Creating new components - I added more metal to my work!

Some components like these ones you may already have seen in my former blog entries. But I just have to show you my newest ones. Okay, that is not exactly true: The shell and sea urchin I already created some time ago. But they were christmas presents (one for my brother and one for the friend of my sister). Just simple necklaces: The bronze clay pieces as pendants combined with grey waxed linen. 

Next to my dremel for drilling and polishing and so on... I also got the dremel torch! This allows me to actually work with metal clay like the bronze clay (this is a version which works in small pieces with a torch) as well as to solder or just anneal metal.

I need to anneal the metal in order to hammer it again and again... like the long stick-like shape or connectors or whatever they could be. I use them for earrings. The rings are copper wire soldered with silver hard solder since I also want to hammer them. Also you can see the backside of my little bronze clay pieces :)

And just so you can get an idea about the size: My universal ruler - the hand!

Oh, by the way, do you know what "new" tool I discovered? That works perfectly for metal as well as polymer clay? Emery boards for nails! Of course I have sand paper and fabric, polishing cloth and all the same for my dremel... but nothing beat the emery boards in the ease to use and hey, they are not expensive. Maybe after all I even may start polishing my polymer clay beads a little bit more ^^

"Stories they tell" - Earrings made out of ancient and new beads

A lot of "firsts" in this earring pair. They were a birthday present for a very close friend.

Do you see the bronze charms? This are my first ever made pieces out of bronze clay! I used one that I could fire (at least small pieces) with a torch. Okay, it takes some patience to torch bronze (7 to 9 minutes after the heated stage and believe me, the time is necessary... lost some pieces afterwards using less time).. but honestly, the silver clay is just way too expensive for me for playing and experimenting. The gold and silver market value is increasing in a crazy way since 2005. That is not real value anymore, just speculators...

Back to the topic: I already had two molds made (I use them for polymer clay usually). One with an ammonite and on with a tiny shell that I found on formentera (so this one is really personal to me). After torch firing (under non-reducing conditions because hey, there is a lot of free oxygen in the surrounding air) I got a lot of firescale and the copper in the bronze is sitting on top. I removed a lot but am still learning about the effetcs. Some of them could also be beautiful. 

I used liver of sulphur for oxidizing and polished the raised surfaces again. Afterwards I sealed it with renaissance wax (also a first for me, just bought it with the metal clay!). 

And the backside with my tiny signature: One time stamped, one time scratched. The backside is also more bronze than copper coloured because I fired it on a charcoal block so at this area there is a reducing surrounding. I already tried to put the top down but this provides other problems.

I really love how they turned out! I combined them with czech glass beads (the blue and the clear facetted beads) from The Curious Bead Shop and some really, really old glass beads.

This was the next first for me because I was anxious to use these tiny glass treasures. The glass beads on top in the different shades of green are old roman glass shaped as bicones found in Afghanistan / Pakistan (age: 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.) and the grey and mottled beads are about 600 years old excavation beads from Dejenne, Mali, africa. I bought them from the ethnic bead shop. 

Yes, most people would never notice but for me there is something magical in holding beads in my hand that are centuries old or even older. They were made and touched by people long gone, you can see the time in the worn look. Still, they survived the time like only glass can and now they are telling a story combined together with old and new in these earrings.

My found objects like the shell from formentera (the island that is so important for me), my first experiments made with bronze clay combined with all the curiosity and excitement, the perfect facetted glass beads made in czech after a long tradition, the old roman glass travelled up so far and the trade beads part of everyday life hundreds of years ago. Some of the beads just went through my own hands while others may have gone through so many hands.

"Treasure box" - For all your memories (polymer clay)

This was a wedding present I made. I already put some shells, sea glass and other findings inside but the idea was rather that this would be a tiny box where they could collect some treasures they find on their way.

I covered an old candy box with polymer clay and painted it with acrylic paints (Reeves) as well as Inka Gold paints (Viva). Especially with the Inka Gold you have to carefully seal the surface because the paints are not water resistant. But they have a beautiful metallic shimmer!

And the backside :)

Crafting session - All the beads...!

About a week ago we had another crafting session (another one sounds good since I didn't even show you the results from the one before ^^). This time it was using all the beads to create some jewelery. The session before we made beads with polymer clay. The group was mixed with beginners to people like me creating stuff for quite a while now. Two of us brought their stash and stuff with them (a friend of mine, the one with all the beaded jewelery, brought so man findings, swaroswkis, seed beads, stones with her... and I brought my polymer clay beads, czech glass beads and other kinds of glass and metal beads...).

I really love the earrings above! (made by my friend who also brought her stash ^^) Long and dangling with a vintage vibe...

The necklace was called "Fundstücke". The person creating it wire wrapped beads for the first time. She did really well... and complained also a lot about it ;)

Can you count all my polymer clay beads used?

I also really like how she used the chain to attach the little polymer clay ammonites.

