Monday, November 22, 2010

Its simply nice to share

Along the way, I've had some polymer artists extend themselves and share their knowledge and present me with great opportunities. Kindness should overflow, shouldn't it? So it seems appropriate that I make my first small attempt to 'give back' with a tutorial at the beginning of America's week of Thanksgiving.
( A special thanks to Ronna, Cynthia, Claire, Lynn, Tracy, and Christine.)


There has been some interest in my fiber-y beads so here goes. Yes, yes, its simple (but I tend to be pretty simple) and they make a nice contrasting texture with smoother beads .

1. Roll a ball of clay.


2. Flatten slightly to make a chunky disk. Put a hole through the center to made a bead.


3. Cross hatch with a tissue blade all around the sides. Don't leave too much blank space. Change the angle of your blade after 5-7 or so slashes tilting the blade so that your lines cover the entire side of the bead. Cross hatch but with a blade.


4. Squeeze either side of the bead with your fingers to make the cross hatch lines open up, revealing a fiber-y sort of pattern. And you will probably need to re-open the bead hole at this point too.


Here are the beads used in a finished piece. They can be used as is, sanded to make the raised areas shine in contrast to the "canyons" or, as I usually do, I distress with acrylic paint to enhance the texture.



(Please feel free to use the beads anyway you want. Crediting me would be nice. Sending me pictures of what you made would be great too and I would be happy to post your projects here.)

29 comments:

  1. this was so kind of you - and they are beautiful... one of my favorite sayings is 'gratitude opens'... i am working on some pieces with that sentiment currently... happy thanksgiving to you and your family...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just looked here and was stunned - this is what I made today - this set:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/claire.maunsell/BeadsNovember2010?locked=true#5542594535552180626

    That is a bit strange...I've been working the side texture on some other beads too, maybe unconsciously noticed yours!

    ReplyDelete
  3. How very nice of you to share! Polymer clay is actually on my list of mediums to try. As a fan of your work, I'll be looking to this tutorial when I "grow up" a bit.

    Have a wonderful week, and thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you very much. Simple, yes, but lovely. Your editorial was illuminating--you may wish to do more.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And a special thanks to you for the artist you are.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The fact that such a beautiful thing is actually so simple (when you know how) inspires me to experiment more! Thanks for sharing, Gen.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for a great idea. Sometimes it is easy to overlook simple but very effective techniques, and this one looks very promising. Thanks for giving us a new technique!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very nice effect! Thanks so much for sharing with us! I think I will experiment with this a little further and let you know what the outcome is!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely beads and you make the process look so easy - are they fired in a kiln afterwards?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful beads and gorgeous colors too! Thank you for sharing the gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great idea! Happy Holidays to you and yours and thank you for sharing.
    `

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your beads are absolutely beautiful.
    Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful tutorial with the polymer clay community.
    May God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you for sharing! beautiful beads!
    Riki Arberman, Israel

    ReplyDelete
  14. thanks a lot for this thanksgiving
    present....

    florence from Barcelona

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a very generous gesture. Thank you for sharing.
    Judy

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for sharing this. I may have to try this on stoneware and finish it with an oxide. Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love your beads...and thank you for sharing the tutorial...very kind!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you for sharing your technique. I love those beads! Happy Thanksgiving

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you for this tutorial. I love these beads and your work in general.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I found your blog a few days ago and loved your clay beads. I made some beads for a necklace.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love your work, thanks for sharing some secrets with us!
    Best regards!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for the great tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  23. These are wonderful thank you so much for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love this technique, here is a link to my gallery to show you one I made using it. Thanks so much.
    http://www.kpbeads.co.nz/necklaces--bracelets1.html

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you for sharing! I love them! I'll try it and for sure I'll recognize your great idea

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you for sharing, your tutorial is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Regards from Venezuela!!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I just want to let you know I used this technique and the result is gorgeous. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete