Creating Items with the Art Deco Art Nouveau Patterns

Here is another design I created using my technique "From Scrap Clay to Art Deco" that is one of my favorites.  I made some into buttons (for sewing) as well as snaps (for the interchangeable jewelry).  I added Swarovski crystals to several that I just love. 

Art Deco / Nouveau "Snaps" for Interchangeable Jewelry

Art Nouveau "Snap" with embedded Swarovski Crystals

And I also made some Natasha beads from the same scrap clay.  As a matter of fact that is how I first discovered this new technique.  I was making "Natasha" beads and was experimenting to see if I could create the fabulous patterns in other forms such as a veneer or cane.

My tutorial, From Scrap Clay to Art Deco, takes you step by step into creating or manipulating your scrap pile to achieve the best results.  These tips can also be applied to making better "Natasha" style beads.  It is so much fun and watch out as it is almost addicting!

How to Make an Adjustable Slider Bead for a Necklace Cord - Tutorial

Our sockeye salmon pieces are packed and ready to be delivered to the artisan market at the Salmon Festival tomorrow which starts this Friday.  One of the salmon themed items we have created to sell there is a pendant strung on the softglass cord.  We wanted the necklace to be suitable for both men and women as well as adjustable so we created a slider type bead that also has our signature logo stamp on it.

This is how to make an adjustable clay slider bead for softglass or buna cord:

Step 1:

To find the correct hole size, we matched the cord up with a pair of knitting needles that were the same thickness.  For example, the photo below shows the olive green softglass cord as the same  thickness as size 12 knitting needles where the copper buna cord is thinner so the same thickness as size 14.

Step 2:

Make a clay bead by rolling a medium thick sheet of clay and then doubling it.  Cut a 1/2" circle from the clay sheet and then roll into an oblong "ball".

Step 3:

Holding the pair of knitting needles together, poke a "double" hole into your clay bead by going straight down into your clay ball.

Step 4:

Carefully remove the knitting needles and flip your clay ball over.  You should see two indent marks that were made from the knitting needles.

Step 5:

Holding the knitting needles together and lining them up with the marks, insert them straight down into the clay piece the same way as in step 3.  You can go all the way through the clay bead to make a double hole by twisting one knitting needle at a time being careful to not distort or stretch the hole any larger. 

Step 6:

Leave the clay bead on the knitting needles as shown below for the next step.

Step 7:

You can stamp a pattern onto your bead at this point.  We like to texture one side and add our signature logo stamp on the other.  This is done by placing the clay bead onto a texture plate or stamp and pressing down slightly.  Another texture or logo stamp (shown here) can be pressed down on top.

Step 8:

Carefully remove the knitting needles from the clay bead one at a time by gently twisting them.  Bake the bead for at least 40 minutes.  After baking the cord should slide in through the holes but not be too lose.  If you find that your holes are too large, then you may need to go with a size smaller pair of knitting needles.

Step 9:

To prevent the bead from coming off the cord, a crimping bead can be added to the ends.  Here we used some fold over cord crimps and cut the loop off the end.  You could always leave the loops on and add a decorative bead dangle to each end if you prefer.

Step 10:

Cut your cord so that it is long enough to fit over your head with the slider bead extended to the end.  The cord on the necklace shown here is 26 inches long.  Slide the cord through the pendant and then through the slider bead.  Attach the fold over cord crimps to each cord end the same way as in our other softglass tutorial here.

One last tip:

If you do not want your cord ends to be a shiny metal, that can easily be changed by adding a bit of Gilders Paste.  Here we added some black to the silver ends which gave them more of a gunmetal look and blended in with the black cord so they weren't so noticeable.  I like Wendy Orlowski's tip she shared (click here) on marking the outside of her tins with the color so they are quick and easy to identify without having to open the lid each time.

Folded Bead Sweater Shawl Pin

Here are some more sweater pins in a different style that were inspired by Helen Breil's Folded Bead tutorial.   The pieces are textured on the front and back and the textures used in the first two  pieces are by Helen Breil as well.  I show how to make the matching clay bead dangle in my latest tutorial, Constructing Accent Pieces for Your Scarves, Sweaters & Shawls.

  

For this piece I used Wendy Orlowski's texture called "Feather Boa".

These are a few of my prototypes and I have a few more ideas that I am playing around with.

Birdie Sewing Charms

We have been working on some new items in time for spring.  These are our new birdie beads in some fun bright colors.  These ones are used for some new style sewing charms which is one of our most popular items with the quilt shops.  These fasten onto scissors or rotary cutter for a fun way to personalize them when taking a class.  They can also be used as a zipper pull, hung on a cell phone, belt loop, purse or almost anything else.

Double-sided Textured Beads With Bling

Making the double-sided textured beads can be a lot of fun and I love making them in all the different jewel-tone colors.  I was experimenting with adding Swarovski crystals to my beads like in the "Fiesta Spiral" design shown here.

I made them a little larger than my regular beads to create more of a focal pendant just by adding extra clay to my mould .  I use the genuine Swarovski crystals that are flat back and the "hot fix" type.  The hot fix crystals have a glue on them that is activated when heated and gives a little extra hold.

When adding the crystals I embedded both sides at the same time so as not to interfere with the texture.

These beads are now for sale in our ArtFire Studio as well as our Etsy shop.