Cloisonne

Cloisonne - is a metal decorating technique.  It is usually done with precious metals like gold and silver.  It is colored with enamel powder and fired to get the beautiful glossy effect on them.  The sheen of the metal adds to the shine of the finished piece.  This is also known as Minakari in India.

This is my humble effort to get that look on paper.
The necklace has a chain clasp on silk cord and pretty earrings to go with it.

Another attempt in black and white.

Princess

Kerala mural.  I wanted to do this on polymer clay but I did not like the color effect on the clay.  Finally I combined clay and paper to my satisfaction.  Lot of experiment went into it.  I finally dared to do a other media on polymer clay.  I always thought it is not fair to use anything else other than PC into a piece of clay jewelry.  But then the creativity is mine and I am the boss.

Materials used: 

380 gsm drawing paper.  This was used to draw the figure and paint according to the Kerala mural painting techniques and rules (KM uses some particular colors, u mix and blend to get the exact shade).  I followed every bit of the rules even though it is a tiny area to be covered.  The effort eventually shows.

Soft acrylic colors from Fevicryl - red, sienna, green and black for outlining in the final stage.

Varnish for water proofing.

Polymer clay for the backing for both pendent and earring.

Polymer clay beads

Wooden beads 

Bead caps

Adjustable cord.

It is so very feather light with polymer clay, paper and wooden beads.

 

Paper Mania

Updating after a long time now.

Had been trying my hand on paper stacked jewelry.  In fact, I had started this off even before my polymer clay addiction.  This is also fun if you get your geometry right.  Thing is you cannot use a cutter to get  1/4th inch of a pendent.  you got to stack for that and cut all the papers to that shape.  Anyways I love that.  Here are some more pieces.  They have no earring accompanying.

The yellow one was made to look like a ceramic tile.  I have used water color, 3D out liners and glass colors to get the effect and water proofed.  water proofed does not mean that you can soak it in water :).  The bead are polymer clay with organza cord to go with it.

The pink one  - metallic colors with ( I have used Fevicryl metallic colors) out liners for the doodle, accentuated with glass and polymer clay beads.

Pssst...:  Look closer, they are two sides of same coin.  I have made the clasp in such a way that you can interchange the cords.

Fire

A grand red necklace with a earrings which is as light has feather. Mica shift technique is used on the pendent.  The beads handworked with shavings of the mica shift technique.

Playing with Canes

Canes - I try to avoid them, it takes lot of time and I waste lot of clay.  But once you are through, what a stunning technique it is.  Incredibly same pattern on largest and the tiniest slice you make. I love explaining it to some of my customers who asks if I painted it exactly same on all the pieces.  Some pictures of the jewelries I made with the canes.

This lovely purple set was made at a workshop with Seema at Seema Clay Flower.

  

The silver and yellow flower was my first cane where the clay was too soft and was always slipping out of shape.  It never made it to be a part of the jewelery :(

And the latest one is the lotus petals .

This was patiently done with first the Skinner blend and then the tiny white veins and really I did not know what to do with the cane.  When you look into the internet too much, the design you make will tend to take the same kind of design - inspired by others.  

Thank you note

A Thank You Note :It is a year since I was confident enough to showcase my creativity on Facebook.  I would like to thank each and every one who liked, commented and bought jewelry I have created.  I am so grateful to God for giving me this ability.  Thanks to my dear friends for their encouraging words and support.  I immensely thank for those who buy jewelry without questioning the price.  I feel that is the faith you have on an artist and appreciate the value of art.    You should know, there is lot of hard work and sleepless nights to put a piece together.  My sincere thanks to my parents.  My mom always encouraging me when I feel down.  My father, the best critic.  The two people at home, who are directly affected by my madness, my husband and my son, I thank them for their undying support.  Thanks to all my relatives who have supported me in this venture.  A special thanks to my sister for sometimes buying what I make so that it does not go out of the family (LOL).  She fights an urge to buy everything I make J. 

Status today: Today, at the page like at 367, I have SOLD OUT every single piece I have made.  I am feeling blessed.  I am gearing up to create more by sopping up all the words of encouragement. Thanks to everyone. 

 My facebook page Mystic Ideas                                                                                                                                 Anitha Jayaraj.

Tiny Canvas

A pendent made for me to match a chiffon tunic with, well.. almost the same design;).  What I am excited about this is that the design is painted on polymer clay base with polymer clay.  So I call it a tiny canvas. Very painstaking process, I had a pain in the neck later. It is strung on store bought plaited leather cord.
A work-in-progress picture