Wired Heart

Posted on December 18, 2011 by cincin 1 Comment

The inspiration that I get from the ladies at the Polymer Clay Guild just never ends. When we all met in October everyone was very excited about a workshop that they had done with Rhonna Sarvas Weltmen. When I saw some of the creations they made as a result of this workshop I was sorry that I was not able to attend it. There was one pendant in particular that I was really drawn to. It was a pendant using copper wire as a framework with translucent clay draped over top of the structure. It reminded me of a paper lantern. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to make something inspired by this concept. I don’t know why but I kept getting an image in my head of a wired heart …I was not successful in creating the original idea I had in my head however the end result of what I did end up creating made me very happy. Being the recycling nut that I am, I have a tendency to try to re-use anything I can. I don’t throw away foil wrapper from chocolate bars…instead I create shapes (hearts, spheres, pillow shapes…) and cover them with polymer clay to create beads. I have a little collection of pre-made foil shapes ready to be covered. I took one of the heart shaped pieces and wrapped it in silver plated wire. Then I created my polymer clay mix. Instead of using only translucent polymer clay, I used a mix of translucent and glow in the dark clay (50/50 mix). I ran the clay through the pasta machine until it was at the thinnest setting. I draped the clay over the foil and wire shape carefully and trimmed away any excess, smoothing the seams with the side of a knitting needle. I used another tip that I picked up at the meeting for baking translucent polymer clay. I baked the clay at around 175F for about 25 minutes and then as soon as I took the heart out of the oven I plunged it into a mug of cold water. The results were very nice and I could see how it made a difference in how translucent the clay would end up (of course the end result probably would have been even more translucent if the mix did not include glow int he dark clay).
Here is a photo of the heart after “the plunge”

Here is the heart after "the plunge" and with the writing on it

Another bit of inspiration I got from the pieces the ladies made at the workshop was the writing on the clay. I just loved that concept! I wrote words on the heart with permanent pen – what ever other words came to mind that I thought related to the piece I was making and the intention behind it.
I gently sanded the piece and here is what it looked like after this…

The same heart after a bit of sanding...

I liked this but I wanted more exposure of the wires under the clay and more colour…sooo I painted the heart in acrylic paint and sanded it again….

one side....

and the other side...

it has such a different look…the sanding exposed the wire more and removed the silver from the wire to expose the copper core…it’s rougher looking, battered looking – I like this but I’m going to keep experimenting and see if I can get the pendant that I originally saw  in my mind.

What kinds of techniques are you working on? What have you seen that has inspired you?

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Check it out! Klinik Bijoux

Posted on October 12, 2011 by cincin 1 Comment
Going off the beaten path somewhat (still touches on recycling in a unique way!) -  I will be back on track for the next post! I’ve got lots of things to share!
I have a friend who has started something exciting and want to spread the news – pass it on!
Anyone looking for a special piece of jewellery for someone equally special? Friends of mine have opened up a cool new store on Sherbrooke West in NDG called Klinik Bijoux. They design, repair, recycle and sell all kinds of unique jewellery. Jean-Luc has over 30 years of experience designing and makes amazing engagement and wedding rings, among other lovely things…..check out their webpage for address and contact info and think about them at Christmas time or anytime you want something original! www.klinikbijoux.com
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Next Steps…

Posted on October 2, 2011 by cincin 2 Comments

My friend Wendy Boode is eco conscious like I am. She owns a business called Urban Impressionz an enviro friendly shop that prints T-shirts and develops marketing products of all kinds. For some time now she has been working on her brainchild…it is called Subculture Arts.  Basically her concept for the core product on the site is no less than a reinvention of the T-shirt. Wendy “upcycles” well loved rock T-shirts and gives them a second life as fashionable tops for men and women (ladies – you must check out the corset T’s!). What I like about these tops is that they don’t have that “holly hobby” look like some of the recycled clothing I’ve seen. I mean, it’s cool to be earth friendly but come on! We want it to look great too right!? Click on the image below to check out the site.

