Rings and things and resin!

I started thinking about what I was going to write this week....and then....absolutely nothing!!! Don't you hate it when that happens? Nothing funny or bright or even remotely interesting crossed my thinking path. Were my creative neurons on strike? What to do, what to do? Then I started reflecting on what was going on around me, and came up with a few ideas! The first one is freeform related (see last Wednesday's post), and has to do with my obsessive need to try out everything that interests me.

Karen Williams posted some delicious little Valentine rings on her Baublicious blog. I drooled and obsessed for a while, and then decided to give it a try. Her idea for the starting string of beads is solid, but of course I didn't end up making mine that way! No little charms because I don't own any....but I do reserve the right to add a few in the future. How about a little Swarovski heart or a sparkly dangle? Pretty but fragile....I wonder? The blue/green ring is my first and it's a little large, but does fit my middle finger. The black/grey one turned out just right, and I absolutely love it! I'm simply enchanted with this process, and predict many more rings in my future (and perhaps even a wee workshop). It's amazing how much design you can pack into these little treasures!

Next obsession, resin! When you forget to bring along your personal supply of bezels (to the workshop you're teaching), you're forced to improvise. I had a "what if" moment and decided to turn more trash into treasure. I've used metal bottle caps before, but I wondered what would happen if I included some rayon thread ends (saved from my fibre days) and then added Ice Resin in to a larger plastic cap. The metal bottle cap (with a few small shells and a bit of birch bark) turned out great, but the plastic cap was certainly not awe inspiring! Mainly because the colourful threads darkened considerably, and seemed to suck all the light out of the piece. Not entirely daunted, I decided to add some teeny stones, a bit of dyed silk cocoon, and a final sprinkle of fine glitter (to represent pond scum). It's not perfect, but certainly improving. I still need to disguise the white plastic, but what if I made a bead embroidery piece, cut a hole in it and then inserted the little pond? Wouldn't that be interesting? I'll probably cover up the white plastic with Apoxie Sculpt (I'm giving a workshop on that tomorrow evening), Gilders Paste, and perhaps a dash of Vintag Patinas! I know, I probably should have done all this before adding the resin, but oh well!

Improvise, improvise, and improvise some more! If you're obsessed, it probably means the universe wants you to do something about it. Also remember that creativity sometimes takes a vacation, but will always return!!

What's on my bead mat?

Or perhaps I should say, "what's on my bead mat", and rolling around in my head, this week? I had a lovely, quiet holiday, and find that when I have time on my hands, my hands just naturally turn to creative pursuits. During the holidays, I watch sappy movies, eat more snacks than normal, and search for projects to play with. Although, I do start new projects, I confess that I love to dig into some of my UFO's (unfinished objects)! Not just components (stash), but projects that I've started, and haven't found the the time, or inspiration to complete. I'm happy that I managed to finish my free-form peyote beaded bead, but both dolls, are still works in progress!

The starfish (doll form, purchased from a friend), is a definite what if? What if, I used freeform peyote, to bead a doll? What if, I combined it with intuitive bead embroidery? What if, I resisted the internal urge, to finish the doll quickly? Interestingly enough, this doll is turning out to be quite challenging. Freeform is all about problem solving, and some problems, just don't want to be solved quickly! I'm a lot further ahead, but my mind needs rest, before agreeing to unlock more of the puzzle pieces. The second doll (designed and stitched by yours truly), was started in my last doll workshop. She's a little sad, but is sitting patiently on my messy worktable, waiting for me to throw her a few beads. Poor neglected baby!

On the mixed media front, I spotted a simple tutorial, somewhere on the web (sorry, but I didn't save it), showing someone making beads, out of two-part epoxy clay (either Apoxie Sculpt, or Crystal Clay), grommets (or were they eyelets?) and wooden beads. Of course, I just had to try it, and then expand on some of the steps (my mind just never stops). I painted the beads with Vintag Patinas, distressed them, and then added Iced Enamels and micro beads (but only to the larger one). Not perfect, but the technique definitely shows promise. In addition, I made a rather sloppy attempt, at a flower cabochon, while using up some of my leftover clay (remember, I'm still not a sculptor...). But what's happened to those pearls, you say? Absolutely nothing! I did make a little bracelet, for a future Inspiration, but ideas for my pearls, are just not coming......Perhaps next week! Right now, I seem to be more interested in my rusty cloth, hand embroidery project (I'll sneak a few photos in, one day!).

I've also been getting up close, and personal with more than a few blogs. One of my favourites is The Altered Page, by Seth Apter. Absolutely nothing to do with jewellery, but his mixed media, graffiti style, does fill my eyes with colour, and my head with trends and techniques. If you're interested, check out this post! You'd be surprised at how easily transferable, some of his colours, ideas and trend watches, are to your jewellery projects.

Rest, relax, and try to finish off just one more project, before the year ends. Be safe, and I promise that we'll chat more, next week, and next year!

I'm late, I'm late, and my creative dilemma!

Once again, I seem to have given myself a bit of a challenge! What better time to do this, than when you're supposed to be madly shopping, creating, wrapping and sending gifts off to the west and the north? Rats! I do this every single year, while vowing to never do it again. Despite this fact, I don't remember ever being late for the big event. If you pay enough dollars to the postal gurus, and remember to send your parcels a few days early, your package will get there on time (I always keep my fingers crossed,and still worry). Although most of my shopping is done, I haven't wrapped a single present, despite the fact that it's already the 16th. I know what I'll be doing, later today!! But wait, I ran out of tape......aaargh!

