Back in the late 1990s I was really into crop circles as designs. I carved a lot of rubber stamps of crop circle designs and used them in all kinds of art work. I stamped some crop circles onto polymer clay to make pendants and painted them with wash and dry brush techniques.
I never could think of what to make with the crop circle pendants until this past weekend when I was practicing making convertible pendants as samples for a jewelry class I was getting ready to teach. The lesson plan called for adding a lobster clasp to a pendant so that you could fasten it to different necklaces and chains for a variety of looks. I combined my crop circles with some hematite beads and gunmetal colored rings and lobster clasps to finally get a look that I liked. I’ll have a lot of fun mixing and matching these with other jewelry pieces!
I hope you can join me for my next class at Studio:art! You will learn how to make a pendant out of polymer clay textured with a rubber stamp enhanced with a glass embellishment. You will have a choice of color schemes you can use. Then you will learn how to make a finished necklace so you can wear your pendant. All supplies are included in the class fee – clay, pigments, glass, images, stringing materials and jewelry findings. The beads provided may not be exactly the same as shown in my sample but they will be close enough to create a similar look.
Tools will be available for you to borrow and some tools will be available to purchase should you want to continue working on your own later. You will not need to purchase anything additional to make the class project during class. If you have deep-etched rubber stamps of a texture design, special beads you want to use or any special images you want to include on the pendant you can bring them but there will be sufficient supplies to use if you don’t bring any.
The class time of 11-5 might sound daunting but there will be a lunch break and possibly more shorter breaks if we need them. The pendants will need to be baked twice during the class and I built in some extra time for baking and breaks. There are a lot of good places to eat in Maplewood that are within walking distance of the studio plus there is a Shop ‘n Save right across the street if you want to pick up a deli sandwich or a salad or something. The last class I scheduled for this length of time finished up a little early but I can’t guarantee that this one will also finish early.
NEW! In each class there will be door prize of some kind of supply or tool that relates to the class subject. You might win some extra supplies!
If you have any questions about the class please feel free to contact me.
Class: Polymer Clay Pendant with Glass Embellishment Date: April 16, 2016 Time: 11-5 pm Location:Studio:art, 7403 Manchester Road, Maplewood MO, 63143 Cost: $32 if paid in advance, $40 day of class Signup form:www.carolynsstampstore.com/catalog/class_signup.php
If you choose to pay ahead of time to get the discount for pre-paying, I will send you a PayPal invoice via email. Alternately if you prefer to pay by Square I can take your information over the phone. Credit card processing at the studio will be with Square. You can also pay by cash or check at the studio or mail a check to me – contact me for the mailing address or send it to the studio. Children under 18 must be enrolled with a parent as I think parents are best able to judge their child’s ability level and what tools they should be allowed to use. Beginners are welcome.
Double stranded bracelet made with polymer clay beads coated with Emerald PearlEx powder. Short segments of chain keep the strands together. Chain, findings and apple green faux pearl beads were recycled from thrift store jewelry. To make the beads see tutorial – http://www.jacquardproducts.com/pearlex_clay_beads.html
Polymer clay beads made with PearlEx Chromatic Colors by Jacquard Products.
Normally when I’m planning a new craft project, I try not to be too influenced by trends. The new Pearl Ex Chromatic colors however seem to be in harmony with some things going on in the world of fashion, so I decided that bead-making would be a great application for these bold new colors. Bright jewel and metallic tones are perfect for jewelry!
Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments are a versatile pearlized powder that can be added to nearly any artist medium. They need to be mixed with or coated with some kind of binder for permanence. In this project we’ll be rolling the beads in the powder to apply it to the surface of the beads, and then sealing the surface with PearlEx Varnish.
Necklace With Metallic Apple Green Beads
26 inch necklace with clasp with 2 inch wide beaded pendant sporting a 3 ¾ inch silver colored chain tassel. Beads on pendant are made of polymer clay with a Pearl Ex powder coating, sealed with varnish. Chain and findings are recycled from thrift store jewelry.
Necklace With Metallic Sapphire Blue Beads
56 1/4 inch necklace with four segments of metallic blue and gold beads on wire. No clasp, can wear as one long strand like a “flapper” necklace or double the strand. Blue rondelle beads are made of polymer clay with a Pearl Ex powder coating, sealed with varnish. Gold color chain is recycled from thrift store jewelry.
Double stranded bracelet made with polymer clay beads coated with Emerald PearlEx powder. Short segments of chain keep the strands together. Chain, findings and apple green faux pearl beads were recycled from thrift store jewelry. To make the beads see tutorial – 
