Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Granite Paper Beads


I just had to post a picture of these newest beads I listed on my Etsy site, because they might be my favorite ones yet! Can you believe this set of beads began life as a sheet of plain white paper? These beads are the result of the experiment I mentioned several posts earlier--the one where I was trying to imitate a restaurant wall I loved. To me they look like a polished granite countertop.

I used a mixture of blue and green paint to create that deep turquoise color, then I added some bronze paint and sponged it all over my paper. Then I cut strips that were 1/2 inch on one end, narrowing to 1/4 inch at the other end. The spacer beads are 1/4 inch triangles. I gave these beads four coats of the polycrylic gloss.

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again... the wonderful thing about art is that it's ALL available to you. Any idea is open for trying. You may fail spectacularly, like when I tried rolling sandpaper into a bead. (Hint: that doesn't work!) Or you may create something beautiful. But the fun is in the experiment.

3 comments:

  1. Wow I've tried making my own painted ones I'm not so good with the colors. I'm surprised my paper beaded jewelry is actually selling. How did you get the big ones to have such a wide middle?

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  2. Hi Ngirl--I get the wide middle by cutting tapered strips that have a blunt end instead of a point. These were 1/2 inch on the wider end and 1/4 inch on the narrower end.

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  3. Oh okay I get it now. You have wonderful beads, I make mine with magazines for now. You're very great with the colors.

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