A petal shaped plug of golden yellow clay was hand-formed and then thin slices were cut off to create the petals. Once the raw petals were thinned at the tips, the characteristic sunflower veining was added by drawing them on with the tip of a piercing pin and the tips were pinched together they were added to the cured base.
Dozens of "Bulls-eye"canes were made of of browns and golden yellow and then reduced to tiny diameters. Once reduced, they were combined together making a round tubular cane to mimic the brown center of the sunflower which eventually becomes the delicious sunflowers we love to eat. A thin slice of this “seed cane” was added to the center of the flower and the pendant was cured. The ladybugs were studio made with polymer clay and acrylic paint, dabbing on the tiny dots with a "used up" Micron .3 pen tip (and a 3X magnifier!)
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The
handmade cobalt colored beads range in size from 4mm to 15mm. Some of
them were appliqued with thin slices of a sunflower cane based on a
design by Sue Heaser. The canes were meticulously smoothed onto the
beads using a 1/4 inch acrylic rod. After curing, the beads were sanded
through four grits of sandpaper, then two-part buffed and four coats of
heat-set varnish were applied, all making for a shiny glass-like finish
that mimics Italian Millefiori glass beads.
Copies of the newly re-designed necklace and matching earrings are available at my on-line shop, MelodyODesigns at ArtFire
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