Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Mica Shift That's Not Sliced or Squished and Faux Tooled Leather Tower Beads

I've been working on a new tutorial on how to achieve mica shift without slicing and squishing in a pasta machine. I made several mica shift pieces to include as examples in the tutorial's gallery and thought I'd post them here, too.

Silver Leaves Mica Shift Brooch

Antique Gold Filigree Mica Shift Pendant

Antique Brass Chrysanthemum Mica Shift Pendant

Silver Swirls Mica Shift Pendant

Faux Antique Brass Pebbled Mica Shift Brooch

I also made these tower beads (my invented term for the square cylinder beads, if you will.) While I was working on the mica shift pieces, my eye get wandering to some red clay I had mixed for another project but didn't use. The blend is Alizarin Crimson and Premo Cadmium Red, and it produces a beautiful tomato red color. I lightened up on the crimson this time around, and got this delicious, fiery hot cayenne red color. I immediately thought of Moroccan leather and Spanish mantillas and stopped right in the middle of working on the mica shift pendants (I know, I know, this freakin' tutorial is never going to get finished that way!) and made a small batch of beads so I could get the need for red out of my system.

Faux Tooled Leather Tower Beads - Cayenne Red and Black

Faux Tooled Leather Tower Beads - Cayenne Red and Black

I love these. They are so romantic looking. I think these are going in my challenge entry for July, the theme of which is "Faux." Now for a pendant to match, or sort of matches, since I used all the clay I mixed in these. I never learn, do I?

Cayenne Red Square Textured Focal Beads

Cayenne Red Square Textured Focal Beads

Tonight, I am going back to the Studio by Sculpey clay. I have a love-hate relationship with Studio, it's way to soft for me, but I love the colors and I have a few things in mind that I want to try with it that require a suede-like finish, so we'll see. More about that project later.

7 comments:

Gaina said...

Oh...my...giddy..aunt, those Mica Shift pieces are beautiful! :).

I'm giving myself a few weeks to 'decompress' from Uni and then I'm going to try all this stuff :)

dawn said...

Beautiful, beautiful work :)

Stacy Olson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
lunedreams said...

oooh, the Moroccan leather ones!!! ooooh!!!! i love the red. it IS cayenne-y!

you will be thrilled to know i have given you a "Kreativ Blogger" award. stop by my blog to claim your prize!

fauxgotten said...

Lynda - I've purchased the Mica Shift Tutorial from your Etsy shop. Thanks for the very quick delivery. This tutorial is well written and easy to follow. Your pictures are FANTASTIC. Yes, even a beginner can do this technique. Finally, Mica Shift made easy. No liquid clay, no resin required. So simple even a caveman can do it.
Jessie

Diva Designs Jewelry said...

Thanks for the lovely feedback, Jessie! I'm so happy you found the M.S. tut so easy to follow.

You're the best!

Lynda

lifestar said...

Is this by any chance the "bake first and then sand like crazy" method, or a new method?