Making
beads of polymer clay can be a very simple or very complex process. If it has a
hole going all the way through it that can be used for stringing, a piece can be
either a pendant (meaning that it hangs) or a bead.
Beads can be round,
tubular, shaped like river rocks, shaped like
lentils, bicones, cut into thin slices called "heishi" beads, large or small
and any size in between. Some are shaped like animals, bugs, shells,
flowers, or other natural and fantasy forms
Because the colors
available in polymer clay are so intermixable, many polymer clay artists keep
track of their color palettes and mixtures by creating a bead strand, or
they will keep one bead from every batch as an artistic record of their
work.
Beads
can be decorated using a variety of methods, including millefiore (meaning
"thousand flowers" in Italian) adapted from Venetian glass making cane
work techniques.
In
making millefiore designs, no paints are used, only colored clays or glass.
Individual slices, called "murrini" are placed to build up even more
detailed images.
Other techniques include molded,
stamped or impressed beads,
color manipulation such as the Skinner Blend, mica shift, paint applications, reticulation, filigree, and
more!
Clays can be used with
metallic foils, embossing powders and inks as well other
decorative inclusions. More ways of using polymer clay and techniques for
incredible effects are being discovered and furthered every day by artisans
around the world.
Many different canes and
other embellishments are used in a kind of clay appliqué to make our very
popular Girl Beads.
We've opened a store at Etsy to sell
our beads, face cabochons, and more!
Click here to see what's available!
In
the books "Create A Polymer Clay Impression"
and
"Celebrations With Polymer Clay" many
techniques for making beads are shown in detail. All it takes is lots of
time, patience, and of course, some polymer clay!
Here is a Mehndi
Hand Bead with silver wire to form a pendant loop, and silver bells. The
henna-like designs are made with cane slices in the millefiore style.
The one shown here is
strung on a simple leather cord, with faux coral polymer accent beads and some
silver bells. Jewelry that moves and makes sounds gives an extra level of
fun!
Tattooed
Hand Beads suggest tribal designs inked into permanent mementos--and these
designs ARE inked, using dye inks on individually formed
polymer clay hands and a huge collection of stamps
developed over many years accumulation.
Designs can also be
traditionally colorful-though the blue versions are my favorites, and many
people seem to agree.
We've just designed a NEW
set of stamps specifically for these beads, so check back later in the year to
see what's being made!
Victorian
Hand Beads are also costumed in
a wide variety of period costume styles.
These are some of my
favorite beads to create...and I think it shows. Playing "dress-up"
with each one is a lot of fun..
From Renaissance through
Victorian and on to many other modes of dress, these beads are very unique. No
two are costumed exactly alike.
Many are done in faux
ivory, but versions with colored costumes are also available by special order.
Hands can be used as a
special dangle at the end of bead amulet bags, as single pendants, or in a
grouping with other beads you've come to treasure!
I love stringing them
into necklaces, although they look great by themselves on a cord as well. I like
to use them as ornaments on Holiday trees too.
All
Hand Beads are pierced from side to side at the top of the arm area. And doesn't
everybody need an extra hand now and then?
Bonnet
Head Beads are also individually costumed and made with meticulous placement
of many detailed bits and pieces.
These beads and the Face Pendants both make use of
polymer clay face cabochons.
After an original face is modeled by hand, each is cast into a RTV Silicone mold
and replications are then used to create these beads--they are also for sale
individually for those who want to make their own Bonnet Heads or dressed
pendant pieces by adorning them with more clay and re-baking. I've also
been using these faces to make central focal pieces for necklaces and to create
molds for using with ceramics and glass! Polymer clay has so many versatile
uses.
Molds
created from antique buttons, architectural details like knobs and moldings,
toys and textured fabrics, and even pieces of pressed or cut glass along with
two part mold making silicon provides all sorts of interesting textures as do rubber
stamps. Presses from these molds are also used to make beads.
Along
with other faux ivory beads, the
bonnet head beads are made in monochromatic
tones of palest ivory to darker bone or the buttery tones of older bakelite
pieces, bronze, or black.
I like to string them in to necklaces or make
them into hatpins.
Every one is hand formed and detailed, and some are
baked in several different stages and then compiled into one beautiful bead.
It is also possible to
mimic many other classic bead making materials such as ebony, jade, turquoise,
cinnabar and wood. Nan Roche's tutorial on making faux cinnabar inspired the
bead seen above. Instead of using stain to darken the recessed areas, this
technique uses a very thin sheet of black clay on thop of the red clay, and
raised areas are sanded off to expose the underlying color.
Each bead is textured and cured in an oven, then carefully
hand stained
if necessary using my own recipes of acrylic paints, mica pigments, and Rust-Oleum Varathane
as a carrier medium. This gives an antiqued effect.
There are so many
techniques that can be used to decorate beads. Mica shift, textured, faux
enamels and brocade effects using acrylic paints, cane work, inlay, backfilled
with raw clay after baking and so many more. Beads are a great way to experiment
with techniques in a small way.
Lentil Beads are a
wonderfully wearable shape. They are also lots of fun to make. Some people
make them over light bulbs in two sections, and some make them in one solid
piece
and drill them after baking. Recently some of these
beads made using my favorite blue canes were featured in a decorative project
for our bathroom---see how to create your own "Bauble Bath" here.
Copyright©1995-2010 Sarajane Helm All rights
are held by the artist
Reproduction without permission is
a violation of copyright law