Kiss Rock the Nation Top

 

 

 

 

 

Alanis Morrisette Woman's Long Sleeve Top

On the very last day of 2010 Wendy asked me to become a business partner with her in Subculture Arts…how timely, especially since I was challenging myself to go outside the box and face my fears at that very point  in my life. I’m sure for most people going into business is a scary thing – especially when it’s a partnership between friends  it can be a real balancing act. I took my first tentative step with Cincin Creations on etsy and even that made me nervous to open – there is such an anxiety about rejection…what if people don’t like what you have to offer them? I was able to take that first step and now I feel that becoming involved in the nurturing and development of Subculture Arts is my next step. Who knows what other steps will be down the road?  In the very near future, I will be contributing items from the “dark side” of Cincin Creations and moving them onto the Subculture Arts Site. I will also be participating in the development of new products with Wendy for Subculture Arts and overseeing the marketing.

Check out the Subculture Arts site and spread the good word! Let me know what you think of our site. Do you have any sites that you love that you would like to share? Let me know about them!

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Try and try again…

Posted on September 18, 2011 by cincin 2 Comments

On one of my craft weekends with the girls I decided to experiment and try out a new technique – which did not work out to my satisfaction (back to the drawing board!) here is the original bracelet that I made

cut in cuff

This was my first attempt at developing a new technique...back to the drawing board!

The end result just did not thrill me but I hate to waste anything! So I got out the pasta machine again and refinished the top and bottom to create an indentation in the centre of the bracelet. then I extruded a whole bunch of purple and silver clay through different size circular dies to create rods of different thicknesses. I placed the rods into the channels of fan folded paper to keep them as straight as possible and baked them. After they cooled I cut them with my tissue knife into different lengths. To prepare the centre channel of the bracelet for application of the “dots” I rolled out a layer of black clay at the thinnest thickness, I cut it to fit the width of the centre and connected the two raw ends. Using my finger I “feathered” the seams until they were smooth. Now for the dots! I put together a random pattern of dots onto a piece of paper (so I could move the clustered dots from place to place if I need to work in different locations). This gave me a good idea of what the end result could look like.

organizing the dots on a sheet of paper helped me to get an idea of what the end result would look like.

Then, one at a time, I took each dot stuck them into the raw clay in the centre. I made a little video to give you a better idea of how I inserted the dots (forgive me this is my first time doing this! I will get better as I go along!)

Bracelet Video

I will be baking the bracelet soon and applying some matte liquid clay and baking it again just to make sure everything stays put and looks more finished.
Here is an image of the bracelet after some of the dots were applied.

This is the bracelet after many many dots had been applied

I did something different for the inside of the bracelet-instead of making it smooth I used a flexible texture sheet and pressed into the raw clay to create a pattern on the inside of the cuff.

I like how the texture turned out on the inside of the cuff

By the way I have not given up on the original concept I was trying to create! I intend to keep trying until it comes out the way I want it to!

It's not quite finished yet still have smooth things and clean it up a bit. It is certainly a statement piece!

have you ever saved a failed experiment? How? I would love to hear about it.

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My first exhibit!

Posted on July 3, 2011 by cincin Leave a comment

I’m very excited. I have made another small step. At the beginning of the year I had committed to having my work on display in a public venue. An opportunity came to me recently to show some of my work during the 100th anniversary of Greenfield Park! Two other artsy ladies I know are showing their beautiful paintings during this show as well – I am in good company!
Here are some of the items that will be on display during the show

Gaul Pendant Necklace

Gaul Pendant Necklace


Gingko Pendant - This is one of the beads I learned to make during the workshop with Dan Cormier



Mokume Gane egg in blues and copper


Blended Pendant Necklace - another of the beads I learned to make with Dan Cormier


There were other items included in the display as well – I don’t have images of these particular items (shame on me!) One is a polymer clay image of a climbing rose on a vine that is the shape of a heart. I had created two of these originally – one of them was given to Pat Benatar as a gift (Christmas 1997). I am a big fan and this image is on the back of her Innamorata CD. I was thrilled to be able to make her something. Here is an image of the back of the CD.

