“I am a bit jewelry design challenged. Please help.”
~Elizabeth-S
Are you looking for polymer clay jewelry design ideas that can be worn by a man or a woman? Well this simple unisex bracelet might work for you. Put together with real leather cord I made myself using an antique lacing tool; and a variety of small faux pebble polymer clay beads; this bracelet is fun and easy to wear by either gender.
In fact it was exactly what my hairdresser picked out when I went in for a haircut the other day. She is an athletic woman with three young kids. Dainty is not her thing. Also being an earthy and artistic girl, she likes things that are uniquely organic.
Using a fairly coarse piece of leather for stringing your beads is a great way to add color, texture and strength to a bracelet.
This particular leather, which was cut from an old leather coat, can handle getting wet without becoming hard or brittle. The bracelet is perfect for the beach; for a guy who puts it on and never takes it off; or for a mom who is washing up all the time.
Just the comfortable kind of style that works for everyday use.
Do you have any requests for polymer clay jewelry designs? My head is constantly swimming with ideas that I am happy to share. Let me know if there is anything specific you need help with, by leaving a comment below.
How nice to see something suitable for the guys. Thanks for the great idea.
Marilyn
Hi Cindy,
What a beautiful piece! I love the organic nature of it.
Anything, and I mean absolutely anything you could teach us about design would be helpful to me. If I were to make a specific request it would be for designs featuring roses, including how to place the findings so that the roses hang correctly.
I hope you are enjoying your vacation.
From your design-challenged student. Elizabeth
I would like more on styles for men, it may sound strange but I think I understand designing for a woman better than designing for myself.
Once, while out shopping with my mother, I showed her something I thought was for a man (was looking for myself), and she said that it was a womans peice, to my eye it could have been worn by either, but I guess what I’m trying to say is I would like to learn where the crossing line is between womens, unisex and male jewelry designs.
Don’t know what I love more about this bracelet, the fact that it’s manly, handmade, made with antique tools and recyled goods, faux stone, or uniquely designed by Cindy. That lucky hairdresser, LOL! If you made it for me, don’t think I could bring myself to ever take it off, and I think, best of all, it would stand up to that wear. Excellent idea!
Yes, I would like very much to learn more styles for boys/men. I am totally out of the loop on what is acceptable and “cool” these days for males!
Now that I’ve actually started into my bead making I find that all my artistic ideas went right down the tube. I’m wondering if it’s because I’m unsure of what I’m doing and if everyone felt this way.
I sit down and bingo – I haven’t got a clue of what I want to make.
Help!!
It was difficult for me to “jump into the pool” when I first started, I did some research online about techniques I wanted to try and just forced myself to make beads, the jewelry creations will come once you see the beads in your hands. Find a technique that interests you and just take the plunge. I wanted to try to make jade, so I read a few sets of instructions, looked at pictures of Faux and geniune jade for colors and inspiration and went at it. Now that I have a new Digital camera to use I will be sending photos and recipies for the colors of jade I’ve made. Like I’ve said to Cindy in comments before, so many projects so little time. :)
I to seem to get mental blocks at times, and i have always wanted to have a go at faux lapis lazuli well after looking on Desirees website the other day i took the plunge and the beads are at this moment cooking, if they look good i will send a pic, and i must say thank you Cindy for the uk link for lorton tumblers, mine came yesterday (such exitment)
Nice one! I like jewellery which I can live/sleep in, don’t have time for any other – this would fit the bill.
Will be interested in seeing Ken and Ritz’s pics. I would like to make faux turquoise but the tutes I’ve seen have you use black paint after its baked and that changes the color I’ve worked hard to get even tho you wipe it off. What method did you use Ken?
I’ve never done turquiose, I want to but don’t have all the equipment to do it yet, I’ve never heard of the paint going on after baking( it’s not an antiquing process). Do you have access to the back issues videos for vol. 7. Cindy does a wonderful video tutorial on Faux Turquoise, but the paint goes into the “mix” so to speak before the clay is baked.
It is really a messy process, BUT… it is stunning when executed well.
I was wrong in saying baking and then putting the paint on. I just had so much trouble getting enough of the paint off for the color to be as pretty as it was to begin with. Maybe next time I’ll make a cane as Cindy said at the end. The color inside that looked really good. Anyway, you were talking about jade. Sorry.
No apologies necessary, there are so many variations on how to do things, I thought you might have found something different.
I would love to be in your head, maybe I could sling out this creative block that just will not GO AWAY, the graffiti bead really caught my eye but do not know how you did that one. I like that bracelet and the faux stones, that is another techique I would love to know how to do. Lynn W.
@Elizabeth: If you click the link by my name you will be taken to a photo of how Tania wires her roses to get them to hang properly. Hope that helps.
For everyone suffering from creative block, I just wrote and article with a few tips that will help you with that. It should be up in a few days, so stay tuned. Until then you can look around here for inspiration!
Thank you for all the great comments everyone! Sorry I can’t respond to each one personally, but comments are now coming into the blog faster than what I can respond to.
This is a great sign, since this means you are all beginning to communicate with each other and are building your own community. Keep those great comments coming!
@Freda: Have you not seen the faux turquoise tutorial? In that video I talk about using drywall screen to remove the excess paint from the outside layer. For more info about that tutorial, you can click the link by my name.
Have a question for all of you sort of in the “creative” artwork category, which certainly, this site provides. A stumbling block, for me to sometimes, is what to create with the time I have available, and the materials at hand. Makes me wonder how we are stimulated to create.
Do you all clip artwork out of magazines, or print images to create idea files or visual art bulletin boards? What do you sound yourself with visually, while you work on your claying or hand work?
Do you keep your computer on, and shift images. Do you listen to music? Do you watch tv? Must you create in absolute silence alone methodically, or do ideas or concepts pop into your head while you are driving to the grocery store?
Do you get your best ideas while working with the clay, like warming it in your hands to start out the process, or is your stuff already out, ready to go, and you jump to it to create, do the next step, then leave, and come back?
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@ Jocelyn
I usually just make beads, I look through my books and mags. and I’ll say to myself, this technique looks interesting “I’ll try that today”. When the day comes (which it eventually does) that there isn’t a technique that catches my eye, then I pull the tubs (like the ones the store brought lunch meat comes in) “play” with the beads with some of the stringing mags around me and see if anything strikes me, if not then it gets all put back in the rolling set of drawers I have and I’ll try again on another day, I find that if I try to force something, nothing will come, but sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, and will write it down for later.