Melody O'Beau Designs

Dangling Red Cherry Bakelite Jewelry and Mom's Treasure Box

2011-11-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

I handcraft reproductions of vintage Bakelite red cherries jewelry pieces and this is the story how my love affair with red Bakelite began.

Mom had a jewelry box on her dresser. It wasn't fancy. Given that she grew up during the depression I think it might have been handmade by one of her brothers from simple stained pine wood. However, to me as a young child, that simple treasure box and it's contents were every bit as exciting as playing with the crown jewels might have been for some other child. It opened up a world of interesting shapes, textures and marvelous bright colors. I remember playing with the treasures in her box whenever I could manage to sneak a peek and dreaming of wearing them someday. I'd quietly clamber up on a chair to reach the dresser, open the lid on the jewelry box, and retreat into my own world. Ah, the colors! She liked the color blue a lot, but it was her collection of bright cherry red Bakelite pieces of the 1940's that totally captured my attention and imagination. I remember big chunky red earrings, awesome buttons, a red bangle bracelet, and.........

AestheticsAndOldLace at ArtFire

VintageTreasuresFound at ArtFire

AestheticsAndOldLace at ArtFire

a dangling yellow disc necklace, oh how I loved the many DANGLING pieces in her collection............

HelenGaughn at ArtFire

and butterscotch hoop earrings.

VintageTreasuresFound at ArtFire

At the end of my mom's life things were in chaos and I never found out what happened to her jewelry box and the contents. I can only hope that they ended up in the hands of someone who appreciated it as much as I did.

I had forgotten about the jewelry box and my love affair with red Bakelite jewelry until I saw two episodes of "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS. One featured the well-known vintage Cherry Jubilee necklace of bright red dangling Bakelite cherries and the other the classic Cherry Bar Brooch with suspended cherries. They made my heart sing and I desperately wanted to own them.............so...........I made my own reproductions using artist-quality polymer clay with sturdy green stereo wire stems, antique brass wire, and modern PVC chain. People noticed when I wore them and wanted their own, so...........

Nowadays I handcraft and sell reproductions of classic vintage Bakelite cherry jewelry at my shop. The reproductions remain true to the spirit of the originals and I'm proud to say that I discovered an uncredited photograph of my recent work (2009) in a gallery of online photos featuring the "best of the vintage Bakekite jewelry from the the 1940's"!

The Cherry Necklace and Cherry Bar Brooch are both constructed with red chain, which was the color of the Classic Bakelite pieces. For those who prefer a more understated and contemporary look, both pieces can be special ordered with green chain. The green chain version features one or two tiny ladybugs dancing on the leaves. Photos of the green version appear at the end of the photo queue for each ArtFire listing.

Red Cherry Red or Green Chain Necklace Bakelite Reproduction with Ladybugs available at MelodyODesigsn at ArtFire

Red Cherry Red or Green Chain Bar Brooch Bakelite Reproduction with Ladybug available at MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Red Cherry Earrings Bakelite Reproduction available at MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Anita's ArtFire Blow Out Sale Everything 25-50% off

2011-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

EDITED: November 29, 2011 Sales prices are good only on current inventory and the sale price will return to normal January 1, 2012

I'd like to invite you to a Holiday Blowout Sale at my ArtFire shop with prices now slashed 25-50% off EVERYTHING in the shop (except my husband's cat book). I will probably not be re-stocking some items, so if there's something you've been wanting, please hurry on over. Many items will now be OOAK (one of a kind), and once sold, will be gone forever. Below is only a small sample of some of the delightful items you will find on sale at
MelodyODesigns at ArtFire.

Click on text links below each picture to take you directly to the ArtFire listing page for each specific item.

Red Christmas Cat Angel Holiday Ornament

Faux Bakelite Dangling Cherry Necklace

Sedona Faux Red Rock Road Runner Pendant Necklace

Monarch Butterfly Autumn Leaf Necklace

Sedona Faux Red Rock Necklace with horse, kokopelli, coyote and roadrunner

Sedona Faux Red Rock Earrings with Dragonfly and Cactus

Smiling Cat in Garden Necklace with ladybugs

Dangling Hot Chili Peppers with Ladybugs Necklace

Smiling Cat Black and White pendant Necklace

Cinco de Mayo Yellow Fiesta Bead with dragonfly, butterfly and ladybug

Monarch Butterfly Blue Morning Glory with ladybugs Necklace

Smiling Blue and Lavender Cat Convertible Pin to Pendant Necklace

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Bead Necklace with butterflies, dragonflies and ladybugs

