Playing With My Handcrafted Polymer Clay Beads

After playing and experimenting with my handcrafted beads for several months, things have finally come together.  It was back in April when I last shared my huge bead collection that I had been making over the years -- some go as far back as 20 years.  I did manage to find some more bins with beads and I picked out a few favorites for finishing off and will get to the rest of them later.

So here are a few things I have been making with them:

Beaded Bar Pendants, Purse Charms or for Key Rings

Beaded Bar Purse Charms . . . or

Wear as a Necklace!

I have discovered these stainless steel bars where the top and bottom screw off and you can add your beads to.  The above photos show a sample of how I used them.  I now have plenty of beaded bars in stock and are available in my online store (click on the photo below for the link).  If you haven't already, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter as I will be sharing a coupon code for a sale on supplies as well as my tutorials very soon!

Beaded Bars in Stainless Steel

I also found these pens to add my beads to:  From top to bottom:  a Stylus/Pen, Twist Pen, and a Mechanical Pencil.  I will have some of these listed in my online store in the next day or so.  I only have a limited amount and will need to order more so if you are interested in any of these and in preferred colors, just send me a message (through my website) or e-mail me directly.

And for something that is not my typical thing for me to do, but it is a start.  I have finally created my first video and have uploaded it to my new YouTube channel (don't forget to subscribe for future videos).  I have to say it was a bit easier to do than I had anticipated and plan on making more.

These beaded items have been a lot of fun to create.  It took me a while to figure out how I wanted the beads to fit and once that was worked out, everything else just clicked.

This is also my tutorial on how to make your own Rondelle Spacer Beads (click on the photo for the link).  I have it on sale (until the end of the week) for 25% off in case this inspires you and you would like to get a jumpstart on things.

New Travel Jewelry Pouches

Ever since the creation of my Snap Decisions! Jewelry collection, I have been on the look-out for the best ways to organize my own jewelry at home and also for travel.  For organizing at home I decided to update my walk-in closet with a section just for my jewelry and accessories.  This was fun to do and I am still tinkering as I add more pieces.  I organize most of my items by color so it is quick and easy to match what I am going to wear.

For travel, items are organized a bit differently and of course it depends if it is a short trip where I would only use a carry-on bag or if I will be away for a longer time and need more clothes and travel bags.

For a longer trip, I have my "Vivace" Tote.  This is so versatile and can hold a lot of pieces from my personal collection plus keep them organized as well as handy so I am not wasting a lot of precious time searching for things.  I still have several of these tote bags left in my online store along with extra inserts that can be added.

For a shorter trip with just a carry on bag (limited space), I now have some new jewelry pouches in stock.  These are available in several colors.  I love how they zip wide open and have a few inside pockets for organizing.  Several clear plastic containers are included that work great for storing smaller items such as earrings or interchangeable "snaps" so they do not get lost.

These jewelry pouches (4 piece set) are offered as a free gift with a $50 minimum order purchase (After any discounts are applied).   This offer is good until December 15th or while quantities last.  You do not need to add it to your cart (unless you are purchasing extras for yourself) as it will automatically be added to your order, as long as the minimum requirement is met). 

You can read more about this deal on the front page of my website and you can check out any sales happening as well.

Snap Decisions Tutorial & Bonus

A new year has already started and I am so ready to put 2022 behind me!  But it seems the cycle never ends and January means back to end of year bookkeeping, taking inventory and such.  Counting all the trillions of little items for inventory is not my favorite task but has to be done.  I am quite strange though as I have taken all the accounting courses and quite enjoy it.  I just find it difficult to switch back and forth between that and my creativity in the studio.  It is like a struggle that goes on between the right side and left side of my brain.  So I will forge ahead and wrap up the paperwork as quick as possible so I can go back to the fun side of life!

Unlike a New Year's resolution, I have instead been contemplating on what my focus should be for this year and I feel I have a good plan.  I have already started off by implementing a few changes with more to come later.

Eight years ago I created my first interchangeable "snap" jewelry pieces!  This idea was a real game changer for me and I still love the whole concept.  Since then, I have expanded my collection a great deal and I plan to continue on and still make it my main focus.

I published my "Snap Decisions" tutorial back in 2015 which I since had for sale -- that is until now.  It is no longer for sale -- that is as an individual lesson.  It is now included (at no charge) with the purchase of my new "Starter Packs".  These starter packs include a wide range of snaps and accessories (items may vary slightly from the photos) that will jumpstart your creativity and hopefully to have fun creating your own original designs!

Here is how it works:

With the purchase of starter pack 1, you will receive as follows:

- a wide range of snaps and snap accessories.

- Part 1 of my tutorial (PDF format)

A total value of $75+  for only $60 Cdn. (plus shipping and taxes if applicable)

With the purchase of starter pack 2, you will receive as follows:

- a large supply of snaps and snap accessories

- Parts 1 & 2 of my tutorial (PDF format)

- Bonus:  Your own personal coupon code for future discounts from our DIY Snap & Jewelry supplies.  (Note: Coupon code must be used at least once a year in order to keep it activated).

