Handcrafted Jewelry

These two photos show examples of my handcrafted jewelry. The top picture is of a necklace made of polymer clay beads and copper wire. Polymer clay has to be conditioned before it can be shaped. Then the bits of colored clay are mixed to create the desired pallette and through various techniques of combining the colors and shapes, and baking them, incredible designs are created. Inclusions, and embossing powders can be added. Designs can be stamped into the clay. Sanding, polishing and sealing complete the process.

The bottom photo shows a shrink plastic necklace. A special plastic sheet is stamped with my original handcrafted rubber stamps, then color is added with inks or chalks. I cut the designs apart and heat them. They shrink to about 30 % of their original size. It's really fun to watch the pieces transform in the shrinking process. They curl up and look like they're about to die, but just when they're on the brink, they straighten out like a yogi in shavasana and just lie there in the toaster oven until you come to retrieve them. The design and colors intensify. More color may be added after heating. Sometimes I use sanding to distress the finish and fixative to preserve the piece if the materials used warrant it.