Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Bhuddha

Another mixed media work.

Buddha – The mind is everything. You become what you think. 





The process of making this necklace was quite a long one.  Many techniques go into this, different material used to get this together.  Each bead is handcrafted including the tiny silver spacers.  The Buddha face is acrylic on water color paper.  The effect with leaves on the left is made by my technique (frost glass) on polymer clay.  The beads of the necklace are polymer clay and glass.  An opera necklace, about 17 inches, light as wind.  I managed making matching earring this time J.  Photographing necklace this big is a task.  This is the best shot I could manage. 

Anuraga

The artist in me gets bored very quickly.  I have taken time to know the polymer clay and its working, now slightly getting bored with it.  Love to combine all the art forms I know to make mixed media work.  My next attempt is that.  I love beads from my very young age. I used to collect them whenever possible. I am so happy now I can make beads of any color I wish.

This is a painting done using a technique called relief technique which I had to fit into a 3x2.5 inch frame, then varnish and waterproof it.  I have used glass beads and semiprecious beads to complete the necklace with the painted pendent.

I called it Anuraga, meaning love, nothing less when it is Radha and Krishna comes together in a single frame.  What was more astounding was when I looking for other words for love in Sanskrit.  They have 96 odd other words for "Love".  No other language has this many words to choose from. 

All is fine.  When it comes to photograph this big a piece of necklace which is 17 inches long and is called opera, it gives you a tough time.  You can never get the whole thing in one picture.  somehow managed to get one with a new prop.


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Monday, November 27, 2017

A simple one which I managed to make with left overs from another project.  A simple pendent giving it a faux leather look finishing with African antique beads and red leather cord with matching earrings. 

Lapis lazuli

Another one re-paired from my discarded bead box.
These beads were made with a terracotta bead mold long ago. 
I was attempting to make faux lapis lazuli with silver bezel.  The beads did not turn out to my liking so was kept aside.  It was a long time ago, I still did not know about sanding and buffing and it is not done on this.  It is as it was baked.  I will be keeping this too with me.  

Beaded cord by Mom

My parents are at the "empty nest" stage.  My mom was depressed and we had a tough time with that.  We introduced her to the internet.  She was reluctant in the beginning, she has got a hang of things now :).  Her favorite is Pinterest.  She is brushing up her interests which she had kept aside for us, for our children.  She is happy with her old hobby revisited.  The result is in the above picture.  the tiny beaded cord is made by her. 

The pendent itself was a discarded one which I had made for a customer.  The beads too were in my discarded bead box or call it a we-will-look-into-it -later box.  The black and the gold ones have picked up the initial stage of the bubbles when it is just going to be charred (rescued in time) and other black beads and bead cap were made to complete the necklace for me to keep.  It is a slip on necklace with no clasp.  yes this is going to stay with me.  

Infinity

I named this piece Infinity.  Looking at it, looked like the design ends at the infinite.  Came up with this design in an attempt to use up an old cane I made during the learning process of cane making with polymer clay.  This necklace is a grand one with tube beads and textured handcrafted pc beads and complete with glass beads and adjustable cord with black and white handmade tassel ( I love making tassles) 

Random Muse

Made a jumki after a very long time.  I dread the thought of making jhumka.  This time made it with a mold.  A heavily detailed texture and I am love with that.  Added a bit of mica to bring out the beauty.  the base color is a beauty by itself.  I was so elated with this work. 

Simple Necklace

Finishing up a slab of my first Makuma Gane technique with a pendent, a dangler and a stud earring.  the pendent sways on leather cord.  The pendent is further decorated with metallic pen with self design.  you have take a closer look.  It is slightly obscured with my water mark.  

Dragonfly

A simple necklace with tassel earrings.  I was trying to get some stain glass effect with the design.  The color is vibrant. Bright green and blues apt for a child.  The pendent is on a organza cord.

Festive

Trying to make something that will take the essence of the festival.  I don't know if it did.  But I am satisfied with the work and one of friend commented it looked like wearable flower decoration called "Athapoo kalam".  That means it hit the point :) .  This was made during the festival of Onam, I think. yeah, I am so lazy to update the blog so it is difficult to remember.  Doing it today as if I a have an assignment to complete.  yes yes I do this pending work when I have found something else interesting and want to eagerly start with that.

A piece of art which I took a  long time to plan and execute.  The beads are woven with black cotton cord and adjustable cord attached.  A pair of earring to go with it. 

Photo Frame

Another image transfer technique.  This is my favorite.  This gem I found in my stash of wedding cards. This was actually a piece I made for a challenge called "into the frying pan" on my group HOP.  The pendent is finished with tube beads and simple beads made of polymer clay on matching cotton cord.


