Faux Dichroic glass experiments take two... some unexpected results

I had another go at the faux dichroic glass technique and still couldn't quite manage to keep the rich colours of the alcohol inks as I had wanted to.

I used the translucent clay with the inks dripped onto it, which created some dots of colour.

I then used the scraps to make various beads and I think these were the most successful things I made from this technique.  The colours showed through more effectively and the foils gave a shine through the layers. The effect was a little like mokume gane (click here for a previous post about that technique). I think this larger bead may become a centre of a tassel necklace with peridot, aquamarine, amazonite and apatite. 

 You can see the colours much better in the beads.

 These beads were made by twisting the colours together and this gives another effect.  So, although the technique I tried originally didn't turn out as I wanted, I did gain some rather lovely foil beads to use in jewellery. Not a total waste of time then!

Latest polymer clay - Mokume Gane

I thought I would share my latest polymer clay experiments with you.  I have been investigating a technique called Mokume Gane (Mo-koo-may Gar-nay) which is from Japanese metalworking, where layers of metal are sliced through to create patterns. The same technique works really well in polymer clay.  I made a stack of purples and pinks, with a bit of silver polymer too and then impressed patterns into it.  I then sliced through the stack, creating the shavings you can see above.

 I then placed pieces together onto a base and created these pendants.

 I loved the swirly patterns - they reminded me of a machine at the fair where you could drizzle paint into a cylinder and centrifugal force would create a pattern.  Alternatively, they do resemble 1960s psychedelia too!

 For my next experiment, I used translucent clay, some tinted with purple, and glitter and foil and pearl clay.  Here's the stack I created with impressed patterns and some infills of pearl clay too.

These are the slices, ready to be put together.

 The finished result - quite subtle but I really like it. You can see the foil shining through the layers underneath.  I made some tube beads which I think will look like glass once they are sanded and varnished.

 I used the translucent clay with a tint of blue and some black, pearl clay and foil, for these.  I am really pleased with how they turned out too.

I have also decorated the backs, which I like almost as much as the fronts!
I used a fantastic book for techniques and inspiration - 'How to make Polymer Clay beads' by Carol Blackburn, which had lots of photos and very helpful advice.  I am constantly amazed by the versatility of polymer clay and particularly enjoyed using this technique.  I can see I shall be re-visiting this one!
I forgot to add that these are completely one of a kind - I couldn't replicate the patterns, even if I wanted to.  Isn't it great that no-one else in the whole world has pendants exactly the same as these?