Humane Society Benefit and the Cat Angel Tree

2011-10-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

My husband, Sy Brandon, wrote a book called 'Life Is a Hammock'. It's an enjoyable tale of two cats that travel around the country on camping adventures with their adopted parents. It combines adventure and humor with photo cartoons to keep the reader smiling as they read. It is told through the voice of Stormy, a black cat with a small white patch on his chest and a deep Siamese voice who emigrated from Mexico to Tucson, Arizona to find his new home in the early 1970’s. All the profits from book sales benefit the Kreutz Creek Valley Library (PA) and the Verde Valley Humane Society (AZ). The book can be purchased at my studio, MelodyODesigns at ArtFire. Sy has made the book available on consignment at cost to Humane Societies around the country to use as a fund raiser. For information on this program please click on: Life is a Hammock and read down the right side of the home page.

Sy recently had a book reading/signing to benefit the Verde Valley Humane Society held at Hooked On Books. Hooked On Books is a terrific used book store that includes a large selection of books for children and also houses an extensive and AMAZING collection of vintage jewelry dating from the late 1800's to the present, all of which is for sale. The proprietor, Larry Wolfe, really supports the local author and artist community. Hooked On Books is located at 148 S. Main St. in Cottonwood, AZ. Stop by the next time you're on your way to Sedona, say hi and check out his cool and unique shop.

At the book reading I set up my table beside Sy and sold pieces from my Cat Collection with the profits also benefiting the Humane Society. The day before the book reading I had the Christmas tree display already decorated and waiting to be transported when I realized that the top of the tree really needed a special ornament......

something like an angel. That's the story of how the new Cat Angel ornaments came to be added to my Cat Collection.

Here's a photo of the Christmas tree displaying the Cat Ornaments just before the Humane Society sale began. The Christmas Cats are available for adoption at my studio: MelodyODesigns at ArtFire.

Studio photos - making the Christmas Cats

2011-10-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here in Arizona the temperature was over 100 F. until just a few days ago, but holiday merchandizing and gift buying have already started. So lately, being a cat lover, I've been spending many hours in my own version of Santa's Workshop surrounded by hues of bright red and green as I designed the prototype necklaces for the 2011 Christmas Holiday edition of our Cat Jewelry Collection. I thought it would be fun to show photos of my workshop and some of the construction aspects before I unveil the photos of Mr. Christmas Cat, himself.

First I conditioned a whole lot of artist-quality polymer clay with a dead blow hammer and kept two pasta machines busy as I made a large selection of canes using different colors, and color combinations. Then the canes were then reduced to of variety of different diameters and shapes. Caning is a labor-intensive construction technique borrowed from glass making similar to making jellyrolls, where colored rods of clay are laid horizontally forming a complex pattern from which a thin slice is cut allowing the pattern to be seen.

The next step was slicing up a whole passel of thin cane slices cut with a tissue blade.

(My favorite tissue blades are those sold by Carolyn Stearns at Carolyn's Clay Creations)

Then the body and head pieces were cut out of sheets of various clay thicknesses using an oak tag template and a craft knife. The body is 2 dimensional, but the head which is eventually attached to the body is gently coaxed into 3 dimensional features by the addition of tiny logs and balls of clay on the back side of the head. Then the contours of the face are gently sculpted with rubber shaping tools and fingers encased in rubber gloves.

I also use one of my favorite tools made from ball bearings glued to a piece of bamboo to help with the sculpting process. I use the 1/4" end to help with the eye sockets.

And now for the moment you've all been waiting for.........Drum roll please............ta da........Mr Christmas Cat 2011. The version below is that of a pendant style necklace that easily converts to a brooch by removing the satin cord. He and his friends come with either a red or green body in various jewelry and Holiday ornament styles and are now available for "adoption" and gift giving at my ArtFire studio: MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Halloween Black and Orange Cat Necklace

2011-08-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Halloween merchandise in already in stores so I thought it was the perfect time to create an orange and black Halloween cat pin pendant. He's crafted from artist-quality polymer clay and decorated with *canes. His "cat like" eyes are made from a "brain cane" and he has brush bristle whiskers. There is a innovative finding on the back that allows it to be worn as either a pin or a pendant. His devilish smile reminds me a lot of one of our beloved black cats who used to take great delight in welcoming Trick or Treaters.

