Going back to some old designs, maybe.

For a recent, disastrous, craft fair, I unearthed some experiments that I made using polymer clay. They had been put away for a couple of years as I wasn't very happy with them. I re-strung them on ribbon rather than beads, which seemed to work well, and used a hand made T-bar clasp for one of them. I'm actually quite pleased with the results, I'd love some feedback as I think I might go back to making some of this stuff. Maybe make some beads?

This is probably my favourite piece, it's called carnival. There are layers of very thinly sliced canes and simple colours, mostly mixed with translucent clay so that they show through each other. It has a sterling silver wire bail, which is 'screwed' into the pendant by making zig zag bends in the wire and literally winding it into a hole in the pendant. This was the reason I hadn't tried to sell it as the original wire, baked into the pendant, had pulled loose. I think fitting it after the clay is baked works better in fact.

This one has needed a bit of polishing and refinishing as I think I actually over cooked it a bit, I rather like the slightly gothic look. I don't have a specific name, other than red and black heart, again it's layered slices on a red heart with a silver bail, this time just a simple loop.

This is a technique that simulates ivory. several alternating layers of white and translucent clay. The design is 'engraved' into the soft clay and then acrylic paint is rubbed into the design after baking. It has two small loops of silver wire in the top, and another at the bottom with a vintage silver heart suspended from it. The cord is hand woven from old silk thread using a medieval technique which takes FOREVER. I probably won't make any more of these cords, except for fun, as it's totally not viable to charge for the time!

This one is a large bead, about 3/4" across, using sliced canes again. The blue ribbon is quite long, probably about 30", to make a 'flapper' length pendant. The fastener is a T-bar style made from twisted silver wire, heated to fuse it and then hammered to flatten it a little

Anyway, let me know what you think, should I go back to making some of these? I'd quite like to experiment with some of the metallic powders and liquid clays that have appeared since I first started using it. I'd also like to get better at canework, although it's a bit too much planning for me, my working style is definitely organic, otherwise known as making it up as you go along!

My first commission

I was commissioned at the weekend to make two pendants as bridemaid's gifts for a wedding next month. I was thrilled to be asked and the customer was really nice and undemanding, I've read other people's experience of having argumentative and difficult people who keep changing their minds. Luckily my customer had seen something on my MISI shop that he liked and wanted two similar items. After the exchange of a couple of emails the decision was made and I was able to go ahead and make what he wanted. He has paid me, lovely, and I'm posting his pendants to him tomorrow
The criteria for this customer were, handmade and preferably in Devon, I've provided a little 'story' to go with the pendants explaining where seaglass comes from which was something he particularly wanted.

This is one of the pendants, the other is almost identical.
Obviously you don't get absolutely identical pieces of sea glass, by the way that's a good tip for telling the real thing from fake stuff produced in a tumble polisher, if someone's offering a lot of 'sea glass' jewellery that all looks exactly the same shape or size you can be a bit sceptical about the sea glass. You get a lot of similar shapes, after all glass breaks in certainw ways because of it's structure and the sea acts on it in similar ways, ask a scientist! I have found it very hard to match two pieces, for pairs of earrings for example, you have to be quite forgiving n your matching, nearly rather than exactly the same.

Friday

Feeling better, back to work, thanks to all the lovely people for the suggestions and nice comments about the little heart pendant. Made three more last night in a variety of shades of red and pink, one using a piece of glass from a brake light!, gives it an interesting texture as it has that lumpy sort of little pyramids surface, I've never used a piece before, I'm not even 100% convinced it's glass, might be very hard plastic but it's prettty and came off the beach, naturally recycled by the sea. I've used the back of the glass as the outside so you just get interesting light effects from the textured surface behind it