Long Time no Beads

by Staci Louise Smith

I know this blog has been vacant for sometime now.  Life gets in the way like that at times.  However, it has been calling me back. I miss blogging about my creative life.  I miss that interaction with everyone, because you know what?  We inspire each other!  

I am prepping for Bead Fest Philly again, and have been hitting the polymer clay after a bit of a hiatus.  I am both intimidated and excited.  This year I have some new work that mixes polymer clay with two part epoxy resin and crystals- I must say, I am loving these so much!  

Dragon Eye bead / polymer clay, epoxy resin, crystals, paint, other mixed media stuff

Due to life's complexities, I know I am not going to have the amount of beads I like to at Bead Fest this year.  I do know I will have enough.  I used to freak out and work 16 hours days prepping for this show making everything I know how to.  This year, I am focusing on making what my heart is telling me to, rather than what I think others would want to buy.  I am listening to my intuition.  I will have a table full of unique items for sale in addition to my beads, like I have in the past.  I will have my jewelry, ceramic offering bowls and other things.   

You can find all that event info here on my Facebook page.  Please follow it if you have not in the past.  It is the best place to keep up with where I will be and what is going on in my creative world.

I also recently finished converting y Gold Rush class I did for Craft Art EDU into a PDF file you can purchase in my shop.  I was so very sad to see Craft Art EDU disband, but I am thankful they gave us our classes.  The tutorial is an entire class in one!  You learn to form the polymer clay beads, do the faux gold, cure and paint them with a crackle to make them look like stone, and then it even gives complete instructions to make two different necklaces.  You can purchase that here if you are interested in learning some techniques.  The best part is that this class is so full of different techniques and tips, you can use them many different ways.  I really believe this class can take you on a creative journey to new places! 

Well guys, it feels good to be back!  I am hoping to also do some posts to highlight some of the wonderful tutorials we have on this blog.  Click the tutorial link above to see a list of all the wonderful tips and designs posted by various artists over the years.  

Ring display-TUTORIAL...and latest porcelain creations

Carol Dekle-Foss

Hello everyone!  Recently, I ran into the problem of not having a way to display new rings for an upcoming festival. I wanted to display them in a simple, unique way that would make each ring stand out. It seems like booth design is an ever evolving challenging process! For me, rings are the most difficult to display.

Here's what I came up with for the festival.

 I just cut a slot into little wooden rounds! They display nicely this way, and I also like being able to move them about. The only problem is the rings keep falling over! So annoying. 

 I decided to give it another try and do a tutorial with what I came up with. 

I have a plethora of little rounds that my husband cut out and these leather swatches. I wanted to use what I had on hand so this is what I made.

I just glued two rounds and a piece of leather together. I cut the edge of the leather as well to make it look a bit worn and frayed. It's deeper now so the ring sits in there much better. I'm still deciding if I like it though. See, always a work in progress! If the customer wants, I can always include the display with the ring as an added bonus!

Here are the easy steps:

After I glued all the pieces together and let dry, I marked the thickness of the band with a sharp edge.

I then used a diamond cutoff wheel and flex shaft to cut the edges. A tiny saw blade might be better for this step, but they freak me out! Yep, I'm scared to death of saws, even tiny ones!

I improvised here and used a little screwdriver as a chisel. I hammered the top of the screwdriver lightly to cut out the ring slots. It's so simple and fun to make! 

I think I like the idea of cutting out larger rounds that can hold 5 or 6 rings, and then have 3 or 4 scattered around the booth. That way I can organize them by style. We'll see!

Also, last week my husband and I were able to play with clay. 

I never get over how different they look when they come out of the kiln!

Here are some of our favorites.

Oval Deep Roots pendants.

These mandala pendants are so yummy!!

Sacred spiral pendants. Oh my, I love the swirling glaze pooling in the crevices.

Such a sweet detail. Leaf swirl pendants.

Dreamy cherry blossom pendants! I have a few listed in the shop.

And lastly, these adorable teensy weensy beads. They are so cute!

So how do you overcome the challenge of displaying your jewelry? I would love to hear from you!

