Learning as I Go

Finished!  After 2 days of trying several techniques, this necklace is finished!  I started out thinking it would be cool to make links from polymer clay with some brownish clay, some cutters for the links and complete a quick project.  Cutting the links was the easy part.  Deciding how to attach the links and what to combine with them was more difficult. 
The links were baked.  I drizzled Sculpey Bake and Bond and dabbed Pearlex Powder on the baked links to add interest and baked again.  Holes were drilled for metal rivets and the links are ready.   Later I realized I needed to put color accent on the back sides and again drizzled the Bake and Bond and Pearlex Powder.  Baked the links a third time. 
Next came stringing the group of beads with flex  wire and using crimp beads to attach the group to 18 g jump rings.  Testing by pulling the flex wire parted the jump ring.  GRRRR!  Maybe soldering the jump rings closed would solve the problem.  When I tried that I burned the polymer clay link.  Getting a little smarter but this was no longer a quick project!
 I decided to make groups of 3 beads using wire and looping each end.  The cylinder center bead is also polymer clay and the two flanking beads are ceramic.   Then I used the jump rings to attach the beads to the links.  I love the textures and colors together.  Each time I do one of these projects I get a little smarter and plan a little better!
Things I learned: (again!)
.Plan ahead and think it through
.Have an extra piece to test
.Be patient
.Pearlex powder is effective and fun to use
.Attend to the front and BACK of the components
.Take my time
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Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 7, 2012 at 9:16 AM

    I love the links, Linda! The Pearl Ex makes them really fascinating, and I hear you about the patience. It's totally not my strong suit, but I keep telling myself it's good for me to learn to be patient. You'd think, at my age, I'd have learned it by now, but no. Not yet. Maybe not ever, LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChelleSeptember 7, 2012 at 3:42 PM

    Great job.. I love the colors... I have yet to venture out in polymer clay, but one day.

    ReplyDelete

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