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:

Easy, elegant floating crystal necklace with FREE tutorial!

I found myself on curious.com one day looking at a tutorial on beaded crystal bracelets and ran across a tutorial by the O'Neil sisters.

Most jewelry works by hiding the wire in beads, but this one is a fast, simple necklace that actually emphasizes the beauty of the crystals by showcasing the wire as part of the necklace.  Really pretty!

Again, I can't emphasize how fast and easy this project is.  Go check it out: The O'Neil Sisters Floating Crystal Necklace Tutorial

I believe the first lesson is free when you sign up.

Nearly done!  This photo really shows the colors in the crystals.

Done!  So hard to get a good pic off crystal!

Get Organized: Favorite jewelry wire/thread organizing tool.

For a spastic jewelry maker like me who loves trying all sorts of new media and techniques, I find I spend a lot of my beading time just organizing my stuff, especially after a big clearance sale.  One of my biggest obstacles was keeping wire and thread untangled in my drawer.  It was a constant irritation.

One day, while shopping in a discount retailer, I saw a tiered pants hanger and thought, EUREKA!  That's the solution!  I only paid a couple bucks since it was being cleared out.  Not only is my wire and thread contained easily, but it's easy to see what I have in stock and what I need to purchase.  Plus, it hangs in the closet, so it doesn't have to look gorgeous.

Stamp Jewelry

I was digging through our arts and craft cabinet when I came across a bag full of old stamps I had gotten in the mail.  Knowing one day it might come in handy, I shoved them under some cardstock and forgot about them.

One crazy thing about  jewelry making addiction is that pretty soon, anything becomes fair game.  As I pawed through the stamps, I realized there were some really interesting and gorgeous fare for making jewelry!  It was like free material!

Knowing they'd be too vulnerable to stand on their own, I rolled out some polymer clay on the largest setting of my Amaco pasta machine.  With a 1/8th hole punch (the same used for making shrink plastic jewelry), I punched holes in the stamps, laid it on the clay, cut out the clay, and then used a small metal dowel to make holes in the clay.  After cooking the clay, I used Mod Podge Gloss to adhere the stamps.  Once that was done, I sprayed a Mod Podge finish on and allowed them to dry over night.

Today I used larger oval jump rings to create links in the stamps and then used two jump rings each to connect the stamps.  With chain, jumprings, and a magnetic clasp, I finished it up and voila, a gorgeous stamp bracelet!

Tip:  For large stamps like these, be sure to connect the bracelet for a somewhat snug fit.

Glues, Adhesives, Finishes

When walking down the craft aisle for adhesives, your mind may become boggled in the broad choice offered.  Which is best for sticking polymer to plastic?  Which will give a nice finish to paper beads?  Which is going to stick its middle finger in the air to all that hard work by warping everything in its site?  These were my questions.

The other day, I found a used stamp collection in the craft bin that I had totally forgotten existed.  These things are going to make great jewelry, I thought, and began Googling possibilities.  I knew I had to stick them to something and then find a way to finish them.  As anticipated, there were many possibilities:  glass slides, bails, polymer, wood, or cardstock to name several options.  Since I already had wood, polymer, or cardstock, these seemed my best choices.  But I began to experiment to see which media would give the best results.

My criteria:
Warping
Expense
Shine/Overall Appearance
Time
Ease of Use
Problems with Bubbling

I used several adhesives and finishes:
Diamond Glaze
White Glue
1/2 Glue 1/2 Water Mixture
Mod Podge Gloss
Mod Podge Spray (Matte)

Testing was completed on cardstock.

Results:
Most of the adhesives warped.
The shiniest was the Diamond Glaze, but this was not the best result.
The best results came from the Mod Podge Gloss (sealer, glue & finisher).  Whether used to adhere & finish, it came out best.  Also, using it in conjunction with the Mod Podge Matte to seal also worked well.

Below I scanned in images from the results.  Unfortunately, the scanner did too good a job making everything look good, so it's hard to tell the difference in photos.

Sadly, although I wanted Diamond Glaze to be the end-all panacea of finishing my pieces, I've just not enjoyed the success I get with other products.