Nature Serves As Inspiration for Polymer Clay Cane and Jewelry

gioia fabbri::Photo Credit::Unsplash

I am taking an online class Polymer Clay Cane Design Boot Camp by artist Heather Powers.  The canes are made with polymer clay.  A cane is a log or cylinder of clay that has a design running through it.  Each slice of the cane - the cross-section - contains the design. Canes can be made of any design.  The cane can be round, square, triangular, or any other regular shape.  Our first cane is a flower cane which is made up of geometric patterns--triangles and circles.  We are learning how to take a single slice of the cane and decorate a bead with the veneer of slices.  This is a technique called "millefiori", which means "a thousand flowers". 

Photo Credit:Keith Misner:Unsplash

I will be thrilled to master those techniques, but the class is also designed to get us to think about how to go from a picture to a cane.   The first step is to find a simple geometric pattern. 

Photo Credit::Beto Galetto::Unsplash

Every image is simply a series of shapes and planes. You just need to learn how to decode those shapes and figure out how to make those shapes of clay in the form of a tube. 

Photo Credit::Tim Gouw::Unsplash

That is easy enough. Just step outside and look around. Nature is filled with inspiration. At the beach, there are the waves, sky, buildings, and even beach umbrellas.

Long Geometric Necklace by BayMoonDesign

This is an example of a polymer clay bead with a geometric pattern that I used in a necklace. I didn't make this bead, but I would love to be able to make beads like this one. Taking this class gives me appreciation for those who can make beads like this one.  Perhaps some day!

ABS June Monthly Challenge

"Literary Poster for the Century Magazine", 1896 by John Louis Rhead

and color palette

This month's amazing inspiration is June's "Literary Poster for Century Magazine" by John Louis Rhead.  This is a vintage poster from 1896 with an Art Nouveau feel. The rendering is in blue, yellow, orange, red and violet with image of a lady encapsulated by roses reading a book. 

In my design I emulated the curve linear designs and flowers. I mixed yellows, orange, browns, and blues.  I mixed textures of smooth enamel, chain, Irish waxed linen thread, bent wire.

Yellow Enamel Flowers from Melismatic Art Jewelry

My bright yellow floral bracelet started with one of the yellow enamel flowers by Melissa Merman of Melismatic Art Jewelry. It took a lot of thinking and experimenting to figure out how to attach it to a Vintaj floral component with an art nouveau look. I found a tiny button that is the perfect color and attached it to the frame of the component with orange Irish waxed linen thread. Another problem that I had to overcome was the choice of colors. I wanted to work in the blue, but I didn't want to use too much. Yellow is a problem for me also. I don't use it often and I don't have a large collection of beads in that color. I finally found what I thought would be the perfect mix of colors.

Bright Yellow Floral Bracelet by Bay Moon Design

I had some yellow and orange ceramic beads from OkawaHandmadeAfrican Beads and yellow Czech beads in my stash and I put them to use in this bracelet. I added some Vintaj natural brass chain to compliment the natural brass filigree flower.  The bracelet is available for purchase HERE.

We're All Ears: June Inspiration

[Photo credit :: Danielle MacInnes :: Unsplash]

For We're All Ears: June Inspiration we are using strawberries as our yummy theme.  This fruit is cultivated worldwide. Strawberries are appreciated for their characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and most of all for their sweetness. We consume this fruit in large quantities, either fresh or in prepared foods as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milkshakes, and chocolates. Artificial strawberry flavorings and aromas are also used in products like lip gloss, candy, hand sanitizers, perfume, and many others.

Strawberry earrings by BayMoonDesign

I couldn't resist buying the strawberry lampwork beads from Shufflestudio. They looked so real and luscious looking. The red and green beads have an organic, natural look to them. I added some brass leaves and vines to the beads. The ear wires are brass. They are perfect for summer especially for a trip to the farmer's market.  If you would like to buy them for a summer birthday gift, they are available at BayMoonDesign.

[Photo credit :: Christian Widell :: Unsplash]

For my next pair, I found some rustic ceramic strawberries made by JunqueJules.

Rustic Strawberry Earrings by BayMoonDesign

To these handmade ceramics I added green beads to the kidney wires. The ear wires are natural brass.  I think that they have a bohemian look to them.  They are available for purchase HERE.


With all this focus on strawberries, I finally gave into the temptation and made a strawberry trifle.  Here is the recipe that I used. 

