Crazy Cat in Garden Collar Necklace from Polymer Clay

Closeup of orange and fuchsia cat in the garden necklace with playful ladybugs.

 Crazy Cat in Garden Collar Necklace

This smiling happy cat resides in a vibrant garden of brilliant blossoms, leaves, and ladybugs  on a collar-type necklace adhered to a sewn macrame cord base.  Except for the realistic whiskers (pirated from a new hair brush), all the components of the pieces made from PREMO polymer clay. PC canes are sliced and appliqued onto the body of the cat. The eyes are made from "brain cane slices". The ladybugs were made from PC and acrylic paint. My cat necklaces are available for sale at: MelodyODesigns at Etsy

Cottonwood Aspen Leaf Necklace from Polymer Clay

This shimmering and sunny Cottonwood or Aspen leaf necklace and matching earrings are available for sale at my on-line shop MelodyODesigns at Etsy 

I'm thrilled and honored that my dangling yellow autumn Cottonwood (or Aspen Leaf) necklace made from polymer clay has been featured in "PolymerCAFE" Magazine (Vol. 8 No. 5). Made as a tribute to our Cottonwood, Arizona home, it was my hope to try to capture the sparkling shimmer of the leaves dancing in the breezy sunshine of the Verde River Valley. I saved my favorite leaves that I picked up when we were hiking in Dead Horse Ranch State Park to use as models for the necklace leaves. The necklace also honors the similar aspen trees I loved when we lived in Colorado. The boogieing whimsical ladybugs were added to bring good luck to wearer and just because I love ladybugs.

The entire faux enamel necklace is handmade from polymer clay to which many layers of Kato Liquid Polyclay, Genesis heat set oil paints and mica powders are applied. Each layer is heat set. The veining is made by applying individual tiny lengths of brass wire to one layer of uncured Liquid Polyclay. The leaves each received several coats of water-based varnish after them were cured and each coat was heat set. The tiny ladybugs are constructed from polyclay and liquid polyclay and then painted with acrylics. The chain is constructed from 6/0 and 8/0 lime green Czech glass beads.

Necklace featured in PolymerCAFE Magazine

 

Faux Rhodonite + Faux Chrysoprase Necklace from Polymer Clay

As I browsed through a “Fire Mountain Gems” catalog I was taken with the beauty of the gemstones Rhodonite and Chrysoprase.  I tried to recreate them in a faux version. The leaves, roses, and larger beads were all made from poly clay. The ladybugs were made from poly clay and acrylic paint.

Colour recipe:The faux chrysoprase is made from a formula containing  LOTS and LOTS of PREMO regular translucent  (not Frost, but the regular kind that plaques) with a tiny bit of green and and an even tinier bit of turquoise with some "inclusions" of frozen grated browns.  The Rhodonite is made from a formula containing  LOTS and LOTS of PREMO translucent with a  very small amount of alizarin crimson.

Valentine's Day Necklace from Polymer Clay

I wanted to capture the romanticism of the vintage Victorian Valentine’s Day cards I loved as a child. The white “collar” part was made from a very thin sheet of Kato Pearl poly clay and constructed in five individual pieces attached together with “articulated joints” so that it’s flexible and moves with the wearer rather than being stiff and bulky. It was impressed with a texture sheet made from a rubber stamped doily design. The leaves and roses were molded from PREMO poly clay and accented with gold “Rub ‘n Buff”. The edges of the doily were accented with a Krylon gold leafing pen. The collar was then loosely tacked (hand-sewn) to a backing made from sewn macramé cording to give it more strength. The ladybugs were made from PC and acrylic paint.

Cottonwood Leaf Necklace from Polymer Clay

We recently moved to Cottonwood, AZ and this is my tribute. Thin layers of a mix of Kato Liquid Polymer Clay, Pearl Ex and Genesis heat set oil paints were applied to cured PREMO poly clay leaves. Each layer is set individually with a crafter's heat gun. Veins are individual tiny lengths of 24-26 gauge brass wire laid onto 1st liquid PC layer. 4 coats of glossy Varathane were applied with a slightly moistened makeup sponge. Ladybugs are made made from PC and painted with acrylics.

For an updated post on this necklace when it was featured in "PolymerCafe" Magazine Cottonwood Leaf Necklace.

This shimmering and sunny necklace has been newly re-designed and is available for sale at my on-line shop
MelodyODesigns at ArtFire.  There will also be matching dangling pierced earrings available just as soon as the special surgical steel earwires I ordered arrive, sometime around July 2, 2012.

Sunflower Collar Necklace

I've always loved sunflowers. We used to grow many kinds in our garden and their sunny faces never fail to make me smile. I thought it would be fun to create a sunflower collar-type necklace that would make the wearer's face into the sunflower's "face".

The petals were made from PREMO poly clay using a mold for the veining I made from real flower petals. The cured petals were antiqued with acrylic paint to accent the veins and were attached to a base of hand-sewn macramé cord. The seeds were made from a PC cane. The ladybugs are made from PC and acrylic paint. 

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Sunflower Pendant Necklace