*Caning is a labor-intensive construction technique borrowed from glass making similar to making jellyrolls where colored rods of clay are laid horizontally forming a complex pattern from which a thin slice is cut allowing the pattern to be seen.

This convertible Halloween Cat pin pendant comes with a silky rayon cord and is for sale at my MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

It was a featured item September 16, 2011 at CraftGossip.com

Hamsa with Monarch Butterfly + Sunshine theme

2011-08-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

This Monarch butterfly and sunshine themed mosaic hamsa was made as a belated housewarming gift for OUR house. It is 5 1/4" long and was created entirely from artist-quality polymer clay, glass seed beads, and "aquamarine", "topaz" and "ruby" antique glass jewels that were so generously shared with me by polymer clay artist and clay pal, Scott Mizevitz.

The hamsa or hamesh is an ancient Middle Eastern amulet symbolizing the Hand of God. In both Jewish and Islamic traditions the hamsa hand is thought to be a powerful talisman believed to bring it's owner happiness, peace, luck, health, good fortune and prosperity. In the Jewish faith many people believe the hamsa pendant symbolizes the Hand of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. In the Islamic faith, the hamsa hand can symbolize The Hand of Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. Hamsa hands frequently contain the symbol of an eye which is seen as powerful protection against the "evil eye". It is often hung on the front door of a home.

Click here to see my blog post about my Jeweled Mosaic Hamsa

Jeweled Mosaic Hamsa Polymer clay + beading

2011-07-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

I created this jeweled and beaded mosaic hamsa as a housewarming present for a dear friend whose home burned down 20 months ago. I wanted to replace her hamsa/"Hand of Fatima" that was lost in the fire. She was finally able to rebuild and her new home is almost ready. I incorporated three antique hand-forged nails that were found in the ashes of the burned out home site into the design. Her new house is as unique and special as my friend. She designed it so there are almost no 90% angles. Each room is painted a different saturated vibrant color making for a virtual "Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors" visual experience. The outside of the house is painted a slightly grayed purple that is vibrant in the sun with a bright red door and burgundy trim and roof.

To celebrate her new home I created this hamsa which utilizes the colors scheme of her home and reminds me of her; spiritual, vibrant and VERY much alive. If one looks closely they can see symbols of things that are important to her: musical notes, a sunflower, butterflies, the paw print of a dog, hearts, the words "Peace" and "Love", and ivy leaves (to symbolize friendship).

This 5 1/4" hamsa was created entirely from artist-quality polymer clay, glass beads, and "aquamarine", "topaz" and "ruby" antique glass jewels that were so generously shared with me by polymer clay artist and clay pal, Scott Mizevitz.

I was indirectly inspired to make this hamsa by the work of 4 polymer clay artists and I wish to thank them for sharing their lovely work:
Rev Byrd at Byrd's Words angel-rising small shrine
Marie Young at Creative Sprinkle Office Desk Shrine
Naama Zamir Mosaic Hamsa
Iris Mishly's Hamsa Pages

The hamsa or hamesh is an ancient Middle Eastern amulet symbolizing the Hand of God. In both Jewish and Islamic traditions the hamsa hand is thought to be a powerful talisman believed to bring it's owner happiness, peace, luck, health, good fortune and prosperity. In the Jewish faith many people believe the hamsa pendant symbolizes the Hand of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. In the Islamic faith, the hamsa hand can symbolize The Hand of Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. Hamsa hands frequently contain the symbol of an eye which is seen as powerful protection against the "evil eye". It is often hung on the front door of a home.

My friend hopes to post pictures of her new home once it is completed later this summer:
http://hartsongnotes.wordpress.com/

Click here to see my blog post about our Monarch Butterfly and Sunshine Hamsa

Charming Colorful Happy Cat Pin Pendant Necklace Collection

2011-07-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

Introducing our colorful, cheerful, charming, Mr. Orange Cat who is proud to have been chosen as the avatar for our new ArtFire studio shop. He and the other bright and cheerful cats in our Cat Collection were created to celebrate the joys of being owned by a cat. Except for the realistic whiskers, all the components of the pieces were made using PREMO polymer clay. Cane slices were applied to the raw PC body before it was cured using Liquid PC. The whisker are from a "faux natural bristle" hair brush and were made by curing the face with small wires in place (the relative diameter of the hair brush bristle). After curing, the wires were removed and the bristle was glued in the tiny hole with a tiny dap of "Zap-A-Gap" cyanoacrylic glue. The cats eyes are made from a "brain cane" reduced to a very small size. They are made entirely from artist-quality polymer clay and have a clever finding on their backs that allows them to be converted from a pendant to a brooch by simply removing the silky rayon cord. Mr. Orange Cat will be hanging out at ArtFire with a bevy of other colorful feline sidekicks waiting to be adopted: MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Sedona Arizona Red Rock Bead Necklace + Earrings

