Day 21: Stacked Circle Extravaganza!
Darlings, today I simply had to create the most divine stacked polymer clay circle beads with a little ball surprise at the bottom—because life's too short for flat endings! My color palette was a springtime soirée of turquoise blue discs playing host to spring green companions, with bright yellow discs as the petite guests of honor. Though between us, the yellow and citron are giving such a twin-like resemblance that next time I'll insist they dress more distinctively! The whole affair is suspended on silver head pins like celestial chandeliers for your earlobes. Remember, my little chickadees, in jewelry as in life: stack with abandon!
Day 22: The Twisted Sister Studs
Live! Live! LIVE! That's what I always say, and today I'm living through experimentation! I've concocted the most marvelous twisted earring studs inspired by that genius Helen Briel, though I've taken dramatic liberties, naturally. Why hide behind earlobes when you can twist and shout? My creation features extruded ribbons—green teardrops embracing white ones—all connected to a black ribbon with a 90-degree twist that's more surprising than my third husband's revelation about his pet alligator! The top twist will lie flat against the earlobe while the bottom twist says, "Helloooo, world!" More experiments to come because, as I always say, tomorrow we may die!
Day 23: Amber Waves of... Well, Not Quite Grain
Oh, the crushing disappointment when one's amber isn't as translucent as one's intentions! Like that time in Monaco when I thought I was drinking champagne but it was merely sparkling cider! Nevertheless, these medium golden-brown flattened balls of polymer clay have a certain je ne sais quoi with their dark brown and black "inclusions" (such a fancy word for flecks, isn't it?). I used Premo Translucent with bits of Souffle Cowboy and Premo Gold—sounds like the guest list for my last soirée! Next time, I'll try Cernit or perhaps summon the YouTube gods for guidance. After all, darlings, if at first you don't succeed, try another brand!
Day 24: The Hoopla of Skinner Blends
My dears, today I ventured into the world of Skinner blends with the subtlety of a sunset—olive green fading to light terra cotta like the sky over Marrakesh at dusk! I've sliced this gradient into strips thinner than my patience on a rainy Monday and formed them into hoops that dance together like forbidden lovers. One hoop slipped ever so cleverly over the other after baking—what a tryst! The joins aren't quite as smooth as my delivery of a withering remark, but practice makes perfect! Finished with gold accents because, darlings, when in doubt, add gold!
Day 25: The Cairn Carnival
Life is a banquet of beads, and these little stacked treasures are simply too delicious! I've created what I'm calling "Cairn beads"—flattened discs stacked like the social hierarchy at a Manhattan gala! Yellow, spring green, turquoise, spring green, yellow—a perfect palindrome of polymer! And those tiny red spacer beads? They're the unexpected spice in this sculptural soufflé! Like ruby commas in a colorful sentence, they punctuate the stack with a wink and a nudge. All held together with silver findings because, my dears, even in chaos there must be structure!
Day 26: Spacers—The Supporting Actors
Darlings, sometimes it's the small roles that make the entire production! These petite black polymer clay spacer beads may not have the glamour of center-stage stunners, but without them, the whole jewelry ensemble would fall flat—like my fourth husband's attempt at soufflé! Suspended on pins in their metal baking tray like tiny performers on a miniature stage, they await their cue. Soon, when my stringing supplies arrive like long-awaited royalty checks, these little darlings will join bracelets and necklaces where they'll finally get the recognition they deserve. Everyone's a star in my universe!
Day 27: The Swirled Debutantes
Oh, the intoxicating swirls of grey to green with the thinnest black and white demarcations—like the boundary between genius and madness, which I've crossed numerous times at cocktail parties! These beads are inspired by the magnificent Donna Kato, though I must confess with theatrical honesty that I've installed one polymer clay strip backward. But what's life without a delicious mistake? It's merely an excuse to make another batch in a color scheme that would make Monet weep with envy! These swirls are more hypnotic than that mesmerist I dated in Tangier!
Day 28: Dental Impressions
Who knew that dental tools could create such polymer clay beauty? Certainly not my dentist, who's far too concerned with my overbite to appreciate aesthetics! This pale green bead features indented circles that capture shadows like memories of past loves—deep at the edges but untouched in the center. The side-lighting creates a chiaroscuro effect that Caravaggio would applaud! This technique, like my memoirs, will only work well on light backgrounds where the shadows can really tell their stories. More patterns to come, darlings—this is just the first appointment!
Day 29: The Skinner Spirals
Another day, another olive-to-terra-cotta gradient—because why waste inspiration when it comes calling? I've wound this ribbon around a metal tool like destiny around a May pole! The resulting spiral, crowned with a gold ball stud, is "kinda cute" in the same way that the French Riviera is "kinda pleasant" in June! These little darlings could easily upstage larger beads in any ensemble, just as I upstaged the lead actress when I was merely a chorus girl in that off-Broadway production of "The Women." Sometimes the smallest spiral makes the biggest statement!
Day 30: Spaghetti Spectacular
Darlings, I've never met a pasta I didn't like—metaphorical or otherwise! Today's creation features extruded polymer "spaghetti" spiraling around a mauve bead base like eager guests circling the buffet at one of my legendary soirées! I'm showing you the good end because, like a Hollywood marriage, the bottom half became a bit irregular. Next time I'll start from both ends and meet in the middle—a technique I've used in many negotiations and at least two divorce settlements! Remember, my little treasures, in polymer clay as in life: when the pattern goes awry, simply call it "artistic expression" and pour another cocktail!
