Art Unraveled

I took Barbara McGuire's Mokume Gane workshop at ArtUnraveled in Phoenix. I made the above pendant and have successfully made several more. Using 24K gold as opposed to composite gold leaf really makes a difference. I sanded starting with a 250 grit and ending with 2000. I used my electric buffer to give it the final glass-like shine.

The black necklace is a piece I beaded in an Ndebele (Herringbone) pattern. The closure and hinged pendant clasp are sterling silver. The below pendant is from Lisa Pavelka's bezel and resin workshop on August 6th. Although it was not a true bezel, but an embedded frame and it was not a true 2 part resin, but Lisa's glass like finish, I learned a lot. I specifically took her workshop because I wanted to learn how to make a bezel and use resin, so I was disappointed in that aspect. I enjoyed hammering the aluminum rod and texturing it. Using stamps and foils with polymer clay is great fun. It is not uncontrollable like mokume gane, but a more precise technique.

I wanted this piece to be funky and a little off. Funky and off is pretty easy for me. I like the way it turned out.