2011-06-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

These beads were designed in honor of the Sedona, Arizona area where we live. My husband and I love the red rocks and often hike in them. The beads are designed to look like they are crafted from red rock, but are made entirely from artist-quality polymer clay with the addition of a tiny bit of "magical" Sedona red rock dust embedded in their matrix. They are textured using coarse flint sandpaper. Each bead is decorated using appliques crafted from a mix of PREMO and Kato polymer clay in homemade molds and adhered to the bead using a mixture of Translucent Liquid Sculpey (TLS) and Clay Softener. Tiny colored details are painted on using a mixture of TLS, Genesis heat set oil paints and colored mica powders. The tip of a "used up" ball point pen refill and also the nib of a Micron .005 pen are used as the "paint brushes". The turquoise tube spacer beads are made from a mix of various tints of turquoise clay formed around a knitting needle, cured and then cut apart. Most of the pieces in my Sedona Collection are available for sale at:MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Japanese Fabric with matching PC necklace

2011-06-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

Version #1

Version #2 with caned Monarch butterfly added

I love to re-construct new clothing from vintage fabrics. I purchased a dress made from this lovely Japanese fabric on eBay, and re-made the fabric into a new skirt. Then I set out to try to capture the ESSENCE (though not the actual color palette) of the fabric's stunning floral design in PREMO poly clay. Some of the flowers were tinted before curing with Sennelier and Unison artist's pastels that I made into powder by grating with a knife and were applied with a paintbrush. The individual components were attached to a collar base made from hand-sewn macramé cording. The ladybugs were made with PC and acrylic paint. To read info about the caned Monarch butterfly click on:
caned Monarch butterfly

Japanese Fabric Inspiration

Ensemble

Red Hot Chili Pepper Necklace

2011-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

This necklace pays tribute to the Arizona red chili pepper and my love of Southwestern cuisine. All the components were hand crafted from PREMO polymer clay. The veins on the leaves were made by imprinting real leaves onto the clay and were highlighted by antiquing with acrylic paint. The shine on the peppers was achieved by applying several coats of water-based varnish (indoor use Varathane) to the cured PC. Each bead was hand made and was textured by carefully rolling the raw bead on very coarse sandpaper. To create the subtle variety of color that appear in nature the beads are made in three slightly different tints of green. 18 gauge green wire was used to craft the wirework. The ladybugs were made using PC and acrylic paint. This necklace is now available for purchase at: MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Autum Leaves Monarch Butterfly Necklace

2010-09-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

"Autumn, a second spring where every leaf is a flower." Albert Camus

I love to pick colorful autumn leaves to press, but the colors of THIS polyclay version will never fade. The leaves and acorns are made from PREMO polyclay using vein impressions made from real leaves and a mold made from a real acorn. The leaf color formulas contain some fluorescent clay to make the colors “pop”. All are tinted with a powder made from crushed soft artists pastels before curing. The butterfly wings were from PC canes*. The butterfly has a PC body, wire antennae, and seed bead eyes. The butterfly wings are attached to a thin black butterfly-shaped aluminum sheet that allows the wings to be repositionable. The individual components are attached to a collar made from sewn macramé cording. The ladybugs were made using PC and acrylic paint. *Caning is a labor intensive construction technique borrowed from glassmaking similar to making jelly rolls where colored rods of clay are laid horizontally forming a complex pattern from which a thin slice is cut allowing the pattern to be seen. See a photo of raw Monarch cane below. A special thanks to Leigh Ross whose excellent leaf tutorial originally got me making polymer clay leaves many years ago and who got me excited about working with PC and who still educates and inspires me. http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/poleigh/leaf.html

This necklace is sometimes for sale at
MelodyODesigns at ArtFire
If it is currently out of stock it may be available via special order. To inquire about placing a special order please send me an email via my profile.

Raw, unreduced Monarch cane

The Monarchs have landed in Cottonwood!

