Finishing a bracelet and other components

Double Bracelet with Swarovskis

Well, I finally sanded and buffed the gold bracelet I was experimenting on. Everything, really, is one big experiment. My addiction to novelty means I'll likely rarely make the same thing twice, even if it were possible.

After all the sanding and buffing, I tossed some flat-back Swarovski 4mms on the bracelet. I probably should have measured and been a perfectionist about it, but after finding that my non-variable speed Dremel took a little chunk out of the end, I lost enthusiasm. Well, maybe no one can tell, but I know it's imperfect. Thus begins my journey to the land of homemade imperfections. Still, it's not crap, even if the picture insists otherwise.

When I made this bracelet, shaping it around a soda (okay, beer) can, it had this cool space in between. But like bangs the day after the salon 'do, it decided to do its own thing. Still, it'll look good while in action because it's not the clump it looks in the picture. Plus, it's way more flexible than I would have imagined. Have I told you again how much I love polymer clay?

Mosaic Pill Art or

Adventures in Wasting a lot of Time

Now for those weird, funky hamster poops I've been rolling from monochrome lumps: I finally got them into bead form and although (again), they are not perfect by any means, I find them fun and endearing. Not fun, as in something your five-year-old made that you wear because you're so proud...well, maybe just like that, only it was made by my inner-five-year-old, if you will pardon a real 90's pop psych throwback. These photographed even worse than the bracelet, but oh well. I think with the right complementary components, they'll fare well.

Controlled, Street Legal Psychedelics

I finally cut into my rainbow cane and goofed around with the cutters I made. I had a lot of fun, as you can tell, and decided I'd reserve the heart for a pendant while condemning the teardrop shapes to bracelet status. Winter, unless you way 90 pounds and wear very tight sweaters, is not a fun time for bracelets.

Believe it or not, I fussed a long time over these and have yet to commit to piercing them for purpose of stringing, but at least the raw clay designs are done. Now I can sit back and confidently fret over my kids or my husband dropping something on my designs. I could move them to a safe location, but that would take the fun out of life's uncertainties and make it too bland and safe. Ok, I take that back. I'm putting them in the fire safe.

And here comes Mr. Rogers meeting Jerry Springer: my reflections on the day's "work."

First, let me advise you to take caution while using tools for crafting. That *&$%#@ing bendable blade is every bit as *&#@!ing life-threatening as the package warning screams. Don't be an idiot while cleaning the sucker or you're going to waste a lot of time sitting in triage at the local ER. Lucky for me I now have a mokume gane thumb without the deductable.

Second, Sculpey gloss and 2-part resin are the most amazing substances in the universe. If you plan on having children soon or are pregnant, do be careful because they do cause birth defects (for once I'm not teasing), but they create the most incredible results on even mediocre offerings to the gods of crafting.

Well, off to duties of the more mundane: making tacos for dinner and procrastinating against paper grading.