red daisy's designs

This is the end

2009-06-08T15:21:00.002+01:00

So...it's official. I cleaned up my worktable today, put everything away and I'm finished with making Beads. I wont continue. Maybe I'll dab my fingers in the clay every now and then to make gifts or things for my self but I'm not selling and doing anything big anymore!

I will most probably delete this webpage this week as well.

Thanks to all of you for reading and for supporting me!

all the best, sara.

Maybe, maybe not

2008-11-10T18:12:00.003Z

It's been a while since I last posted! It's been a while since I last created! Here are 3 things I have made in the last two weeks. I do still have my eye on Fimo and on creating things. I still have so many canes and beads and ideas so perhaps this is a never ending story!

At the moment I am pondering whether I should pick up my bead business again. It just takes so much time and energy and I am not sure if I want to spend these two things for this at the moment. We'll see. I'll keep you posted!

Brown Glitter Beads

2008-08-02T18:54:00.002+01:00

Every now and then I pick up my clay and create. This was a customer order. It's hot out, so it's not really that easy to sit down with the clay. And I'm also working on an other hobby and having this and that on my plate...so....but I'm still creating non-the-less!

Playing with Purple

2008-06-23T18:51:00.000+01:00

2008-05-23T18:27:00.003Z

It's been a while, again! After weeks of having these beads lie on my table, un-sanded and buffed, I finally finished them! I'm glad they are done and that I can move on to a new projekt. Life's been giving me lot's to do and so I am busy in many different ways. Thanks to all the support of my customers I have decided to continue making beads, even though it might take a bit longer then before to finish a projekt. I do miss working with my clay when I don't use it for a while. It's always nice to be creative!

Yes!

2008-05-06T13:43:00.001Z

..I'm still around!

It's time to create!

2008-03-31T13:03:00.002Z

The month of March has been quiet for me. I haven't been blogging much nor creating much either. I've been putting my energies into different parts in my life but not into Art and now I have come to a point where I must say: I miss it! I miss creating something with my hands, I miss having ideas and making them real, I miss making other people happy with my beads! So, after almost quitting my little business, I'm back! I want to start creating again!

Here some eye-candy!

Life is full of Surprises

2008-03-15T08:35:00.002Z

It's been pretty quiet around here, I know. My life hast gone through chaos and many changes, but I am finally seeing the Sun again.

I'm flying away for 4 days and after that I will have a look at what I want to do next with my beads. But no worries, I'm not giving up.

I wish you all, a great easter time!

Spring is just around the corner..

2008-02-13T08:46:00.001Z

A strange inspiration

2008-02-06T08:03:00.001Z

I was sitting on my bed last week and watched my son watch t.v. He sat there very peacefully and I enjoyed having the time to just sit with him. Suddenly his socks caught my attention! He wore gray socks which had one stripe of red in them. I didn't think much of it until the thought came to me "hey...that's a great design for a bead!". *smile* So that's what I did. I created a line of beads which had one stripe of colour in them.

It is a VERY simple design but that is exactly what I like about it. Simpel yet effective. Great for any Necklace or the like!

It was worth it

2008-02-02T08:07:00.000Z

With Pain in my wrist I decided to finish my project from two weeks! I don't like things to be unfinished. So here they are, my newest beads, lentils. I really like them and they were fun to make. Off to new endevours...;-)

it's been a while

2008-02-01T13:52:00.000Z

I haven't made a flower cane in a while...kinda missed it!

On to new things

2008-01-29T18:08:00.000Z

I created some new beads with a Kaleidoscope Cane. I'm not a big fan of them because I know I didn't give my best. I feel very impatient with my self at the moment because I get bored so fast with a "theme" and move on to the next very quickly before getting to know a technique properly. Already I lost interest in Kaleidscopes und have a new idea in my head. Something completely different. *grinning*

But it's not that bad. I'm not beating my self up over it. I mean, I'm still a baby when it comes to polymer clay and have so much to learn. I guess that's why I'm jumping from one thing to the next so fast.

2008-01-22T06:56:00.000Z

I am totally exhausted and wishing for Holidays, for Sun and Sand, for time-out! Good thing that as of tomorrow I finally have 6 days off work!

My latest Projects include trying out Kaleidoscope canes. Unfortunatley I forgot to take pictures of the canes and used them all up for the beads (they were small canes). I really liked working on the kaleidoscope patterns and I am going to venture into this a bit more, for sure. I already have new material to use on my clay-table and as soon as I have some new energy, that is where you'll find me! :-)

I especially like using black+white with the red. I already have new ideas to use the black+white in combination with other colours.

On the weekend I also started working on some flower lentil beads. I am trying to use up some old canes to make space for new ones so I decided to try these patterns. Half of them still need sanding, but because both of my wrists hurt again from working so much (outside of home) I am forced to take a break for a bit. That kinda sucks. But here's a sneak peak of how the finished ones look!

Little bit of Glam

2008-01-15T15:27:00.001Z

I bought my first two Embossing Powders at the Christmasmarket and experimented with it in the last couple of weeks. I really like the results, they look glamorous. Surely I will use embossing powder more often in the Future. I hope to get my hands on some more colours very soon!

Foil Beads

2008-01-08T16:11:00.001Z

It was a lot of fun making these beads. It was a bit easier on the wrist because they didn't need so much sanding, thank goodness! I liked playing with the colours and seeing the end product all shiny and sparkling. I'm really happy with the results.

Have a good one!

2007-12-30T13:51:00.000Z

So all the Christmas stress and beauty is over and I am glad that the year is coming to an end. I am really looking forward to a new year, full of new adventeurs, new ideas and creations and successes! Yes, I'm pretty excited!

Thanks to beadnerd I have come up with a good list of new goals for my beadbusiness for the new year. I feel confident that this year I can be even more successfull, but I have to work at it....of coarse! *smile* And that is exactly what I am going to do, work hard, not forgetting the fun though! I'd really like to make my business flourish and take it a step further.

I wish you all a very happy new year, with lots of new things to discover, new and exciting things to experience and good business and fun with beads, jewelry or whatever you love doing!

The latest. But maybe the last of this year?

2007-12-15T12:48:00.001Z

It's almost x-mas

2007-12-05T20:09:00.000Z

Someone asked me how the x-mas sales are going today. I couldn't really give an answer because I am not selling anything for x-mas! *blush* I guess this is the month of the year I could have done some big business with great x-mas beads and big sales BUT I didn't bother. Instead, I froze and hardly sit at my clay table. I know I could have grabbed this chance to really get business going but I just don't have the energy to do it. I can't stand the thought of the pressure I used to make to finish up projects and get the sales out out out there! No thanks, got enough going on right now. I'm just so tired all of the time....

I did create something small for my regular clients though. I just felt like that's something I could do without pressure and just for fun. I like making gifts and give-aways and what perfect time then now? (not good for business, I know!!)

The end, or the beginning?

2007-12-03T17:41:00.000Z

After finishing and selling my marble beads I only half heartedly tried some other beads (and worked on a custom order). They have been sitting on my table for almost two weeks now and waiting for similar ones to be finished so that I can sell them together. I've been really putting this task off (sanding, buffing) because it takes so much time and energy.

In the meantime I have another enflammed wrist and I should not sand, I should'nt do anything *smile* but that's nearly impossible as I'm unhappy when I have to sit still. I'm not sure how I'll go on with this. I decided to take a break from my clay table not only because of my wrist but also because I felt no inspiration or "need" to clay. That's a bit scary because this is a hobby I don't want to end! I'm known for doing something intensely and then moving on to the next and I really don't wish for that to happen with this one.

Anyhow...today I sat at my table to try something out for christmas (a little something to say thank you to my regular clients). It was a lot of fun and got me back addicted to my beloved clay! *grinning* But I did realize what I need to do is change the way I work. I put way too much pressure on my self to create something "great" and to do it as fast as I can. A combination that just doesn't always work!

Yeah. I'm looking forward to next year. For the rest of this year I'm gonna take it a bit easy and gain new energy and inspiration for the upcoming time (next year).

What a compliment!

2007-11-21T07:33:00.000Z

I did some tutorials in german a while back for some flowercanes. (I haven't updated that in so very long!) Nothing exdrordinary.

This morning I was looking through the flickr page and guess what I saw? Someone has actually used my tutorial (with exact colours) and used that cane to do different things with.

I think that's pretty cool.

Faux Marble

2007-11-16T09:17:00.001Z

Rambling about varnishing versus buffing

2007-11-14T08:29:00.000Z

Last week I read on someones blog that it was absolutely unnecessary to varnish polymer clay beads. Hm! I just sat there scratching my head and looked at some of my beads....I varnish 99% of my beads!!! *grinning* Yes, I varnish almost all of them because I like the "glass-like" look of the beads and I think the colours come out more brightly after varnishing and they just feel so smooth!

Now yesterday I was sanding my newest beads and in the end I decided to try "buffing". I never really tried it because I found that sanding was enough work already, forget the buffing. I never believed either that it was possible to get such a shine with just buffing as you do with varnishing. I was always sceptical with the foto's in books that state it's a buff. *grinning* Yeah, so I tried buffing a bead on my cotton kitchen cloth after sanding. I was a bit in a craze because I really really really wanted to finish these beads. Hey, and it kinda worked. The bead came out pretty shinny and the colour looks bright aswell. So I buffed the rest of that kind of bead and left it at that. (I also added some hand cream unintentionaly because I creamed my hands just before, hey, that even adds to the shine!) I did varnish some other beads because I'm just the varnish type....and am, I guess, afraid to leave my beads so naked. Yes, maybe that's it! I feel like if I don't varnish my beads, they wont be protected.

Hm. So what's your take on varnishing versus buffing?

Slowly but surely

2007-11-13T15:46:00.000Z

I'm still here, I haven't quit beading! Nononono... I am actually working on something but slowly. It's a project that is taking a lot of sanding and as you know, I can't sand too much in one sitting so I have been sanding much. I'm on one week holiday now though and I hope to finish my project by the end of the week. Maybe...because every time I have something curing in the oven I have a new idea what next to try out!

I'm exited to show off my work soon though!

Reading the rainbow

2007-11-05T13:45:00.000Z

When I was a kid and lived in Toronto, I used to watch "the reading rainbow" with Levar Burton, on t.v. I loved that show and for some reason these beads remind me of that show. I'm sure it's just the rainbow colours...the words....*smile". It's nice though that beads I've made give me back good childhood memories!

Gone all weaved up

2007-10-23T05:39:00.001Z

Book News

2007-10-20T10:34:00.000Z

I finally was able to get my hands on a Book I've wanted to buy but couldn't. My mom gave it to me for my birthday. She bought it in england where she lives, as Switzerland is just so so tiny and it's so hard to get my hands on books like these (If you don't have a credit cards!)

It's the Carol Blackburn book "Making Polymer Clay Beads".

I find it very inspirational to try out new things, especially things that I thought were too hard! But in the book everything is described so easily that I just "did it".

Yey, for books!

I'm still creating

2007-10-08T17:59:00.000Z

I haven't blogged in a while! I've been so busy with work, now that I am working more and also with keeping up with my business in my parts of the world. The business is going good but I have to stay on the ball and keep it going. So when I can, I create new things and make new beads. I have set my self new goals to create a certain amount of beads each week and put them up for sale on Sunday nights. Now I am not so sure if this is such a good idea yet but I'm willing to try and see how it goes. My first batch that I put up last night has already sold out though and now I'm not sure if I should create more each week, hehehehe! I love it!

Right now I'm really into butterflies. They are such beautiful creatures! I have never really noticed all the wonderful colours they carry until I started studying some photo's for canes. Wow!

The first Butterfly cane is a Monarch. The colours came out pretty nice but I'm not so happy with the whole of it. On Saturday I tried to copy a blue butterfly I have on a photo but it didn't look anything like it in the end! Still happy with it though!

Ah, I love creating...

The Weekends work

2007-09-24T11:22:00.001Z

Almost well

2007-09-18T09:22:00.000Z

Well, I haven't healed completley but I do feel a bit better. Plus, I'm just very impatient and very much in love with creating with pc SO...ya can't keep me away from the table too long! *smile*

I've created different things for different reasons in the past two weeks. I had a couple (and still have some) of custom orders for beads that I have done in the past with the question if I could replicate some. Thank goodness I didn't use up all of my canes from the past! I made some new-old beads which was strange because we all get better with time and looking at old beads is weird...the flaws!!! The beginner mistakes that are so obvious all of a sudden!!! hahaha...what fun!

What I love is when customers ask me to do things with special colour combinations that I have never thought of using before. Orders like these are really nice to work on.

And the ideas that are buzzing about in my head want to become real aswell so I dabbled a bit with them and tried some new things out. Interessting!

I need time out to heal

2007-09-08T16:49:00.000Z

I've been having a lot of pain latley in my neck and shoulders. Last night at work it got so bad that I got an exploding headache and even took some painkillers (which I normally don't do!). The pain is pretty bad at the moment and it's forcing me to stop claying for a while, so if you don't see any new stuff by me, that's why. I hope this wont take too long to heal so that I can dabble with the clay again and create some more things but I know I just need to be patient.

Where's the time?

2007-09-04T08:39:00.000Z

Wow, business is soaring and I haven't had a dry spell in weeks now. My "out-box" always has an envelope waiting to go to the post and my "in-box" of my email account keeps buzzing with new "congratulations your item has sold" anouncements! I'm exited...but a bit frazzeled. I am really enjoying making my own beads and having people buy them with joy. It is very fullfilling for me. BUT I also have an out-of-home job and two kids, an apartment and a boyfriend! *smile* I'm not frazzeld of being successfull (anymore) but about finding the time to get everything done. Sometimes I am so scared of finding enough time that I freeze and waste time on the computer looking at sillyness instead of sitting at my work table.

Maybe I need to get some kind of plan when I should do what so that I can get into the rhythm of getting everything done that I want. As of next month I will be working more out side of home and I am a bit scared that I'll have even less time at my clay table.

Any suggestions, tips, experiences that you've made?

In it comes, out it leaves

2007-08-30T19:17:00.000Z

I wanted to add some new beads on my sales list tomorrow but just a couple of hours after announcing that, with some photo's, I sold them all! I'm still very shocked yet of coarse, very happy about this!

I've got new beads in the oven though as I write this, so there will be plenty of new things to buy! I'm really exited how business is going, it is a lot of fun and very exiting!

Instead of cleaning up...

2007-08-27T16:19:00.000Z

...I decided to work on some more projects that have been running through my mind! I finally had the courage to try a Face-Cane!

