So any time you want, you can be the owner of these sweet earrings:
Showing posts with label polymer clay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polymer clay. Show all posts
Sunday, 7 April 2013
New Regular Items - Stack of Books Earrings and Penguin Book Stud Earrings
My Stack of Books Earrings and Penguin Book Stud Earrings have always been popular numbers on my Etsy site, so I've made them Made to Order items so they can be bought at any time! Instead of waiting until I have time to make 4 or 5 and take new pictures and put them up now and again, which isn't very consistently!
So any time you want, you can be the owner of these sweet earrings:
So any time you want, you can be the owner of these sweet earrings:
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Varnishing Polymer Clay
Varnishing your polymer clay items is really important for making your items last and look their best. Unvarnished pieces can scratch and pieces can break off really easily, and some polymer clays stay quite soft after they have been baked.So which varnish is the best to use?
When I first started out making items with polymer clay I used a bit of an unorthadox method, and finished my pieces with clear nail polish - it makes a really hard finish and it your pieces are small like mine, it keeps little bits from chipping of since it acts like a really strong glue.
Unfortunately this hold doesn't last - it also yellows a bit after a year, and starts to go a bit sticky. Pieces get a bit gummy and break off. So I abandoned the nail polish for the purpose made stuff, Fimo's Gloss Varnish. This varnish is fantastic - its best feature is it's a really thin liquid, but still makes an extremely hard shiny shell over your piece that protects is really well. Two layers of this will make your items really last. I haven't noticed any yellowing or peeling, either.
One drawback is that it is a slightly whitish opaque colour, and if some pools in a little crack, you can be left with a whitish mark where it dries. To avoid this, use the paintbrush in a dabbing motion and only apply a thin layer at a time.
Since it worked so well, but is a bit pricey, I tried out another polyeurethane varnish from ebay a while ago. Unfortunately it just didn't cut it. It was by Craftmill and quite a lot cheaper, so I thought I'd give it a go. It ended up, when in contact with glue, turning crystaline and crumbling off. It also had a tendency to yellow a bit. I stopped using it immediately after a bunch of my teapot earrings broke in transit to a shop where I sell some of my items :( Into the bin it went!
Another popular polymer clay varnish is by Sculpey, who make Sculpey polymer clay as well as Premo, which is my favourite. I haven't tried it myself, but it will be my next to experiement with. I've heard it can be a bit goopy and peely, and that it has the yellowing problem, but I can't judge as I have yet to try it. I also imagine that it will be slightly cheaper than Fimo, as most things are!
There are lots of alternatives for polymer clay finishes, from floor polishes to wood varnishes, to paint varnishes that are common in craft stores, and there seem to be varying results in a lot of them. Personally I'm going to stick to the purpose made ones, as I want to play it safe with jewellery that I'm selling. It's hard to know how a varnish will hold up a year from working with it, and since I know Fimo works well, that is that one I will probably always stick with. It's hardness always impresses me, and it may be a bit pricey, but the confidence I have in it is worth that price!
Monday, 25 March 2013
Berries
Yes, I'm blogging about berries. I love berries. Sweet juicy fruit, magically growing on a bush for our picking pleasure, to put in pancakes or muffins or pies. It's the best thing!
I was partly inspired by my love of berries to make these little blackberry earrings, made from polymer clay:
The varnish gives it a nice shine and makes me want to go by tartlet cups and whipping cream!
An old childhood favourite berry was, however, this little darling:
I was partly inspired by my love of berries to make these little blackberry earrings, made from polymer clay:
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| Blackberry Earrings by Coryographies |
The varnish gives it a nice shine and makes me want to go by tartlet cups and whipping cream!
An old childhood favourite berry was, however, this little darling:
This is the mighty huckleberry, which I loved to graze on when outdoors, and bring in a little margarine container full for Sunday pancakes. I thought they might make some cute earrings if I can capture their charm.
In a tribute to berries, I've made an Etsy treasury. See if there's something you like. Enjoy!
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Teapot Earrings Galore
I've started making my tiny teapot earrings again and putting them back into my shop :) They're quite fun to make, and I'm getting better at making them match. It's a bit hard not to make one spout longer than the other, or one with a slightly wonky handle...
They look quite cute on little ears, and I have a couple pairs myself that I like to wear. I find these don't sell well online for some reason, but are the most common item I sell at craft fairs! Hmm...
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Cory is a fan: ayarina
Here is a great polymer clay Etsy store: ayarina sells adorable polymer clay buttons with unique and beautiful designs that are sure to cheer up anything they are sewn on! Wouldn't they be cute on a cosy blanket for instance? Hmmm...
So sweet! I just wish I could knit in crochet in shapes other than 'square' and 'rectangle', and I could make some adorable jumpers from these ;)
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Cory is a fan: Mocha's Friends
We all know I love polymer clay, and small things. Well I love animals too. Cute ones... like these from Mocha's Friends Handmade Animals and Jewellery! How sweet is this little owl necklace?
Perhaps a corgi on a balloon?
Or these corgi earrings:
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| Weeee! |
It takes a lot of time and patience to control polymer clay, especially to make two items that match like in her earrings, so I take my hat off to Esther, the creator of these cute pieces (and to her dog Mocha too, the inspiration for the characters!).
