Geek Meets Glam

I wear readers and have for a long time. I'm always misplacing them or juggling sunglasses and readers and I don't know how many times I've had to frantically search through the bookstore or market trying to remember where I left one or the other.
I don't care much for the regular ones as they're hard to change back and forth with those little stretch thingies, so just for the fun of it I made one of these. It worked. I wear one nearly all the time now.
Exchanging readers for sunglasses is a piece of cake.

327 Years and Counting

Just back from a road trip down the Eastern Seaboard from Georgetown SC (a very sweet town) to Key West, less sweet but pretty cool.

 I'm somewhat obsessed right now with turquoise (waters).  I'm always somewhat obsessed by turquoise, but that's another story.

Also, fresh from a vacation, or perhaps I should say a break, since road tripping that distance in just over 2 weeks with six people isn't exactly relaxing, no matter how much fun it might be. 

And it was.  Exhausting.  Fun.

So, upon returning and spending two days doing cat laundry, our laundry, and remembering the most basic of Things Which Must Be Done Daily, I returned to the worktable determined to use up every bit of  clay, beads, findings and assorted I've held on to through several destashings, gifts to local school arts teachers, etc.   This is either before or commensurate with the painting supplies, canvases, oils, watercolors, acrylics and colored pencils, papers, canvases, brushes etc. 

If I opened an art store tomorrow, it would rival Cheap Joe's or Blick's  for at least a week. 

This is where the 327 years come in. It will take that long, at least, as long as I do not buy anything other than fill-in to finish this or that.  Ear wires.  Chain.  The once a year 2 oz block of orange I like.  

That sort of thing. We live long in my family, but this may be pushing it. 

The focal in this piece, as well as the two triangular beads in earrings, were made about 6 years ago.  I made a statement necklace which I then couldn't part with and these remained. (pictured) There are still 3.    The faux faux amber (I wasn't trying to make amber, just the color) are from the red bird pendant I made earlier this year,  the turquoise ovals and heishi from The Stash.  I used 20 including the 2 large beads.  Okay, make that 479 years. 

They don't look like Florida so much as they feel like it, at least to me, and my friend Sheila who is lucky enough to live in St. Augustine, says I got that right. 

Undisclipined Me

I keep meaning to be more regular in my posting, but  so many things, many totally useless, keep getting in the way. So I will start where I am, and bounce around in time as necessary until I'm back In the NOW.

I've been working on leaf and ink techniques lately, inspired by a technique described by Page McNall.  I only went about halfway with her process, but got all involved with the needle carving/drawing and then of course "painting" either with paint or alcohol ink or both. 

She's on Flickr

I've done several, but the most current, now in progress, are these, destined to be earrings, done on copper leaf.  All are still in progress, so will no doubt be tweaked before I'm done.

                                                      

Three Maidens Polymer Clay Pendant

Three Maidens Southwest Pendant Necklace.

This is one of my personal favorites, and has never been offered before. I've enjoyed their company.

The pendant is made of polymer clay as are the beads at the toggle clasp. The ivory colored beads are, if I remember correctly, bone -- not plastic and definitely NOT ivory. O-rings figure into the design elements as well.

The pendant itself is 1 3/4 inches wide, 2 3/16 inches long. Overall length approximately 21 inches plus pendant drop.   The pendant is mostly translucent clay "overbaked" which brings up that lovely sienna color and causes imperfections or moons.  For my purposes the development of imperfection is desirable.  A thin layer of textured clay was added then carved with the maidens, the bezel made of black clay, the reverse carved with my mark.  Glazing/antiquing applied for contrast.

Currently, the pendant is available.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/patibannister

Autumn Beads .. Soon I'll Hear Old Winter's Song ...

A week or so ago I spent the day building stacks/loaves of colors inspired by the colors outside my window. While we haven't had a spectacular autumn, more one of those one tree at a time things, the colors are still in evidencef, rather like a slideshow when one segment dissolves into another. That said, I've made a selection of beads. Here are two. More to come.

