Happy Saturday fellow Art makers! Finally my alcohol inks and translucent clay bead/drop video tutorial is complete!
Watch it here!
Thanks for stopping by.
Watch it here!
Showing posts with label bead making. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bead making. Show all posts
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Friday, August 3, 2018
Polymer Clay Journey: Bead-making - How I Use Veneers
The video that goes with this article can be viewed right here below:
Happy Friday everyone! Hope you had a great week. What were you creating this week? Any extra special projects? Did you learn anything new about your favourite art making method? If you want to share any answers, we would LOVE to hear from you and even see your creations too! The best way to do that is head off to our Facebook group: HeArtfully Creating Group (click here.)
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| My cabochons and beads |
What have I been working on? As always, a variety of projects but this one in particular. I love the colour turquoise. Now we all know there are many variations of turquoise... greeny blue, bluey - green, tropical ocean blue, peacock blue....that is just how colours are. Well, I have been mixed varieties of colours trying to create a faux turquoise stone effect. Not the true stone look which is more chalky, opaque and basically one shade of a turquoise, but, Anita's version... multiple tints and tones of blues to blue greens. I just love creating depth and interest. The sample picture below of real turquoise is just one kind of blue. They are not all the same.
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| These are REAL TURQUOISE stones |
This tutorial is about the basics of how to make beads using a polymer clay veneer. You can use the same technique using whatever veneer in polymer clay you want. Please watch the video to see how easy it is. As well see the other projects I used the veneers on.
My Top Veneer Bead Making Tips...
1. Make sure your bead core or foundation clay colour works with the veneer you are using. (see more about that in the video.) Also make sure the bead core clay type is strong enough to hold the shape you will want. Experiment by baking a bead or two first. I have learned lessons the hard way by NOT testing things out first!
2. If it matters to you that you can replicate the same look/colours by making other batches/blends in the future, be sure to record the exact brands of clay, portions/ratios and their colour names. Because I am a wing it, impulse person, I tend to make large blend mixes since I know I won't be replicating the exact same look again. That way I usually have more than enough to create what I want.
3. Make your bead holes before baking and enter into the clay on both sides to avoid a pokey clay nub.
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| See how I made my own bead baking rack CLICK HERE. |
My next tutorial, with better "how to" footage, will be a faux turquoise tutorial. However, because I have enjoyed creating some great cabochons an jewellery pieces, I thought it would be fun to share how to use the veneers made with the turquoise blends first, hoping to stir interest in creating a faux stone blend/veneer. To learn how I made some of my turquoise blends, be sure to subscribe so you can receive notifications as they happen.
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| Here is my first batch of faux turquoise (no two batches are the same) |
Final note... It has been a productive few weeks. So much so, I even got to list a piece of jewellery created using one of my turquoise blends! Click here, if you want to see.
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Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you are inspire to create.
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HeArtfully Creating,
Anita
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Friday, February 9, 2018
Finally Friday! Polymer Clay Journey: Bead Making
Recently I was working on some cane construction, After mixing a variety of colors using Primo translucent clay, along with bits of coloured solid clay. As often happens, As I sliced off the ends of the canes, I started smooshing up the scraps. And voila, as always, A delightful, colourful surprise. In fact I often like the colourful surprises produced from smashing up clay bits So much, thatI find myself making "purposeful," scrap clay just to turn into beads or something.
Click here to see how I tweaked my Amaco Bead baking rack, thanks to the Polymer Clay Tutor's idea.
Watch the video below
if you want to dive right into How I made cylinder beads using scraps of polymer clay.
Bead Making Hints & Tips
#1 Bringing Out The Best:
Accent your beads or pendants by selecting a specific colour out out your surprise mixture.
#2 Can't Stand Up?:
I know many clay artists say t "stand up and look down to find the center of a bead before poking." If you can't stand up, like I can't, to look above, while poking a hole in your beads- just do your best to look above and down. Poke a little and hold up the bead to double check where you are.
Begin centering the piercing pin and gently twist it half way down. Then turn it around, eyeball the center again and begin to twist gently. Pick up the bead as you carefully maneuver the pin through, trying to make it travel gently through to the other side- if you go
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| Some of my very first cane beads |
#3 Drills Or Needles? Raw Or Cured?
Many clay artists prefer drilling holes into beads and such after curing in the oven. One reason, because they don't know where exactly where the hole should be. I get that. But I have tried to do it after and for myself, it is much more difficult to try to hand turn a hand drill into any bead with thickness.
That being said, I have concluded that for me and anyone with hand pain, strength issues- poking holes and planning prior to curing is best. And if you want a larger hole after, it is easier to use that hand drill after a thin hole is already baked in.
#4 To Sand Or Not To Sand?
Well, again this is done a lot by many clay artists. To sand and buff to a beautiful shine is rewarding for sure. But with limited hand strength, I can not achieve the same degree of shine as others do. So if you are like me or don't want to worry about all that - don't give up or be discouraged. My life is about improvisation - figuring out how to do what you want but in a different way than others, accomplishing the same or similar end result.
Smooth, smooth, smooth. The smoother your raw clay pieces are,
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| My Amaco Bead Baking Rack with Sugru |
Stir, stir, stir! I learned the hard way. If you do use polyurethane water based or even oil MINwax -is good, stir to the bottom or the glaze will be sticky and even peel off. Be gentle, bubbles are icky.
Question for you today is?
Do you like to?
A) Avoid sanding and buffing at all cost?
B) Keep your beads Au Naturelle?
C) Prefer to glaze to a glossy gloss?
D) Or Do you use a matte glaze?
E) Or does it totally depend on each bead making method?
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita
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| My first home Made Bead glazing rack |
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Polymer Clay Journey: Sgraffito Time - Scratch And See
Yesterday, I shared a new post with video about metal leafing, click here to see. And I said I was making a post with video tutorial about ways to incorporate metal leafing into or onto polymer clay.
Below is the video. It is meant to offer some ideas and inspire you to give metal leaf a try while using polymer clay.
Childhood Art Making Memory...
Sgraffito is one of the techniques I will be talking about. It is about scratching an image into the surface, revealing what is underneath. In fact, it was my dear Dad who first taught me scratch art (that is what we called it back then,). I suggest trying this method. We would cover a sheet of paper with a variety of colours using crayons. Then, using a heavy black oil pastel or a crayon that can coat the colours well. Then taking a metal scratching tool, like an eyeglass screw driver, start removing the black layer. That will reveal the colour underneath. I would just make lines and designs or you can draw an objective image. Watch the video below to learn what Objective and non-objective art is.
Watch the Video Below
What do you prefer?
A) Do you like drawing?
B) Do you like sculpting in polymer clay?
C) Do you like painting?
D) Are you still trying to find what art making method you prefer?
HeArtfully Creating,
Anita
Subscribe! Like and Share!! (if you want of course :o)
"LIKE" HeArtfully Creating Here on FACEBOOK
A Bergie Creation Shop Blog
A BERGIE CREATION - at Etsy, my handmade jewelry shop
LIKE ABC On Facebook
ABC On Twitter
YOU Tube Channel
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