Crazy Cat in Garden Collar Necklace

2010-09-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Crazy Cat in Garden Collar Necklace

This smiling happy cat resides in a vibrant garden of brilliant blossoms, leaves, and ladybugs on a collar-type necklace adhered to a sewn macrame cord base. Except for the realistic whiskers (pirated from a new hair brush), all the components of the pieces made from PREMO polymer clay. PC canes are sliced and appliqued onto the body of the cat. The eyes are made from "brain cane slices". The ladybugs were made from PC and acrylic paint. This necklace is available for sale at:MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Cottonwood Leaf Necklace in "PolymerCAFE"

2010-07-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled and honored that my Cottonwood Leaf necklace is featured in the August 2010 issue of "PolymerCAFE" Magazine (Vol. 8 No. 5) as the 2nd place winner in their Liquid Clay Challenge. It's been refined and rephotographed since it was originally posted in January and by popular demand here is an encore presentation.

Four thin layers of Liquid Polymer Clay mixed with mica powders and heat set oil paints were applied to cured poly clay leaves. Each layer was set individually with a crafter's heat gun and then zapped again after the final curing. Veins were made by applying individual tiny lengths of 24-26 gauge brass wire to the 1st layer of uncured liquid clay. It was varnished with 4 coats of glossy Varathane using a slightly moistened makeup sponge. The ladybugs were constructed from PC and Liquid Clay and then painted with acrylics.

While not currently for sale, I plan to eventually make copies of this necklace available for sale at my on-line shop, so please check back later at: MelodyODesigns at ArtFire.com

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Necklace

2010-05-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

I remember the joy and excitement of the fiestas that I experienced as a child and wanted to capture that feeling in a faux pottery necklace. Though these beads are often mistaken for Italian glass when I wear them, the beads and all the tiny, intricate designs are painstakingly handmade from artist-quality polymer clay. To keep the weight of the necklace as light as possible the beads were constructed on a bead core base of Sculpey "Ultralight". Once cured, a veneer of PREMO polymer clay run through an Atlas Pasta Machine set on #3 (medium thickness setting) was applied using 2 circle cutter cutouts per bead and the bead was re-cured.

Various appliques of canes and tiny pieces of clay were added using "Kato Liquid Polyclay" as "glue" and the appliques were lightly cured to keep them in place with a crafter's heat gun. The entire bead and appliques was then coated with a thin layer of "Kato Liquid Polyclay" applied with a small paintbrush to mimic ceramic glaze and then cured. Six coats of Varathane polyacrylic varnish were applied with a slightly moist makeup sponge, each coat briefly heat set. Then a mixture of Varathane and Mona Lisa pale gold metal powder was applied with a "used up" ball point pen refill to make the gold dots.

The spacer beads are PC tube beads formed around a narrow copper welding rod used as a mandrel, cured, sanded, buffed and varnished with Varathane, and cut apart using a heavy duty craft knife. My wonderful husband Sy, who has a great eye, is responsible for the eventual stringing design using the matching spacer beads. Feliz Cinco de Mayo! This necklace was featured at "Polymer Clay Daily".
http://polymerclaydaily.com/2010/05/21/brandons-faux-mexican-pottery/

This necklace, as well as necklaces consisting of one single large focal bead strung on satin rayon cording are currrently available for sale at:MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Monarch+Blue Morning Glory Necklace

2010-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

The blue Morning Glory is my very favorite flower in the morning garden. All the necklace components were made from PREMO poly clay. The flowers were tinted before curing with Sennelier artist's pastels made into powder by grating and pounding and were applied with a paintbrush. The veining on the leaves was made from molds I made from real leaves. The Monarch butterfly was caned.* The ladybugs were made with PC and acrylic paint. The individual components are attached to a collar made from sewn macramé cording. *Caning is a labor intensive construction technique borrowed from glassmaking similar to making jelly rolls where colored rods of clay are laid horizontally forming a complex pattern from which a thin slice is cut allowing the pattern to be seen. See raw Monarch cane below.

This necklace is now available for sale at:MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

The raw un-reduced Monarch Cane

Black + white cat necklace

2010-04-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

For much of my working life my wardrobe has been BORING regulation black orchestra garb, so I decided that I needed to make a series of small discrete black and white jewelry pieces that I could get by with wearing to work without raising the ire of the "orchestra management wardrobe police". The necklace is made entirely from PREMO poly clay, except for the wirework connecting the PC beads. The iris edges are cut from a brain cane of greens/yellows, and fluorescent yellow that was reduced to a really dimension and the pupil is cut from Kato PM #8 or #9. It was inspired by the orchestra's delightful principal 'cellist who likes cats, jewelry, and the color black. The original protype necklace now resides with her. It is also a tribute to Stormy, our first Arizona cat (1968-1983), a stray who arrived smack in middle of a monsoon rainstorm while I was doing the laundry and announced in his piercing half Siamese voice, "Hi Mom, I'm home. What's for dinner?"

