Apoxie Sculpted Fruit Pendant


This new pendant is a salute to Carmen Miranda!

In order to create the fruit I used some molds and Apoxie Sculpt’s four colour tray.

I did some colour mixing too.  In order to have purple grapes I mixed some red and blue Apoxie.

I had a nice little pile of fruit and leaves on my table but something was missing.  I bet you see it too.  I needed a banana!

So back to the tray I went to use some of the yellow and green to make one more piece of fruit.  Apoxie clay air dries rock solid.  It is so easy to mix and then put into a mold.  I only remove the finished pieces after it has cured in 24 hours. This banana delayed my project by a day.

I did a little filing on my finished fruit pieces to smooth out any rough edges.  Then I selected this Metal Complex silver plated round pendant to work in.  I filled the pendant bezel with black Apoxie Sculpt.

The black apoxie made it easy for me to place all my fruit into and around the pendant.  Everything adhered beautifully but I did have a few open spaces.    A few years ago I bought a grab bag of jewelery pieces at John Bead.  I found quite a few of these crystal ear studs in the bag and these were perfect to add to the pendant.  All I did was push the earring posts right into the apoxie as well.

I was thrilled with the results!! This project was very easy and I can tell you this is the first time I have ever made molded fruit. It did need just one more thing though……..

One simple coat of JB Craft Acrylic Protective Finish gave me the shine I wanted.

I wonder if I could make a hat too…..

Apoxie Resin for Repair or Design Work

This new brooch was so easy to make that a few of you might start rummaging in your stash drawers before you finish reading this post.

Notice how even the edges are?

The brooch was made possible because of the magic of these two little balls of Apoxie Sculpt.  Apoxie Sculpt is a two part system.  When you knead these two “clay-like” products into one solid putty you get a special clay that air dries and then cures in 24 hours.

In my collection of broken jewelery parts I had this wire and crystal heart.  (You might not notice but the heart actually snapped at the bottom.)

I rolled out my Apoxie Sculpt on a non stick surface and embedded my heart into it.  Using a blade I cut away any of the Apoxie from the edges.

Then I happily embedded my Preciosa Pointed Back crystals ab(ca#36204). I did sand my edges a little.  After the brooch completely cures, you can easily add a bar pin to the back and now this sample is  ready to wear!

Apoxie Sculpt In A Mold

Yesterday’s blog post highlighted using Apoxie Sculpt as a surface to embed crystals into.

Today I’ll show you how easy it is to create unique molded embellishments with it.  For this sample I used the Black Apoxie Sculpt, White Apoxie Sculpt John Bead also has a Apoxie Clay kit with Black, Brown, Grey and White that is a nice starter kit and is great for this project as well. I also used a handmade silver plated Metal Complex pendant bezel (36x32x2) and Preciosa Pointed Back crystals ab(ca#36204).

Whenever I work with Apoxie Sculpt I have a little bit left over.

Since I don’t want to waste one bit of Apoxie Sculpt, I started to leave a mold out on my table.  I press any leftover Apoxie Sculpt in my mold and leave it to air dry and cure for 24 hours.  I knew I wanted a black and white flower theme for my new pendant and these molded ones turned out perfect!  I did do a little filing to take off any uneven edges.

For this sample I filled my bezel with the black Apoxie Sculpt.

Then I arranged and embedded my flowers.  At this point I decided to see what else I had in my stash which would complete the black and white theme.  I found three of these vintage enamel flowers and embedded them too.

My last step was to put a small ball of black Apoxie Sculpt in the enamel flowers so that I could also add three crystals.  Now that I have worked in black and white I am excited to try all the colours in the Apoxie Clay family!

Apoxie Clay and Metal Complex Bezels

This sparkly new bracelet is so easy to make that you will want to create more than one at a time!

Bezel ring blanks provide you with an endless opportunity to show off your favorite crystals.  This ring is my new favorite.


