Like I wrote yesterday, today's reveal is going to be focused around polymer clay pendants--and the necklaces that I made with them. There are four of them that I want to share.
Also, as a sidenote, these were all inspired by this tutorial over at Fire Mountain Gems. The tutorial itself is by Christi Friesen--and if I'm honest, it partially inspired this month's polymer clay challenge. It was featured on my Facebook near the beginning of the month, and I just had to try my hand at it.
So, without further ado... Here are the pendants (and necklaces) that I made!
Necklace #1
Look familiar? This was a possible inspiration that I posted in this challenge's introductory post. The diamond-shaped beads are marble (I think), and I picked out matching pearls and crystals to go with them.
A bit of experimentation with these materials led to the creation of a pendant and some beads...
...which were then used to make this necklace:
It's messy. The color of the clay is ridiculously close to the color of the marble. I dropped it and had to glue one of the tendrils back in place.
...And I'm ridiculously proud of it.
This was, in fact, the first polymer clay piece I made for this challenge. (The leftover clay bits were used to make the feather necklace featured in my previous entry.)
It's also the piece that gave me the courage--and desire--to keep going. After all, there really are some fantastically creative people who use polymer clay to make beautiful things... and, truth be told, it's rather intimidating.
But, for all its flaws, this necklace speaks of learning and potential.
...And so I kept going.
Necklace #2
After the success of the first pendant, I gathered up some additional stone focals. In particular, the mottled blue-and-white oval caught my attention. (I'm pretty sure it's sodalite, but don't quote me on that.) It has a slight yellow tint to it, which made me pull out some clay in the shade of antique gold/brass.
After some playing around, I once again made a pendant and some matching beads... Which I used to assemble this necklace:
The blue beads are Czech glass, and I paired it all with brass. The construction is pretty straightforward... chain attached to wire-wrapped links, attached to the pendant.
At some point, I may add a clasp... but, it's long enough that it honestly doesn't need it. In fact, it looks a little bit like some sort of medallion from a fantasy novel... I wonder what kind of story I'll come up with to go along with it.
All of the clay has been coated in varnish, for luster and protection. From here, my confidence continued to grow, and--you guessed it--I kept going.
Necklace #3
Ah, yes, I've shared this picture before. As soon as I laid eyes on that large gear, I knew that I wanted to try making a pendant out of it.
In fact, I had an entire necklace idea in mind... And, well, here it is--pretty much exactly as I pictured it:
I made the pendant and the matching beads, which I then paired with garnet, crystal, leather, and an array of different metals. The toggle clasp is on the side, mirroring the open gear on the other side.
Only the outside of the pendant has been coated with varnish... I left the rest of it unfinished, to make it feel like you were peering inside at its inner workings.
I am honestly very, very pleased with this necklace. There are still parts of the pendant that I wish I could tweak--and, trust me, I realize it's not perfect. But there is something very satisfying about bringing a vision into reality... And this piece is definitely no exception.
Necklace #4
This last pendant and necklace combination is perhaps my favorite--and not just because the main colors are purple and blue (two of my favorites!).
Indeed, I think it shows how much my skills improved, even over the course of a few weeks:
...And, what can I say--the necklace has a tassel!
And not just any tassel... one that I made using my new seed bead tassel-making skills. :)
About the pendant itself: the main foundation is a magnesite focal dyed the color of lapis. The clay is a mixture of purple and silver, and is augmented with Czech glass and crystal beads (which are also featured in the tassel and the chain, along with pearls and matching glass).
The whole pendant has been coated with varnish, to add an extra sheen--and to match the general luster of the rest of the necklace. Some fingerprints are still visible, but hopefully they add to the texture of the piece. :)
...And I really am pleased with it. To go from being intimidated by polymer clay, to actually being able to make something like this... there's hope for me yet! :)
So, there you go! Those are the four pendants--and corresponding necklaces--that I made for this challenge.
And now, there is one more reveal to go! I'll try to get it posted tomorrow--but I'm not going to make any promises. I will make sure that it's posted before the end of the month, though. After all, I have some pretty neat things to show.
Thanks so much for stopping by to see what I made... Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
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For Part 1 of this challenge, keep scrolling or click here.
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