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.

Vintage Lace Design using My Art Deco Technique

It is so exciting to use up a lot of our clay scrap left-overs to create some unique patterns.  I had a pile of white clay scrap after cutting out flower snap and button designs that I was saving.  Rather than just mixing it all up, I added some cane scraps for more color and wanted to see what the results would be using my Art Deco technique.

The result was the complete opposite when using black as a contrast.  Instead of bright and bold designs these patterns have a soft vintage look.

I love this technique as each Art Deco piece is totally unique.  Each time I slice and arrange the pieces is like opening a present revealing a surprise inside.

Vintage Lace "Snaps"

Vintage Lace Snap on the Fancy Heart Pendant

These snaps have genuine Swarovski crystals embedded into the centers for some added sparkle.  

Vintage Lace "Snaps" and on a Snap base ring

Make Your Own Flexible Texture Plates

This is how to make your own flexible texture plate so you can use them right in your pasta machine afterwards.  For this technique I use ....

That's right ... Sculpey Bake & Bend.  It has some really good uses other than making bendable animals...  I found they make great texture plates -- and flexible ones at that.

I found these paper heart doilies at the dollar store.  I want to use them to make a texture sheet.

1.  First of all, make sure the Sculpey Bake & Bend is well conditioned.  I find some of the colors aren't quite as soft so I like to mix them until I get a nice consistency.

2.  Roll out enough clay in your pasta machine on the 3rd thickest setting (I used the #3 setting on my Atlas) that is slightly larger than the doily.

3.  Making a texture plate from one of the paper doilies won't make a deep enough impression so take a stack of about 4 - 5 that are "stuck" together and do not separate them.  This will add depth and make a better impression.

4.  Lightly dust the clay sheet with some cornstarch to prevent the doily from sticking.  I generally use water but with the paper that won't work so well.

5.  Change your pasta machine setting to the 4th thickest setting (#4 on an Atlas).  Lay the doily face down onto the clay sheet and carefully insert the two together into the pasta machine and roll through.

6.  Place your clay sheet facing up on a clean ceramic tile making sure there aren't any air pockets trapped underneath.  Lightly tap it so it sticks to the ceramic tile.  Carefully peel away the paper doilies and trim the edges all around so they are nice and neat.  Bake your texture sheet right on the ceramic tile following the temperature and time on the package.

7.  Allow your sheet to cool completely before removing it from the ceramic tile.  You now have a texture sheet you can use with your regular polymer clay over and over and it is flexible so can be used right in your pasta machine at your thickest setting.

These are a few pieces I made from my new texture sheet that I highlighted with mica powders.

You can use this method to make other texture sheets.  Here is one I made from a piece of vintage lace.

And some pendants I have made from it:

Oh yes, and another cool thing I found is the container from the Sculpey Bake & Bend works great for storing canes afterwards!

Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and have fun with it!

Texture Inspiration

What is this?  In our last post we shared about our Kreative Blogger Award and what inspired us.  I mentioned how I am drawn to the colors and textures of fabric and textiles.  Well this is an example of what I do with them.  The above photo is a texture plate I created out of polymer clay from this:

I was going through my bag of old lace and doilies and found this one that was quite tattered and worn and decided it would be perfect for some of my faux tapestry or brocade designs.  I will post something I made from it a little later.