July 2015 – Ornamento

Instant Karma

By: ornamento.blog July 30, 2015July 30, 2015

Art, Polymer Clay, Polymer Clay Guilds, Polymer Clay RetreatsArt, artistic collaboration, Polymer Clay4 Comments

Klay Karma that is! Sherman, Patty and I loaded up Patty’s car and headed up the New Jersey Turnpike to Nashua, New Hampshire and the campus of Rivier University for the latest Klay Karma polymer clay retreat.

This was my first year at Klay Karma. Those in attendance were a lively and playful bunch.

We had plenty of room to spread out; something every polymer clayer needs.

I scored one of Libby Mills’ new bowls at the auction!

It wasn’t all clowning around. . .

The natural light was fantastic!

Here are some more pictures of work from the talented people who attended. A big shout of thanks to Seana and Camilla and everyone who made the event possible.

Cool Custom Clasp Tutorial

By: ornamento.blog July 23, 2015July 5, 2019

Art, wire tutorial, Wire WorkingArt, custom clasp, Tutorial, Wireworking tutorial1 Comment

Start with 2 to 3 inches of 14 gauge wire. I used copper here. Trim ends flush

Bend wire in the middle You might wait until this point to flush cut your ends so the wires are even.

Make a loop on the end of each wire

I like to use bail making pliers to do this. You can spread the wires out to curl each end.

Press the wires closed. I like to use flat nosed pliers for this and I must warn you that it takes practice to keep the wires even. The less you have to touch them with the pliers, the less nicks you will have. A trick: insert the bail forming pliers in the loops while you adjust the rest of the wire. Then make any adjustments needed in the loops.See the left of the picture: I have put a little bend in the end of the clasp.
Side view. Notice how everything is even. That’s what you want to strive for.

Gently bend the wire over a mandrel. Don’t try to get your finished shape in one try. You can refine later.

Here is a shape that’s more refined. Notice how the loops sit back from the clasp. Notice also how the wire in the top loop is shorter than the bottom one. It happens. Try to get in there with the tip of your flush cutters and clip the longer wire to the size of the shorter one. Then close the rings tight. You don’t have to open the rings to do this. In fact, you shouldn’t because then it will be harder to get them back into shape.

Here is a finished clasp with jump rings

And here are more clasps in different sizes and shapes.

Beaded Bezel Frenzy!!!!!

By: ornamento.blog July 16, 2015July 15, 2015

Art, beadingArt, beaded bezels, beading, fused glass2 Comments

You might or might not remember my previous posts on fusing glass cabochons using ugly beads and scraps. So what do you do with all those tasty glass baubles? One thing you can do it surround them with beaded bezels. And since every cabochon is different, every bezel has to be different right?

I used right angle weave stitch along with peyote, some netting and some herringbone.

I used Delicas and Japanese and Czech seed beads seed beads in sizes 0/15 to 0/6.

I had a lot of fun with the beaded drops.

I kept adding beads until I liked what I saw. I didn’t use any patterns.

I didn’t bead on a surface; all of the beaded bezels are open

This one is fit for a queen!

While I didn’t bead a bezel for every cabochon I had fused, I have an awful lot of these babies. They are now cozying up to one another on my beading table until I decide what do do with them. Which is got I got into this mess in the first place!

What’s Going on in the Workshop

By: ornamento.blog July 9, 2015July 9, 2015

Art, copper, projects, workshopArt, Beads, etching, wire, workshopLeave a Comment

This has been a very challenging summer for me. Lots of changes with loved ones coming and going from my life. There’s the 5th year anniversary of my Mother’s death, my impending retirement, more and more silver appearing in my hair (which I refuse to dye-been there done that) and the feeling that things are moving slowly, but that I can’t keep up with them.

It is at times like these that I find myself going into the workshop to make components without any idea of how I will use them, if I end up using them at all. I am past the point in my life where everything has to have an immediate goal and purpose. Sometimes just “being” is the best thing for me.

So here are some pictures of the meanderings I have taken with my materials this summer.

Some etched copper.

I am trying various kinds of chain making, soldered and unsoldered.

etched copper pipes

Mixing chain components with polymer beads

These pieces will become toggle clasps,

Spirals for dangles

Clasp experiments based on vintage belt buckle design. Front

And back,

And here is a bracelet where I try to pull it all together with glass and polymer beads.

This picture shows a spiral dangle and one of the finished toggle clasps in use. (after a bath in liver of sulfur) The wrinkled bead between the red (one glass and one polymer) beads is a copper bead made from crushed pipe.

Happy Second of July

By: ornamento.blog July 2, 2015June 30, 2015

PhiladelphiaFourth of July, Philadelphia, Philadelphia History, Philadelphia Holiday TraditionsLeave a Comment

I never thought twice about how the 4th of July was selected to be Independence Day in the United States until I read the quote below:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

-John Adams