I've been avoiding it big time out of fear of messing it up but ohwow am I happy I tried it today! It took a lot of work and patience and pain! (The heat just isn't very fun to work in and the back of my neck hurts extremly a lot after working on a bigger cane! I don't know what it is but now it's time to relax) I can't wait to use this cane in what ever it wants to turn into: bead, pendant, whatever! Exiting!

What a chaos

2007-08-26T19:02:00.000Z

I have so many ideas at the moment, I could sit at my work table non-stop and just work and work and do nothing else! Today I wanted to just try something out (I can't find peace until I figured out how to do something) but one thing led to another and I ended up making over 40 new beads! Wow...

When I glance at my Computertable that I am sitting at right now I could run away screaming! I have such a chaos on my table with packed up beads, Cds, Post it notes, orders waiting to go out, business cards, stickers, etc etc. It's clean but chaotic! And on my other table beside my work table I have another chaos with Ikea-boxes with beads and Pendants I haven't sold, glassbeads, wires, scissors etc. Sure I know where everything is but still, what a sight! *grinning* So it's my goal this week to clean both tables up and get some kind of system in the whole mess. And besides all of that: to keep creating and putting my ideas into Fimo....

Detail

2007-08-24T17:23:00.000Z

These are my very favorite Beads at the moment. They are so pretty *smile* When you first see them you don't really see that they have white flowers on them, at second glance (and in the sun) you see the detail! This is white and transparent Fimo soft. I'm experimenting around a bit with different transparent colours and it's very fun to see what comes out. Again, the possibilities are endless!

as summer ends...

2007-08-23T14:28:00.001Z

My new Logo!

2007-08-15T18:33:00.000Z

So what do you think of my new logo? I have finally found something that fits me!

The symbol is an african symbol (yes, I have african roots) and it is called Ananse Ntontan (Spider's Web) and stands for "creativity and wisdom".

Getting Personal

2007-08-13T14:23:00.000Z

I've been thinking a lot about having my own "business". As I sell more things now, I want to personalize my things better and get a bit more "professional". It all seems a bit silly to me as sometimes I just think of my self as "a girl selling some beads for her hobby", but why not get out there and think a bit broder!? Inspired by one of the photo's in Donna Kato's book (yes! I finally got one!!) I decided to make my own "stamp" for putting my name on my products. I sometimes forget but when I don't this is what it looks like (see photo on the left). They are my initials and I plan on making more stamps as I get better.

Having a bit of an overdose on creating with Fimo I decided to work on the idea with making little present bags to put my things in, especially my pendants. When I sell beads they go into small, clean professional looking zip-lock baggies (they are called mini-grips here) but the pendants are too big for those. I almost bought some see-through ready-made fabric ones last week but they cost chf 1.80 PER BAG (and they aren't very big)!! Nah, I'm not that big of a company yet to be able to afford that, hahahaha! So I wanted to make my own and bought some fabric at the store only to realize that my sewing machine is missing a major bit: the electrical cable!! (is this my ex-husbands humour?) So that was out of the question. For some reason, I started fumbling around with paper this morning. I was so determined to get this idea done that I created some small paper baggy out of scrap wrapping paper. Now, I have never done this before and I feel like I just sat there and watched my hands create these as if they have done so for years by the thousands! It was great!! I got out some more of last years x-mas paper I saved for doing crafts and just made some more. These are some samples and while some have a dent and a crumple here and there, they look pretty good. I also created some labels to close them with. I'm pretty happy about this now and who knows where this will lead! Perhaps to a paper-baggy business? *grinning*

Turquoise

2007-08-12T14:40:00.001Z

Purple and Gold

2007-08-10T13:49:00.000Z

some love in the air...

2007-08-06T14:09:00.000Z

...squared

2007-08-02T16:02:00.001Z

Simplifying my life

2007-07-30T11:05:00.000Z

I have a lot of new orders waiting to be sent out. It's very exiting seeing all the Packages waiting for their shipment! I am ever so great full and it gives me motivation to continue.
I like to add little bits of "thank-you's" into each packet before I send it off. I usually add a lose bead but found it hard to decide which one, what size and what am I willing to just "give away". So I decided to make a bunch of "give-aways" so that I know every time what to add and I am pretty pleased with the results. I used some "old" Canes that I haven't used in a long while and cut them into thick slices and added a loop to it. My customers can use it as a Pendant or hang it on their key-chain...or whatever else they want to do with it.

I don't know why this happened!

2007-07-26T12:49:00.000Z

Remember my first three pendants I made with the Liquid Fimo and the Goldfoil? I was really exited about this technique but never got around to making more....I'm glad!!

Have a look at the Pendants now! The Goldfoil has lost colour under the liquid fimo. I have no idea why. At first I thought it might be the sun that could have had an affect but I never really had them directly in the sun! The third pendant hasn't gotten as bad yet but it's changing as well. I can't sell these now, they look horrible! At least now I know not to use this technique and try out something new. I never thought something could happen like this! Using the goldfoil on Fimo and only using varnish over it hasn't changed colour at all though so I can still use goldfoil in the future.