I replicated the image of the Heart Shaped Vine with Rose in polymer clay and mounted it onto a laminate surface


I also included a new series of broken hearts like the one I showed you in my February 8th post.
Hopefully life will be more “on track” from here on in…although I have to tell you…my June project will only be finished in JULY!!! what else is new lately!
I will also have some other exciting news very soon.
I would love to hear if any of you have participated in a show where your work was on display. How did it go? Feels great taking those steps towards your goals doesn’t it? I know I feel great even if this is just a small step! Bigger steps are to come!

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So I finally finished my April Project in MAY!!

Posted on May 22, 2011 by cincin 4 Comments

I had most of this piece done in April however life has been super crazy lately and every time I tried to complete it fully something got in the way! I wanted to experiment further with translucent polymer clay and some of the scrap clay I had left over from other projects to see if I could create a elongated bead that had the look of ceramic or glass.

The necklace with the original troublesome square clasp - which has since been replaced!!

I mixed the translucent clay with the solid colour clays to create swirls. I cut silver wire into various lengths and rolled the clay right on to the wire and baked the clay with the wire inside. Some of the beads measure up to four inches long – I really wanted something dramatic. I found that the end result looks somewhat like a frosted glass. I attached each bead onto a silver plated chain and finished it with a toggle clasp.

I love the way the beads hang from the silver chain.


I have to say I really like how it looks and it feels nice when worn too. The only issue I had was with the clasp I put onto the necklace originally – It was a square shaped toggle clasp and I think that the post was too small for the size of the square. All I can say is that it’s a good thing I test run the jewelry I make. It was during the test run on this piece I realized that I had to change the clasp completely because it kept becoming undone! I changed it and everything is great now. I also realized during my “test run” of this necklace, how wonderful it feels when worn. I just loved touching the smooth beads.
Let me know what you think – do you think I should do something brighter…change up something?
If you want to leave a comment all you have to do is click on the leave comment button on the top right hand side of this post. Till next time!!

A closer look at some of the beads

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Upcycled repurposed and on to a Fresh New Life

Posted on May 15, 2011 by cincin Leave a comment

Up until early 2009 I worked for a home décor import company (and loved it!). Each season we would need to ensure that all the sales reps were given samples of the products that were going to be offered for the upcoming season. Often this meant that small sample swatches and samples of things like beaded tablecloths, cushion covers and tabletop decor would need to be created. Usually there would be left over samples or old samples from the season before that would go into the trash. With the permission of the company, I took many of these samples home and started disassembling them and to remove the beads. I still use these beads in my jewelry designs whenever possible. Many of the beaded items I make are a mix of re-purposed beads and new beads or beads I make myself. Below is an image of what the some of the samples looked like prior to dis-assembly.

Ready to be repurposed

garlands, napkin rings and other things ready to be repurposed


Here are some examples of the kinds of things I made using these kinds of materials.

This necklace (from my etsy shop) contains re-purposed beads


The necklace above is based on one that was in the movie “Elizabeth”. I used silver wire, black pearls and up-cycled beads taken from product samples that I had disassembled.

Another necklace from my etsy shop is a combo of polymer clay and up-cycled beads


Often I will combine stuff I make out of polymer clay with up-cycled beads. The above necklace is an example of this I made the pendant out of polymer clay and used lovely amber beads taken from product samples for the beaded chain.

Do any of you create jewelry in a similar way? I hear that there are many creative people out there that use the beads from vintage jewelry and give them new life in their own designs. I would love to see what you make. Share your links in a comment. I would love to hear about what you do to create your pieces.

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Who do you admire?