DIY clay cutter tutorial-REVAMPED

Carol Dekle-Foss

Last year I did a tutorial on how to make your own clay cutters here. After working with them for awhile, I realized I needed to make a few changes. I thought I would share how I made a better clay cutter that will not come unglued, doesn't lose its shape and has a cool handle!

(greenware porcelain pendants)

What you will need:

24 gauge sheet metal (Stronger than 28 gauge. Also, I used brass instead of copper)

File 

Thread

Metal scoring tool (I used a divider)

Sharpie

Ruler

Metal shears

Cratex knife edge wheel

400 grit sandpaper
Split mandrel

Pliers

Shape pattern
Torch
Solder
Handy flux
soldering pick
Mandrels

The first few steps are the same as the original tutorial, but with a few updates.

STEP ONE

Measure the length of your stamp with a string. Cut the string about 1/4" to 1/2" longer to allow overlap of the metal.

STEP TWO

Mark the length with a sharpie. I made my cutter deeper this time, about 3/8".

If you have a straight edge on your metal, you can use a divider to run along the edge to score your metal. 

If not, you will have to measure and mark the depth and use a ruler as a guide for scoring your metal.

STEP THREE

Cut your metal with metal shears, or a throatless sheer, and then hammer to flatten. I would anneal your metal after hammering if you have an intricate cutter design.

             

                                                                                                                                      STEP FOUR

This step requires a bit of finesse to get the shape just right. 

Using different mandrels and pliers, shape your design.

I used flat-round nose pliers. My new favorite tool!

Keep forming until you have the right shape.

Flat nose pliers work great for sharp corners.

STEP FIVE
 The previous cutters came undone a few times, and I had to reglue. Forget that, let's solder this one instead! I used my go to medium solder, but you can use easy or hard if you like.

Oops, fail. Don't be like me and cut your metal shorter so there is not much to solder, about 1/4". I just resoldered and closed the gap. 

I then formed a piece of metal and soldered on a little handle! This will make it soo much easier to lift after stamping.

Perfect! Now time to clean up all sharp edges.

STEP SIX

The next step is important. File the inside edge where the metal comes together so there is no line when stamping the clay.

 If you like, you can use an abrasive wheel to remove firescale and soften the edges of the handle. I used a knife edge cratex wheel. Also, if your clay cutter doesn't sit flush, run it in a figure eight motion over sandpaper, turning every once in awhile so it sands evenly.

With a split mandrel and 400 grit sandpaper, I cleaned up file marks and created a satin finish over the whole cutter.

 This cutter is much more sturdy and can withstand my abuse! Most importantly, every piece I stamp will have a uniform shape.

I use olive oil as a release agent. It works okay, but if you use something better and would like to share, please let me know in the comments!

Thank you for reading,
Carol Dekle-Foss
Terra Rustica Design

Drilling Sea Glass, Stones, Fossils and Shells

by Staci Louise Smith

I did a free tutorial a few years back on how to drill sea glass.  You can find many many tutorials out there on the subject, and many ways to do it.  The nice thing is, there is no wrong way.  Find whichever works for you.  

sea glass and fossils waiting to be drilled

Personally, I don't have room to do a complex set up of a drill press with a water spray on it like some of the tutorials recommend.  My way is easy set up, and easy clean up, and can be done at the kitchen table while the kids eat lunch!

Since it is getting warmer and sunnier out here in PA, it made me long to dig out my sea glass, (that, and someone contacted me about learning to drill it, so it got my juices flowing!).

sea glass and fossils drilled

So here is the tutorial I wrote.  I am also attaching a link to a blog post which includes two video's I did.  They were filmed by my (then) 6 year old.  So please forgive the quality, but I like that you can put a picture to the instructions.  The first video is all about the set up.  The second is drilling the glass.

http://stacilouise.blogspot.com/2011/06/btw-drilling-sea-glass-tutorial.html

________________________________________________________

What is sea glass?

Sea glass, also known as beach glass or mermaids tears, can be found on beaches all over the world. It is actually, refuse, like old glass coke bottles, broken dishes, glass, taillights, ect….that were disposed of near or in the ocean. Over time, like a pebble, the ocean smoothes the glass into its new form. The lime in the glass also has a chemical reaction to the salt water, causing the surface to etch away, giving the glass a new, matte and pitted surface. 



