Here we are on the last day. I never would have believed that I would make it through but I did and am rather pleased about it!
 Today's thing went quickly as I used a combination of polymer and torch-made beads that I already had in my stash. The ivory shell-looking bead on the top is polymer. Then going clock-wise is my 'faux Roman glass' bead, and then faux sea glass; all the beads (except the ivory polymer) are glass that I created using a torch. From my other beads, it's obvious that I like old, worn, vintage looking things. This might have been dredged up from a tide pool somewhere!  The clasp is purchased but the 'O' connector and the chain I made myself.  

When I spent a whole day carving beads for a slew of bracelets I was left with two things - a huge blister on my hand and a tray full of chips carved from the beads. I kept thnking I could do something with all that clay even if it was cured. My son said I should combine it with other uncured clay; I thought perhaps if I put it in my (clay) dedicated food processor I could grind it into a fine powder. Well it just wouldn't grind down, staying instead in little divot-like pieces. So I added some opaque black and translucent. The first photo is after it's blended and rolled out.  Photo two, formed into beads showing bits and pieces sticking out. Last one is after curing, sanding and polishing. The beads show the variegated blue and white bits smoothed down and looking a lot like stone. I haven't decided what I am making with them yet, so they'll just go into my huge stash.
Thanks Byron for the cool idea!

But sometimes it can be a refreshing change from riotous color, even though I love intense color. The Spring Craft Expo is connected to a charity (so I've been told) and they want a donation for auction, so this will be my auction piece. If you are in the Cincinnati area it is being held on March 10th at the Cincinnati Marriot. See yah!

I know this isn't polymer per se, but I needed to start on the elements of display as March 10th is fast approaching. I needed an earring display and it had to be fast and cheap. My tendency is to jump in with both feet when it comes to my displays (well, ok with anything) and just buy what I need. But since this is my first (jewelry) show I just wanted it to be more of a learning experience. So I have been doing much of the displays myself. I have seen some wonderful ideas on table top displays but until I see how this is going I don't want (and don't have) to spend time to test them all out. I had some 1x 8's left from when I did wood-working (told you I have ADD!) so I used that and a wrought iron easel to make this. I really would like to do a tri-fold earring stand with the 1 x 8's but that will come sometime this summer....
Taking this picture also shows me that while the  cardstock I used for the earrings is cute - individually- all together it looks unprofessional. So that will also be on my list after the show - getting my "look" together.

Then I got a wild hare (or is it hair?) and decided to set up my existing display on my kitchen table. I will have a 6 foot table (provided) at the show; if I can make a decent display on my 4 ft. kitchen table I should be ok. So right after breakfast I hauled everything out and started playing. I soon realized that the earring display is too big and clunky for the rest of the display, so scratch that! I guess I will go up to Michaels and get a small, inexpensive earring tree.  The center bracelet rack will get painted black to match the other pieces. I found that you can paint white leather with acrylic and it looks fine, just use two coats and finish with Krylon. So the following pictures are what I ended up with. Took the photos with my phone so I can use them for reference when I set up. If anyone has any suggestions I am happy to listen!

All the "rocks" and "artifacts" that I have made finally made it into bracelets. I like this theme and hopefully it sells because I want to further explore this one. It is a good use of scrap clay for the rocks and the twigs as well, and putting it together couldn't be simpler ~ string it on buna! Gotta love simple, especially when you are in a time-crunch.

Not a whole lot to say about todays TAD; I went digging again in the rubble that is my workshop (but that I secretly pretend is in some far away land where I am conducting an archaeological dig) to find more components and pendants. I continually amaze myself at how much sheer stuff I have....anyway this will also go to the show with me. It may be a good lesson on what style actually sells. 
The picture on the left is an assortment of several different projects; while the picture on the right is the result of my experiment in 'torn paper' method. They are all finished and made into pendants, some with a copper bail, some with just a hole drilled. The pendant in the upper right of the photo shows what I intended to do with them; a simple stringing on a buna cord with copper trade beads.

Today I didn't really make anything; I just finished up odds and ends to pack away for my upcoming show.  I mostly focused on getting together bead sets, focal beads and pendants, making sure they were complete and ready to go. Yesterday I had to make a run to Michaels for more wire and as usual ended up buying more than wire.  I picked up these handy little organizer boxes to carry and display my components for the upcoming show, however I will need to go back because I have more stuff than organizers!

The end of the month is nearing and so is the challenge. Time has been so distorted for me because sticking to the challenge made the month seem longer; yet because I am also getting ready for my first ever show I have felt time slipping away as I try to increase my stock. This bracelet is another that I have mixed polymer (the large matte, black beads), vintage (small black beads) and other assorted things (jade focal bead, silver beads, and pewter rondelles) that I had on hand. 

Today's offering is a bit of a cheat.  It is one that I did last year, packed it away so I would find it and then....you guessed it-I couldn't find it! I thought sure it had been lost somehow, but since nothing ever gets straightened up around here I figured it had to be somewhere in this house. When I found it (still in the container I used to transport my stuff to a home show last fall) I decided that perhaps the next couple of days should be devoted to seeing what else I could find in this black hole (because it sucks all matter into it!) of a house. So for awhile I will be showing you different pieces as they are unearthed. 
The necklace itself is pretty simple - polymer beads strung with real bone spacers, finsihed with a copper toggle clasp. What makes it not so simple is the individual beads. I can see that they were made during one of my 'manic' episodes, full of detail that I can only accomplish when I am in the mood. I also found more of these beads in a drawer that I hade apparently gone over lightly with gold gilders paste...not sure if I like the results but I will play around with them a bit; can't bring myself to toss something that took so much time.