Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Friendly Plastic Swirl Beads

I had a brilliant idea one night this week. It was one of those light bulb moments! You know the kind..... the ones that come just as you're drifting off to sleep.

Normally when an idea like that hits I would reach over to jot it down in my Little Book of Big Ideas but four months after moving into our new house, we still don't have bedside tables and so my Little Book was not there. So I went over and over the idea in my head, working out every little detail hoping I might at least remember something about the idea come morning. Do I start with a basic cylinder bead? Should I roll it into a ball? When should I add the stripes? Do I use the hot water method or stick with the heat gun...... so many questions. It's a wonder I got any sleep at all.

So what was my brilliant idea, I hear you ask? Well, take a peek below!

These are my first experiments.... you can just make out the beginnings of a swirl forming. Not bad, but I'm sure I can improve the technique. So I tried a completely different method for the second batch and got much better results.... a swirl is definitely happening here! That's much more like what I had in mind. It's a similar effect to polymer clay swirl beads but it takes a totally different technique to achieve the effect in Friendly Plastic. I'm calling them Swirl Beads because they look just like their polymer clay counterparts.

As with most of the beads I make from Friendly Plastic these will get a coat of resin so that they can be turned into jewellery and then they'll be ready for my next jewellery project.

I'm off to play some more with this technique so I have some finished pieces to share with you soon.

'Til then,
Myléne

Would you like to comment?

  1. Hi Mylene:
    Just love your work. I read your blog all the time. So when do we get a lesson on how to get make those beautiful beads? You have a wonderful creative talent and you work is simply stunning. Hope you share it with us.
    Hugs
    Peggys from USA
    New Boston, Michigan

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  2. Thank you Peg. I'm still perfecting the technique and working on some bead shape variations but hopefully it will be soon.

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  3. Looking really good Mylene, you always manage to be so very neat and tidy, I need to take lessons!

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  4. Thanks Liz. I have to be neat and tidy somewhere as it is definitely not evident as I look around my studio!

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  5. Thanks Mylene, for sharing all your beautiful work and tutorials. It is most appreciated.
    Hugs,
    Jogry/bali Indonesia

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  6. I'm glad you find them useful Jogry.

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