It’s reveal day for the Art Elements “sunflower” inspired design challenge. Sunflowers are a wonderful color palette for a summer design theme. Especially when you picture fields of sunflowers against a clear blue summer sky. Although sunflowers have been cultured to produce flowerheads in a wide range of colors, I went with the sunny yellow/maroon combination of the common sunflower, Helianthus annuus, for my palette.
My plan was to make sunflower jewelry for this challenge. So I began the month by making sunflower beads. Lots of sunflower beads. Mixed media sunflower beads in assorted shapes, sizes, colors, and finishes. So. Many. Beads.
These sunflower beads are polymer clay with a faux ceramic finish. The raw clay was colored with Pan Pastels and after curing the beads were distressed with a wash of acrylic paint. The beads were glazed with liquid polymer clay.
There was a slight color miscalculation with the first batch of beads that lead to the making of a second batch of beads. Only after finishing the second batch did it occur to me I could easily correct the color on the first batch with a dab of paint. You probably can’t tell which is which in the group shot above. Just know that some of them started out with green centers that I didn’t like.
These beads were from the first batch of sunflowers with the unfortunate colored centers. The colors on these were beyond a touch-up so I rescued them with some Swellegant metal coating, patinas and dye oxides. They’re an assortment of bronze and brass with oh-so-yummy verdigris.
After finishing several dozen sunflower beads in assorted colors, shapes and sizes I could have started making jewelry. But no. I proceeded to make more beads. This time I went for a glazed terra cotta effect. I definitely should have stopped making beads and begun making jewelry at that point. But then I found some sunflower stamps and sunflower stencils and had to test them on some clay. I do not have an attention deficit problem most of the time, but I often lack focus when creating.
These faux glazed terra cotta sunflower beads are made from polymer clay. The base beads were molded from a red-brown clay blend and after curing were glazed with tinted liquid polymer clay.
After spending three-fourths of the month making beads and components, I had one weekend and a handful of hours after work on weekdays to make jewelry, take photos, process photos, and write a blog post for this challenge. So naturally, I decided to try a new jewelry making technique. There are no photos of what happened next. Let’s just say it involved many yards of mangled twine. Instead, please enjoy more photos of the beads as I explain what happened.
For these sunflower components, a rubber stamp was used to make an impression in raw polymer clay. Shape cutters were used to create focals which were colored with Pan Pastels before curing. After curing, the details of the stamped impression were accented with a wash of acrylic paint and then both sides were glazed with liquid polymer clay.
I like to try something new for each design challenges, whether it’s a new technique or a new material. It’s a challenge within a challenge. Since I made polymer clay jewelry components, which is nothing new, I thought I’d try some knotted jewelry designs with my beads. That’s a departure for me because I normally use chain and wire for assembly rather than twine or cording. Which meant I had to buy some faux suede cord and a bit of cotton and hemp twine.
These three teardrop shaped pendants have molded sunflowers and leaves on a textured background. The raw polymer clay was painted with Pan Pastels and after curing the beads were distressed with a wash of acrylic paint. They have a glossy finish owing to a glaze of liquid polymer clay.
Knotting isn’t technically entirely new to me. I used to know how to tie macrame. In addition to the obligate jute rope plant hangers, I made many a cotton floss friendship bracelet in my college days. But that was some time last century. And I don’t remember how I did any of it, so trying it again now counts as new.
The sunflowers on these pendants were made by dusting chalk pastels through a stencil onto raw clay. They were supposed to have a white background but as I applied the liquid polymer clay to the cured pendants some of the pastel lifted and tinted the backgrounds a pale golden yellow.
While I had visions of breezy earthy knotty necklaces and wrap bracelets with my sunflower focals and beads, nothing I tried made me happy. I’ll spare you photos of the failed attempts at knotting. Suffice it to say, when you try to force a plan on an unwilling muse, you get crappy designs. I may give the knotting thing another try when my muse is more willing.
This pendant was the last sunflower component I made before I got down to the business of making jewelry. I was going for an enameled copper look. It wouldn’t fool anyone into thinking it’s the real thing, but I do like the effect.
I did use some of the synthetic suede cording for a couple of necklaces. There are no knots. It’s the wrong shape and texture for sliding knots, which would have been the simplest way to make adjustable length necklaces. Instead, I made wire-wrapped ends for them and attached lobster or wire clasps. I can easily add chain extenders to the wire-wrapped end, but I suspect many people would prefer a sliding knot.