A total value of $120+  for only $95 Cdn (plus shipping and taxes if applicable) 

The tutorial(s) that is included with your starter pack will be sent out separately as a PDF file directly to the e-mail address provided.  This will give you a head start to read it through and familiarize yourself before your snaps arrive in the mail.

These packs are a lot of fun and provide a sampling of many items to not only get you started but also get a feel for any items you might want to make more of in the future.

Personal Coupon Code

So what is the personal coupon code?  This is included only with the Starter Pack 2 -- The larger pack that includes both of parts 1 & 2 of my Snap Decisions tutorial.  It is your own personalized code (not to be shared with anyone else) for a 25% discount on any future supplies from our online store.  This is a great saving as most of the items in those categories are already at bulk prices.

The coupon code does not expire, that is, as long as it is used at least once a year.  The year starts from your date of purchase.

If you do already have a coupon code and it has expired, then you can purchase the starter pack 2 and your code will be reactivated again.  You will also receive the starter pack of snaps and snap accessories included.

And now, one more announcement:

I have created a Facebook Group:

SNAP DECISIONS HANDCRAFTED DIY

This is a group that I am just now starting and you can click on the link above to join.  I hope it will be of some help to those who could use some inspiration as well as more tips and tricks on creating your own interchangeable snap jewelry.  Hopefully I will get to meet up with many of you there.

Lace Earrings

Here are some new feminine lace-style earrings created in the latest Pantone Spring fashion colors, Very Peri, Innuendo, Skydiver and Harbor Blue.  They are in 3 different teardrop styles/sizes and are ready to add to any of our interchangeable ear wires to create your own style.

These four colors are now available in our online store.  You can find our various jewelry pieces by shopping the different categories such as "Earrings" or "shop by color" such as our "Pantone Spring Color Collection".

Very Peri

Innuendo

Skydiver

Harbor Blue

We only make a limited amount of each piece in the latest fashion colors.

Gingham and Buffalo Plaids

I really like my buffalo plaid tunic style shirts and leggings I purchased last year.  I practically live in them during the winter months as they are so cosy.  I usually wear them open style with different colored shirts underneath.

These shirts inspired me to make some buffalo plaid inspired jewelry pieces.  These all coordinate and as they are all interchangeable, can be worn a variety of ways.  Any colored pieces shown here are all in the Pantone Fall 2021 Fashion color Fire Whirl and Black.

Large interchangeable "snap" on a cork "snap base necklace"

Buffalo Plaid interchangeable "snap" on a cork bracelet and necklace

Buffalo Plaid Post Earrings

All the interchangeable snaps and jewelry pieces shown here are available in the Shuswap Artisan Market in Sorrento BC, Shear FX Studio in Chase BC and in my online store.

Sweater Print Snaps for the Holidays

I can hardly believe how much time has lapsed since my last post.  Right after I had urgent eye surgery.  I had another hole in my retina repaired -- this was the second time but this time in my other eye.  I had to be careful for 3 weeks after -- no stooping, hanging my head down, bending over or lifting anything more than 5 lbs -- which meant I couldn't really do much.  I did manage to rest up which was a good thing.  Right afterwards, however, I ended up with an intense pain in my arm -- mainly my elbow.  Today I am finally feeling a bit more back to normal but babying that arm so as to not aggravate it any more than I have to.  I am discovering that aging really sucks and wish I could trade a few body parts in for some new ones!

So I did manage to finish off some items which will be delivered to the Artisan Market in Sorrento and Shear FX Hair Studio in Chase later this week -- that is as long as the weather cooperates.  We have had some huge torrential rain storms resulting in major flooding in our part of Canada.

Where I live (interior BC) is fine, however the flooding destroyed all of the highways between us and the coast.  This means that there is only essential travel to the coast and supplies are being transported through at a snail's pace.  Canada Post put our area on a yellow alert which means that the mail service will be very sporadic and extremely slow for a long time.  So if you are planning on ordering anything from my online store, please allow an extra week or so for delivery. 

So here are some Christmas sweater themed pieces I created using more silkscreens from Tonja Lenderman.  I really love the sweater designs which were fun to create with.  All of these pieces are on a snap so they can be interchanged.

I have added some of these pieces to my online store.  The necklaces shown in the above photo are cork in (off) white and available in many different colors.

New Mini Snaps

I am excited to announce the new addition to my Snap Decisions Collection -- our mini size snaps and mini snap base earrings.  These snaps are smaller than our regular-size snaps and can be interchanged with our wide selection of our own unique designer snap earring bases.  And if you like to create your own, we have already added supplies in our DIY snap section.  

These are already available in several locations:

Shear Fx Studio - Chase, BC

Shuswap Artisan Market - Sorrento, BC

And of course in our online store (shop here)

And I will also have my whole line available at the Pop-up this coming Friday at:

Kelowna Yarn & Needlecrafts

Huge Sale on Snap Supplies!