Fleamarket results

2007-07-26T12:47:00.001Z

The Fleamarket didn't go as well as I hoped but still better then the first time I did one! Perhaps it just takes time and expirience to become a bit more successful? I'm not giving up and I will be doing a fleamarket sometime soon again!

Business tips

2007-07-16T20:11:00.000Z

I'm doing a booth at the fleamarket on Saturday. I'm really exited yet nervous. There are so many little things to think about! I found this great website though, have a look if you are interested in tips for your jewelry business.

http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/index.html

The gold brothers...New Pendants

2007-07-10T15:49:00.000Z

My first try using Liquid Fimo

Playing with Gold

2007-07-05T15:07:00.000Z

Classic: gold beads with bits of gold. Translucent white clay with gold swirls.

I've been dabling with gold. Bought some sheets of gold last weekend to see how I can incorperate this into the clay. It's pretty pricey but hey...artists go a far way to get ideas formed into "reality"...or at least something like that, grinning. I'm challenging my self to work at least one hour a day at something clay or jewelry making. Although I feel a bit stuck in a rut and pretty tired due to working I think it's paying off in the long run. I'd like to get into the habit of really making something (almost) each day and get a flow going.

On July 21st a friend and I have booked some space at the fleamarket here in town. I am not sure yet what I am going to sell but at least it's official now!

Purple translucent clay with gold swirls. Choclate brown with gold stripes

salting instead of sanding

2007-06-27T19:12:00.000Z

I worked like crazy today making beads with some new ideas in my mind. I tried out the salt-texturing method to get a funky texture. I love these, because they need no sanding and buffing *smile

I also tried some new beads with adding glass beads to them. I really like the white textured and pink bead beads. I'll be adding them to my selling list tomorrow and see how they go. Now I'm exhausted and my wrist hurt again. But: no pain:no gain! :-)

no ugly beads

2007-06-26T18:51:00.000Z

Yeah I still make beads! :-) Actually I make more then I show at the moment, trying out colours and mixes, using up scraps of clay with scraps of canes...sometimes they turn out pretty cool, would have never thought, others don't and will land in my bead box. Perhaps someone else will like them though and find something to do with it. I'm not saying that they are ugly, no beads are ugly! Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder...

Letting go...or not...

2007-06-24T18:47:00.000Z

Sometimes it's easy to just put my things up for sale. I imagine, create, form and finish and then put the item up for sale, but sometimes I can't let go of a certain piece, like the one on the bottom right. It's a very pretty piece (for me) and I loved wearing it (for a test) even though I hardly ever wear black anymore. So the other three are up for sale (if you are interested let me know and we can figure something out as it's coming from switzerland). I hope they find a good home soon.

Something to hang around your neck...

2007-06-19T19:11:00.000Z

Healing

2007-06-17T18:05:00.000Z

Not much has been happening since I wrote last. I've been working a lot or have been trying to rest my aching wrists. I did create some beads on Thursday evening but nothing special, I only wanted to use my canes that I've been creating as to sell more beads and not be forgotten. I'm still longing to create newer and bigger things but just haven't had the energy nor the inspiration.

I will probably do the fleamarket thing but it will take a lot of work and organisation, I think. Not sure when I'll do this, perhaps when the kids are on holiday at the beginning of august and then I can dedicate all my free time to clay.

So no, I'm not giving up claying but just resting a bit. Need to get my wrists healed and my energy back and then........... :-)

Should I?

2007-06-14T16:06:00.000Z

I'm toying with the idea of getting a small space at the fleamarket we have here in my City. It's on every Saturday and pretty big. Not sure if it would be the right setting though for my things but I would really like to sell "outside" of my living room (smile). As I'm living in a small city and a small country at that, we don't really have fairs like bead+buttons and what-not like in america. That would be awesome! Maybe one day I'll have to organize one, hahaha.....the dreams! :-)

New Energy

2007-06-14T05:49:00.000Z

I've been working so much latley that I didn't really have the energy to create anything new. I only worked on my order and on some beads waiting to be sanded and varnished to be put up for sale. Nothing new though. I didn't mind because I just didn't have the energy to start a new project anyway let alone ideas! This morning I woke up with a great desire to start something new, something totally new, something I haven't done before. I'd also like to get bigger, not in the sense of selling more or being famous (smile) but rather making bigger beads. Up till now they're usually 1-1.5cm. I'd also like to create more Necklaces as well. I haven't done this in a while really. So do look forward to new things! I do hope my tips and tricks for claying in hot weather works (the clay is almost melting in my hands) and that I have more time and energy to sit at my clay table to create!

Getting something done

2007-06-13T15:35:00.000Z

Apart from working way too much (it's so exhausting at the moment) I've been working on my newest custom order. I finished it yesterday and must say, I'm pretty pleased! It's a ring with matching Pendant. Of coarse the photo doesn't really do the colours much justice, in real life they look so vibrant! It's a happy piece, I like it, my customer as well! Hope to be getting more projects like this in!

