Last year I made several sets of rose beads using canes I’d put together at the time. This Easter break I had the luck to go and craft with a good friend and we ended up using some of my rose beads.
I made up a pair of earrings and she whipped up a set of wine charms.
The differences in even these simple projects goes to show what two interpretations of similar materials can result in.
OK, so this one isn’t really clay but I had to scramble a bit because all I’ve made from clay this week are stacks of Natasha beads. I leave for a couple days of Easter break tomorrow and I had gotten the studio cleaned up.
The stand is based off a design in a sweet book called Beader’s Stash: Designs from America’s Favorite Bead Shops by Laura Levaas. I took the book out of the library in this weeks stack of books and it has other interesting, contemporary designs as well.
My stand is made from simpler stuff than the one in the book – plain black plastic coated copper wire. It currently sports my favourite pair of citrus slice earrings and a pair made by the amazing Sarah Shriver. I will probably make a few more of these in colours that match my booth setup better but this time, I found the 16 gauge black first!
Last year I wrote about using a photograph to inspire a cane and how to map the cane out from the photograph. This time, I’m using a swatch of fabric a friend showed me on webcam to make a cane. She’d like something to use in favours for her daughters upcoming baby shower but she isn’t a caner. She made the cutest little sculpts and I offered to whip up a cane to make magnets, charms or pins with.
On the Etsy forums there was a thread about studio safety inviting people to post their tips or hints for their medium. It was mostly amusing but it got me thinking. I posted some there, all ones I’ve learned from experience. There are more I’m sure!
And all these assume you’re fine with cooking clay in your regular oven, as I do, and just giving it a bit of an extra scrub occasionally. Otherwise, you want to add:
Unlike my neighbours to the south east, it’s been lovely here for weeks. The weather has been mild and springlike. After finishing off most of the stacks of canes for my spring stock I made mini canes up from the ends and pieces and turned those into my favourite slice beads!
So here’s what a slice of spring (canes) looks like:
You have to pretend the bits of drill dust are pollen k?