New Items finished - Finally!

Some days it is difficult to get focused but finally I've been able to finish off a few things for my Etsy shop. I'm having fun trying out new techniques so bear with me if my forthcoming designs don't always mesh together. What can I say? I like variety :o)

New Stuff

I've been busy making new stuff but not necessarily finishing them. Here are a few new things I'm uploading to Etsy. There are more steps involved in the resin pendants so I try to have many of them to finish at once.

Step 1: Make the faux-dichro veneers with clay, leaf and inks
Step 2: Condition the clay and make bases for pendants
Step 3: Apply the veneers to the bases
Step 4: Cure/bake pieces for 40min
Step 5: Cool then sand with 400, 600, 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper
Step 6: Buff pieces to a soft shine
Step 7: Prepare resin and apply it to the surface of pendants
Step 8: Wait 48 hrs until the resin hardens
Step 9: Resand with 800 and 1000 grit sandpaper to get off any unwanted resin residue
Step 10: Rebuff pendants and drill holes if needed
Step 11: String pendants and admire your hard work!

That doesn't include photographing, editing, writing descriptions, pricing and loading them up to Etsy!
Very time consuming but hopefully well worth it.

Let's Play!

I've never played around with alcohol inks and gold and silver leaf quite like this before and I've got to tell you, it is so much fun! I've done mokume gane with leaf before but for some reason hesitated to go any further...until now. Here are some examples of some (still tacky) pendants that I made last night using gold leaf, alcohol inks, sanded and then a generous topping of resin to give it that glass-like finish and voila!

I have made some blue and green with silver leaf and some hot pink and orange ones that are awaiting resin. I am so happy I gave myself permission and time to try new techniques.