Burning fire....

2007-06-08T19:15:00.000Z

It's usually when I think I am too tired or not up to producing something that I'm surprised at what comes out in the end when I sit at my work table. I've been hiding from starting a custom order because I thought I'd mess it up. It worked out well though and am now waiting for the response of my customer of whether to go ahead with the project or not. It's exiting!

a sneak peak

2007-06-05T14:50:00.000Z

One...two....

2007-06-05T06:05:00.000Z

I just got my second Custom Order in...hurrayy!! It is for a Necklace I have up on my blog. Someone is interested in buying it but it's not for sale. I took the chance to let her know though that I could produce one especially for her though...she said yes and asked for a matching ring to go with it too. *smile* It would be my first ring but I'm willing to give it a try!

...and here, my newest beads....

Two New Flowers

2007-06-03T19:38:00.001Z

I was busy today creating two new flowers and the tutorials to them. I guess if you've seen one of this kind you can make another, with different colours again. But I decided to document both anyway. Next time I'll make a tutorial for beads. Haven't done one for beads before.

I sold a lot of things last week and it was very nice sending the packages out to people all over Switzerland. Getting feedback from them was also very nice and very motivating! Selling also allows me to continue my hobby. If I wouldn't sell I'm not sure how long I could do this for, at least not at this rate because the materials are pretty expensive over here. So, selling has many sides to it not just making money but also being able to do something I love.

A bowl of strawberries

2007-05-31T15:45:00.000Z

Working on new Ideas...

2007-05-30T15:25:00.000Z

How about some Bracelets? My firsts....

...a Necklace

2007-05-26T17:55:00.000Z

I haven't made a Necklace in a very long time. I was a bit fed up with my whole polymer clay journey last night and this morning and I felt like giving up really. But when I got home after work I decided to give making a Necklace out of my newst Pendant a try. I'm pretty happy with the result. Not sure though where I am going with my polymer clay though. It's also very warm at the moment which makes it hard to work properly....so....we'll see what will happen in the upcoming week, if I feel like continuing.

Spring Flowers

2007-05-25T17:42:00.000Z

The set...

2007-05-24T11:01:00.000Z

This green Set is for Sale!

This one is for my Sister!

Scraps turning pretty

2007-05-22T14:17:00.000Z

Just dipping my fingers into my leftover clay bits.

It's getting hot and the Fimo is getting sticky! I wonder what I'll do when the summer comes!

New blog

2007-05-20T10:47:00.000Z

I've decided to add some tutorials in german for Polymer Clay Cane making. I haven't found any in german on the net so I'll give it a try. Have a look if you want!

And don't forget: comments are more then welcome!

My first order! Hurrayyy...

2007-05-16T16:47:00.000Z

I received a phone call from a woman today who bought a few beads and things from me this week asking me if I had any beads without varnish. I said: "well, not on sale, but I can make you some!" And so we got talking and she asked me if I wouldn't be able to make her some black and red flower beads and I beamed! "Sure!!!" I can do pretty much anything, hahaha...

I'm so excited. I'm so excited that I messed up a big chunk of red and black in a hurry to get to work (even though she said I shouldn't hurry)!! I wanted to blend some colour and screwed it up completly. So much for patience! I'll have to go buy more red clay on Friday, no big deal. Yeah, this is great news for me and makes me very happy!

Maybe in the future?

2007-05-16T05:55:00.000Z

This is a bead I made two nights ago. I only have this one, it was a test run but I like it so much I think I'll make more!

I wish I had more time (and energy) to work more on my creativity, on claying! "Real" work just kinda gets in the way, except on pay day *smile*. I hope there comes a time when I can earn more money with my beads and things and wont have to go working outside of home as much. To have all the time I want and need to just sit and play with my fimo would be awesome! *dreaming*

I'm "it"!

2007-05-14T09:35:00.000Z

I have been tagged to a little game by rani and here is how it goes:

I have to share 7 facts about my self and then "tag" 7 other people on their blogs. For now, here are the 7 things about me. I'll do the tagging a bit later!

1) I'm a pop-corn addict. When I'm down or just "had it" I buy a bag of popcorn and eat it alone infront of the t.v.

2) I've stopped eating meat at age 18. I'm a vegetarian now for 14 years.

3) I am a lonesome cowgirl and don't like going to courses to learn something new hence I teach my self the things I want to learn from books, internet or intuition and trial and error.

4) I was born in Switzerland but moved to Canada at age 10 with my mom and siblings. 10 years later I returned to my hometown wanting to do a 3 year apprenticeship and go back to Canada. But I'm still here in Switzerland....after 13 years.

5) I don't wear any black clothes any more, after years of only wearing red and black.

6) I wear glasses when I sit at the computer, watch t.v or read a book.

7) I had 3mm short blond hair for years along with a septum piercing. The hair has grown now though and back to brown and the piercing is out.

New Canes

2007-05-11T17:15:00.000Z

I've been busy...