For this simple boho-style necklace, I strung one of the faux glazed terra cotta sunflower pendants on some brown faux suede cording. I used dark oxidized copper to wire wrap the ends and make an s-hook clasp.
With the reveal deadline days away, I put away the twine and cord and switched back to wire and chain to turn some of the sunflower beads into jewelry. I assembled some beaded chain link necklaces with a few of the sunflowers as pendants. Brass wire and chain pulled everything together for a rustic boho look.
This pendant was a favorite when I shared examples of all the different sunflower bead styles on my social media. I paired it with a beaded chain link necklace that uses lapis blue dyed jade beads on darkened brass chain.
I wanted to do something with the Fibonacci spirals in the sunflower seedheads. It’s a mesmerizing pattern. After contemplating several possible materials and techniques, I abandoned the idea because it would have required precision and patience. And those are so not my strengths. You should check out this short video by Scientific America about the “mind-blowing” mathematics of sunflowers.
Lapis blue goes so well with the golden yellow of sunflowers. This necklace has a sunflower pendant with a blue background on lapis blue beaded chain. I used brass wire and chain for most of my designs this time. Don’t tell Copper, but Brass may be my new favorite metal.
I don’t really have any more interesting details about my creative process for this challenge. Unless you want to join me in contemplating why I spent hours searching my bead stash for a blue bead that would work with the blue background on some pendants when I could have just as easily used complimentary colors, or adjacent colors. Or, idk, yellow, like the flower right there in the center. *sigh*
Purely by coincidence, the purple I used to paint the background on some of the beads goes perfectly with amethyst. Which is why I paired this sunflower pendant with amethyst nuggets. I also used some purple dyed riverstone in the beaded chain links.
Once I was down the rabbit hole of matching the blue beads in the necklace to the background on the pendants, I stuck with it for the purple pendant. Luckily, finding the right purple beads took much less time than finding blue beads. Perhaps because by then three-quarters of my beads were strewn all over the floor and I didn’t have to dig for them. The green beads were easiest of all because they were all that was left out after I re-sorted and put away the blues and purples and all the other colors I excavated to get to the blues.
The green background for this sunflower pendant is enhanced by the soft green of amazonite in the beaded chain links necklace. Darkened brass wire and chain complete the rustic look of the necklace.
I also made a few pairs of earrings with some of the mixed media sunflower beads. I didn’t get as many earrings done as I thought I could. There may have been a tad too much time spent down another rabbit hole reorganizing my beads when I couldn’t find the right shade of yellow even though I specifically remembered buying a huge assortment of yellow beads last year for just that reason on another project.
The sunflower beads on these dangle earrings have a fun distressed crackle look around the edges. I paired them with Czech glass in coordinating shades of green, orange, and yellow on Vintaj brass wire.
All of the jewelry I made for this challenge will be available in my shop on etsy. I hope to make more, including some bracelets, as I find time to use more of the sunflower beads. Or maybe I will make the beads available in my shop so other jewelry artists can use them.
I saved my favorite sunflower for last. The large sunflower and leaf focal on this necklace are polymer clay that I painted and glazed in the same manner as the original beads. The smaller round beads on the necklace and in the coordinating earrings are the centers of sunflower buttons that smooshed into the clay. I added green Czech glass beads and Vintaj brass chain to complete the necklace.
That’s the end of my sunflower designs for this challenge. Many thanks to Sue for the inspirational theme, and to the Art Elements Team for hosting these monthly design challenges. This is a blog hop and I invite you to visit the blogs of the other participating artists for more sunflower-inspired art including fiber, fabric, and paper crafts.
Guests
Alysen
Anita
Cat
Divya
Jill
Kathy
Linda
Linda
Mischelle
Norma
Raven
Sarajo
Tammy <–you are here!
AE Team
Your work is amazing…I always enjoy seeing your designs, and love reading about your ‘bloopers’ (your take not mine!)…always delightful and inspirational!!
Well you have been a busy bee 😊 such variety on a theme, beautiful work
Another prolific month for you Tammy…so any designs and styles it’s hard to pick a favourite but that last set of jewellery is a real eye catcher. I sure other designers will snap up your beads given the chance.