A small tutorial on how to string the pendent with all the metal parts concealed.  

The link to the trick of transferring the image is given in my previous post.

A friend had asked me to share the the secret of its stringing.  Here it is.  I am not an expert.  I take a lot of time to finish my creation.  So a lot of thought go into it. 

I do not have pictures of some of the initial steps.  I have managed some pictures for the later part.

Step 1: Bake the pendent with 2 eye pins inverted at an equal distance.  You will have the stem of the eye pin jutting out after the bake. ( No pic)

After baking the piece.
 Step2 : insert a bead into the eyepin and make a loop.

Step 3: knot the cord in the loop.  I have used a 5mm cotton cord.

Step4:  Now use a wide mouthed bead to cover the cord knot and the loop. I made a tube bead for this purpose.  Can also use store bought large mouth beads.

 ..



Step 5: Add another bead if you wish after the tube bead.

 Step6 : knot the end, so that behind the scene is hidden, and leaves one wondering how the whole thing is strung.
 The secret  is revealed 😎😎😎

Image Transffering

A fun technique using printed paper towels.  A technique which went viral on the group by Patricia-Robert Thompson.  Click on her name will direct you to her YouTube channel.  You will find a lot of awesome tutorials.

This made me go searching for pretty printed paper towels.  My mom's kitchen was the perfect place.  Found a few there but made only one decent looking piece of jewelry :) .  I am not a kitchen person.  My craft shelves will be pretty much stocked up, more than what I may use in my lifetime.

The pendent and earrings are made of image transfer technique completed with purple shell pearl with uneven cut stone beads as spacers with a toggle clasp.


Saturday, August 26, 2017

Sculpting

A new hobby-sculpting.  Attended a 10-day workshop and created a 2 ft tall figurine.  But as always I want to try with a different media and different purpose.  Yes, polymer clay and sculpting.  My jewelry design does not have much of sculpting.  The paper clay which I used for the figurine is also good to make jewelry but it is way too heavy.

This gives me ideas to create something for my son.  I have made a couple of thing for him before.  He was not very happy with that though but is kind enough to keep it in his collection.
This is the first try after the sculpting class - at the miniature.  The one at the back was a practice one and looked like an rouge elephant who was on a diet.  I wanted to squish it to a lump of clay but kept it because I had put effort.  I went ahead and baked it.  The one in the front with a cute ornament on his head and a bindi like bead is a domestic one.  They both had their own flaws and had a lot of criticism( my father is my critic) .  So it is him whom I rely on for sincere opinion on my creation, be it painting, jewelry, or now sculpting too.  So I had not posted these on the facebook page. Both now baked and added to my son's collection.  

After the above disappointment, came the idea of the latch.  This was loved by everyone including my very difficult to please teenager.  He is loving it and using it.  Showing off to his friends.  
Now he is my design consultant.  He comes up with very surprising ideas :) .  All the above creations are 1.25x1.25 inch squares.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Jade

A cute green stud earring which was made on request for a pretty girl for office use along with other ornaments. I was happy with the look of this green stud and had to name it jade.


The others which went with this to the customer was a pink paper jhumka with polymer clay studs. It has fine peacock feather hand painted on it.

And another one - a simple maroon stud with a gold pc bead.

And another bunch of goodies which were waiting to be owned left me all of a sudden to adorn 3 college-going siblings :)



Divine Blue

Of course how can I forget my paper love.  I recently bought a circle cutter adding to the hoard.  It is super easy to cut circle of any size and I love it.  This cute blue thing was made as an inauguration of the tool :).  Stacks of water color paper, metallic colored acrylic paint, varnished to waterproof.
I am so in love with this.  I thinks it looks like enamel strung on organza double colored cord. 

Frost Glass/Mint cake

I was just doodling on translucent clay with my new bottle of white 3D acrylic liner.  I use that for another technique and just was trying on this.  The white on white looked so beautiful, I baked it.  The 3D liner I know will not stick on to polymer clay so I had to protect it with an other layer of something.  I used super super thin translucent clay and baked again.  I was upset the design smudged and there went the pendent to the trash box (yes I have a load of them collected over the time of about 3 years).  As usual my OCD would not let me waste even baked clay.  I played with it a bit and finished it as a regular necklace.  I should admit I got an overwhelming response for this.  My friend Shilpa Shajan says it resembles frost glass, and my other friend from the group Hooked on to Polymerclay, Alan Cordiner said it looks like Kendal mint cake, a confectionery from English Lake District usually carried by the mountaineers as an energy booster.
Now it is elegantly pearched on a plaited leather cord with decorated PC beads and looking happy.

