Frustration

My muse is stuck.

I have ideas but they’re stuck in my head.  It’s like they need one more piece to be complete so I can use them but I just can’t find those pieces.  It’s seriously frustrating.  Perhaps typing them out here will help.

First is a steampunk idea.  I have some gears and bits now and I sort of envision looking into a machine.  It’s like I remove a lid and there are the gears, partially covered by the rest of the machine.  I just can’t figure out how to achieve that look in a bead (or anything else for that matter).

Next one is more vague.  Something about stripes or strips that are painted somehow (with designs, perhaps abstract, anyway, not fully covering the surface, background shows through).  Again, as a bead.

The next idea is swirls or maybe spirals is a better term.  Background shows through.  This one is in vivid jewel colors.  I see the spirals as brighter than the background but the background isn’t black or any plain color.  It’s bright as well.

I’d also like do to something, no real ideas what, that doesn’t require sanding.

This next one I’m just hesitant to do as it’s sooo different than my normal style.  I’d like to play with Christi Friesen style animals and flower/jungle scenes.  I’ve done some, for my Dad’s now defunct business.  I could get those back from him and I’d like to do more.  I’ve also got some books on making flowers I’d like to play with in terms of making beads/pendants but again, sooo different than my normal.

I’m also interested in nudibranch inspired beads but my efforts so far look far too icky for my tastes.  One of those times when my fingers don’t do what my mind sees.  I spose practice is the only way I’ll get better.

I’ve also got some not bead items (pens, bracelets, etc) in varying stages of completion.  I plan to sell them on Etsy and spend a little more time actually promoting my Etsy shop but I’ve become so dependant on Ebay and beads that I have a hard time motivating myself in the Etsy direction.  But I really need to, because to be honest, I can see that Ebay is quickly going downhill for the small seller and it’s a very bad thing to have all my eggs in one basket.  I’ve got other baskets, I just need to work on them.

Maybe I should go clean off my clay table, maybe that will kickstart some of thse ideas.

Mokume Mosaic

Oodles of mokume gane to be found, both the translucent and metal leaf variety and the solid color (often mica shifty) variety.

1. Pingente Mokume Gane oval, 2. Moody Blues, 3. Close-up of mini-mokume gane set, 4. Handmade Polymer Clay Mokume Gane Round Bead Set of 15 – Blue Chocolate, 5. Versicolor Heart, 6. Mokume Gane Pendant, 7. black donut pendant 1, 8. Lime Sparkle, 9. Byzantine necklace, 10. Mystic Broccoli Box, 11. Mokume Gane Pillows, 12. Close up antique Jade, 13. Mokume Gane Pendant Mermaid´s Dream, 14. mokume gane switchplate lightswitch cover, 15. mokume gane brooch, 16. mokume gane pendants, 17. MokumeGaneCabs, 18. Mokume Gane Style Polymer Clay Beads, 19. mg-cuff-bmy2, 20. Mokume Gane Pendant, 21. Mokume Gane Technique, 22. UrbanViolet necklace, 23. Light on Water, 24. Sunset, 25. Mokume gane green earrings, 26. magnet 016 glass mg, 27. mirror 11 pocket MG, 28. Mokume heart side 2, 29. Tile Bracelet, 30. mokume gane close, 31. amethyst mokume gane ornament – view 2, 32. What I did this week, 33. mokume earrings, 34. Mokume Gane Polymer Clay Bead, 35. red treasure pendant 1, 36. Sun Harvest Earrings

Fave Crafts Blog giveaway

Craft Giveaway Summary

Prize: 1 set of Lisa Pavelka Signature Series polymer clay tools and DVD

Deadline: April 3, 2009 5pm CST

Go read all the details here: favecraftsblog.com

Green and Yellow

Green and Yellow

This was tough because I don’t really like these colors.