These projects were created with two new products at John Bead:  The Apoxie Sculpt Modeling Compound (available in many colours, I used Black Apoxie Clay ) and the new line of bezels called Metal Complex.  I chose the handmade oval antique brass ring for this first project.

The crystals I used were all Preciosa Pointed back Chatons and Cushion Back Chatons in various shapes. I used a Jet Navette 8×4 mm, a Pear shaped Black Diamond 8x4mm and a Crystal Chaton  .  I selected a group of my favorites and did a little sample design on my table.

The Apoxie Sculpt is a two part clay-like system.  You mix two equal amounts for two minutes until the final colour is uniform.  This “clay” now has a working time of 1-3 hours and then it air dries rock solid!

I filled the bezel ring with Apoxie Sculpt.  The left-over clay I set aside.  (I’ll show you tomorrow what I did with my leftovers.)

Then I carefully pressed all my crystals into the clay.  At this stage I added a few impressions to the clay by poking into it with a tooth pick.  All I had to do now was wait for the clay to cure for 24 hours.  Project complete!  The crystals are permanently affixed with very little work on my part.

Since I had everything out on my table I thought it would be fun to try a second bezel.

These handmade interchangeable silver plated bezels links are perfect for quick projects.  I played with these aquamarine navette crystals until my flower idea was in a design format I could reproduce in the clay.

This time I made up a small amount of the Apoxie Sculpt in Super White.  I embedded all the crystals per my design idea.  I left a few crystals hanging a bit over the edges.  I wanted the flowers to look like they were growing out of the bezel.

I could have allowed the white clay to be visible but I wanted to test another idea.  I had these tiny silver glass beads on my table and decided to see if they would adhere to the clay in the open spaces.

As you can see from the final picture the little glass beads filled in the whole background.  I also used Preciosa crystal chatons for the flower centre and on the edges.

Crystal flower jewelery in minutes!  I look forward to showing you more ideas for working with Apoxie Sculpt, Metal Complex Bezels and Preciosa crystals tomorrow.

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Being that mother’s day is just around the corner. There’s still time to create something beautiful and personally made for your mom. SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, has come up with 3 fun designs featuring the new Designer Edition Hearts designed by Manish Arora. These designs are easy and fun. The step by step instructions make it great for any level of jewellery designer and of course, find everything you need to make these designs at John Bead or one of our recommended retail stores.

Mother’s Day – Vibrant Hearts Necklace

Click here for INSTRUCTIONS

Materials Used; (Make sure to Log into your account to see pricing)

Devoted 2 U Pendant Article  6261.  36mm

Miss U Heart Pendant Article 6262.  26mm

Truly in Love Heart Pendnat . Article 6264.  18mm

4mm Jumpring -Silver

6mm Jumpring – Silver

Lobster Clasp – Silver

1mm (18g) gauge Silver wire

Silver fine chain

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Swinging Hearts – Earrings

Click here for INSTRUCTIONS

Materials Used; (Make sure to Log into your account to see pricing)

 Truly in Love Heart Pendant Article. 6264  -18mm

Ear wire – Silver

5mm Jumpring – Silver

1.2mm (16gauge) wire -Silver

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For more Mother’s day SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS design ideas visit. Create-your-style

JohnBead designers also created some fun Mother’s day gift idea using the Designer Edition Hearts;

“Drops of Love” Necklace

                          

Materials Used; (Make sure to Log into your account to see pricing)

PENDANT 6261 DEVOTED 2U HEART

PENDANT 6428 RIVOLI – 6mm CHRYSOLITE OPAL

PENDANT 6264 TRULY IN LOVE HEART – 36mm AB CRYSTAL

LEATHER GENUINE CORD 1.5mm ROUND BLACK

LEATHER CRIMPS – COILED –  3.5x11mm SILVER LF/NF

LOBSTER CLASP 10mm NF/LF – SILVER PLATED

To customize add whatever color beads and small pendants your mother likes for her own “Drops of Love” necklace.

