ETI Blog Hop

Creating with interesting products can be challenging but it is always fun and interesting.  I have experimented with some of the products from ETI.

What I created used EasySculpt®, which is a epoxy sculpting clay from ETI.   I should note that I could have also used EnviroTex Jewelry Clay® with the same results.  Since I had not used the EasyScuplt® before this gave me the opportunity to learn how to work with this product.

Please read all the instructions that are included in the package.  When using any of these products that need to be mixed I always use latex gloves.

Once the clay was mixed well I began to create the pieces.  For the focal piece, I used a flexible mold. For the triangular pieces, the clay was rolled out on a silicone mat to approximately 1/8" thickness.  Using a texture sheet, press it onto the rolled clay to make the impression.  Use a metal clay cutter to form the pieces.  Use a toothpick or a piercing tool to form a hole near the top of each piece.
*NOTE: The clay can become sticky while working with it, and can stick to the gloves, molds, and other tools.  It is best to use either talc or vegetable oil to eliminate this issue.

Roll beads from the clay.  My beads are not perfectly round or the same size on purpose; I wanted them to have an organic look.  Immediately pierce them with a wire or piercing tool.  Make the hole large enough for stringing onto string or wire.
*NOTE: Coat a length of wire with vaseline and string the beads onto the wire till they dry.  Hang the wire between two cups or glasses so the beads do not flatten.  Twist them from time to time through the drying process.   

When all the clay pieces are hard they can be painted.  I gave them one coat of black acrylic paint.  The next color was a thinned coat of copper metallic. It was lightly brushed onto each of the pieces.  The last color was a metallic green that is very lightly brushed on for an accent.

I completed the necklace by adding some other accent beads along with all the pieces formed using the EasyScuplt® clay.

Materials

EasyScuplt®
Clay molds
Texture sheet
Acrylic paints: black, copper, metallic green
Beading wire
Jewelry tools
Jewelry findings, crimp beads, closures
Assorted coordinating beads
Ribbon

*** Today, February 25 there will be this ETI blog hop for Resin Crafts - check out all the posts for creative ideas.

Show Some Love

Start with this booklet filled with a nice variety of techniques and add some Fabric Elements™ by Rebekah Meier and you can end up with something fun and pretty to display in your home or give to a friend.

This burlap banner combines several techniques found in the booklet.  I used a number of the products in the Fabric Elemens™ collection developed by Rebekah for Fabric Editions.

Materials used for this project include - Burlap Banners, Pink Dot, Waffle Muslin, Wool Felt, Tissue Pack, Stencils and Lace Trims, plus paints and gel medium.

Designer Craft Connection - Show Some Love

February arrives and with it comes a special day to show and express LOVE.   Why not show it and express it every day!

There is an easel with a blackboard,  that I recently restyled from a plain wood finish with a crackle finish.  It is located near the front door in the entryway of the house.  It is the perfect addition to make a statement to anyone entering.

Recently I created a banner made from materials of the Fabric Elements™ line by Rebekah Meier and wanted to share it with everyone.

To make the hearts, I die-cut a base from white poster board.  After surface painting a white-on-white fabric and the waffle muslin fabric from the collection, they were also die-cut in the same size.  Two pieces of iron-on, fusible interfacing were cut to match and used to apply the fabrics to both sides of the poster board base.  (The decorative fabric on the front, waffle fabric on the back.)

The next layer was a smaller heart cut from batting and then trimmed with pinking shears around the edges.

The top layer is made using painted lutradur and finishing with stamped letters from Ann Butler's collection of stamps.  This heart shape is cut one size smaller than the batting layer.  This layer is sewn with a zig-zag stitch to the batting layer before being glued onto the larger hearts.

Decorative trim is glued to around each of the hearts.  Punch holes on the sides of each heart to add strips of fabric for tying them together and for end ties.