Polymer Clay Tutorial | Faux Pebble Beads | Beach Jewelry Projects

Vid #105: A Case Where Fake Is Better Than The Real Thing:

You are going to love making these faux beach pebble beads! So earthy and organic looking… they feel like something Mother Earth would wear herself! This week's tutorial video in the members library (to be released on Friday May 8th), will show you everything you need to know with lots of close up shots of the step by step process.

The advantage of making your own faux pebble beads as opposed to grabbing a handful of rocks from the beach, is that (1) They are way lighter to wear; (2) They are far easier to drill holes into; and (3) You can make them any size or shape you like.

Plus, you can add sentimental value to your creations by mixing in sand that you collected from a special beach vacation or romantic getaway.

I love the freedom of making these beads! They are not fussy or difficult to learn how to do. And you can use so many different color and texture combinations. The sky's the limit with creativity.

Now for those that don't like to do a lot of finish sanding, these faux stones may be a dream come true for you. They can be left rough to resemble the look of natural rock, or just simply tossed into a rock tumbler for a quick polish.

On the other hand, you could also spend time creating a high gloss finish like what you might see on smooth polished gravel from a fast moving river or stream bed. It's up to you!

These faux pebbles look fantastic matched up with beach glass, real shells or  other natural materials such as hemp, leather and suede. The masculine look of this type of jewelry can provide you with some great gift giving ideas for the men in your life. But I know a lot of women that like this style as well… me being one of them!

There are definitely other polymer clay artists that make faux pebble beads and jewelry besides myself. But I think you are going to appreciate some of the unique tips and tricks I provide in this week's members tutorial.

The full version of the video will be available in the library on Friday (May 8). But further down on this page is a little sneak peak clip for you to watch right now if you like.

Here's That "Link Below" Referred To at End of the Video
>> Polymer Clay Tutorials <<

The full version of the "Faux Pebble" preview video shown above, is available for purchase at my Polymer Clay Bead Making Videos Library in the Volume-012 Back Issue Package.

The following topics are covered in this "Faux Pebble Beads" video:

• Lots of tips for keeping your faux pebbles and stones looking very real and authentic.
• Discussion of designs and patterns found in natural rocks, including: Striations; Mottling; Granite Flecks; and Gold Pyrite Speckles.
• Adding Adirondack alcohol inks to replicate the look of iron or rust staining.
• Using different grades and colors of sand for mixing into your polymer clay.
• Choosing which colors of polymer clay to start with.
• Using translucent clay to simulate the look of natural agate stones.
• Ideas for using up old and hard baked clay from past projects that did not work out so well.
• Why you should not throw out your burned clay mistakes.
• Tool talk specific to working with gritty materials.
• Using real rocks as molds for creating texture on your faux stones.
• A simple bead and cord jewelry finding clasp that works especially well with rustic or earthy necklaces and bracelets.
• How to keep the bead hole in faux pebbles looking as natural as possible.
• Finishing techniques for either a rough or polished look, depending on your preference.