I've been making some little mallard ducks earrings and have been having difficulty making them look the same! It's very tricky... but lots of bright lights and concentration often do the trick. (Here are my little ducks):
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| Quack! |
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Cory is a fan: Bird Brain Jewellery
My dear friend Hazel has opened up a brand new Etsy shop showcasing her very cute polymer clay bird creations! I saw her wearing one of these rings and was blown away, they look so good. Order yourself one, or the adorable red earrings I have my eye on... (visit Bird Brain Jewellery!)
Monday, 28 May 2012
New Items: Teacup Earrings!
I've finally figured out a way to make teacup earrings! It's taken a while, and a lot of wasted fimo, but now I feel comfortable with them and some are up in my shop! More colours to come soon. So far my favourite are these red polkadot teacup earrings:
Very cute, very alice! I've seen a few people say 'alice' as an adjective, to mean 'in the style of Alice in Wonderland' - an interesing addition to the language! But should I capitalise it? I guess we say 'mesmerise' without a capital, and that word is from a man named Mesmer... hmmm! Something linguistic to ponder on a Monday evening.
Monday, 14 May 2012
Coryographies at In With The Old
I have some pictures to share of my items that are being sold at In With The Old, the cutest little handmade crafty shop in London:
May 9th (also my birthday!) was the celebratory opening of the shop, which has officially already been open for three weeks. It's so cute! There are about 20 different makers that contribute to the shop, and it is run by Alice, who makes incredible pieces out of reclaimed treasures. The shelf in the above picture is one of the items she sells - apple crates turned into adorable shelves!
Other makers' items include adorable headbands, beautiful prints of birds (wearing hats!), intricate applique felt brooches, lovely fabric teacups, and even those cute frilly pants to put over baby's diaper! It's a lvoely shop, and I always want to spend more time in it - it's a shame I'm not in London so much anymore!
If YOU are in London though and fancy having a look around, follow the link at the start of this post and check it out if you have time! You will leave with a lighter wallet, I garuantee you.
May 9th (also my birthday!) was the celebratory opening of the shop, which has officially already been open for three weeks. It's so cute! There are about 20 different makers that contribute to the shop, and it is run by Alice, who makes incredible pieces out of reclaimed treasures. The shelf in the above picture is one of the items she sells - apple crates turned into adorable shelves!
Other makers' items include adorable headbands, beautiful prints of birds (wearing hats!), intricate applique felt brooches, lovely fabric teacups, and even those cute frilly pants to put over baby's diaper! It's a lvoely shop, and I always want to spend more time in it - it's a shame I'm not in London so much anymore!
If YOU are in London though and fancy having a look around, follow the link at the start of this post and check it out if you have time! You will leave with a lighter wallet, I garuantee you.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Tutorial: Make Tiny Teapot Earrings
My first tutorial! I'm happy to say I've finally got my act together and sat down with painted nails to deliver a video on making my tiny teapot earrings. Have a look - and try for yourself! It's not as difficult as it looks to make tiny things!
All you'll need to participate: 2 flat earring studs, polymer clay (any colour), glue (such as super glue), and varnish (or in a pinch, clear nail polish). Enjoy!
All you'll need to participate: 2 flat earring studs, polymer clay (any colour), glue (such as super glue), and varnish (or in a pinch, clear nail polish). Enjoy!
Thursday, 3 May 2012
She Likes Brains
I'm happy to say my Reading in the Park Necklace has been featured on one of my favourite blogs, She Likes Brains: http://www.shelikesbrains.com/gifts/reading-in-the-park-necklace/
This blog features gifts for the (slightly) nerdy girl (for example, me) - and you can trawl through and find some great fun things!
Thursday, 26 April 2012
New items: single books!
I thought I'd share some of my new items! They feature single books, not a whole bookshelf ;) I also was able to experiment with beads in the necklaces - and use my new tiny pink round nosed pliers! I may become a beadaholic like a lot of other crafters if this keeps up, so I better be careful ;) Here are some of my new items:
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| English Rose Necklace, £15 |
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| English Rose Cuff Bracelet, £15 |
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| English Rose Ring, £15 |
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| Ancient Book Ring, £15 |
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| Ancient Book Necklace, £15 |
My photography is getting better, but I still have a ways to go - I think my biggest hurdle is forcing myself to take photos BEFORE the sun starts setting. That's usually when I rush to take them all :) I need more light!!
In other news, I just figured out that my shop url is also http://www.coryographies.etsy.com/ - that would look much nicer on my business cards than www.etsy.com/shop/coryographies!! Oh well, I'll remember for next time... :)
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Lots of new items!
I got busy with the camera today and finally took a whole load of pictures so I could add a bunch of new items to my shop! Check them out and see if you like them :) New items include:
Three colours of Penguin Book Dangle Earrings:
A couple more 'academic style' of Book Dangle Earrings:
A little milk jug necklace with a cow:
A couple of stone tool rings:
And a new type of ring I'm calling 'Fairytale Rings':
I painted an illuminated letter on the page which I'm pretty proud of ;) I think I know why I've been getting headaches lately, with all this squinting...!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
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