Twisted Beads, Jana Robert Benson's style

During the past 6 months that I was away from home, my clay and my pasta machine, surfing the Internet is the only thing that connect me to the outside world. Reading other people blogs, websites and watched my clay friends put their new works on-line make me envy. Every chance I get, I clay. It help me kept my sanity and gave me hope that someday, I will be able to put my new works on my blog again.
With a few minutes here and there, while running from home to the hospital, and a few pack of clays, I can make a few small beads. Put them on the tile and carefully place the tile in the cigar box, bring it home and bake so I can make a few bracelet while I was away. That's how the "Hurricane Beads" came about and I don't need to use pasta machine to make those beads. Jana Robert Benson's twisted beads always make me feel exciting. Last night I came up with these twisted beads made with the mess up "Hurricane beads". They look cute and very organic, and unpredictable. They are fun to make.
Ada and I are home now. I will have a new studio next to her room so I can work and play with clay.
May be, when I have more time to sit down, I can make a larger one.
Thanks Jana.

Here's the bracelet I just finished.

Very "Ponsawan" I might say.

I think I got my "muse" back. What do you think?

Now that I have a bowl of beads

Now that I have a big bowl of colorful beads, I can start making something fun. During the summer, I strung them with some seed beads, tied them up with the waxed cord that I have, and turned them into ankle bracelets. Make it shorter, I get the bracelet, make it a little longer and I get a necklace. This has worked out well because:
1. I cannot repeat myself, yet I still making one-of-a-kind necklaces because they will never look the same.
2. Customers who prefer handmade jewelry are so happy to wear my pieces. It is almost like I made it especially for them when they were told that I made my own beads.
3. With the same material and design concept, I like to experiment many different styles.
4. All I need are some pretty seed beads that will only enhance and compliment with my own beads.
5. I used my handmade button as a clasp so I don't have to worry about the price of the silver that had gone up to the "not affordable" items. The piece looks all together as a complete design.
Ok, I have been making jewelry for many years, this is the design that complete itself and I am still having fun making them.
Many nurses and therapists had become a proud owner of my bracelets. I hope it would remind them of Ada and mom and the time that we spent together. Thank you for everyone who help taking good care of my daughter during our 6 months staying away from home.

Making my own beads

Now that Ada and I had settled down at home, I can continue to blog again. So many things to share but let me start with these little "Hurricane Beads" I made with scrap clay. During the past 6 months, while I stay in the hospital and nursing home with Ada, I found sometime to make small bracelets and anklets and sell them to the nurses. I used to visit my friend who sells good quality Czech beads, but I found out that most people cannot tell the different between top quality glass beads and cheap, China made beads. So I started playing with left over clay and come up with a small size, colorful beads that customer can appreciated more because they are all hand-made.

Not only I have a perfect size beads, but also the color I want and the hole is running from side to side, not top to bottom, which make it lay flat when stung.
I also make the small buttons to use as clasp.
Last week, when Ike landed in Houston, I watch the weather Chanel and it occurred to me that my little beads look like the eye of the hurricane. These beads are easy to make and tomorrow I will show you what I made with those beads.
Happy to be back blogging again. Thanks for everyone who left comments and visit Ada's blog.