Green and Black

This one is made on request for my dear friend who is very fond of heavy jewelry and it is my pleasure to create one for her.  I have the liberty of the design.

She had expressed interest in woven cord of the black and metallic one, so I made it in that fashion.  The pendent being a heavily textured one with textured jhumka with a textured stud.  I love making the tassel for the cord too.  Got to zoom in to see that.  

Boho

A Bohemian style necklace with my other set of favorite colors, coral and blues.  I spend a considerable amount of time to decide design of the string the pendant will be hanging on. As I told you, it is beginning to be another passionate art for me.  I had recently purchased whole lot of cords and chains from my craft store.  I am in love with the burlap cord which came is almost all shades.  I have used it for this Boho.
The whole length of aqua and royal blue cord is sewn with wooden and glass beads of red and aqua blue color.  The pendent has a antique metal look.  This was sold off almost instantly.  

Appreciations

Kind words of appreciations and feedback from my friends and customers which are very important for me to boost my creativity :).  I have made a collage of some of them which came by through social medias.

Thank you my friends for encouraging me.  Of course, my family for putting up with me.  

Earth Tone

Black and metallic colors are my most favorites.  This one is born out of that particular favoritism.  It just happened while doodling with clay :).  And... I was in for a pleasant surprise.
The Makins Clay had shared my post from my FB page.  I was so thrilled about that.  I had posted this without the earring which was still at the WIP lounge :).  The proper photos follows.
I love to bead the necklace.  It is another art I found that I am very passionate about once I started making jewelry, but no patience to do with the seed bead kind. The bead weaving is my own design.  The string is woven with black and metallic colored polymer clay beads and have used seed beads as fillers and a dori is attached for adjusting the length
The earring who missed the lime light.

Gold Filigree

A grand filigree necklace.  It had taken a massive amount of time and effort of mine to get this in this shape.  I started this off with a Ganesha as a focal bead.  Sometimes gods does not like the idea of being the center of attraction :).  Each time I bake the elaborate pendent, it crumbled on me.  I gave up the idea.  It was supposed to be in collar necklace.  Here is the photo before the tragedy.

I am left with only the center piece which can crumble on light pressure :( .  This did not end up in my trash box but sits on the window sill opposite my work table :).  The rest I had carefully cut to rectangle and stored. Once in a while I clear the box and salvage a few creation and the below is photo of the necklace in brand new avatar.  Ta  da....
:) 

Unique blossom

A large pendant made of a trial cane which I made in large quantity during my teething period of claying.  Some of my work end up in my trash box for some or the other blunders I have committed. This is one of the piece which was lying there because I did not like the color combi.  I have this OCD of completing a work before starting with the next batch. I forced myself to complete this to a proper necklace. Here it is a long neck piece with simple PC beads and glass beads.  

Filigree

Filigree is an embroidery like technique on polymer clay.  It is one of my favorite technique. Needs lots of patience.  I enjoy it like my paintings.  No plans needed, just go as and how it unfolds, but take care of the color palette.  A very de-stressing process.

Few of my work on this technique. If I remember, I have done more, sometimes get so carried away,  I forget to take photos.  Most of them is gone as gifts to the little ones who come home.  I still have my tiny canvas with me.  

Kalamkari2

Yet another kalamkari made on request.  Polymer clay base and paper, glass beads to enhance the look with an adjustable dori.  Initially, request was without the earring, but I had made an earring later.  I am unable to trace the photo. Will update once photo is found 😃

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

The Elegant Colors of Kerala

The white and gold of Settu Mundu/mundu neriyathu or kasavu saree is so soothing to go with the lush green background of the beautiful land of Kerala.

I had quite a few requests to make matching ornaments for the gold/white kasavu saree.  Here are few pictures. since I am updating the blog after a long break, I do not remember any interesting events to add along with this write up as it is a journal of my interests and ideas.

This one has mica shift technique on striped cane and also texture on the pendent, it is elegantly strung on white Czech beads.  I love them as the consistency of the size is too beautiful.  
This one was made for a friend who loves teeny weeny elegant jewelry.  I was struggling to keep it simple and small. The earring has a sandstone added to it.
This one too was a simple one for someone who loves it simple.
Swirl earring made to match the saree.

These two sort of a repeat made as request.

This simple request was to make exclusive and look really different.  I guess I met it.

Silk Screen on PC

I accidentally deleted this post from last December.  These are some of my silk screen printing experiments on polymer clay which my friends loved and I did replicas for all three twice 😄.  The screen prints are available in shops during Diwali. I try anything found locally and then go in for the finer versions☻.