OK, I admit that I’m brain-dead and dog tired this week, so I decided to post pictures of one of the polymer side trips I made while I was working my way through the exercises in Polymer Clay Color Inspirations. You’ve heard of Natasha Beads and there are a myriad of tutorials on the Web on how to make them. I made the pieces below by chopping up bits of clay I used for different color exercises, compacting them into a plug as for a Natasha bead, slicing the plug lengthwise and opening it to reveal the design. I rolled the clay to make the two sections the same thickness but tried to maintain the integrity of the design. Then I cut out shapes with a tissue blade or a clay cutter. After baking and cooling, I coated the tops with doming epoxy resin. I plan to finish them with bails or pin backs.
Here are the results.