Finding the solution

Can't believe we're almost at the end of January. I've had an active few weeks, creatively, and I wanted to share with you one of the latest projects on the workbench. This is a necklace that's a collection of both ancient and modern techniques -- kumihimo or Japanese braiding, wire wrapping and polymer clay findings.


What's interesting about this piece is how it evolved. I've been playing with kumihimo for about six months, starting with making my own disk and experimenting with different fibres. There's something very rythmic and soothing about the braiding process. Adding beads creates a whole new look that varies with density. Good to experiment but sometimes it's a challenge estimating the finished length. Since both cords used the same selection of beads, I thought they'd work well together as a single necklace if I could figure out a way to join them.

No luck finding anything the right size commercially -- drove myself a little crazy looking in the process. So I decided to make my own using polymer clay. Perfect solution since it's lightweight, can be shaped and textured as you wish and there are virtually no colour limitations. I'd describe the look of the piece as edgy organic.

Thanks to several kind friends, I was alerted to a problem on the Buy Bling page. The necklace catalogue was not displaying properly. Hopefully I've now fixed the problem. Please do let me know if you have any difficulty accessing the images. Here's a link Buy Bling if you feel like browsing.