Bird Beads Galore

I hope everyone enjoyed a happy Easter weekend. My family got together yesterday for lunch, and I ate until I could not put another forkful in my mouth.

I got back home and immediately went to work, trying to put to clay several ideas I had yesterday using the vintage bird illustrations. I wanted to do some 25mm-35mm sized beads which could be used as pendants with brass components, that Victorian/English Garden look which is so popular right now.

Several months ago, I started experimenting with using the Ranger line of distressed embossing powders to add texture to my clay pieces. I had one of those light bulb above the head moments and realized they would be perfect to add the speckles to clay to resemble the look of bird eggs. I have some Pinata inks, but I like the bumpy texture you get from embedding the embossing powders even better, and reached for the Copper and Weathered Wood. I made these and am imagining many more with different colored backgrounds.



I also made my first pillow bead! It isn't a very good one, but I kind of like it, and I had so much fun making it, I'm going to keep practicing and making more. I have a bunch of inchies which would be perfect for little square pillow beads.



This is the reverse side of the pillow bead. It is a piece of William Morris fabric blown up 200%! I dinged it up to make it look more vintage. I know, sometimes you can take the distressing too far, but I like it. This piece reminds me of a piece my friend Kate at organicodysseys did recently. I may have had some subliminal influence from her! :)



Off to the studio!