Another Octopus Charm from Polymer Clay with Matching Buna Clasps

The obsession continues!  As I was forming this octopus, my co-worker commented on the color.  I told her it was just scrap clay from an ugly cane and I'd be covering it up with a skin (a thin layer of a specially blended pattern).  "No!  I like how that one looks now!" she protested.  So all I did was add a matching skin to the head so that it looked a little more finished and matched the tentacles better.  Also, I used an aged bronze metallic pigment to give it a little shimmer and pizzazz.

The first octopus features a glossy glaze, but on this one I used Modge Podge clear acrylic matte finish instead.  It still has a little shine but isn't ridiculous.  I think I'll stick with it.

I tried making this one smaller, but I really need to work on my proportions.  Maybe next one will be more petite!

Glass Statement Necklace, Sparkly!

Sometimes I buy a set of beads because I just can't put them down!  But then I get home and wonder what on earth I'll create with them.  Sometimes I'll have them up to a year when suddenly I'll see something I like and realize the beads would be perfect for it.  That's what happened with the larger glass beads in this design.  I was lucky to find the smaller matching ones at a sale recently, so I had just what I needed!

Polymer Clay Octopus Pendant with Matching Clasp

There's nothing like Pinterest to get me all fired up to craft!  I've fallen deep into polymer clay as I realize how many possibilities this medium affords.  Like my other favorite hobbies, there's seemingly no end to the crafty artist ideas.  No other medium can replicate cloisonne, glass, plastic, acrylic, metal, and so many others quite like polyclay!  And the amazing thing is that it's so easy to do!

I ran into some really cool octopus designs and suddenly I am absolutely taken by this subject.  Here's an example of my first one, and allow me to say that I was so surprised it turned out so well!  A little big, but still awesome!  I also found a great tute on making buna cord clasps out of polymer so I could stick with my color theme--notice I even threw some little suckers on it.

Here's the result: