pieces in process- pendants and brooches:

Polymer clay crosses which will be made into earrings, necklaces and a bracelet:

An image of the polymer clay designs I made in 12 hours.  The hearts have been textured and will be highlighted with other colors so they pop:

Stay tuned for more pics of these projects as I complete them. :)

5x5 Works in Progress for Upcoming Exhibition

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from the Arts Center of the Ozarks letting me know that it is time to start working on artwork for their upcoming 5x5 Annual Art Exhibition.  My husband and I participated in the event last year and had such a wonderful time, we knew when the opportunity arose again this year, there would be no hesitation.

I started working on my creations yesterday featuring my favorite art subject - The Virgin Mary.  Here are the preliminary sketches on canvas:

I also began painting yesterday.  I will have to let these rest for several days.  I added molding paste to some of the paint to give texture to the pictures.  Once dried, I can add the highlights and finishing touches to my mini portraits.

5x5 artwork in progress

I'll be sure to share the finished items with you upon completion.  Until then...have a great weekend!

Solutions for Resin-Related Issues

They say invention is the mother of necessity, and I couldn't agree more.  I think as crafters, we tend to come up with unique ways of correcting project mistakes so we don't have to toss out our project only to have to start over again.  I've run across some of issues when working with resin that I'd like to share with you, and also, solutions to those issues.

PROBLEM:  The metal bezel has an attached pendant bail that causes the pendant to rest at a slant.  This results in uneven coverage of resin during the curing process.

SOLUTION:  After filling the bezel with resin, set the bezel on an elevated surface with the bail hanging off of the side of the surface.  My favorite elevated surface for this situation are wood flooring samples.  These are not very big - mine are about 6" by 8" in size - but they can accommodate lots of bezels in a small amount of space.  To make good use of my space, I also perch the bezels on top of domino game pieces and place those pieces on top of the flooring samples, as well.   The flooring samples can be acquired at no cost from various internet sites.  I requested my samples online many years ago, and I still use them on a regular basis.  Google "wood flooring samples free" to find companies who will provide you with free samples at your request.

PROBLEM:  Dust, dog hair, mosquitoes (and other things) end up on a project that has not fully cured.

SOLUTION:  I have encountered this on a couple of occasions.  Unfortunately, once the hair, dust or mosquito has settled onto curing resin, the problem usually cannot be corrected with causing additional damage to the piece.  I nip this problem in the bud before it ever has a chance to occur now.  Once all of the resin has been poured, I place a narrow storage box over the items, and I don't remove this until the projects have cured (about 72 hours.)   The one I use these days is a Sterilite storage box.  It fits perfectly over two of my wood flooring pieces (as described above).  Plus, because they are see-through, I can check on my work without having to disturb anything.

PROBLEM: Metal bezel was too small and/or leaked, causing overflow of resin onto back of project.

SOLUTION:  This occurred for me recently when I made some resin pendants.  I didn't discover the leak until the next day.  I let the resin cure for several days before I attempted correction of the problem.  Attempting to correct the problem before the resin cured would result in fingerprints and damage to the front of the design.

Once the resin cured, I trimmed off the excess (cured) overflow from the sides and bottom of the bezel with old, sharp scissors.  Using a coarse grit sandpaper, I sanded off the back of the metal bezel until all of the resin was gone.  I was surprised at how quickly the resin was removed.  Within minutes, my pendant looked like nothing had ever happened to it.

PROBLEM:  While gluing embellishments on a cured resin bezel, glue dripped onto the resin, destroying the shiny finish.

SOLUTION:  Wipe off as much of the glue as possible.  Brush a thin layer of fresh resin over the top of the item and let it cure for several days.   When a thin layer of resin won't correct the problem, it may be necessary to pour a thicker layer of resin over the project.  I recently had something like this occur when I was gluing rhinestones to the outer edge of a pendant.  I normally use an industrial strength glue (E-6000) to attach embellishments to many of my jewelry designs.  The glue had seeped out onto the resin, so I had to pour a new layer of resin over the top of the pendant.

This was a problem, as well,  because the pendant was already filled with resin.  The rhinestones I had already attached stood at a height slightly higher then the resin; the rhinestones have gaps in between them, which would result in any newly poured resin seeping out the sides.

To alleviate this from happening, I took clear packing tape and adhered it around the entire outside of the bezel. I pressed the packing tape firmly to the sides with my fingers, ensuring that the tape held onto the outer edges of the bezel.  Once this is completed, you'll have something that resembles a tortilla bowl for a taco salad.  The tops of the tape will be curvy and quite tall.   Pour a new thin layer of resin into the bezel.  Because the tape is securely attached to the outer edges of the bezel, there should be no leakage of resin.  The tape will keep the resin in its place.  Allow the resin to cure for several days and remove the tape.  Your pendant should look as good as new.

PROBLEM:  Resin got on my bare hands and I can't wash it off.

SOLUTION:  I hate when this happens.  Yes, I admit I don't always use gloves when making resin projects.  I need to have the ability to "feel" what I am doing and the gloves tend to get in the way.  Thankfully, there is a product on the market that is wonderful for removing resin from hands.  It's called  Fast Orange Hand Cleaner by Permatex.  My husband - who is a crafty guy himself - uses this frequently to remove paint, etc. from his hands.  I "borrowed" it one day after I couldn't remove resin residue from my hands - and it worked like a charm.  Just rub it over your hands, rinse, wash hands again with soap and the residue is gone!  I also use this product after working with polymer clay.  It's great for getting stubborn colors - like red and pink - out of my hands.

Well, there you have it.  I hope the tips above will help if you have experience similar resin-related issues.  As always, happy creating!  :)

Repurposed Bangle Bracelets

It's no secret that I LOVE to repurpose plain jewelry items into something artsy and unique. I picked up these plain plastic bangle bracelets from a discount jewelry store and made them into one-of-a-kind pieces of art using vintage artwork, fashion magazine images and sewing patterns. Check out the "before" and "after" pictures below:








Fashion doesn't have to be expensive. Pick up a few bracelet blanks and design away. You'll love your new bracelets and you can make several to give away as gifts. Have fun!

Repurposed Jewelry from New Items

Not far from where I work, there's an awesome little store that sells unusual discount jewelry. I love to wander around and visually take in all of the items. I'm not like the standard customer that shops there. I have no intention of buying the jewelry to wear right off of the rack. Rather, I like to scope out the bracelets, necklaces and earrings for unique materials that I can use in my own jewelry creations. When there, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I make my purchases and am giddy with anticipation at the thought of disassembling the jewelry and making them into my own one-of-a-kind creations.

From this store, I picked up several different colors of this lace filigree necklace:
I took them apart to form individual pieces. I also removed the glass rhinestone from the center of each piece. (I will use these in another project.) These filigree pieces are unusual enough where you don't see them all over the internet; they look great as a background for an image or as a base for collage/mixed media jewelry.


This is a piece that I have started to make using one piece of the disassembled necklace. I will probably add some beading around the image and make it into a bracelet:



Using the same ideology, I recently made this one-of-a-kind necklace using parts of 2 necklaces and some chain from my collection of jewelry findings:

I always like to recreate things into something different. I think I was into "altered art" before the term was ever coined. I want to inspire you to think outside of the box. By using a little creativity, you can make designs that are completely your own without spending an arm and a leg to do it. Happy creating!