I love orange

2007-05-11T14:17:00.000Z

There is hope!

2007-05-09T17:51:00.000Z

I've been wondering for a long time how others are able to make beautiful plates, bottles etc. from canes without getting it all messed up (like I do!). So last night I tried another sugar "shaker" glass thingy. I used a square cane I made a while back and thought it might be easier using a square cane. I wasn't very happy with the result though, everything kinda messed up like usual.

After finishing it I went to check out www.glassattic.com to see if they might have some information on how to do this properly and found some interesting things. So I tried again and made a smaller salt-shaker out of a flower cane I made on Monday.

By no means is it what I would call "Perfect" but it's getting closer...hahaha. I really really like this and wont give up just yet! I'm exited to try some more!

2007-05-08T19:14:00.000Z

I love Fimo (polymerclay)!! It amazes me time and time again how much you can make out of Fimo, how endless the posibilites of creations are and all the great things that come out of it. I love experimenting, I love playing around with it, trying out new techniques and reading up on what others are doing. (Yeah, I'm writing this on a fimo-high and have some new things in the oven as I write *smile*)

www.glassattic.com is great! You do need time to read through everything but it has so much information on it, great tips and tricks, go have a look if you haven't already! I was so discouraged yesterday but after reading some things on there to make my life a bit easier I'm back up on the motivation train.

And off I go to admire my new things.....

Seasons

2007-05-07T19:50:00.000Z

Do you perfer Summer or rather Autumn?

I love colours!

2007-05-06T17:51:00.000Z

I created some new things yesterday, experimenting with colours, watching the pasta-machine magicly creating new colours as it came out. Great!

Big ones

2007-05-04T17:31:00.000Z

Two pretty big rolled up beads. They are best to use as a pendant on a leather band. I can't wait to wear one!

rolling them up!

2007-05-04T17:25:00.000Z

I continued with the fun idea of rolling up beads. The last batch I made out of scrap clay was not only fun to do but also looked pretty good. So I took it a step further and used "new" clay and tried out some colour combinations. I rolled different colours through the pasta machine together and just kinda played around with it. It's really fun to make. After the beads were baked, the small red ones actually reminded me of pasta itself, they are very thin and even sound like hard pasta in my hand.

I put them up for sale to see if any one is interested in this sort of bead. I wonder....

Leafy leaf

2007-05-01T11:10:00.000Z

This is a picture transfer. I have also made the same in green last night.

Cleaning up

2007-04-30T17:10:00.000Z

I am amazed what sometimes comes out of leftover bits of fimo!

Today I decided to clean up my work-table. I had a lot of scrap pieces from cane ends or very very old and "beginners" canes that have been sitting in a tupperware. Inspired from silastones.com' s blogger page I decided to make beads out of the bits and peaces.

Two of my favorite outcomes form this "clean up" are the green swirl beads and the wrapped up ones, shown in the photo's. I think I'm going to continue making wrapped up beads, you can use so many shades and colours to get different kinds of effects. I've seen paper beads like this and always found them very inspiring and pretty! Just wonder how I'll use them in jewelry!

2007-04-29T20:06:00.000Z

After being so disappointed on Saturday because I didn't sell anything at the fleamarket I am now even more exited to have sold more beads on this swiss ebay thing (ricardo.ch) today. I have put everything on there to sell with lower prices and better photos and voila! I do hope this continues!! I need to get cracking with producing more I guess and really get out there and get known so that one day I can earn money instead of only spending all the time! :-)

2007-04-28T17:33:00.000Z

Early in the morning I went to the Fleamarket with my things in my napsack. I spend hours on preparing everything, making labels, prices etc. To my dismay I didn't sell one single thing! I got a lot of compliments but no one bought anything!

Maybe it just wasn't the right place to sell my things, perhaps the prices were to high, I don't know. I am a bit disappointed but I wont let it get me down. At least I finally got the courage to sell my things.

I have now decided to put everything up on the swiss-ebay thing and see how it'll go there. I've sold some beads there already so maybe I'll get some sales there. We'll see.

2007-04-26T20:53:00.000Z

....I've also created my german blogspot. There is not much on it but it's a start! :-)

http://reddaisykreationen.blogspot.com

2007-04-26T20:22:00.000Z

The Label's are done...

2007-04-25T17:05:00.000Z

On Saturday I might have the chance to sell some of my things. I'm exited about this yet it makes me nervous. I have a lot of trouble putting prices on my creations and don't really know what to ask for. I need to figure that one out, soon!

So I need to get my stuff together. I'd like to make some lables to put on my things and perhaps even with a homepage address. This would mean making a new homepage, in german. This would take a lot of time aswell.

Plus, I'd like to add some more things to my collection which means taking time to create and then decide what I want to sell. Also need to think about how I want to present my things.

*sigh* Wow, I have a lot of work ahead of me! Good thing I've got a couple of days off work!

