Picture Pendants

The little Dremel - a dream

2010-11-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dremel Stylus 1100

It seems like I am always wanting to drill a hole in something. When you make all kinds of jewelry, it is inevitable. A hole in the polymer clay for the eyepin, starting the hole for a tiny screw in the wood pendant, always something.

But the tools my dad left me were way too big and too heavy, and doing stuff with an ice pick is dangerous.

Then I discovered the Dremel Stylus 1100. Take a look at this little guy. An artisan's dream. They are correct about it fitting in your hand and holding its charge. There's even a little sander tool, which comes in handy real often.

So now the eyepins are easy to insert, the starter holes are simple to do, and the tool is so lightweight it doesn't bother my fibromyalgia. Yay!

Picture This

2010-10-12T06:14:00.000-06:00

Getting the right picture for a pendant or pair of earrings can sometimes be frustrating. In order to get started, I open several pictures for ideas in Photoshop. Then I create a new file for my own image. But a lot of times, I just don't know how to get the effects I want.

There are a bunch of tutorial websites for Photoshop, as well as websites that offer free brushes. I have been doing this for years and I still find something new.

Check out http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/photoshop/1 or http://mediadesigner.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=19756.

Into any search engine you can type "tutorial photoshop" or "photoshop hair". Just replace the word "hair" with the thing you are trying to create.

Here's a great tutorial showing how to change Tom Cruise into an avatar. http://www.photoshoplady.com/tutorial/awesome-avatar-transformation-using-photoshop/2661. That particular one offers a free pair of ears.

Between the idea pictures and the Photoshop tutorials, after a while I can usually get the results I am after.

Making Picture Pendants - Super Glue

2010-10-04T05:34:00.000-06:00

I have used Super Glue, in one fashion or another, since I started making picture pendants and earrings. It is a pain in the butt to use. I finally started using Loctite's Super Glue Gel to reduce the "getting it all over the place" syndrome. It is thicker and comes out slower. Well, except at the very first, then it shoots out of there like water out of a fountain. After the first couple of tries, it settles down and comes out at a decent rate.

Someday, I hope to find a glue that goes on evenly, doesn't frost as it dries, and only sticks to jewelry pieces instead of everything else. Ah, the search continues.

Looking for pendant dishes

2010-10-03T06:11:00.000-06:00

I create pictures digitally. I love doing this. Best job in the world, bar none. But how to turn them into jewelry without spending a ton of money or a ton of time is a challenge. I tried the polymer clay route. With many different versions of transfers. I liked Fimo the best. Well, that is before they changed the recipe. After that, I couldn't get anything to work right. So I moved on.

I tried putting the pictures on wood. Eh.

Then I tried creating my own bezel (pendant dish, pendant blank, some place to put a picture on jewelry) and having it manufactured. It was an interesting process. I was tired of it when I was done. But now I think I have found a good combination. Pretty, fairly lightweight, affordable, and did I mention, pretty. How long I will stick with this type of picture jewelry I do not know. But I really like the product this time, soo.....

Unique Pendants and Earrings

2010-05-06T05:25:00.000-06:00

There is a new website selling unique pendants and earrings. This picture jewelry is made for someone who doesn't want to run into a friend or coworker wearing the same thing.

This is for people who want to stand out, get noticed, and get compliments!

Take a look: www.classywares.com

Bags by Chilli - wow!

2009-05-12T08:14:00.000-06:00

I just found www.bagsbychilli.com and wow! What a great idea for a photo or a graphic image. This is a really cool trend.

I'm thinking a person could even put together a picture collage using Corel or Photoshop. You could portay your whole life, show your future, or convey an opinion. I'm trying to decide; ragdoll kitties or labradors and dachshunds. Hmm, so many choices. Ooh, an advertisement for a business would go a long way also. You plop your purse up on the counter to pay and the cashier says, "Oh, I've been wanting to find a new Avon lady."

You even get to choose the liner color and the leather color. Pricey, so choose your colors and your picture carefully. Might be wearing it for a looonnnggg time.