Wow. So many great components and lovely jewelry!
My favorites are the ones you made with a rubber stamp, I love the bold color contrast.
So many sunflowers and pieces! I am amazed at how much you made in one month. I love all your necklaces, but my favorite is the one that you used lapis blue . The colors are stunning together. I am pretty fond of your sunflower earrings too. Well done!
I had been following your photos on Instagram so I knew you’d been highly creative this month, but WOW you really were inspired! I love all of your jewelry designs and sunflower beads – But I do love the rubber stamp ones and the earrings the best! I also love how you matched the background colors on the pendants with the beads! Great post and thank you for joining in again!
Oh My! Oh My! Each sunflower component is more beautiful than the other. You must really sell them. Your teardrop shaped pendants with molded sunflower are my favourites for the depth of colour (they really look like porcelain pieces). However, the green ones from the 1st batch come a close second. They remind me of the floral bas relief on stone pillars in old (Indian) Hindu temples
Oh My! Oh My! Each sunflower component is more beautiful than the other. You must really sell them. Your teardrop shaped pendants with molded sunflower are my favourites for the depth of colour (they really look like porcelain pieces). However, the green ones from the 1st batch come a close second. They remind me of the floral bas relief on stone pillars in old (Indian) Hindu temples
You’re as prolific as ever, Tammy – so many experiments that I almost forgot the ones you showed us first. 😛 Your bright sunflowers are a sight for sore eyes! I also love that you spent so much time looking for matching blue beads for your pendant with the lapis blue background.
I love your process and the meandering of the brain…it’s a relief to know I’m not the only one that falls “down the rabbit hole” on these kind of challenges. I LOVE all of your beads and I can totally relate with the part about making one more thing when you should be wrapping it up!! I really like the coordination of the beads with the backgrounds on the necklaces. It brings out the colors in each pendant making them more unique and diverse even if they are all technically sunflowers. People will be drawn to one necklace over another just due to those beading choices!! Nice work.
I love to read about your process, it really made me laugh! (and yes, I can see a lot of my own “problems” in the obstacles you describe) The bead sorting in the middle of a creation process with a deadline – I could instantly join you 😉
I am impressed of the beads you created and what I love about your process is, that you play and experiment so much with methods, techniques, materials, …. that really speaks to me 🙂
I really love all the components you created. The suede cord necklace is gorgeous, but I am swooning over the blue sunflower necklace. Have a great weekend.
Oh my! You were super busy making components this month. I love all the beads/pendants you created by my favorites are the ones where you used the rubber stamp. those colors reallly stand out to me. Although the ones you rescued with the Swellegent patina are just perfect! And the faux terra cotta/glazed…wow…Quite the opposite in color and style from the tubber stamped ones but still so beautiful. Lovely work!!
wow you were busy! I love all of your components the verdigris ones are my favourite but I love how well you achieved the faux ceramic look and your necklaces and earrings are just wonderful!
What an amazing collection of components. They look beautiful in your jewellery pieces!
Wow, were you productive or what? Love how you explored so many different ways to make sunflowers! That last necklace is a show stopper!
Tammy, each piece is beautifully pulled together with the components that were meant for it! I, too, only had about the same amount of time left as you, once all my “experiments’ were done.
I LOL’d when you talked about macrame in the LAST century! Then I realized that my 60-something birthday is in a few days and I REALLY LOL’d. Thanks for that laugh!! I just don’t feel that I’m this age, I suppose it’s the Challenges ….
Another little detail that I like is how you included the leaves on one of the pendants and as a component on another piece. The colors and values go together so naturally.
WOW!! you were seriously busy making pendants! I love LOVE your colours, they are so vibrant and bold. Fabulous pieces, I really enjoyed the eye candy you have in this blog 😀
Oh my goodness! You were a busy little bee this month. I love all the different sunflower beads and components you made… impossible to pick a favorite between all the wonderful techniques used. You gave me a much needed giggle at the time spent looking for just the right blue beads. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who runs into the problem of having a stupid number of beads but not finding anything in just the right shade.
Tammy – what a fertile topic for you! This idea really took root! SO MANY BEADS! Wonderful – I do love the Swellegant ones!
You had me chuckling – excavating your stash – searching for blues. I have done that very thing before!
These are all so fab, but the patina/verdigris oxide components make my heart sing!