This necklace is now available for sale at:MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Baseball Necklace "PolymerCAFE"

2010-04-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

"PolymerCAFE" magazine chose this necklace as the 4th place winner in its Red, White, and Blue Challenge in the May 2010 issue (Vol.8 No.4)

Our former symphony orchestra was invited to play a concert at a baseball game by a team whose colors were red, white and blue. I made this necklace to jazz up my regular boring black and white summer concert attire. The molded PC baseball equipment was made using adapted Sculpey “My Sports” molds. The cured pieces were carefully antiqued. Thin coiled wire was used to give a sense of movement to the baseballs as they dangle freely. The red and blue PC beads are handmade.

Faux Bakelite Cherries Jubilee Necklace #1

2010-04-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

EDITED: For the NEWEST update on our Cherry Faux Bakelite Jewelry Reproductions (including our cherry bar brooch) now constructed with a choice of either RED or GREEN plastic chain and with or without ladybugs, click on the following link.....
NEWEST Faux Bakelite Cherry necklace at MelodyODesigns

Today we are offering cherries in honor of George Washington and President’s Day which is fast approaching. My husband and I enjoy watching “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS where I was first introduced to vintage Bakelite jewelry, specifically the “Cherries Jubilee” series, a pricey collectible from circa 1935 with an asking price of $1000 for a mint condition necklace. I immediately fell in love with it and thought that the design could translate into an affordable poly clay version. The cherries and leaves were made from PREMO poly clay, mega hand-sanded and hand-buffed. Six thin coats of Varathane varnish were then applied to both the cherries and leaves, each coat heat set. The stems are made from green stereo wire. The delicate 1/2" plastic chain links are a modern reproduction of Bakelite-era chain. The ladybugs were made from PC and acrylic paint.

The necklace is now available for sale (made with either red or green plastic chain and with or without ladybugs) at:MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

I also make and sell a reproduction of the Bakelite "Cherries Jubilee Bar Brooch"
MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

This bracelet was made as a surprise gift for my “oh so talented” friend Jana who happens to like the “Cherries Jubilee” series of vintage Bakelite jewelry as much as I do. Photograph courtesy of Jana.

Faux Bakelite Cherry Bar Brooch #1

2010-04-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

EDITED: For the NEWEST update on our Cherry Faux Bakelite Jewelry Reproductions (including our cherry necklace) now constructed with a choice of either RED of GREEN plastic chain, click on the following link to our Faux Bakelite Cherry Collection at MelodyODesigns at ArtFire.

This faux Bakelite brooch is an adaptation of a vintage Bakelite bar brooch. I originally designed for a client who saw my Faux Bakelite Cherries Necklace and wanted a reproduction of the iconic brooch that was part of the original Bakelite cherry jewelry set. It is constructed from artist-quality polymer clay, stereo wire and delicate1/2" plastic chain links. For construction specifics see . This brooch was featured on Clay Play Cafe

This brooch is available for sale (with red or green chain and with or without the ladybug) at Faux Bakelite Cherry Bar Brooch.

Cat + Mouse Necklace

2010-04-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

This necklace was made in honor of our beloved kitty who now resides in catnip heaven and who amused himself by playing with mice. The cat and mouse were sculpted from PREMO poly clay with glued on “googlie eyes” and whiskers made from paint brush bristles. The leaf was made from a slice of Skinner Blend green to yellow bull’s eye cane with the colors diffused by rubbing with a fingertip and then the cane slice shaped in a mold.

While not currently for sale, I plan to eventually make copies of this necklace available at my shop, so please check back later at: MelodyODesigns at ArtFire

Faux Rhodonite + Faux Chrysoprase Necklace

2010-03-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

As I browsed through a “Fire Mountain Gems” catalog I was taken with the beauty of the gemstones Rhodonite and Chrysoprase. I tried to recreate them in a faux version. The leaves, roses, and larger beads were all made from poly clay. The ladybugs were made from poly clay and acrylic paint.

Colour recipe:The faux chrysoprase is made from a formula containing LOTS and LOTS of PREMO regular translucent (not Frost, but the regular kind that plaques) with a tiny bit of green and and an even tinier bit of turquoise with some "inclusions" of frozen grated browns. The Rhodonite is made from a formula containing LOTS and LOTS of PREMO translucent with a very small amount of alizarin crimson.

