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The POLYMER CLAY millefiori
cane beads on
this page are hand-shaped and finished, in a process that takes
a minimum of two days to complete. Most of the complex designs here
involve several layers of cane, of which I generally form a sheet
and apply in strips to raw clay base beads. The beads are then shaped,
pierced, heat-cured,
sanded, buffed,
sealed with a clear
acrylic finish to preserve their gloss, and buffed
again to bring out the depth of the design. (You can click the
process words to see what that stage looks like.) Many of the images
can be clicked for an enlarged view.
Unless otherwise
noted, bead holes are small, like those in gemstone beads, as the
beads are formed on a 24-gauge (= 1/50") mandrel.
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(last updated late July 2005)
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WILDFLOWERS.
Inspired by nature, and some eyecandy posted on rec.crafts.beads,
two translucent blue ovals (10mm x 15mm) with wildflowers scattered
about. $7.
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HOLLOW BARREL.
Light as a feather, even though it measures 10mm x 28mm. $4.
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| DAISY,
DAISY. A pair of 7mm black and white daisies on a pink core, with
translucent pink glass spacers. $4. |
TURQUOISE
SPOTS. I never get tired of this combination: turquoise, silver, and
ivory. Realized here as a 13x29mm focal and two 8mm rounds. With four
matte black glass spacers, $8. |
RUBY
TUBES DAY. I made these seven glassy 14mm tubes for a special order
before I remembered that I didn't have a deposit or a contact number.
They have large holes (2mm) because they were going to be strung on
cord for eyeglasses keepers. Only $7. |
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| GILDED
FLORAL MIST. A dozen 6mm pink floral beads with a misty gold overlay
(detail), $24. |
CALYPSO.
Colors of the caribbean with a silvery glitter. Four 8mm rounds with
five translucent blue glass spacers, $8. |
SILVER
GLITTER. Seven 9mm rounds, with translucent peach spacers. $12. |
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| FAUX
RED DICHRO. A pair of 8mm rounds with dichroic-appearing micro-glitter.
$4. |
OPTICAL
ILLUSION. These two beads are actually tetrahedrons, with 8mm x 15mm
teardrop-shape faces showing black with composition gold leaf and
silver with composition silver leaf. $4. |
SAPPHIRE
AND PLATINUM. These large (24mm x 54mm) dangles with Sterling silver
hardware are styled after a Van Cleef and Arpels design from half
a century ago. $7. |
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| KIMONO
SILK pendants, 55mm x 18mm, with 14mm x 8mm oval cut-out topped by
a hole for attaching a dangle. Gold-filled figure-8 wire loop at top.
$7. |
CALLA
LILY pendants. Two 27mm x 20mm apricot calla lilies with rainbow moonstone
centers and freshwater pearl bases. Sterling silver loop and headpin.
$10 for this pair. More calla lilies... |
BLACK
FLORAL TUBES. Four 6mm x 12mm tubes with a pink floral design. Green
glass spacers included. $4.50. |
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NEW!
CLASPS. Bayonet clasps in every color of the rainbow, and then
some. Easy to open, click closed, 10mm. Just $4 each. Available
in both goldplated and silverplated. More
clasps...
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GEM TONES.
"Jewel tones" doesn't begin to describe these 9mm beads,
which swirl the colors of lapis, rhodocrosite, and peridot. Ten
beads, dripping gold, $20.
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AND NOW FOR
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: eye beads. I'm going to plead
complete ignorance of the mystique of this motif, but I was motivated
by the challenge of making an eye, and having, as yet, no cause
to try a face cane. From left, front and rear views of Rainforest
Eye bead, Turquoise Spiral Eye bead, and Gold and Silver Eye bead.
Three 15mm beads (2mm holes), $4 each.
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| LAVENDER
BLUE, DILLY-DILLY, LAVENDER GREEN. My mother used to sing me a nursery
rhyme with those words, which I never understood. These misty 11mm
beads are periwinkle blue with green and gold (appropriate, I suppose,
because the rest of the verse is: When I am king, Dilly-dilly, you
will be queen). Eleven beads, $22 |
FAUX
MOUKAITE. Two humongous cabochon beads (29 x 40mm and 31 x 51mm).
$4 each. I saw some large moukaite beads in a catalog, and they
were these misty shades of opaque lavender with yellow ochre accents,
and I ordered them. When they came, they were an almost uniform
color somewhere between burgundy and dark chocolate. So I decided
to roll my own. The holes in these run lengthwise; they make great
pendants.
