Passage - #101-103: the purple and turquoise set

For this set, I repeated the process I first used in the turquoise and brown set and created a mixture of polymer clay from five different colors by running it through the clay pasta machine.  The resulting mixture was then used to make selections to be pressed into various metal pieces for jewelry while the scrap was rolled into balls and pierced for beads.

Using the clay, I made a matching cuff bracelet and set of earrings.  The bracelet was a metal key I attached to a cuff and then wound with ribbon.  For the earrings, I sewed together a strand of ribbon and used that for attaching fish hook clasps.

The larger key pendant was wrapped in the same ribbon as the earrings and then attached to a strand of purple ribbon to which I also attached a strand of various beads using purple safety pins.  The beads included two I handmade from this set.

Final results...

Vital - #100: the cork and lace necklace

Give or take a few, this is the 100th item that I am blogging since beginning this journey in May.  It's a bit hard to believe.  I have spent the summer working on and learning so many new things and it has flown by so quickly.  There are now even more new and exciting things in store as Defunct Decoup continues its growth and as opportunities present themselves for me to branch out my work.  This is also the first blog entry listed on my new Facebook business page, where all further Facebook links to the blog and shop can be found.

#100 is a necklace that is going to be hard to part with.  I absolutely love this piece of jewelry and hope that whoever buys it will too.  It actually started out as a bracelet.  But as with a lot of things, it turned into something else entirely.

The base of the necklace is five recycled wine corks that have been strung together on stretchy bead string and separated by Alaskan-made bone separators and a variety of glass stones.  Decorating the cork are a number of vintage charms which were donated by family members some months back.  The strand of corks was then attached with strong wire to a toggle piece and wired to the necklace, which was made by weaving a chain through ivory lace ribbon.  The necklace has a detailed and laced-up appearance which holds its form well due to o-rings placed to balance all of the attachments.

Final results...

FESTIVAL, IN-STORE, AND FACEBOOK NOTICE

Starting in September and lasting until the end of December, I will have items available for sale in a section of the Alaska Home Crafter Emporium store.  The store is located at 9900 Old Seward Highway in Anchorage and they will likely be able to point you in the direction of Defunct Decoup.  A selection of items from my Etsy shop will be relocated here.


Another opportunity to purchase my work in Anchorage will be at the annual Holiday Food and Gift festival at the downtown Dena'ina Center during the weekend of November 8 - 9.  I will have Defunct Decoup set up at booth #107, which is along one of the walls, between Monica's Confection Connection and The Gift Basket Lady.  A selection of new items and items from my Etsy shop will be relocated here but I will not be able to remove any large amount of items from the Alaska Home Crafter Emporium to bring to the festival.


And finally, I have made a Facebook business page for Defunct Decoup.  Please feel free to "like" the page as that is where I will be chatting all things Defunct Decoup, including new items, blog updates, and in-person purchase opportunities.

Mineral - #97-99: the turquoise and brown set

Well, the new trend seems to be for me to work all week on a number of pieces and themed sets and then dump them all in the Etsy store and write them up on the blog once a week or so.  There are good and bad things about this.  Bad is mainly that it is horribly time consuming to do so many listings and write-ups at once.  I have been on the computer for over eight hours now, and counting.  It would make much more sense to do it after each completed item.  Note to self, eh?  Anyway...

Practiced new and fun things with these pieces.  It was all about polymer clay and mixing polymer clay with metal and other materials which does classify them as mixed media jewelry.

I started by picking out two contrasting colors of polymer clay and some general accessories I would need once the clay was ready to go.  I have been learning a lot about polymer clay lately through reading and video tutorials online and the important thing that needs to be done first with clay is that it must be conditioned and prepared for use.  This is done in a variety of ways, the simplest being to knead it to soften and break up the plastics which will make the baked result nice and hard.  Once that was done, I layered the clay and then broke in my new Sculpey clay rolling machine by placing the clay in a folder of paper for the purpose of rolling out the clay to an overall consistent thickness.  It's basically a pasta machine that will only ever be used for clay (no mixing food and clay tools!)

Final results after a few times through the rollers:

I then used that chunk of mixed clay for selecting cuts and making rubber stamp impressions for the following jewelry pieces.  New techniques used included making an inlay by filling a rubber stamp impression with black polymer clay and pushing it out.  Doing so will highlight the details of the stamp impression and this must be done on a cured clay impression and then baked again.  I also used a tray for making hollow beads to form one large bead that was used in a ring and bracelet combination piece.

It was a lot of little steps and bit by bit the jewelry came together and turned out well, much to my happiness.

Final results...

Firebrand - #84-96: the steampunk dump

I am very excited to have been invited to sell my work at an event hosted by Alaska Premier Closets during their First Friday event in September (see: FIRST FRIDAY NOTICE).

The topic of steampunk jewelry was briefly mentioned and I gathered that it would be good to have a selection of items that fall into that category.  I have a limited amount of time to increase my stock of jewelry so I will be trying to produce more, as I can.  If this event goes well, it is more likely that I will branch out into other upcoming art and craft fairs.

So that said, here are 9 new pairs of earrings, 2 new rings, 1 new brooch, and 1 new necklace, all with what I would consider to be elements of steampunk style.

glued together gear bits, bird, and key with white lace ribbon and fish hook clasps

glued together propeller and gear charms with butterfly charm attached with chains

mirror charms glued to post studs plus attached long bead

three gear bits and zipper head glued together plus attached chain

belt buckle charms attached to metal roses plus red ribbon

green beads attached to filigree metal cone

metal charm glued to keyhole charm and gear bits

bead springs glued to zipper heads, glued to post, with attached bone feather charms

round clock charms with attached chains

large pewter metallic flower charm glued to metal ring band

medium copper metallic flower charm glued to metal ring band

large butterfly charm and small owl charm glued to thick gear bit with brooch pin attached

shabby chic charm necklace on red ribbon

Most everything I post here will still be up for sale at my Etsy shop, at least until the event on 09/05/14.  At that time, I will deactivate the listings for the items I intend to bring with me and will repost what has not been sold.

FIRST FRIDAY NOTICE

I will be hosted by Alaska Premier Closets during the First Friday events in September and will join other local artists in selling my work.

Here is more information about the event:

Tickets can be purchased here.

Please consider checking out this event and supporting local artists, businesses, and non-profits.  Thanks!