Happenings!

Last week's beads

Lots happening at our house this week!  I’ve been working on 2 translucent polymer necklaces from the beads I made last week.  It’s always interesting to see how pieces go together and what can be used that will accomplish what I see in my mind.

The first one is made of oval beads, some with a black polymer edges and some with a silver alcohol ink edges.  I wanted the beads to overlap and dangle from silver jump rings.  The chain is made from glass gray spacer beads and each polymer bead has one of the glass beads hanging from a jump ring as an accent.  I think it works well.  I wore it to Chico’s and happened to find a blouse that went with the necklace beautifully!  Good thing it was on sale.

lovely colors as the light comes through the clay

against a black ground

 The second necklace took even more thought.  I had to decide how to drill the holes in the polymer 3-d beads so a jump ring would fit.  I lost one bead by trying a too small jump ring.  Then I practiced putting crimp bead and bead covers on the ends of pearls.  I wanted the polymer beads to hang from pearls and attach to jump rings on the silver chain.  The 3-d translucent beads have an extruded cane slice in the center and a different cane slice on the back.  They are edged in black polymer and when I cured them I turned up the sides to make corners.  I used different sized jump rings as design elements. Now I need a slinky black outfit and a place to wear it!

light through the translucent clay beads

against a black ground

As I was working on the beads, Peter was working on the pentagonal virginal (music instrument!) he is making from a kit.  His meticulous attention to detail is paying off and he is nearing the staining stage.  Lots more to be done but I wanted to share. 

Pentagonal Virginal 

And on Sunday, I changed my space at the Miller Valley Art Market from a vertical 4 ft. wall in a corner to a 4 ft. glass display case in the center by the gelato.  My friend, Luana, helped me ‘dress’ it up.  She was on one side and I on the other directing, pulling, arranging until we both were happy.  So good to have friends!  If you are ever in the area, stop by the Art Market.  There are over 100 artisans showing their work.