I can hardly believe that winter is starting to set in and that Christmas is just around the corner.  My first Christmas show for the year is already this Sunday.  I will be at the Kamloops Craft-a-Fair in the same location as the past 8 years.

If you are working on your Christmas shows or thinking of making your own gifts this year, I am having a huge Flash Sale of 35% off all my Snap Supplies! -- but hurry as this does not happen often and it is only for a few days!  Sale ends Friday, November 2, midnight.

* Use Coupon Code:    SNAPS35OFF

at the checkout in my online store.

* Prices are in Canadian currency

* Shipping is a flat fee --
-- no matter how much you purchase!!

* Free shipping with a minimum purchase

(after any discount codes have been applied)

If you haven't purchased my Snap Decisions Tutorial but have been thinking about it, that is on sale right now too!  The price has already been reduced so no coupon code is necessary.  As a bonus, if you purchase the Parts 1 & 2 tutorial package, you will receive your own personal and permanent discount code for 25% off anything in our snap supply section.

Notice:  If you have purchased this tutorial and never received a permanent discount code and would like to receive one, contact me with your request.

Playing with Resin

I am taking a break and visiting family for a few days.  It is nice to get away but the weather is much colder here than at home.

We now have more of our new blank snaps with a bezel frame in stock.  These are flat inside so don't need prepping with clay first before filling.  They also work well with other mediums like resin.  They are now available in 2 sizes, the larger 20mm and now also the slightly smaller 18mm.  I like both sizes but the smaller one sometimes looks nicer in the framed pendants and other findings and doesn't overwhelm them.

I have been experimenting with different ways of filling these snaps using resin.  The resin I was using before was a UV type.  I like this resin as it cures under a UV light and only takes about 20 minutes.  It does tend to get a lot of bubbles, however, and some are not visible and can later rise to the surface during the curing.  I found it is best to let them sit for a while and then pop any bubbles that show up before putting them under the light.

I recently tried the Art Resin from Shades of Clay which I found to be very easy to use.  You just need to let it sit longer (over night is best) to harden but is so worth the wait as it is a very good quality resin.

Shades of Clay also carries some cool inclusions to go into the resin if you are looking for something different other than clay.  I just had some of the German Glass Glitter in silver which is in the red snap below.  The red color is from alcohol inks added to the bottom of the snap before adding the glitter.  Resin was added over top of that to create a glass-like finish.  The teal and green snap at the back (top) was created using the shredded type glitters and alcohol inks with mica flakes create a faux opal effect in the snap on the right.

For the snaps below I baked thin sheets of crackled clay in the bottom of the snap and then added the resin on top.

And the other day my friend, Joanne and I were playing with the clay circles cut out in the Pantone Spring colors to create various retro canes.  These clay logs shown here give an idea as to how the various colors were stacked and inserted into the extruder to create the pattern.

I baked some thin clay veneer sheets in the snap and then added the resin on top.  I love the glass-like finish on these and the resin  magnifies the pattern.

It's a Cinch! Scarf Clip

We presented our new It's a Cinch! Scarf Clips (Interchangeable Fashion for your Scarf . . . in a Snap!) at the Christmas show in Kamloops last week and they were a huge hit!  People loved how they could use them on any of their scarves and were so easy to use.

We have a wide range of colors available in our online store and you can also select your preferred clasp and cord end "metal" colors.  (They are actually nylon plastic but look like metal)

The beauty of this clip is that the snap base allows you to switch out the designs and interchange them so you can use it with more than just one scarf or outfit.  Any of our decorative snaps will work on the "It's a Cinch!" Scarf Clips, including the larger sizes.  We suggest, however, selecting the size of snap according to the type of scarf you will be using.  For a lighter or thinner scarf, a smaller size snap is more suitable and for a heavier or thicker type scarf, a larger snap will look more balanced.

We are finally getting around to adding some of our new larger style snaps to our website.  These textured and layered pieces shown here were created using some of the shape templates adapted from Helen Breil's Magnetic Pendants tutorial.  Instead of using magnets, however, we have added a snap for interchanging within our Snap Decisions Collection.  This way they can be added to a scarf using our "It's a Cinch!" Scarf clip, or worn as a necklace using our snap necklace base in either stainless steel or antique bronze finish.

We also have some gorgeous scarves that compliment our handcrafted items and for your convenience, have listed them as an add-on option with our "It's a Cinch!" Scarf Clips.

We carry several types of scarves:

A - Crinkle Cotton -- The colors are rich and the scarf is soft as well as light weight.  It is a nice choice if you do not want anything too heavy around your neck.

B - Linen -- These are beautiful scarves in luxurious linen that have been pre-washed and are super soft.  The colors are gorgeous and they have a slight open weave making them comfy for cooler days but not too heavy to wear.

C - Cotton-Viscose Blend -- These are a little heavier and have metallic threads woven in to give them a fabulous shimmer.  A little heavier weight than the linen but perfect for winter!

Our scarves are not sold individually but only as an add-on option with our handcrafted items.  We do have all the colors listed here and they are also listed individually in our Shop by Color section to make coordinating our pieces easier.