There is a lot of experimenting going on in the Diva house this weekend. I am knee deep in Pardo translucent and loving the glass-like results. And the colors! Oh, my!
First up, these mouthwatering faux jade Asian Kanji tower focal beads. Mouthwatering and a mouthful, right? I call them "tower beads" because they are 4-sided instead of round like my signature "cylinder beads."
My friend Ginger of The Blue Bottle Tree saw the faux jade tower beads on my flickr photostream earlier this week, and she wanted to experiment with a cobalt blue color. She made a fabulous faux cobalt blue bead, and I was so positively pea green with envy, I had to try it myself. I kicked a few formulas around, and got various shades of blue and purple, but ended up liking these the best, my first attempts. What do you think? They are a deep cobalt blue, and have great transparency.
Here are some faux red jade gingko leaf cylinder beads created from the Pardo, and a sweet little robin's egg blue Asian Waves cylinder bead. The bead behind it actually has the waves stamped on the inside. Those of you who have purchased my faux bone and ivory tutorial know how these are constructed, but it's the first time I've put the stamped design on the inside. I love how the clay is so translucent, you can see the design from the other side.
And wait until you see the marbled earrings I made from some of the cobalt scraps. More on those next time. I gotta get back to the laboratory!
My friend Ginger of The Blue Bottle Tree saw the faux jade tower beads on my flickr photostream earlier this week, and she wanted to experiment with a cobalt blue color. She made a fabulous faux cobalt blue bead, and I was so positively pea green with envy, I had to try it myself. I kicked a few formulas around, and got various shades of blue and purple, but ended up liking these the best, my first attempts. What do you think? They are a deep cobalt blue, and have great transparency.
Here are some faux red jade gingko leaf cylinder beads created from the Pardo, and a sweet little robin's egg blue Asian Waves cylinder bead. The bead behind it actually has the waves stamped on the inside. Those of you who have purchased my faux bone and ivory tutorial know how these are constructed, but it's the first time I've put the stamped design on the inside. I love how the clay is so translucent, you can see the design from the other side.
And wait until you see the marbled earrings I made from some of the cobalt scraps. More on those next time. I gotta get back to the laboratory!
12 comments:
Wow... uhm... really digging those green faux jade beads.... really, really.... mmmmmm..... ideas dancing and everything....
Oooooh, those are so beautiful that I can feel in my whole body. I could just look at those for hours and I want to feel them and touch them now! Wow, Lynda, you really nailed it. And I am just overcome with how good your finishing skills are. You truly are a pro! And it does feel like a laboratory, doesn't it? Put your lab coat on, grab your notebook, and experiment away!
Thanks, ladies!
Ginger, I think you deserve all the credit for the cobalt! I'm so glad you like them. One thing I now know, 325 degrees F is the max for Pardo. Any higher and it burns. Got the smoke to prove it. I'm thinking though, wonder what 310 degrees for 40-45 minutes would do? GOGGLES BACK ON!
Wow Lynda, You really are THE DIVA. Those are fantastic, all of them. I agree with Ginger, they just make you want to touch them.Would make great 'don't worry beads'. That cobalt blue is to die for. Can't wait to see what else you come up with. I think you are on a roll, don't stop.
John(SC)
Thank you so much, John!
Good to know about the temp limit. Even at 325, baking only 20 minutes didn't do it, so I think longer might do the trick. And John's got a great idea there with worry beads. I've always thought that ultra smooth and buffed clay has a wonderful tactile feel but never (to be honest) liked the almost chalky colors. Getting richness like you're getting with Pardo here really opens to mind to a whole new range of sensory pieces. Also, you realize now you're going to have to get yourself a pair of goggles for real. ;-)
Where are you getting your Pardo Ms. Lynda? The only place we've seen it out here is at Hobby Lobby and it's pricey or pricy.
Love those beads. The colors are so rich.
You ARE AMAZING, Lynda! And if you don't mind me barging in, I'll just comment that I order mine from PolyClayPlay. Can't wait till the Canadian supplier comes through, but for now, PolyCLayPlay is great!
I should just give up right NOW.
Hey Lynda again,
Those beads are so peaceful and serene, you should call them "DON'T WORRY beads" instead of worry beads. We have enough to worry about. You could start line of jewelry with that name.
Just a thought,
John(SC)
My friends, you are all so wonderful. I've been feeling a little worthless lately, with the job troubles and facing the end of a 32 year career as a paralegal. I can't tell you how much your comments have boosted my morale.
Bonnie, finding Pardo in the U.S. is like an Easter Egg hunt at times. There is a difference between the balls, which I think are for the hobby crowd, and the slab/brick, which is marketed as Pardo Professional Art Clay. I ordered slabs from PolyPlayClay last year and got the balls, but didn't realize there was a difference at the time. I have bought out both Hobby Lobbys that are within 200 miles of me. At one, the bricks were on the clearance aisle, not with the rest of the clay, and was priced at $2.09 each. I ordered the last batch from Amazon, and paid $6.00 each. Ridiculous, but that's supply and demand at its finest, right?
Lisa Pavelka's site doesn't have the translucent, and Claire, I couldn't find the slabs in the translucent at PolyPlayClay last week, which is why I went ahead and ordered from Amazon.
Thanks again, everyone. You're the wind beneath my wings! :)
They are so gorgeous!
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