How to Drill Sea Glass
What you will need:

1. A shallow glass dish of water with a drop of dish soap
2. A CORDLESS dremel, with a diamond drill bit and a 1/16” collet (if using my drill bits)
3. pliers to hold your glass and tiny wood shims 
4. a pencil
5. sea glass

What you do:

1. Take your pencil and mark where you would like your hole to be.
2. Place the sea glass in the pliers with the little shims in between the jaws and glass to keep it from getting scratched. Some people hold it with their fingers, I don’t like to do this, in case I slip with the drill
3. Take your Dremel with the diamond drill bit, and put it to medium speed.
4. Submerge the glass just below the surface of the water, so that the glass is in the water, but the drill won’t be (only the bit should be in the water) I have a flat piece of wood that goes under the glass for support.
5. Start to drill with the bit at a slight angle until it starts to catch and drill the surface. Hold it very steady to start, or else it may jump across the surface, scratching your glass
6. Keep the piece under water while you drill. Do not put too much pressure on your drill; you actually want it to grind its way through the glass. Too much pressure may create heat, crack the glass or wear your drill bit out faster.
7. Before you are completely through the glass, flip it over and finish drilling from the opposite side. This will prevent the drill from breaking a section of glass off the back when it breaks through the other side.
8. You are done!
Please note: This also works for drilling shells, but they MUST be done in water. Some shells can be poisonous when drilled, if the dust is inhaled.

Links:
sea glass drilling video http://stacilouise.blogspot.com/2011/06/btw-drilling-sea-glass-tutorial.html
buy diamond drill bits http://diamondburs.net/

Please note that you can use this to drill gemstones, fossils and shells as well.  I always recommend drilling in water.  Doing so will cool what you are drilling and help your bit last longer, and it will also keep you from inhaling any dust from these.  Some shells are toxic in dust form!!!

So have fun drilling!  If you are interested in purchasing a small starter kit, please contact me. I have packs of sea glass with diamond drill bits available for $25 and plain glass available for $20

Please email me at staci.louise@hotmail.com if you are interested in seeing some.

(these are sold, but I have more similar in the seafoam and greens and some blues)

Learning to drill is amazing and will open a whole new world of possibilities for your jewelry designs!

Here are some pieces I have made using drilled sea glass, pottery and fossils.

(early work - this silver tideline piece)

drilled sea glass with polymer and gemstones

Drilled fossils

Drilled sea glass with polymer, fossils and gemstones

So try it out and have some fun.  If you collect sea glass and other stones and bits, this is a great way to be able to add them to your jewelry or wear your precious finds!

Handmade stands for retail stores

Carol Dekle-Foss

I've been gun shy when it comes to displaying my work in stores or galleries. It could be the pricing challenge or that I feel my work isn't cohesive enough. Whatever the reason, it's time to get over it and pick up a few stockists.  I've started the process by making some handmade stands with some shadow boxes I had in storage.

I also used some floral microsuede fabric I fell in love with from Joann's, 6 gauge copper wire I scored from a suspicious looking biker dude, and some african trade beads. 

I really enjoyed putting them together. Let me show you how I did it!

First, I finished the wood using a distressing technique I learned how to do here.

Then measured where I wanted the copper wire to go and drilled holes in the side of the box. 

I cut the fabric to size and just used double sided tape to attach it to the back of the box.

I then straightened the copper wire using a raw-hide mallet and a steel block. I also sprayed the copper with a few coats of lacquer.

I cut the wire 1mm longer than needed on both sides and riveted the the trade beads in place. I used a riveting hammer and a vise for the first rivet and then placed the box with wire attached on top of a steel block and riveted the second bead in place. 

So far I've made two boxes, one for earrings and one for necklaces and bracelets. I've figured out the pricing for my work using the Jewelry Manager Deluxe software, and now it's time to find the right stockist!  Wish me luck!

Also, I've been thinking about the David Bowie blog hop. He was such an amazingly creative soul and he has left a permanent mark on our culture. He touched us in such a profound and unique way.  For the jewelry I make in his honor, I'm going to just let my imagination run wild and not be too specific on what I create. Anything goes! I think it will be fun to just let go for once and explore with different mediums! We hope you will join in and celebrate David Bowie and his life with us.

Thank you for reading!