2007-04-24T15:45:00.000Z

A Jar I made for a friend of mine. She told me what she liked and voila! Here it is.
I'm not that happy with it but it's cute. I hope she likes it!

2007-04-23T17:02:00.000Z

Something new

2007-04-22T16:56:00.000Z

It always fascinated me, seeing picture transfers on fimo, I don't know why. I thought that it way too complicated, so I never tried it.

I found a great book in the library about all sorts of different ways of making beads and jewelry on Friday and they discribed how to do transfers in such an easy way that now I just had to try it!

Here's how I did it:

Photocopy an image. (If you use words, it'll be reversed) (I copied something from Ikea, I hope they wont sue me!) Mold your pendant with fimo in the size and style that you want it in. Then, apply a very thin coat (I use Q-tips) of peppermint oil (the book said Eucolyptus, but I only had peppermint and that worked fine) and slowly put the photocopy on the fimo. Do not move it anymore. Then, apply some more oil on the back of the paper but do not drench it, it'll otherwise smear the picture. Leaving the paper on bake your fimo pendant according to directions. After the fimo has cooled slowly take off the paper and voila! There you have your transfer!

It's so easy that I think I'm just gonna go wild with this, hahaha.............

2007-04-21T15:08:00.000Z

I bought this fimo "magic bead roller" yesterday, after seeing it on someone's blog. The woman who had this on the blog had really pretty beads and so I thought, "why not!" in hopes to save my self a lot of time when I roll my beads. In hopes that the patterns don't deform when rolling. So I exitedly went home with this magical thing in my pocket and I was already disappointed after opening it. It had pink clay on it!!! So it was used! I guess I could have gone back to town to return it but I was so eager to use it....so! I cut my clay and added the bits to the roller as pictured in the instructions....I tried, failed, tried again and I was so disappointed by the whole thing because the beads just never came out nice! You first have to press the clay through this strange thingy so it fits and that alone already takes too much time....in short: why did I buy this? Am I doing something wrong? Anyone have good expiriences with it?

2007-04-17T17:26:00.000Z

Sometimes I find it difficult to be patient. Patient with my self and my crafts. I would love to create more, faster and sell sell sell but right now I don't always have the energy nor the calm to sit and work at the crafts table. And sometimes I'm just full of self doubt and wondering if this is worth while. It's an expensive and a time consuming hobby yet I love it, I love putting my creativity into the fimo and it's colours.

Time, Patience, Energy.

*sigh*

2007-04-16T17:04:00.000Z

There is still a lot of space for more beads!

2007-04-13T16:38:00.000Z

After doing pretty much of nothing in the last couple of days (due to a new job) I had the huge urge to sit and work today! These are two of three canes that I made today (the boyfriend has my camera so you'll have to wait for a bit before I can post more photo's). I have also created some new pendants, and beads which I'm really happy about! I just love creating and working with colours. Unfortunatley it's getting warmer now and for the first time I felt what it means working with clay that is too warm. It just doesn't work! If we have a hot summer this year I'll have to work in the fridgerator!! For storage: I bought a couple of plastic boxes yesterday from ikea. Now I have tons of space to store my canes and beads!

My work table

2007-04-08T16:37:00.000Z

from this.....

.........to this!

I decided it was time to have a good working space. I used to just work in the kitchen and moved all of my stuff back and forth which wasn't very fun expecially if I was in the middle of something. So now I have a good working space in my room where it's brighter, friendlier and just more comfortable. Most importantley, I can just leave my stuff there.

2007-04-07T19:08:00.000Z

small pink rose beads

yellow flower beads

This is my yesterday's work. I put them up for sale to see if people are interested in this kind of theme. What I find hard at the moment is putting prices on the things I make. Sometimes I think I'm too expensive other times too cheap. Figuring out the worth of something is tough, for me at least. I guess with time I can go up with my prices but for now I'll just stick to them.

2007-04-07T12:26:00.000Z

Finally I have a pasta-machine to make my fimo-life a bit easier!

2007-04-06T08:58:00.000Z

I sold my very first beads two days ago! It sure puts a boost to my self esteem having someone buy my beads. It also motivates me to continue, to go bolder, bigger and out there *smile*. This could be the beginning of a beautiful adventeur!

2007-04-01T17:54:00.000Z

Using up the gray that I made two weeks ago and trying the black/white rose cane

Oh I love this! My daughter was happy to receive it as a gift!

My first salt+pepper glas shakers. I just love the combination of the black-gray-red!

2007-04-01T17:46:00.000Z

So just in case you haven't noticed, I'm trying something new out with my logo in the pictures *grinning*. Not sure If I like it yet. It's kinda dominant. Never mind though, loooook at my new jewels. I am really happy with them! I really like the butterfly design, it's a nice contrast to the gold. Other colours will probably work wonderful as well. So I have many new projects in my head and have lot's to do in the next while! *smile*

2007-03-29T17:46:00.000Z

I'm still in my gold+black phase. I really like this combination. Having the gold be the dominant colour is very pretty aswell, it's so different from having the black the dominant colour.