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DUSKY TWIST.
Eight beads with twisted stripes of oxidized silver, copper, blue
and pearl (detail),
ranging from 5mm rounds to 6 x 23mm. $16, glass spacers included.
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| DARK
SIDE OF THE MOON. Each of these beads has a dark side (think caramel
swirled with pearl sauce) and a light side (pearly violet and lavender).
Intricate all-over cloissonne-like pattern. Ten 11mm beads, $20. |
MIAMI
BEACH. Five substantial (10mm x 20mm) ovals in luscious tropical turquoise,
coral and ivory. Small holes, $10. |
MIDNIGHT
GARDEN. Eleven super glassy black glitter barrel beads (7.5mm x 10mm)
with orchid-colored wildflowers (detail).
$22, including black glass spacer beads. |
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| CRISP
Crisp primrose and navy stripes (or maize and blue, if you're of that
persuasion) on a bright white background, 7mm x 18mm. $4. |
DARK
WOOD GRAIN beads, nine of them. Silky smooth 20-22mm x 4-5mm ovals,
$18. (Be sure to check
the detail.) |
JACOB'S
CATTLE BEADS. Don't they look like Jacob's Cattle beans? Fifteen beads,
4mm x 12mm (approx.) of milky white and brilliant gold, with a silky
smooth finish. $15 |
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| FIRE
AND ICE. Seven 11-12mm opaque beads, with a finish so glossy it reflects
the lights. $14. |
HEAVENLY
SHADES OF BLUE. Thirty-nine beads, 4-5mm x 10-14mm. Three shades of
blue. All with an extraordinarily silky touch.Twenty-one and a half
inches of beads, $39. |
SOPHISTICATED
NEUTRALS Nine little tubes, in shades of silver, black, white, and
antique gold, 6mm x 4mm. They will make elegant little spacers. $9. |
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| BLACK
GLITTER. Embedded multi-tonal leaf and a multi-stage finishing process
give these nine tapered tubes a look and touch you'll swear is glass,
until you pick them up. 4-5mm x 10-15mm, $9. |
TURQUOISE
SPIRAL beads. Silky tube beads with a dark coppery background. These
colors look terrific with Sterling silver. Eight 5mm x 14mm beads,
plus glass spacers. SOLD ($16.) |
GOLD EMBROIDERY.
Five tapered barrels that remind me of kimono silk with gold embroidery,
6mm x 20mm, plus two 6mm rounds, 6 matte black glass spacers. $14.
NO LONGER AVAILABLE--these are part of a necklace
I had to keep for myself.
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| RED.
Four silky red tubes, 5mm x 22mm, with six matching 4mm rounds. $14. |
PURPLE
LEOPARD LACE. Two 9mm rounds. $4. |
PEARL
SHELL. Seven silky 5mm tubes the color of the inside of a sea shell,
most 12mm long. $7. |
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| GLITTERY
BARGAIN Six 18mm black beads shimmering with red composition leaf.
Only $6! |
SHELLIE
BEADS. Six pearly white and coral red beads, 5mm x 7mm. $6. |
TINY
FILIGRANA WREATHS. A pair of antique gold rounds wreathed in black
and white filigrana twisties, 9mm. $4. |
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INTRICATE
MYSTERY. A little pendant, 14mm x 16mm; many colors spiraling together
over a translucent base give it incredible depth, like peering into
a medieval stained glass window. $3.50 |
COBALT
TRIANGLES Seven perfect little cobalt blue triangles, 3/4" on
a side, with 9 gold-plated spacers (only 7 visible, I know). $7. |
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| MISTY
RIBBONS. Gauzy ribbons of black and red dance over a mauve base in
this pair of 10mm x 14mm ovals. $4.
Similar smaller set available, same price. |
FAUX
ONYX. Seven lucky beads (4mm x 8mm) look like layered onyx. Black,
white, bits of blue. $7. |
SHADES
OF TURQUOISE AND PERIDOT. Bright turquoise and peridot green contrast
with white and navy in this petite tile pendant, 16mm x 18mm. $4. |
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| BLACK
CONTEMPORARY. Streaks of gold on stark black give these seven beads
a very modern look. Substantial enough (6mm x 14mm) to go with larger
beads or stones, they have a glassy look and feel, $7. |
SLINKY
Slinky blue stripes with fine copper shadows on a silver background,
5mm x 16mm. $4. |
MYSTIC
Turquoise green and silver focal with extraordinary depth, 9mm x 18mm.
$4. |