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“Love Charms” Bracelet.

          

Materials Used; (Make sure to Log into your account to see pricing)

PENDANT 6262 MISS U HEART – 17mm ASTRAL PINK CRYSTAL

Other Color Option ;   17mm Miss U Heart

BECHARMED BRIOLETTE BEAD 5940  -14mm ROSE

Other Color Option;   14mm BeCharmed Briolette

Sterling Silver  BRACELET SNAKE CHAIN – 7.0″ w/LOBSTER CLASP – “Bead Your Own Bracelet”

Sterling Silver BEAD STOPPER – SLIDE ON 8mm – 2.8mm LARGE HOLE

Tierra Cast – CHARM QUATREFOIL KEY-27mm

Tierra Cast- LINK LOCK 25mm

 JUMP RING ROUND 7mmOD 18ga   SILVER NF/LF

The Miss U Heart is the Perfect Fancy Stone to fit into the “Bead Your Own Bracelet” style bracelets and necklaces as shown in the “Love Charms” bracelet. It’s similar to the Pandora style bracelets and is available in Sterling silver!

Miss U Heart – Article 6262

Happy Mother’s day to all you moms!

Seneca College Fashion Show

It’s always great to support local talent and designers. On Wednesday April 13th, a group of our staff were happy to attend this year’s annual Sececa College Fashion Show !

Seneca’s 2011 Redefining Design was held at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. The show featured 45 up and coming fashion design students. As well as a cocktail hour before, which gave viewers a chance to see the students garments outside the auditorium.

The other exhibits featured were from the Fashion Visual Merchandising Arts program. Where students showcased a variety of elaborate displays. It also featured makeup artistry of Cosmetic Techniques and Management students, creations by Floral Design students.

“Seneca students come from all over the world and I am pleased to see their diverse talents and inspiration showcased in the end of year show,” said Seneca College President David Agnew. “Redefining Design is a celebration of the success of our students and an opportunity for industry leaders and notable alumni to connect with these up-and-coming designers.”

Check out the images below for some of the latest fashion trends from Seneca’s students;

Donna, Denise, Laura, Rishma and Lilla

 

Opening design by Amy Liu, the pieces looked liked outer skeleton ribs and bodily organs wrapped like blood vessels. Blue, red, black and white were the featured colors.

  

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 Very unique, textures with dangling bubbles and exaggerated balloon shape skirts by Michelle Chen.

Silun Chens designs featured florescent lights immerging from all white garments in the darkened auditorium. Models wore black spotted tights that gave way for the contrasting garments.

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 Seneca winner was Katie Hodgson for her tubular knits, tight pleats and crafting her own Gaga-esque heel-less platforms.

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A group favourite. Textured tiny pleats reminiscent of a tree trunk and tubular knits attached to create this dynamic 3D design.  

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Alexandria Layton used lots of fur and feathers in her collection, something that’s been popular this seasons. She created some beautiful wearable looks with a backwoods, igloo feel.

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Neckline full of gems and sparkle. This Indian inspired collection was full of glitz with crystal embellishments.

More jewels and glamorous layered dresses by Mary Mariades.

 

 

Second place winner from the Floral design program. I love how she used metallic lilac aluminum wire for her assemblyand pops of crystal.

International Days at Seneca

Another beautiful design by Seneca Floral design student by Shannin Morgan. 

International Days at Seneca

Displays by the Fashion Merchandising students. Big and Colourful !

International Days at Seneca

Saw lots of use of cut out paper shapes creating flowers , butterflies and birds.

   

International Days at Seneca

      

Rishma’s having fun too !

Special thank you to Martha Mintsopoulos for coordinating tickets for John Bead staff.

Bead Extravaganza 2011 !!

Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads *

Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads *

Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads * Beads *

The Bead Extravaganza held March 11th to 12th was a great success ! Full of demos and seminars, guests were presented with the newest season of Swarovski Elements Spring/ Summer 2012 and got a glipse into the trends for the coming year.  Guests also got the chance to get a more upclose, intimate demonstration of Beadalon products, Bead stitch techniques and Crystal application techniques.

