Last weekend was my birthday weekend (yay me! and my mom, too, we shared the weekend) so I didn’t get into the studio. But I DID manage to play some more with moldmaking the weekend before. I had SUCH fun and I can’t wait to make more of these steampunk polymer clay gears. You know by now that colour is one of my driving forces, and just LOOK at these! The antique gold finish just makes it, for me.
I rolled up and slightly flattened balls of clay and made impressions in the balls using actual gears my husband had torn out of a clock for me. I baked them and bam! Molds. So for these delicious pendants (which are waiting for wire), I rolled up more clay and used the new mold to flatten them out. Brushed-on clay gave the pieces their colour. I poked holes in the top of each and inset a grommet (really just a little rivet for scrapbooking) and baked. When they came out, they got a light fingertip brushing with gilder’s paste – I used “african bronze” for these – and after it set, I burnished the paste. Finally, two coats of varnish to seal and protect the finish.
Tomorrow is my last day of work before I get a 9-day vacation. You can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be wiring up these suckers – and the tentacles, and the flowers I don’t even know if I showed you…. and and and!
Oooh, bonus pic: Some more rustic/organic beads made from my texture molds – this time coloured with paint!
Wow, great job!! The colors really came out beautiful. I’m just starting to get into this – I mainly use wire wrapping, and you are such an inspiration of what can be done.
They’re gorgeous! I love the colours and agree with you the gold really finishes them. What a cool idea, can’t wait to see what you’re going to make with them.
Have fun on your holiday!
Thanks Kat! I’m a wire-wrapper too – just wrote a book on it in fact (freeformwireartjewelry.com) but I’m always on the lookout for new things TO wrap! And sometimes I just gotta make my own :)
Thanks Laurien!! I’m excited to play this week :)