February 23, 2011

Bead Table Wednesday - What the Frack?

Today I thought I would show you one of my other tables - the clay table.

As you can imagine this is where I actually spend most of my time.

And this is no camera trick - I actually cleaned off my clay desk last week. (And it's still clean!)

This is an older photo of my clay desk, but it pretty much looked like this last Friday!

My scrap pile - there is no waste with polymer clay.  I glob my scraps according to colors and Jess mixes them for me while he watches cat videos on youtube.  I cover this with wax paper to keep out the dust bunnies.

The whole bead table - just to show you it wasn't a trick!

These are all my canes - wrapped in wax paper.  I always store things according to their use - so the canes I use the most are on top and closest to me.  (For those who don't speak clay - canes are long tubes of designs that I cut into paper thin slices and apply to my beads.)

Clay wrapped up - clay doesn't dry out, my only enemy is dust.  The lower right-hand corner is one of my texture plates, reclaimed from an old window blind sampler book that Jess brought home from an interior design office.  (He collects the weirdest and best stuff.)

Molds and rubber stamps.  I have a few of these baskets hanging on my pegboard - but these are the ones I use the most.

And on the beady bead table - these incredibly awesome lampwork beads from my friend Genea!  Oh how I love her work.  I keep staring at these two sets - they are perfect.  You know how you get those beads and you are afraid you won't do them justice, so you just stare at them.  This is one of those sets.  I'm thinking they need to be paired up with one of my new starfish pendants though.

Check out Genea's beads & blog.

So dear friends - what's on your Bead Table?

Check out the Bead Table Wednesday flickr group and add your photos. 

And bonus points for messy desks - they are my favorites!

P.S. If you have clay questions check out the very helpful forum and articles at Polymer Clay Central.

12 comments:

Marsha of Marsha Neal Studio said...

It is great seeing all the stages. I love seeing messy - then getting it all cleaned up for a clean slate to start on again…

I have plans for making some necklaces today - at least one so I can join in on the BTW!

Alice said...

Well I finally unearthed my bead table and should have taken a photo, since it had been covered with all things NOT beady.

I love seeing your work area and all the little goodies. It must be fun to work there. Even your messy areas are inspiring.

Thanks for the link to Genea. I just realized she lives a little over an hour from me!!!!

Jenni said...

Thanks for sharing your table with us, very interesting in all it's stages. Love those beads from Genea, peaceful colours.
Jenni

flyingbeader said...

Don't laugh...cut up old dog bedding. I'm going to make some of my Pocket MOnsters with this. I almost threw it out, but after looking at the texture & patterns from Arwen's body laying on the fleece, I thought it perfect for sewing up some of my beasties. Oh and beads..always beads!

dot

TesoriTrovati said...

You are such an inspiration to me. I love seeing the clay table. Someday I want to witness you making beads there and seeing those paper thin wafers of canes applied to the beads. Right now I am certain that there is magic pixie dust involved because I cannot fathom how it gets done. (Maybe you would like to keep it that way?!)
That Jess is a wonderful support to have.
I actually made it into the BTW this week. Will wonders never cease!?
Enjoy the day!
Erin

My Life Under the Bus said...

I have a sick guinea pig, bead soup and a tagled mess of wire on my table today. I am like a hamster on a wheel...not getting anywhere...sigh

Spirited Earth said...

i am inspired..your table looks great and so beautiful organzied.

Elysian Studios said...

I agree with the others- you really are inspiring! Love the clay table tour (and the fact that I'm not alone when creative chaos takes over my space!)

Heather Powers said...

Thanks everyone - the desk clean is always rare. But we are trying to get this place orgazined so two can live and work in this chaos!

Alice - I would love to spend a day with beady friends. Genea would be so much fun to hang out with!

Wow Dot - recycling materials is great! My youngest daughter does that a lot for her sewing projects.

Erin - one day you'll be able to come over for the day and we'll just put out the clay and beads and create until we can't see straight or are laughing so hard they will take the cutting blades away from us!

elisabeth said...

Great post - liked seeing your creative spaces!

Rebecca said...

So inspiring! And beautiful, atmospheric pictures. I am thinking (inspired by you and Barbara of Floridity) to dip my adult toe into the world of polymer....I say my adult toe as fimo was one of my favourite pastimes when I was wee. Not sure the things I came up with were particularly wonderful though....I seem to remember several tiny model cats which have hopefully hit the dust by now!! Your work is WONDERFUL and thanks for sharing this peek into your creative process. Those Genea beads are gorgeous but your beautiful beads will more than do them justice!

Heather said...

Love seeing where you work. I hope to make it to Bead Table Wednesday someday. My problem is I teach on Tuesdays and my dining room table is my bead table so I have to get it all out on Wed and by the time I do that the sun is too bright for photos. Can I cheat and film it on Monday my best work day??? LOL I keep all beads, my clay and clay paraphernalia in my big old china cabinet. Want to sell my china to make more room for it all. I think you are very efficient in that little space. Ask anyone who has taken a class with me. I tend to spread out so my dining room table with both leaves in is 8' X 3.5' and that still isn't enough room. I am threatening to get a special top for the pool table my husband had to get and never uses and use that too.