The day started out with Vince Scalera introducing the S/S 2012 Swarovski Elements. Guests received gift bags with a sample box of new products, Innovations Catalog and Trend forecast materials.  New Designer Editions from Manish Arora called “Love story of the heart”. Manish is India’s most popular prolific design talent. He created 5 new heart shape pendants, each one expressing one of love’s different emotional states; Crazy 4 U Heart , Devoted 2 U Heart, Forever 1 Heart , Miss U Heart and Truly in Love Heart.  Astral Pink is the new color introduced in these heart shapes. It’s unique to this collection and to Manish Aroras collaboration.

         

 

   

Vince then went on to New Colors and Effects ; Chrysolite Opal , Bronze Shade Crystal  and Crystal Vintage Gold Pearls.

Chrystolite Opal is a soft, serenley pleasing color that enhances any palette from neutrals through to deeply intense colors. It has a light ethereal edge. It can appear to be feminine and romantic as well as adaptable to more fashion-foward , futuristic designs.

 

  

Bronze Shade Crystal is  directly in tune with the strong design trend towards metallics. Elegant and sophisticated, it adds strength and depth to any design. It’s extremely versatile it can be used in glamour wear and compined with chain to achieve a more utilitarian look. The Bronze Shade Crystal is ideal to combine with other Swarovski Element colors such as; light metallic gold, silvernight crystal, silvershade and golden shadow.

 

 

Crystal Vintage Gold Pearl is a beautiful addition to existing line of crystal pearls. With the trend of vintage inspired clothing accesorries this softer , natural color is ideal. It also responds to the current and extremely strong design mood for pearl inclusion in accessories.

 

 

 

Blends !!  Blends !! Blends !!! Amethyst Blend is part of the SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS “Fusion Concepts” line.  It’s the result of morphing two colors into a seamless gradient shade. Each crystal is different and has it’s only characteristic of blend between clear crystal and color. The amethyst blend is a subtle shading that extends across seasons- winter through to summer. It also suits perfectly the major trend direction for washed and fluid colors.

  

 

 Topaz Blend is a deeply warm hue with the appeal of a Smoke Topaz crystal and a dinamic playful gradation. It combines elegance with sophistication . It’s also a crystal that extends across seasons of winter and summer, it offers amazing color combinations with other earth tone brown such as ; light colorado topaz, colorado topaz, smoke topaz, mocca and golden shadow crystal. It also combines beautifully with natural greens such as khaki and olivine.

 

NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES – NEW SHAPES

The Stairway bead is a perfect extension of classic geometric shapes in the Swarovski Elements beads assortment. The straight and parallel cut facets are reminiscent of the staif of a glamour stairway. Due to its rectangular shape, oher elements aligh edge to edge and allow for compact designs and is easily combined with other shaped beads. The bead is featured in two sizes; 10mm & 14mm and 10 colors and 5 effects.

 

 

 

BeCharmed  BeCharmed  BeCharmed  BeCharmed  BeCharmed  BeCharmed

 

Becharmed Helix Bead- Swarovski Elements collectible charm beads made with stainless steel, are the perfect addition to existing Charm Bracelet versions. The helix cut has  dynamic angular facets and appeal to a wide variety of design combinations and options. It’s featured in one size 14mm and is available in 12 colors and 6 effects.

The enlarged hole allows it to cross over between jewelry and fashion items.

 

 

 

BeCharmed – Briolette Bead is a beautiful in the classic briolette shape. It’s easily combined with the Helix bead or collect all 12 colors and 6 effects.

 

 

 

 

APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **APOXIE CLAY **

Guests participated in a make and take using Apoxie Clay and Swarovski Elements Chaton pointed back stones. Participants were really happy with how easy it was to use and the beautiful jewellery they got to take home. 