@Michelle: Do you recognize the beads? The same person creating the necklace above also made these earrings and the bracelet with grey cotton thread. Yellow still is a difficult colour for me, so I was surprised how well it went with the grey thread!

...and more ammonite earrings :)

Made by the same person like the first earrings shown (you see a clear colour scheme? ^^)

...and the following four earring pairs are made by me. The first two also with some of my polymer clay beads...

...and no, I still have a big stash of beads...

I already used this style for earrings in the past and it also won't be the last time :)

All of the next pieces are also made from one person, her first jewelery made by herself...

...and yes, we spread the addiction!

The backside of the pendant (again polymer clay).

I made these magenta beads already a long time ago and I am happy that they finally found a home!

Magenta/pink with purple and silver, always a perfect colour combination.

Have a closer look at the way she made the knotted necklace, something I have to remember for myself.

This was an experimental bead I also made a long time ago. I loved it but... it was not me. So it made me smile that it was used now!

I always enjoy getting together with friends to create "stuff" (polymer clay, sewing, jewelery... whatever!). I also enjoy teaching as well as learning... sadly it is always really difficult to find a fitting date. *sighs*

BSBP - What I send (including some new beads I made)

These are the three art beads made by me included in the bead soup. The shell you may have already seen on my blog. It was sitting on my table when I put my bead soup together and somehow it resonated perfectly with the colour and just... you know... had to be part of the soup! The other two beads are the ones I planned and made just for the bead soup as soon as I signed in (so way before knowing my partner. Lori suggested starting the soup together before). One toggle clasp and a pendant. The pendant had a new shape for me but the pattern suggested this one so strongly!

And here all the parts of the bead soup I send together in one picture...

...and the details!

I always want to see the backside of beads too so I try not to forget to also always show the back of my beads :)

The pendant has three beading holes, two at the side on top and one in the middle. 

This would leave the option to dangle something at the pendant... but you don't have to because at the front the hole blends into the pattern. No, that was not on purpose even if I would love to say that it was. Just luck!

Some of my old czech glas beads I got from Rumpels mum.

Handwoven silk from thailand, waxed cotton and some chain...

More from my old beads (the tiny blue ones!) and just a collection of different shades of blue and size beads...

Metall elements to play and a lightbulb clasp from Rebecca from The Curious Bead Shop....

All the blue, all the green, all the violet... Yes, Natalie and I seem really to have the same favorite colours! We could have perfectly have combined both our soups into one. So much for starting my soup before I knew who my partner would be. Lori has a good sense for pairing people, thanks so much :)

And more czech glass beads, all of these beauties I got also from Rebecca!

BSBP - What came overseas!

I am participating in the 8th "Bead Soup Blog Party" (BSBP) created and hosted by Lori! Have a look at the blog and/or join the facebook group "Bead Soup Cafe". I already watched the past BSBPs and last year missed it due to my stay in Korea. But this year, finally, I managed to sign up in time (just one day sign up but with weeks of warning ;))!

In short: sign up day february 9th / partners announced february 28th (or a little bit later ^^) / sending beads by march 14th / Blog party may 3rd!

You will send your partner a focal bead, a clasp and corresponding beads. High quality and artisan beads that you would love to receive by yourself! 

My partner is Natalie from NewZealand (how great, that is really the opposite from where I live on the world :)) and what you see at the first picture is the bead soup she send to me! Inspired by the ocean and NewZealand. One of the ideas of the BSBP is that the soup is already put together before you know your partner so that you are not choosing the favorite material/beads/colours of your partner. Instead maybe giving your partner a great challenge by having to work with these suprise beads. In this case that won't be a challenge at all for me... because... Natalie send me beads in colours (and a theme!) I just love and already integrated in my work over and over. How beautiful are all the shades of blue and green and purple?! Thank you Natalie! :)

Natalies blog is "NorthShore Days". She lives together with her two kids and her husband at the coast. Uhm... of course I stalked her after getting her address using google maps! ^^ To live so close at the ocean is really a dream! More than understandable how much this influences her work and her bead soup. 

I asked her if it would be okay if I show some of her work and images in my blog so I could show it to you (as you may already guessed by seeing her images here, she said yes). I linked all the images so you will go directly to the blog post!

Birds, you never ever go wrong with whimsical birds!

Upcycled cork, I love the colours and the look!

And the cute layered necklaces she makes. She also shows a lot of tutorials on her blog including one for these necklaces :)

Back to my bead soup... :)

The beads came together with more (non-bead) goodies for me! Like the beads a touch of New Zealand. A fabric bag with a beautiful print, chocolate and a sweet necklace made by Natalie. Have a closer look at the flower in the cabochon! Recognize the flower? :)

You know me. Sometimes I can't get enough picture... or rather am nearly completely missing any editing skills ^^

Different shapes of glass beads all in green and blue!

Purple shining in the mother of pearls...

...and facetted with veins of red and blue (can you see it?).

I already know how I will combine these little ones! ^^