Bottle cap beads - Yum!

Thanks to Linda Augsburg, senior editor—online for BeadStyle magazine I have a new love. In a recent Ornament Thursday project, Linda had a design using wonderful Bottle cap beads from Glass Garden Beads. These are cute one of a kind beads made from recycled bottle caps. They are puffy and hang from a hole that runs top to bottom.

They're priced at a very reasonable $8 each so they make a great focal bead for a project. You'll want to head there and grab some.. you can get them in all sorts of flavours - my fave? Cherry Crush and Grape Crush is a close second.. I know Michelle is salivating over Diet Pepsi!

Independence and Ornament Thursday

The house is full of plaster hands in various positions and colours but my real hand is unstuck in time for this month's Ornament Thursday!

This pendant is called Independence from Race and Religion. I've sculpted a woman's face and used bits from Krafty Lady Art Moulds. Her cheeks and hair are from parts of a key and keyhole mould. Kristine, the Krafty Lady herself, has a quality product that is wonderful to use. I've not found a medium yet that can't be used in her moulds... Friendly Plastic, Premo, Fimo and Kato clays, plaster, wax, Magic Mud, hot glue.... but I digress. (sorry)

Originally the woman in this pendant started as pink clay and African American features. I wanted to see what oil paint did to clay so now she's nicely aged and has a lovely glow about her... but she's not so pink. The reverse is backfilled with textured black clay (thanks Lynne!) and has a brass tube running down the length to hold her weight (thanks Tommie!)

Here is what the other OT members have been up to this month:

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Craft some red, white, and blue drink charms from vintage wartime posters. They’ll make a big bang at your 4th of July cookout!

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Celebrate the Independent Spirit

Hurray for Red, White and Blue
Lisa takes a shot at teeny tiny beads for a change

Strands of Beads
Melissa sees stars this month while considering the meaning of independence

Ornament Thursday, it's only a week away

Ornament Thursday's Independence theme gets its launch next Thursday. We'll be unveiling our own take on Independence. Helen (albeit that she's an Aussie) has gone all Red, White and Blue and Michelle has a very different take on what independence is to her. Armed with clay and tools, she has a beautiful piece to ponder just what independence is all about.

Till next week...

HB

Ornament Thursday and the insects are out!

This month's insectia inspiration came from a class which I attended recently with Christi Friesen. Christi does some great things combining pearls and bakeable jewels with polymer clay. I created this leaf design using some green clay left over from a caning project. Attached to the leaves is a snake of clay, and in the curves and down one edge of the large leaf I wired small freshwater pearls into the clay. The ladybug – insectia! - is a small dot of red clay with black accents. I don’t think that leaves are ever quite complete without at least one ladybug attached.

The completed project can be finished with a pin back and used as a broach or, better still, a simple hanging mechanism can be added so it can be affixed to a necklace of polymer clay beads and pearls. HB




Michelle has been busy this month too. I snuck a look at her project and here it is. Nothing from her yet explaining her work – probably because she is wrist deep in a milk carton full of Mix and Mold molding compound. She's casting hands for a fun Halloween project. Hopefully her hand gets out in time for her to eat dinner!

If you're curious to see what other ornament Thursday artists are up to this month, click the links below to check out their wonderful work:


Art Bead Scene
Dragonflies are all the rage, art beads & brass combine in a 1920's inspired necklace.

Beading Help Web's DragonFly Anklet
Make this cute anklet for summer in just minutes!

Linda at Make It Mine magazine
Make your own dragonfly top--check out the instructions and video!

Savvy Crafter-
See some cute as a bug pins over on Candie's blog....

Humblebeads
Flying to a fashionable ear near you, a free project from Humblebeads.

Hali Chambers

Katie's Beading Blog
Make a fun little winged thing from a handful of wire and beads.

Swelldesigner
You'll get butterflies when you see this summer-inspired necklace with butterfly pendant

fromichelle
Insectica

Ornament Thursday redefines motherhood

Ornament Thursday again! Feels like it was just a month ago.

This month’s theme is motherhood. I had fun making this pin. It’s made from cane pieces made out of Kato Polyclay. Tiger lilies have kids too (sort of). I made the cane parts and before assembling it into a flower cane, I cut off some individual petal slices and made a 3D flower and bud.

An eye pin and some chain hooks the bud to the pin, much like I was hooked to my mother’s skirts when I was just a bud. MZ

Hop over to Ornament Thursday to see what everyone else has been up to this month.

5 Generations of Mothers
Hali's first attempt at an altered book featuring family photos of great grandmother down to her niece.

Art Bead Scene
Add art beads to needle-felted flowers for the perfect Mother's Day corsage.

Candie Cooper
See a sweet project that Candie and her mom made together.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Celebrating Mother Earth with a ceramic pendant tutorial

Katie's Beading Blog
Make this easy talisman for new moms or moms-to-be

Linda at Make It Mine magazine
Quilts inspired by Mom's Mom

Modern Glass Link Earrings
Modern Glass Links for the Mom who's a classic!

Strands of Beads
Melissa and the Short One celebrate motherhood with a little origami

The Swell Life - Swelldesigner's blog
Make this cool and colorful buckle inspired by the iconic "MOM" tattoo

UR Charmed Mother's Necklace
Easy to make and personalize necklace for Mom or Grandma!

Mommy-isms by Michelle

Ornament Thursday..

It's nearly OT time again and this month the topic is motherhood. Michelle has come up with a great project .. it's totally yummy and here's a preview of it.

check back on the 24th to see it in all its glory. HB