The Glories of Raku

Velvet Plum Wine

This is the first piece I have ever done with raku pottery. This is a button by Duane Collins. I couldn't believe the depth and iridescence of the finish when I got it, it's phenomenal. It's like layers and layers of glass, plus pearlescence. It also reminds me of a shimmery, deep-pile velvet. I love the deep colors in this one--plum, merlot wine, a little violet, even a flash of intense, earthy red. I had my hoard of pearls from Fire Mountain Gems, and the "copper peacock" stick pearls were like nature's version of this raku, so I had to put them together. I added a splash of garnets, and of course antiqued copper. I love how moody and luxe this is at the same time. I have two more raku focals and I can't wait to use them! One is a more subtle, jammy color, and the other has a more urban feel with a copper/red fire.

A real pleasure to design around! This is available in my Etsy shop.

The Cat is Out of the Bag

I think I can share this with you now because I saw it on the Interweave site.

Ta-Da!!!

My turquoise disc necklace is on the cover of the Oct/Nov issue of Step by Step Wire! They even spelled my name right. I think I have finally overcome High School.

My Favorite Things

I love this stoneware button by Beadfreaky--I have three more and can't wait to use them! LOVE the colors--cinnamon and oatmeal! I went crazy and combined it with beads in my other favorite colors--cayenne, cafe au lait, nutmeg, pumpkin pie, saffron, mustard, persimmon...And a little bit of cinnamon silk ribbon.

Tree of Life

Makes me want to be a readhead.

Tree of Life

I put this little bracelet together yesterday with one of my new ceramic buttons from Beadfreaky. I just love the rich colors in the button! It's a great size for a focal, about 1 and 1/8". Copper seemed to be the thing, and I did my new technique with a repeating S-shape in copper wire underneath. I attached a few beige glass spacers and a couple roundels of brecciated jasper too. Silk string in cinnamon and deerskin lacing in buckskin finish up the bracelet, along with one of my toggle clasps.

Not having a lot of luck finding nice flat, disc beads so I think I'm going to have to go the button route a lot more. Woo hoo! I love me some buttons.

Oh wow, somebody just bought this. But you can see it in my sold items section in my Etsy shop!

These Buttons Are Really Pushing My Buttons

My "Buy Now" button!! I must have these.

Cindy Lougee has opened a new Etsy shop---CalDESIGNNaturals "Bits 'n Pieces", and is stocking it with the most fabulous bronze and silver buttons. They are scrumptious! I'm all about buttons these days, and when she told me she was planning to start making some buttons in bronze I thought HURRY!!!! Because I just realized I need them. Just now when you told me you were going to make them. I need them.

Check out the rich patina on these tasty little morsels!!

Round buttons--look at the color!!

Leaf buttons

Triangle buttons

And check out this already-sold (DANG) sweetness:

Flower buttons!--I'm loving these

Fine silver leaf buttons

Fine silver square buttons--are those not cool?

Aren't they gorgeous? Think of the design possibilities...Go to her Facebook fan page and beg her to make more!! I am.

My First Button

I've been intrigued by buttons in jewelry for quite a while, but had been putting off designing anything around a button.  Well, I was finally forced to use my first button last week out of sheer necessity--the eventual wearer is very sensitive to metals, and the buyer and I settled on a button and loop closure in lieu of a traditional clasp to avoid as much irritation as possible.

I found this sweet little resin shank button in brown and oatmeal in the shape of a poppy at the local knitting store--even the shank was plastic so there's no metal at all in it. I created the loop from glass tile beads in peridot.  The necklace is strung on two different gauges of brown silk cord. I hid tiny little silver daisy spacers deep between the wood wheel beads where they won't touch the wearer's skin, but they add just a little bit of shine. 

The beads include ice flake quartz in olive green, porcelain in olive and black, amber, glass tile beads in peridot and a soft whiskey color, tiny glass seed beads in a matte cocoa finish, and lots of wood. I like it best twisted a little.

It was a little challenging to make; I thought half a card per strand would be enough (1 meter) but the knots took up a lot more length than I expected and I had to add a length of thread to one of the strands about 3/4 through to finish it off.  (It's about 19" long). Worked out fine, but I had to do some engineering.  Changed my mind twice about three or four strands, and eventually settled on four.  Phew.  I was nervous because you can't really undo those knots without wrecking the thread, and once you're started, you're committed.  The only way to change your mind is to cut it up and start over.  I'm kind of surprised I didn't have to do that!!  Lesson I learned: if you put enough crap in it, it'll look fine no matter what.  The buyer loved it, hopefully her birthday-girl friend will love it too!

I really want to do another piece like this with another button--I have an idea percolating, inspired by our stormy, glowering lilac-charcoal skies and the vivid trees with their tiny, brand new lime green leaves.  Might have to do some button shopping.

Every Day

is Bead Porn Day at The Cerebral Dilettante. Because I'm just not that organized.

Today is devoted to Pewter Porn.

I stopped by the knitting shop (finally) to pick up some pewter buttons because Erin Prais-Hintz dared me to use a button in something. (Because I mentioned I really needed to learn how to use buttons). FINE. Here they are:



No, they're not terribly button-like. I'm starting out slow with the button thing.

And I got another dang email from Happy Mango Beads about another one of their silly pewter sales so I had to buy these pewter totem beads:



Pictured clockwise from upper left are an owl (upside-down, sorry), an orca (also upside-down), a frog, a raven (again, upside-down), a salmon and another salmon (both naturally upside-down), and two suns in the middle. I'm thinking a bracelet or two, maybe some simple knotted necklaces. Not sure I will be able to resist the impulse of turning the two suns into earrings. Really heavy earrings.