AUNT DOLLY'S STRAWBERRY TRIFLE
1 yellow layer cake 1 large strawberry jello 1 vanilla pudding Strawberries fresh sliced or frozen sliced Cool Whip Crumble layer cake into a pretty glass bowl. Prepare jello using 1 3/4 cup water; pour jello over cake. Set 1 hour. Add 1/2 sliced strawberries, pour prepared pudding on first strawberry layer. Add remaining strawberries. Top with Cool Whip. Keep refrigerated.

                                                                   recipe from  http://cooks.com/6k3267nw

 I am sure you would enjoy the ease and taste.

 How do you like your strawberries?

The Go To Jewelry

                                       Modern Sea Shell Necklace by Baymoondesign

It is a good idea to wear your jewelry if you sell your jewelry.  I try to keep things simple in the summer so I picked 2 necklaces from my shop that will be my go to jewelry for this summer until they are sold.  My first necklace has a gorgeous lampwork sea shell by artist Marcy Lamberson.  

Off Duty On Trend by adduncan featuring a striped top

I paired the realistic looking glass seashell with silver beads, gray cultured sea glass beads, cream lampwork beads, and a lightweight aluminum chain to make a modern beach necklace.  This sea shell necklace is perfect for casual summer clothes.  I can wear this necklace with lots of off whites and beiges in my summer wardrobe.  The necklace works with shorts and slacks.

by BayMoonDesign

The shell necklace also works well with dresses.  It can be paired with summer gray, pink, off white dresses.

Summer Grey #2 by anja-173 featuring handbags purses

My next go to piece this summer is a blue and silver geometric lampwork necklace.  Once again the glass focal is by artist Marcy Lamberson.

                           Blue and Silver Geometric Lampwork Necklace by BayMoonDesign

Blue jeans are my go to style for the summer so I can show off Lamberson glass  focal and blue rings anytime I wear a pale blue or white top with my jeans.  

blue summer by juliehooper featuring a lace tank top

                                                   by BayMoonDesign

I paired the lampwork with black chain to give it a modern contemporary look. The necklace is very versatile.  It can also be worn with the LBD--little black dress.  

She is with me by fatal-poison-4-u featuring a nail polish

Both of these necklaces are available for purchase in my BayMoonDesignshop.   In the meantime, I am enjoying them as my go to jewelry for summer 2016. 

What are your favorite pieces of jewelry for the  summer?

Lessons Learned from Memorial Day Craft Fair Part 2

photo credit: Giles Lambert : Unsplash

My Delaware by Hand Memorial Day Show held at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, Delaware was the first time I used the newest and latest Square Reader for credit card payments. Prior to this I had used the Square app with the original Square magstripe reader which just allowed the swiping of cards without the card chips. I also got to use my newly upgraded iPhone. I used the new Square reader as a way to justify upgrading my Apple iPhone from a 4 to a 6. Both my new iPhone and the new Square turned out to be better than I anticipated. Both are very much improved, easy to use and worth the investment to me.

Square magstripe reader 

I was always very nervous about using the old Square magstripe reader.  It just never seemed to swipe well.  It usually took a bunch of swipes to work.  The new one works great.  Only one swipe needed.  I needed to use it because not everyone has the new cards with the chips, however, the majority of my customers had chips in their cards.  According to Square about 70% of consumers have chips.

Square device for mobile device payments or EMV chip cards

For me, the really scary device is pictured above.  It takes mobile device payments like Apple Pay, or EMV chip cards.  Now, being of an older generation I actually watched the tutorial that I found on the app several times.  There I learned that the cord that came with the devices is used to charge the powerful battery in this device pictured above.  The battery stayed charged the entire day.  

The reader connects wirelessly to iOS or Android phones.  Fortunately, I have experience with Bluetooth devices so this didn't seem to weird to me and I am familiar with the concept of sinking devices.  You can see the opening that the card fits into and stays until the transaction is completed.  I liked the idea of no swiping!  Now, on the top and center is a small design where you hold your iPhone or Android phone on top for contactless payments like with Apple Pay.  Not having used Apple Pay I was a little concerned that I would have a problem with that, but the tutorial made it look the easiest of all to do.  I thought some fancy city folks would be at the fair with Apple Pay, but not so.  This gives me some time to get up to speed on that.

I was glad I watched the tutorial because several vendors came to me asking how to get their new Square devices to work.  I felt very smart when able to help them.

I found it very true that the way we pay for things in the United States is shifting — pretty quickly.   I am happy to say that I am shifting along with it. More than 50% of my sales were with credit cards. I am sure if I did't accept credit cards my sales would be less.