So what I have been up to?

I haven't been blogging for ages, mainly due to work but also because I've been occupied knitting for my first grandchild. Joel arrived on August 1st so now I know I am knitting for a young man I have tweaked my pattern choices.
Before he was born I kept things fairly neutral, steering away from overtly  pink!
This is a gallery of my creations so far.

SO USEFUL!

I am an avid knitter and I also love to crotchet. I prefer knitting for most garments but crochet for summer lightweight lacy tops and baby blankets.
As a very personal preference I rarely fasten up cardigans so don't usually bother to knit buttonholes and as buttons are often so expensive I wouldn't use them for just decoration.
Sometimes though a garment really needs buttons to finish it off, some button bands demand the weight of buttons!
This was just the case with a cardigan I have recently finished.
It is a very light yarn with a stunning range of colours in the twisted and slubbed weave. There is also a gold thread that shows occasionally.

It is called Sirdar Divine which is a good name for it!
I chose the mainly purple mix with an umber orange twist. The result looks quite chunky  but it is a double knit weight so actually light.

I like the  curved band and the fold back collar.
There was no way to find a button to match the colour so I decided to make my own from polymer clay.
This is the first time I have used polymer clay to make buttons. I am new to this medium but I do have a mould from my jewel enamel.
It was a very simple procedure to use the mould, just pushing the clay in and gently removing before adding holes then baking.

 I am really pleased with the results and will definitely do this again!

A New Adventure in Jewellery Making

I have often looked enviously at the wonderful pieces produced by polymer clay artists. I am not very good at making things with my bare hands - putting or pouring into a mould works well for me but shaping even a basic bead which ought to be simple just doesn't happen for me.
However a few months ago I saw Debbie Bulford demonstrate mixing jewel enamel powder into translucent polymer clay on Jewellery Maker TV and so loved the results that I bought some clay and had a go.

I have documented my efforts on this blog....they were relatively successful but not awesome, indeed I still haven't made up any actual jewellery with the resulting donuts.
I had bought a few basic polymer clay tools and then got the opportunity to acquire some more as part of a box of supplies for mixed media work.
So today I have made my first foray into the world that is polymer clay.

I used some deep blue and white and conditioned it well. This was easier than last time and I quickly had workable clay.
I wanted to try a simple cane to make some beads with a Delph blue pottery look. I made a sausage of white and covered it with the blue and then made a sort of geometric attempt rather than just circles. I covered some leftover bits to make beads. They came out a bit bigger than I expected so I only made three. I used the rest to make a sort of marble effect and finally used the very last bits all mixed together which created a pale blue.

I have a special polymer clay bead baking tray so I pushed pins through the beads and baked them.
I had no real idea what to expect when I opened the oven...they didn't look any different! But once cool it was obvious that they were quite hard.
Although they looked fine in a matte finish I decided to glaze them which actually brought put a nice quality in the pale blue beads.

I have simply strung them onto beading thread to see what they might look like at the neckline.

Now I have to see if they will make something!!

Using Mica Powders with Jewel Enamel

In the Jewel Enamel Gems facebook group we are often asked whether you can use mica powder with jewel enamel UTEE and the answer is a resounding YES!

There are lots of ways to use these shimmery powders so I thought I would give a few examples and ideas here.

First and most obviously is to highlight any texture that you have poured. You can use wax gleams but sometimes you want a more subtle result so mica powders are perfect. You can always add a glaze over the top to keep the colour. I use Scupley glaze in either a satin or gloss finish.

this heart comes to life when you gently rub mica powder over the texture

I added gold and turquoise mica to this leaf shape which had been poured into a cutter laid on a texture mat

Another way is to brush mica powder into a mould before pouring. I use an old make up brush for this making sure I get into all the nooks and crannies in the mould. This technique is great if you are using a colour that is a bit dull because it gives a shimmer to your piece. With this strawberry pendant I wanted to add a subtle gold sheen so brushed into the mold and then when the piece was cold I gently polished it

                          

I really like to add mica powder to the actual mix as I am melting. You need to add gradually and mix well but be aware that too much can really change the consistency and you often get bubbles. I mix well and then use a heat gun directly onto the melt pot to get rid of as many bubbles as possible.
You get an opaque frosty result which works equally well in clear or a colour

This bracelet was made using a deep teal blue with clear and I slowly added silver mica and poured then a bit more and another pour and so in until I got an almost totally silver.
The heart mould is the small Karantha plain heart. I only have one mould so you can see this took time to create. In order for the mix not to go amber tinged I turned the melt pot right down between each pour.

A couple of hearts in I poured a pendant to complement the bracelet

you can really see the effect of the mica powder in this

these stars were made starting with turquoise and clear and a small amount of silver mica then adding a little more mica each time and then beginning to add a tiny bit of white

so why not give mica powders a try