1. Splendor Green, Polymer Clay and Resin Pendant, 2. Butterfly Spirit – green w/glitter (side), 3. Lime Dots – Feb 2008, 4. At the Garden Gate, 5. Jades Leaves IV, 6. Studio Wednesday Side 1, 7. Yellow flower cane, 8. Black and yellow pendant, 9. Blowing In the Wind Side 1, 10. Black & Yellow, 11. CASS BL 343-08, 12. Sunshine and rust

Orange is not evil

Items showing that a splash of orange can really make a piece pop. I focused on items where orange wasn’t the main color but added interest. I had to break one of my own rules to do it. That last one is mine and I normally don’t include my own work.

1. Harvest Moon Set, 2. Blue and Orange Kaleidoscope 1, 3. Tangerine sparkles, new photo, 4. Tribal Orange, 5. 19 – Jewel Leaf Series, 6. Layered

Mica Shift mosaic

Mica Shift

Here I was looking for a clear pattern with definite illusion of depth. Seems silver is a favorite to use for this technique followed closely by gold. I’m quite impressed with the red ones as it’s so difficult to get red to shift well.

1. Polymer Clay Mica Shift Pillow Bead Bracelet, 2. “Silver Honey” MadeItMyself.com/user/ArtisticAprilee.aspx, 3. micashiftpendants, 4. micashift rose, 5. Blissful Heart , 6. etoiles_cuivre, 7. Autumn Leaves Pendant, 8. Antique Gold Filigree Mokume Gane Pendant 1, 9. Hearts of Gold, 10. Mica shift inro, 11. Bangle, 12. Léonie

Steampunk mosaic

Not a lot out there yet but some of it’s pretty darn cool.

1. jewelry0109 082, 2. boite steampunk, 3. Steampunk Dragon, 4. dragonfly done, 5. Dwellers of the Mechanical Garden: Red, 6. usb_steampunk, 7. Steampunk Polymer Dragon, 8. my little steam punk sea horse, 9. steampunk fish a la Christi Friesen, 10. Copper Mech Dragon, 11. Steampunk Treasure Box, 12. Heart of a Mechanic Doll – Steampunk-Style Pendant, Polymer Clay and Resin

Blue

Blue was easier.

1. Skybluepink, 2. Moody Blues, 3. Full size blue flower mask, 4. Summer Blues, 5. IMGP1937, 6. Blue Posie, 7. shades of Blue Flowers, 8. DSC_0042, 9. Blue Pendants, 10. Dream Dancer, 11. Polymer Clay Raindrops Bracelet, 12. ghost image pendant, 13. Polymer Clay Blue Mushroom Bracelet, 14. New blue rose cane, 15. Full size black and blue mask, 16. Ocean 48 inch – detail, 17. Purple and Blue Shibori Fringe Necklace, 18. Azure Lizard Tails, 19. Plasma pendant Blue, 20. Recursive molded bead

Red

I’m quite possibly obsessed with making these pic mosaics. It’s fun looking through everyone’s pics.

It’s much more difficult than I thought to find a lot of red polymer clay that appeals to me. Much of it is too orange or not enough red or just not striking enough.

1. swirly heart mica shift, 2. Rafael’s Valentine – Side 1, 3. Shibori Collar, 4. Bracelet rouge et noir, 5. necklace, 6. More earrings, 7. CopperLeaf, 8. Pastel yellow and deep red necklace, 9. Red Planet

Flickr

I’ve finally joined Flickr and have been busy adding pics and browsing other people’s pics.

On that note, here’s a mosaic of purple polymer clay that I like. Credits are at the bottom.

1. Turquoise and purple flower cane, 2. Purple butterfly, 3. Unusual purple flower, 4. Dragonfly on purple, 5. Polymer Clay Sea Urchins and Starfish beads, 6. the reduction…uggg, 7. purside, 8. Hearts to God “angel” side two, 9. Green & Purple w/lathe, 10. Mokume Gane, 11. Three tier, Kinetic Shibori Necklace, 2007, 12. 365/11 Tile Style Pendant- polymer clay, 13. Purple and turquoise flower cane, 14. Purple Lentil, 15. Pink and Purple Dahlia Pendant, 16. Side 2

My photostream can be found here.