Faux Talavera Pottery Frog Pendant

2010-03-13T14:37:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with a 2 foot long vintage ceramic frog from Talavera, Mexico the first time I saw him and he now lives on our back fence (shown below). His name is Raúl and he was the inspiration behind my 2 inch version. My mini frog (Raulito) was first sculpted in poly clay and then a mold of the cured piece was made from "Amazing Mold Putty", a bakeable silicone-based molding compound. "Kato Liquid Polyclay" (Kato LPC) was poured into the mold to make the final frog. Once cured, the frog was painted with a mixture of 8 parts Kato LPC to 1 part "Genesis Heat Set Oil Paint" and dried to touch with a crafter's heat gun as I worked (not too close and continually moving the heat gun to prevent burning). Once painted, PC appliques were added using the Kato LPC as "glue". Then the entire frog was cured (tented) for only 15 minutes at only 275F (to prevent browning of the light colors). Two coats of Kato LPC were added to mimic ceramic glaze, each coat heat gunned, then oven cured, then heat gunned again. Then three VERY THIN coats of glossy Varathane varnish were applied using a slightly moistened foam makeup sponge that had been dipped in water and then gently wrung out. Each Varathane coat was heat set at 205F. for 5 minutes. The "rock" base was made with Sculpey "Utlralight" poly clay and covered with a thin veneer made from thin torn sheets of black PREMO (PM#3) with inclusions of grated transulucent and white PC and white embossing powder. The raw clay was textured with very coarse sandpaper. Because of the light weight of the "Ultralight", the entire piece only weights 2 1/2 oz, much to the surprise of people who pick it up.

Pink Posey Necklace

2010-03-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

I’m a sucker for any kind of a flowers, especially ones I can wear around my neck. This necklace started as an experiment to see how I could integrate wire/wired pieces into my designs. The flowers and leaves were made from molds and highlighted with a Krylon gold leafing pen and tiny glued-on holeless gold beads. The ladybugs were made with poly clay and acrylic paint.

Sunflower Pendant Necklace

2010-02-26T06:07:00.000-08:00

The optimistic sunflower is one of my favorite flowers. This necklace was made as a gift for a friend who lost almost all her possessions when her house burned to the ground. I wanted to make her something hopeful. It is made entirely from PREMO poly clay. The cane used on the beads is based on a cane by Sue Heaser. The pendant was constructed on a base made of two identical flat circular 1" diameter pieces of pieces of clay (a thickness of 5/64" or Atlas PM#4) with a long glass tube bead sandwiched in horizontally between the two pieces near the top of the pendant to act as a channel for the stringing wire. Once the base was cured, the raw petals, leaves, and brown center “seed cane” slice were added using Kato liquid poly clay to adhere them to the base and the pendant was re-cured. The ladybugs were made with PC and acrylic paint.

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Sunflower Collar Necklace

Valentine's Day Necklace

2010-01-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

I wanted to capture the romanticism of the vintage Victorian Valentine’s Day cards I loved as a child. The white “collar” part was made from a very thin sheet of Kato Pearl poly clay and constructed in five individual pieces attached together with “articulated joints” so that it’s flexible and moves with the wearer rather than being stiff and bulky. It was impressed with a texture sheet made from a rubber stamped doily design. The leaves and roses were molded from PREMO poly clay and accented with gold “Rub ‘n Buff”. The edges of the doily were accented with a Krylon gold leafing pen. The collar was then loosely tacked (hand-sewn) to a backing made from sewn macramé cording to give it more strength. The ladybugs were made from PC and acrylic paint.

Embroidered skirt with Necklace

2010-01-17T09:33:00.001-08:00

I re-constructed a lovely vintage black embroidered circle skirt that I purchased off e-Bay and set out to see if I could recreate the embroidery design in a PC necklace to wear with the skirt.

The necklace is constructed of various PREMO polymer clay floral components attached to a base of hand-sewn macramé cording. The ladybugs are made of PC and acrylic paint. By command performance after the fact (thanks Cat and Sue C) here's a photo of the ensemble together.

Faux Wood Necklace

2010-01-16T10:31:00.001-08:00

This was indirectly inspired by a Navajo Squash Blossom Necklace. Faux Wood is a mixture of Sculpey Ultralight and PREMO polymer clays. Beads are made of the same clay mix, cured, dipped in Crafter's Ink and then embossing powder and heated with a crafter's heat gun.