Making Picture Pendant Jewelry

2009-05-09T04:25:00.000-06:00

I added a polymer clay frame to this pendant, along with a Swarovsky crystal pearl and a little bead cap. Now days, I usually add a jump ring as well, so a chain or cord can slide right through.

It's important to match the color of the crystals, beads, and eye pins to the colors in the picture. Otherwise the whole piece looks "slammed together" instead of created together.

A bead or charm can be added at the bottom also by very carefully drilling a hole in the clay along the bottom and attaching an eye pin. Open the eye pin gently just enough to insert the loop of the charm and then close it again so it can't slip out.

In order to get the pieces color coordinated beforehand, I lay them out on my workbench in the order of attachment. That way I can try out different crystals, beads, eye pin, and the chain or cord colors before putting them all together. There are less oops with this method. Plus, I usually come up with more ideas for future pieces while I am picking out the pieces for the one I am working on.

A word about Swarovsky crystals and pearls: wonderful! The shine and sparkle is like no other. It adds class to whatever polymer clay jewelry you are creating. It can get pricey though. I usually get mine from http://www.artbeads.com/ - I like their product quality, free shipping, and quick mailing.

Eye pins I usually get from http://www.craftsetc.com/ - I like the kind with a big "eye". Just easier to work with, but harder to find. It's best not to work the eye pin too much. Or perhaps I should say not more than once. Opening and closing the eye, weakens it. It is best to just open the eye a wee bit and close it gently with needle nose pliers after the charm is inserted. Some jewelry makers use the plastic coated pliers, but I prefer the needle nose pliers.

So, jazz up that picture pendant jewelry with crystals, pearls, and bead caps. The extra work involved pays off and you'll be glad you did!

A Tip on Sealants for Polymer Clay Jewelry

2009-05-07T04:29:00.000-06:00

Polymer clay jewelry usually needs to be sealed. Some people leave it natural, but I have found that dirt and oil from a person's skin gets into the tiny crevices of the clay over time. Cleaning it with an abrasive or bleach will fade the colors of the pendant.

Sealing polymer clay is quite interesting. Some varnishes can turn sticky after a period of time, some remain durable, some just never seem to dry. Since I use Fimo Soft polymer clay, I use Varathane varnish, the gloss kind, as a sealant. It is hard to find it, but usually Home Depot carries it. You can find it online also, but I have found it too be expensive because of the cost of shipping.

There is a great forum on the Yahoo groups called Clay - Polymer. If you look through their archives for the brand of clay you use, you will find info about different sealants and the pros and cons.

It pays to research it. The wrong type of sealant can ruin a piece. I once created a giraffe laying down in a garden. It took a long time to create it and I was quite pleased with it when it was finished. I used some leftover varnish - don't even remember the name of it. The stickiness was amazing and everlasting. Finally, deciding that the piece was ruined anyway, I washed it thoroughly with Dawn dish soap. It did take the stickiness off, along with a few flowers. The flowers weren't missed and after several washings the giraffe felt smooth to the touch. Since it wasn't jewelry I left it natural.

Check out what sealant works for your brand of polymer clay and follow the manufacturers directions about having plenty of ventilation and letting it dry sufficiently.

Happy sealing!

Using Your own Image for a Pendant

2009-05-06T05:45:00.000-06:00

In the beginning, I started making picture pendants out of polymer clay and t-shirt transfers. Looking back on it, I should have used a lighter background and a better picture. I used Hewlett Packard’s transfer sheets, a Hewlett Packard four in one printer, and an iron. I did get a picture successfully inked onto the clay.

But the picture was a bit hard to see and I wasn’t sure what to do with it after I was finished. Now, I have a better process for using transfer sheets and polymer clay for picture pendants.

First, use white or very light polymer clay. All the brands of polymer clay I’ve used work with this same process, only the baking temperatures vary. Form the shape of the pendant you want. Then stick an eye pin in the top center part for a loop.

Second, make sure your picture is clear, bright, and has good contrast especially around the edges. You want the picture to be the same size as the clay pendant. In order to get it sized right, you can shrink or enlarge it on the four in one printer or a copier. When it is the right size, print it out on the transfer sheet. Cut out the picture leaving an edge around it. It is also good to leave a little “tab” sticking out to peel the transfer sheet off the clay.