Red Pendant

Busy week; I spent Thursday doing the finishing work on almost everything that needs assembly, sanding, etc. I had hoped to get it all photographed Friday, but weather didn't cooperate, and as a natural light photographer had to wait. Yesterday I was able to get a few things done but didn't allow enough time so the light in my favorite area ran out on me. But this piece came out well and I love it! Hopefully I will get a satisfactory photograph of the coordinating earrings and bangle bracelet today.

Blue Currents Mokume Gane Earrings

Very thin, ultra-lightweight slivers of silver and blue(s). Buffed, polished and glossed on the front, the back is deliberately left somewhat "unfinished" which feels to me like a bit of exotic shell.
Overall length about 2 5/8"; drop 1 3/4"

Tidal Blues Bangle Bracelet

Not exactly leftover scraps, but I had been fooling around and came up with this mixture and then didn't know what I wanted to do with it. After making a couple of pairs of earrings (not yet photographed) and a small pendant (ditto) I decided, being on a bangle binge and all to make this ......

Stropple Cane Inspired Bangle Bracelet

Two forces inspired this piece...one my desire to use up pretty bits and pieces and two, the wonderful technique of Alice Stroppel, Stroppel cane. I don't work with canes, except once in awhile, in the most basic way, but thought it might be possible to cut tiny pieces of lots of colorful scraps, layer them between thin sheets of black polymer clay, squish them all together and then slice.

By their nature, the slices were less complex in design than they would have been had they been canes, but with some careful running through the pasta machine, interesting blends formed. I then sliced the results into thin strips and affixed them to a previously cured black bangle base.

Thank you Alice!

Tiny Squares Mosaic Bangle

As the year approaches its end, I have felt the need/desire to use up as many of my little bits that I felt to interesting or pretty to mush up. This is another bangle designed to help in that quest.

The piece is made entirely of polymer clay, tho' tiny bits of leaf are evident here and there. The squares were built on a cured polymer substrate.

Marbelized Bangle

I love working with leftover bits and peices and know many of us do. This bangle reminds me as much of marbelized paper as anything.
The piece is made entirely of polymer clay; the scrap mokume gane added to a base bangle.

Rosy "Ivory" Bangle

Photographing items is often amazingly revealing. I had thought this piece was complete yesterday, after color washing and buffing, but when photographed this morning, I found it just wasn't quite "right", so back to some 320+600 sanding and a lot of buffing on my jeans while I watched part of a really bad movie and did some extra loving on Miles our neurotic but beloved Siamese.
So, now it is finished, looks good on, and is ready to join the coordinated necklace, once I get the toggle finished. (Forgot to colorwash the two beads yesterday when doing the bangle).

Two Antique "ivory" Bangles in Progress

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I must say I really like the bangles just as they are (with some finishing yet to be done). However, they will be color washed to coordinate with the two necklaces nearly finished. Like many artists, I tend to work sequentially, so no doubt "unwashed" pieces are in my near future.

Faux Jade Pendants New in My Etsy Shop

New Faux Jade Pendants in my Etsy Shop as of this morning.
Both are wonderful colors; the bases have been sanded and buffed to a soft lustrous sheen, and feel as smooth as jade.
Both also have an integrated batik-textured jade and would look great with chain, cord, ribbon or beads.
Left: 3/4 x 2 3/4
Right: 1 x 2

http://www.etsy.com/shop/patibannister

March 13 Gemini

March 13 Gemini,
originally uploaded by pati b.

I modified a piece formerly called gilded fragment, as the longer I looked at it, it seemed somehow incomplete. The other day, I made this little 'stone' out of scraps from my poppy project and liked it. A couple of weeks after that, it occured to me it might work to finish off 'gilded'.
I see planets, stars and creation in this.

April 23 New on Etsy

April 23 New on Etsy,
originally uploaded by pati b.

made these pieces in November, so many of you have seen them before, but as of today, they can be found in my etsy shop (see profile).
Tulum and September Moon, respectively