Cottonwood Leaf Necklace

2010-01-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

We recently moved to Cottonwood, AZ and this is my tribute. Thin layers of a mix of Kato Liquid Polymer Clay, Pearl Ex and Genesis heat set oil paints were applied to cured PREMO poly clay leaves. Each layer is set individually with a crafter's heat gun. Veins are individual tiny lengths of 24-26 gauge brass wire laid onto 1st liquid PC layer. 4 coats of glossy Varathane were applied with a slightly moistened makeup sponge. Ladybugs are made made from PC and painted with acrylics.

This necklace, as well as a smaller convertible pin/pendant version, will be FOR SALE soon when I open my new Etsy shop later this summer, so please check back if you are interested in purchasing anything.

Mosaic for CD cover

2010-01-15T07:51:00.000-08:00

My husband is a composer and he asked me to create an album cover for his new CD entitled "Mosaic"- music for piccolo. I decided I wanted to create an "anatomically correct" piccolo in PC mosaic, so I sat in rehearsal one night and sketched my section-mate's piccolo during the rests. In order to facilitate my visualization of the actual scale size needed for the eventual CD cover I worked on the mosaic almost at final scale using a 6" unglazed terracotta tile as the base. Those are mighty tiny pieces! The CD has been released and I sent the original mosaic to the piccolo player who recorded the CD as a surprise gift.

Holiday Bauble Necklace

2010-01-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

A little late in the season to be posting this, or else VERY early. It was inspired by festive holiday ornaments, but I wanted to make the colors such that it could be worn all year. The balls are made from cured "Ultralight" poly clay painted with a mixture of Lumiere paints, Jacquard Colorless Extender, Pearl Ex, and Varathane and are attached to a triangular base made of crocheted gold crochet thread stiffened by being glued to a sheet of PC of the same size. This piece was featured at "Polymer Clay Daily"

http://polymerclaydaily.com/2010/01/20/seeing-spots-brandon-and-bohmer/

Sunflower Collar Necklace

2010-01-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

I've always loved sunflowers. We used to grow many kinds in our garden and their sunny faces never fail to make me smile. I thought it would be fun to create a sunflower collar-type necklace that would make the wearer's face into the sunflower's "face".

The petals were made from PREMO poly clay using a mold for the veining I made from real flower petals. The cured petals were antiqued with acrylic paint to accent the veins and were attached to a base of hand-sewn macramé cord. The seeds were made from a PC cane. The ladybugs are made from PC and acrylic paint.

Crazy Kitty Necklace

2010-01-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

Kitty's face was adapted from a cane by PC artist Susan Turney. The body was made from Kato poly clay and is decorated with various tiny cane slices. The leaves are slices of Skinner Blend green to yellow bull's eye cane shaped in a various molds. All components are attached to a collar of hand-sewn macramé cord.

This necklace and a convertible pinback/pendant version of the cat alone will be a FOR SALE soon when I open my new Etsy shop, so please check back if you are interested in purchasing anything.

Kokopelli Necklace

2010-01-13T18:51:00.000-08:00

This necklace was made as a gift for an Arizona flutist who loves the Kokopelli image. The pendant was made with PREMO poly clay, cured and wet sanded on a piece of flat glass till totally flat. Then the image was rubber stamped and overpainted with "Brilliance" brand archival pigment graphite black ink. I wanted to create an "ethnic" primitive look so the design on the cured white beads was made by using a Speedball linoleum cutter with #2 V-gouge blade (a process which ended up requiring "Band-aides" on several fingers). The designs were antiqued with a mix of black acrylic paint and a little Varathane.

Hot Air Balloons

2010-01-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

I was playing in the backup orchestra for a concert with a 60's pop singing group, the "5th Dimension", who had a hit song "Up, Up and Away In My Beautiful Balloon" and whose tour logo was a hot air balloon. I thought it would be fun to create some necklace pendants to wear to rehearsals and the concert. I couldn't find a suitable commercial mold so I made one. The pearl white balloon was made with Pearl PC using micro pearl and interference gold Pearl Ex. The decorations were painted with Liquid Poly Clay mixed with Pearl Ex applied with a used-up roller ball point pen tip. The Black and White balloon was made using just the two colors of clay in the mold and the Rainbow using 6.

Site Under Construction

2010-01-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

My PC goal for the New Year was to get all of my things photographed and to set up a website. Our labor of love is commencing. Please check back to see how we are progressing. Thanks to all the kind folk who have offered advice.