And here's what they became...

More big beads for a big necklace

Gothamsburgh shirt

Gothamsburgh!
Much of the new Batman movie was filmed in Pittsburgh so my coworker Scott designed a very cool t-shirt that wraps Batman in some Pittsburgh pride. I'm wearing one as I type!


Check it out and buy one now...they're selling out fast.

Wood necklace number 2

This will go in the PPCG show at Boulevard Gallery in Verona, PA, next month.

Wendy asks a question about the buffer

Wendy asked me about the wheels that came with my buffer. After using the buffer quite a bit in the last two weeks, here's what I learned about the fabric wheels:

The buffer came with two wheels. One is plain muslin (on the right side in the picture at left), the other was more soft and fluffy. I decided the fluffy one didn't really work well for me. The plain old muslin, once I broke it in, has been perfect. After I used it for an hour or so, the fabric frayed, thereby making it softer. So if you get one I recommend buffing up some old pieces to soften up the muslin.

I also bought a denim wheel which makes a softer shine. However, I have to keep it off the light clay...it made marks on a pale piece of white and pink. On dark clay it was fine.

Also, wear safety glasses or goggles and a dust mask! The buffer turns out a very, very fine powdery dust that nobody needs in their lungs. I placed a box directly behind the wheel and put paper on the table to catch most of the dust. But it still left an expanded trail behind the buffer.

New necklace coming right up

The Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild has a show scheduled at the Boulevard Gallery in Verona, PA beginning in early August. I love my recent big necklace so much that I'm making a similar one to put in the show. I made a big set of faux wood beads yesterday and buffed them up last night. I love them!! I made the cores with Ultralight this time because a few are sizable.

I love the little cut-corner beads I made as accent pieces. I'll be making more of them for sure.

Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild at the Boulevard Gallery
36 Allegheny River Blvd, Verona, PA 15147
Opening reception Saturday, August 4, 2012 -- 6-9 p.m.

Workshops Galore: Artshow.com

If you're looking for an art vacation, this site lists a ton of workshops in all mediums all around the country, and the world. You might find something you're interested in!
http://www.artshow.com/workshops/index.html

Not for the faint of heart or weak of neck.

So, it's really not that heavy, I just wanted to use that title.

My polymer bead pile was growing so I decide to go through it all, group into like colors or designs, and shine it up with my new buffer. I ended up with a sizable collection of new and old faux-wood-ish beads in assorted sizes. Last week I bought three strands of two sizes of cool rectangle faceted black beads at Barb Kaczor's  Four Directions  Jewelry Studio.

So what did I make with my collection? This awesome thing!

My late grandmother, who was quite a creative seamstress, looks on approvingly with her WVU sorority sisters. Mary Belle is the sixth from left in the front row.

Does this happen to you?

I often find that beads I make with no plan in mind end up being a perfect match for a piece of clothing in my closet. It's not surprising, I suppose. I chose the clothing because I liked the colors; I mixed up the clay into those colors because they appealed to me. And behold! The perfect choker for this top.

These little dudes are smaller than the one above. They, and a few more similar color schemes, will be in the etsy shop this coming weekend.

How did it take me this long to get one of these things?

How did it take me this long to get one of these things? What am I talking about? My new bench buffer. Oh my, what a fabulous machine. I polished up a boatload of beads last night in about an hour. The beads made with Kato shine up beautifully, even without sanding them first. But if they have been already been sanded, they buff up really nice. Some beads had black Premo in them which didn't stand up to the buffing as well.