Posted on April 24, 2011 by cincin 1 Comment

I have always admired people who reach for their dreams . Dreams don’t always have to be huge either…this is something that I have only recently discovered… At this time in my life I am very lucky to be surrounded by people who – in their own way are reaching to fulfill their dreams. Another thing that I have recently realized is that the reaching is just as important and life changing as the realization of the dream.
I have a friend who is finally realizing the reality of the dream of having her own clothing line – she worked away at it in baby steps for well over 10 years…it started off as just a seed of an idea and now after all this time the dream will be a reality in just a few short weeks…I’ll be revealing more on this in upcoming posts…
I have a friend who just recently came back from a mission in Brazil. She had to travel over 14 hours to get to where she was going…by herself by the way…She saved up some of her own money to go on this trip (as well as some help from donors) – She sacrificed her vacation and she was away from her family and friends for 3 weeks.  She saw what she needed to do and she just did it. Wow!
My sister in law is returning to a dream she had temporarily shelved…the dream of writing. She is going over writings that she had completed or not quite completed in the past and she is bringing them back to life. She has found a way to self publish what she will be writing and I have full faith that her dreams will be fulfilled.
The ladies from my weekly “stitch n’ bitch” group are awesome – each one is fulfilling her dreams in her own way. One is traveling the world one country at a time – I have lost count of how many places she has been! Have you held a sloth? Well she has!! Three of the ladies are painters – each so different and each one with their own unique way of expressing themselves. One loves detail, her paintings are amazing – with each strand of hair or fur stroked onto the canvas with loving care. Another looks to nature, she does incredible abstractions of shells and flowers and at times mother nature herself will appear in all her glory or fury. The third painter embeds her paintings with messages for the viewer…translucent layers of different images, where often one element in the painting becomes part of another.  All three of these ladies are fulfilling a part of their dream each time they create a painting. Another is busy supporting the community and helping others, she is involved in just about everything you can think of! I don’t think she ever stops!
My dream is to do what I love everyday – even if I just do it for an hour – and eventually I want to be able to do what I love full time. And you? what is your dream?

locked heart

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Working on the project for April

Posted on April 17, 2011 by cincin 2 Comments

Here are some quick snippets of the project for April! It’s been busy busy!(that’s the best way to be sometimes no?)

This time around I'm playing with translucent clay and left over colour bits from other projects

I’m always trying to find different ways to use up left over colour clay – what do you do with your left over clay from other projects?

Little flecks of silver leaf left over from a mokume gane egg...

When I make the mokume gane eggs I often have little bits of coloured clay with flecks of silver, gold or copper in them. I can’t bare to toss them or stuff them inside of other beads as filling so I’m using them in my project for April.

Speaking of eggs…as I mentioned in a past post, I have had a fascination with eggs for years now…the egg below is an egg I made over 20 years ago – I don’t know what possessed me to do it. I took a hens egg and covered it bit by bit with white glue, I waited until the glue became tacky and then embedded purple bugle beads into the glue. It took me FOREVER!!! I’m going to have to see if I can get a better, more glittery photo of the egg…it is very pretty when the light hits it.

This is a real hen's egg covered with purple bugle beads

Till next time!

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The original Paisley Beads

Posted on April 10, 2011 by cincin 1 Comment

What a crazy week!

It’s been a crazy week! Lots of exciting stuff happening in my life (some of which I will be sharing with you in the near future!).

The “first born” beads

When I posted my finished paisley pendants last week I didn’t post the original “test” paisley designs. At first I had it in my head that I was going to do something traditional. First I created my own paisley texture plate (thanks again to another tidbit I learned during a Dan Cormier workshop!) then I pressed terracotta color polymer clay into the texture plate to create the top portion of the bead….originally I thought I would want just a terracotta version of the paisley with only texture. Once it was finished though I wasn’t so crazy about the look. I applied a sheet of a lavender purple clay over the top of the textured area of the bead and once it was baked I sanded it down to reveal the terracotta design underneath. The purple clay happened to have mica in the mix and when I sanded it down to reveal the terracotta clay beneath, a mica shift effect showed up around the very edge of the textured design. It sort of looks like a fine outline…pretty cool. The beads are not perfect but that is actually what I like best about them. The imperfections give them a bit of a rustic feel don’t you think? They remind me a bit of actual pottery…
Have you ever made something that didn’t work out at first but when you added a little something to it the end result came out better than you expected? To tell me what you think you can click on the words “Leave a comment” at the top right of this post.
Here are some images of those “first born” paisley beads…

Lavender Terracotta Paisley Beads

Lavender Terracotta Paisley Bead from the side

Lavender Terracotta Paisley Beads from the top - I love how they are not perfect!

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