Back to my dilemma! I don't really want to wrap, I want to play! I seem to be in a high creative phase, and I've been madly working with both Ice Resin, and Apoxie Sculpt. Not in the same project, of course, and both are quite different, but fun just the same! For those of you, not familiar with Apoxie Sculpt, it's a two-part epoxie clay, similar to Crystal Clay. BeadFX carries both products, and the only reason I've chosen to work with this one, is that I already had a couple of tubs of it, in my stash. I also like the fact that it comes in a plastic container, with a tight fitting lid. That's important, when you're not planning on using it all up on a single project, as it won't dry out. I purchased a fairly large quantity (like the ones, shown below), before I realized that BeadFX carried the product. Another interesting fact about Apoxie is that, while it has a fairly long shelf life, you can actually freeze it, to extend it even further (but I don't know if the same can be done, to Crystal Clay). You will also be able to thaw it out, use it, and then re-freeze, without compromising the integrity of the product. Sculptors use it to sculpt and carve, and I've seen some very creative pieces, made out of this medium (especially in the world of dolls). You can even use it to repair, almost anything. As usual, YouTube is full of videos to delight you!

My personal challenge, is to come up with a project, that's completely different from many of the two-part epoxy pieces, that I've seen in the past. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the look of the crystal based pieces, but I have a burning need, to make something completely different! Not being a sparkle girl, and still in love with my techniques, I'll be designing something, more mixed media inspired. My first piece is actually finished, although it seems to be more of a hybrid, than true mixed media. It does include crystals, but I also mixed in some pearls and metal, to give it more of an edge. The components are already laid out for my second piece, and it's turning out to be quite different. More metal, a teeny bit of sparkle, and a non-traditional coating or two. Will it work? Only time will tell! I'm working this up for a class sample, so won't be able to show the photos, until it's up on the site. I believe that this new workshop, has been scheduled for February.

I originally purchased the Apoxie Sculpt, for last year's Toronto Bead Society, Bag of Beads challenge. I made a doll, out of a silver plated spoon, fork, plate, fibre, polymer clay, and the challenge beads. I ended up attaching the face to the doll, and the doll to the base (a small silver plate), with the Apoxie Sculpt. I've learned that it will virtually attach anything, to anything!!! The photos, don't really show the Apoxie Sculpt, but believe me, it's on there, and it's rock hard!!! I buried a few beads on it, and sculpted it to look a little like grass (I never said that I was a sculptor, did I?).

The Ice Resin piece that I mentioned earlier, is a gift, so I won't be discussing it, except to say that it involves my monoprinted paper, metal, leather, and I'm happy to say that it's finished! While it's curing (resin dries overnight, but takes 3 days to cure), I'm going to let myself play with the Apoxie a little more. Now, what are you up to this week? Still scrambling to buy, or make that perfect present? Or perhaps you're just relaxing with a snack, beverage, and sappy TV movie of your choice? Whatever you're doing, enjoy the season!

A Bevy of Bezels

Today, we're going to chat about the wonderful world of metal bezels!  As you can see from the photographs, BeadFX has quite an extensive collection, which is great for aspiring mixed media artists (all that metallic bounty in one place)!  I'll let you in on a secret though; you don't really need to know anything about mixed media, to use these remarkable products. Bezels are versatile, and suitable for an endless variety of uses. We even carry the popular Susan Lenart Kazmer, Hobnail bezels and the Klick line of interchangeable components.

Believe it or not, I haven't tried everything yet, but imagine your bezels, filled with any of the following: collaged paper, photographs, downloaded images, pencil sketches, minature landscapes, old love letters, a child's art, postage stamps, paper napkins, ephemera, text, commercial and hand painted papers, eggshells, broken china, sea glass, fibre, dried flowers, charms, beads, glitter, shells, and even more! Didn't think of that, did you?  If that's not enough, you could also fill them with either Crystal Clay or Apoxie Sculpt, and then embed Swarovski crystals, old keys, watch parts, game pieces, or other exciting stuff, and wait for it to dry! Don't you just hate, waiting for things to dry?

But what about Polymer Clay (PC), you say?  I'm sure that someone out there, has been purchasing bezels, and filling them with all types of PC.  They're metal, aren't they?   So why couldn't you bake them at low temperatures?  I'm not telling you to do this, but in the spirit of experimentation, I just might!  The official disclaimer is.....do this at your own risk, as I don't know how the coatings and finishes will react.......but I'm a Mixed Media Artist, so serendipity is my friend!  Besides, I like the distressed look!!!

You've filled your bezel, so now what do you do?  More choices! You could top it up with Ice Resin, after adding a lovely edging of Iced Enamels, and perhaps some of their Inclusions.  How about trying one of our glass tiles (but not all will fit)? You wouldn't need more than "a little spit and polish", for the various clays.....unless you'd like to add a dab of Renaissance Wax.

A few of my images to tempt you!

When using paper products, with your resin, remember to seal carefully.   Mod Podge or white glue is recommended (as are other types of collage or decoupage mediums), but don't forget to seal the front, back and edges, to avoid staining.  Botanicals should also be sealed!  Mix the resin slowly and carefully (instructions on package), wait five minutes, and then add to the bezel, a little at a time, to avoid air bubbles. Pop any that you see, and don't forget to cover your pieces while they dry.....no dust motes, or cat hair allowed!!! If you're not yet confident enough, to do this on your own, or just like the structure of a hands-on class, check out my November Resin workshop.   It's not on the schedule yet, but it's definitely in the works (and you could probably get yourself on a waiting list). Keep tuned!

Anne Marie