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Fulgorine

~ My adventures with art and polymer clay

Fulgorine

Tag Archives: handmade jewellery

What’s a wishpot?

29 Fri Apr 2022

Posted by fulgorine in jewellery, My work

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

affirmation, handmade jewellery, polymer clay, positive thinking, wishpot

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will have come across my wishpots before. I created the first wishpot when my daughter was born and we were planning a family gathering to welcome her. I was inspired by the fairy tales where the fairy godmothers give blessings to the newborn baby. Everyone spoke a wish for her future and I sealed the lid closed. Since then I have made a few different versions as I have been refining the way that the stopper bead is attached.

Selection of polymer clay wishpots

This current method of stringing allows the wishpot to be worn as a pendant on a necklace, or stand alone as an ornament. Here’s a little video clip to show you.

I now have a few of these listed for sale on my website with more colours on the way. The wishpots come in a recycled paper gift box with a little scroll that reads:
“This is a wishpot. The idea is to use it as a focus for your own empowerment and gratitude. It can be worn as a pendant or stand alone as an ornament. To use it: open by pulling the bead lid upwards. Speak your affirmation or imagine your intended circumstance and blow into the open wishpot to add your wish. Close it by pulling the thread on the side (the one that’s shorter when open). When your wish is complete, open the wishpot to release it and say “thank you” as it goes.”

I have a couple of these wishpots myself and I wear one nearly every day. Speaking of things to be grateful for – I have just discovered it’s a Bank Holiday on Monday. What a lovely surprise! I hope you have a great weekend and that your wishes come true.

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Thank You Rainbows

04 Tue Aug 2020

Posted by fulgorine in beads, jewellery, My work

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cane, earrings, handmade jewellery, polymer clay, rainbow

Here in the UK rainbows are now a Thing. At the start of lockdown, children put them in the windows of their houses for others to spot on their once-a-day-permitted exercise outing. Now they are everywhere, from painted rocks to banners with messages of thanks to the NHS and key workers. As lockdown eases and I can (often) look at them without crying, I have decided to make my own rainbows.

Polymer clay rainbow beads by Cate van Alphen

Believe it or not, it took me ages to work out how to make a cane without a background. I even bought extra translucent clay so I could build up around the outside of the bow to make a square cane that I could reduce. While I was waiting for it to be delivered I was inspired by a solution that made me feel pretty silly…

All I needed to do was make a bullseye cane around a transparent core and it was already ready to reduce. Then, if required, I could remove the central core and cut the circle in half. Voila – a backgroundless bow! It actually took me a whole weekend to mix up 14 colours for this: the seven main rainbow colours and then seven intermediate colours to blend. You can just about see them on the big cane, but it’s not really visible on the reduced rainbow bead. But they are so cute and tiny, I don’t really mind.

I made myself a pair of earrings with my first rainbow beads where I left the translucent clay core. The main lentil beads are hollow so these are really nice and light to wear. I forget that I have them on (not so good when trying to put a mask on/off for shopping)!

Rainbow bead earrings.

So once again from me: Thank you NHS and key workers.

I wish you all a happy day. Stay safe.

Mannequin upgrade

03 Sat Nov 2018

Posted by fulgorine in jewellery, My work

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

handmade jewellery, necklace, paper mache, polymer clay

I’ve always struggled to photograph my necklaces showing their scale on a human. I’ve had a mannequin for a while, but I’ve never really known what to dress her in, and it didn’t seem right leaving her naked. Therefore I decided to give her the same treatment as my necklace display and cover her with paper patchwork.

mannequin comparison

As you can see I built in some paper mache clothing. I wasn’t worried that she’d look naked once covered in paper, but I thought it would be useful to have a neckline for judging a necklace’s length.

Indigo bead necklace

I monoprinted the paper using my gelli plate before tearing it into pieces which I glued on. I wanted to make something that was interesting but subtle enough to act as a background.

Green shard necklace

I haven’t quite decided if the patchwork is too distracting. Here is another necklace made with my polymer clay beads for you to consider. What do you think?

Pink triangle necklace

Hooray!

25 Wed Oct 2017

Posted by fulgorine in jewellery

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

earrings, for sale, handmade jewellery, polymer clay, shop

My new shop is finally online! There are many items I haven’t listed yet, but in the meantime here are a few pairs of earrings that I think have not been seen online yet.

Purple and bronze earring by Cate van Alphen

Polymer clay and Swarovski crystal bead earrings

Yellow bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Yellow wonky cube bead earrings

Violet flower cane earrings by Cate van Alphen

Violet flower cane earrings

Please have a look, I’d appreciate any feedback. Thanks 🙂

New Earrings, New Backgrounds

18 Sun Jun 2017

Posted by fulgorine in jewellery

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

earrings, handmade jewellery, polymer clay beads

Here are a few pairs of earrings that I have made recently. I’ve also been playing around with the backgrounds in my photos. Please let me know what you think. 🙂

Violet pinstripe barrel bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Violet pinstripe barrel bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Purple flower earrings by Cate van Alphen

Purple flower earrings by Cate van Alphen

Earrings by Cate van Alphen

Yellow retro bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Yellow retro bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Sunset square earrings by Cate van Alphen

Sunset square earrings by Cate van Alphen

Just listed on Etsy

02 Mon May 2016

Posted by fulgorine in jewellery

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

beads, earrings, handmade jewellery, hypo-allergenic, polymer clay

I have been struggling to fit in everyday life and listing things in my Etsy shop. I took a month off from doing the listings, but I got really depressed at the thought that the jewellery I made would end up stuck in a box rather than having the chance of finding a good home to go to. So my new plan is to put aside one day a month every few weeks and do as many listings as possible.

Here’s what I managed to do today. They are old friends but with new photos.

Purple bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Purple glass bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Purple and silver bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Purple and silver bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Silk tassel earrings by Cate van Alphen

Silk tassel earrings by Cate van Alphen

Polymer clay bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Polymer clay bead earrings by Cate van Alphen

Apple zing earrings by Cate van Alphen

Apple zing earrings by Cate van Alphen

Shoulder duster earrings by Cate van Alphen

Shoulder duster earrings by Cate van Alphen

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Fulgor, n.
Dazzling brightness; splendor.
Fulgorine, n.
One who creates that which dazzles.

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