Here are a few samples of Apoxie clay and crystal work. 

        

New Selection of Bezels perfect for Apoxie Clay and crystal work.

  

Nick Regine Presented the many ways to applying Swarovski Elements HotFix flat backs,

 he’s here demonstrating applications with the Bejewler.

 

   

Guests using the transfer sheets to create a pattern.

  

Here’s Pam Arion from Tierra Cast in her lovely booth area. Pam did “make and takes” featuring the new Metamorphosis line. She used leather cording and guests attached charms to the clasp.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Design by Rishma Sarohai using the Metamorphosis line and the Alternatives line.  The Brass oxide and Black go very well with leather and Gunmetal chain !

      

Wyatt White and Fernando Dasilva were here representing Beadalon. They did a wonderful job at demonstrating all the unique tools from Beadalon. From jump ring makers to wire twisters and chainmaille , they had it all. Wyatt made some beautiful rings with wire working and Fernando.

   

      

Great wiring technique using the Beadalon Wire Twister ! Then use the Beadalon Jumpring maker and make one of kind jumprings !

  

 Alison Savage was here from the Canadian Beading Magazine showing guests demontrations of projects from the magazine.

She had some beautiful design ideas using dagger glass beads and floral patterns.

   

Karen Fish a bead store owner and designer from Bracebridge was presenting bead stitching tecnhique. She created the Dragon bangles from the new BeadWork magazine as well as showcases a variety of uses for Miyuki Tila beads, Cube beads and Magatamas.  Here’s Karens mom in her booth area.

 

Thank you all Guests and Representatives for a Successful BeadExtravaganza !!

 

 

Pantone Forecast for 2011

If you haven’t heard yet, let me be the first to tell you. HONEYSUCKLE IS THE COLOR OF THE YEAR !! Yes everyone, this warm pinky peachy , hint of fuschia has been adorned with the coveted status of color of the year from Pantonev ! As a bit of a girly girl myself , I have to say I really like it !

For over a decade, Pantone’s Color of the Year declarations have influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries including fashion, home and industrial design. Pantones innovative system for identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. Pantones color matching system concept is used in color-critical industries, including digital technology, fashion, home, plastics, architecture and interior design, and paint. Today, the PANTONE Name is known worldwide as the standard language for accurate color communication, from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer, across a variety of industries.

I love the way Pantone describes the new Honeysuckle color as ; “emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life. ”

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.” – http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/pantone.aspx?pg=20824&ca=10

Just take a look at this room a la Honeysuckle – it will definetely ward off your blues !

Some of the top Fashion designers have introduced this color into their garment designs; Nanette Lepores floral tunic dress screams exitment and adventure and Badgley Mischkas evening design radiates glamour and allure. On the runway it’s a color that’s hard to mis and mixed with a flora pattern it’s a guranteed striking look. I’m sure we’ll see this color more throughout the year and the summer as designs make their way into stores.

 

Honeysuckle is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. It’s a striking, eye-catching hue that works well for day and night in women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics, and in men’s ties, shirts and sportswear. The Dessy Group group offers bridesmaid dresses in the Honeysuckle colors, along with tuxedo options and accessories.

    

     

As part of this forecasting I’ve prepared featured firepolish beads in the honeysuckle color. (To view the products on our website click on the image , login as a customer and browse the Pantone favorites list.)

There’s a wide variety of our Johnbead products that match the Honeysuckle color. Makes for some exiting options and design possibilities. I was exited to see that Swarovski Elements Rose color is a great match.

                

Preciosa Crystal Options in Honeysuckle;

 

Other Honeysuckle options in seed beads, semi-precious stones, Miyuki Delicas and acrylic beads.

         

 

Cherry Quartz Semi-precious stones ;

       

                          

       

If you yourself have made anything using the Honeysuckle color I would love to see it. You can email me at [email protected] and we can feature your creation on the next blog post !