Third, warm up your iron. This is a little tricky. You don’t want to exceed the baking temperature of the clay, but you need it hot enough to process the transfer sheet. I used a medium heat. Make sure you have good ventilation in the room and you follow all the safety precautions for using an iron.

Fourth, place the clay on a flat pan. Play the picture, ink side down, on the clay. Make sure the picture is centered. Then rest the iron on the top of the paper. I moved it around gently and slowly for about 44 - 50 seconds. Carefully peek at the clay by lifting the tab a bit. Judging by the quality of the picture transferred onto the clay, you can tell if you need to apply a bit more heat or if it is done.

Now bake the clay pendant in the oven according to the manufacturer’s directions. Let it cool. Pull the eye pin out and glue it in with super glue. I like to use Loctite’s Super Glue with Gel Control. It is easier to get where you want it. You can put a crystal, bead, and or bead cap on the eye pin before gluing it into the clay for extra bling.

For more protection, apply some Varathane varnish to the clay. Let dry between coats. I apply 2 or 3 coats for maximum shine.

Voila, a unique and beautiful picture pendant in the size and color you desire!

Cozy & Jay Leno

2007-06-05T07:27:00.000-06:00

My big ragdoll kitty, Cozy, decided that she loved Jay Leno. She has taken to sitting on top of the television in my bedroom. Last night as I watched the news, she was settling in. Occasionally, I would see a leg or the tail droop down across the screen as she got comfortable. Finally she folded up like a loaf of bread with her tail wrapped around her.

Shortly, Jay Leno's Tonight Show started. Cozy peered down from the top of the television with her paws on the edge and her sylvester-like jowls of fur hanging over. She was enthralled with him and his jokes. But, it was when the headline segment started that she truly fell for him. She reached a chubby paw down over and over to caress his face as he talked. I suspect it may have been some of that animal hunting instinct surfacing and him being the only part of the screen that was moving. But we won't tell her that, she thinks she's human.

Wow our own blog! - Wahoo

2007-06-02T09:18:00.000-06:00

This is the blog that Lynnita and Lorraine started. Our business is twofold: primarily books & hand-crafted pendants and beads. We are 2 sisters, author & artisan. Lynn has 5 published books, 2 caregiving & 3 adventure books including Break Free. Lorraine crafts pendants from polymer clay & Swarovski crystals.

We began our online selling business several years ago, first selling books then branching out into stuff cluttering our homes that we wanted to get rid of. We discovered Lorraine had a talent in creating beautiful things with polymer clay and realized that other people would find them interesting.

Lynnita Mattock penned 2 caregiving books during the time we were taking care of our elderly parents. When Our Parents Need Us: Caring for Aging Parents is a true story about the two of us caring for our stubborn father who had a terminal illness. When Our Parents Live with Us: Remembering the Sweetness is another true tale about caring for our elderly mother, juggling several households, a new business and unexpected crises. Break Free is an adventure book about a woman attacked by a mountain lion. Silent Flight, Devoted Pursuit is another adventure about two sisters searching for their missing aunt. Abductee is an action book about a woman kidnapped by a group of extremists wanting to change the world one person at a time. All of Lynnita’s books are fast-paced and exciting to read. One reader said she woke up in the middle of the night to finish Break Free because she couldn’t stop thinking about it. A young sophomore who didn’t like reading read one of her books all the way through.

Lorraine creates wonderful pendants out of polymer clay. She spends hours designing and forming the pendants into delightful pieces customers love. She has received rave reviews for her efforts and loves working on these beautiful creations. But don’t ask her how she does it because she is quite secretive about the whole process! Even her sister doesn’t know the details. Her pendants can be used as necklaces, earrings, decorations for packages, backpacks, gym bags, purses and cell phones or they can be added to vintage collections. Way back, we’re talking decades here, she dabbled in the arts. Then she veered over for 27 years into a technical Fortune 500 company role, but now she’s back delving into the world of creativity again. We’re happy to have her back!