Gilding Beads etc.

Hi Everyone
Today is much the same as yesterday weather wise. However, the beautiful red sky is missing and it's a very dull sky today and not so inspiring to look at !!!

I had a volunteer day yesterday followed by a hectic evening with my boys getting them to and from scouting activities while trying to multi task Christmas shopping - I need a holiday ! Anyway, no holiday yet - it's a major house tidy and Christmas prep putting all my 12 days things into use.

In between the Christmas prep stuff, Ive been experimenting with a necklace design for myself. I saw a lovely necklace design in an online shop (TOAST) and thought I would quite like one similar.
Here is the original.
My necklace 'to be' will be partly gilded gold leaf and my beads will be polymer clay. So far, Ive had mixed success. My first attempt (after making the beads) was to dip the beads in gold paint and re bake them. However, the gold paint does not dry hard enough for me. Ive tried polishing the baked on paint which again is ok but not quite what I want. I'm now experimenting with gold leaf and I think this will be better.
The necklace example from TOAST uses gold tube beads and little shell rounded beads. Each tube bead is a clean cut item. Ive made my little faux shell beads and the basic tube bead from polymer and Ive chosen a mixed spice/berry colour with gold for the tubes. I had thought the organic shaped tube would be good but now am convinced I also need a clean cut tube in a few sizes. I will cut up my tubes and clean the ends to give this clean cut look. Ive started to 'size' the beads ready for gilding and will take it from there. I want to wear my necklace on Christmas Day (Ive found a nice top to wear with it - it's still in the shop but will find its way into my wardrobe shortly) and will work away over the next few days to get it right. I hope to develop a few more items using these techniques when I get them suitably refined. Here are few photos of the progress. This little 'forest' of beads are half experimented stuff - I will clean up the beads for sizing when I'm happy with the technique.



This is an example organic tube with dipped paint. I did string a few together and they were OK but not quite right.


The bead on the left was another painted option and again OK when there are lots of beads but not quite what I wanted.





This is the box of stuff I created for the current batch of experiments.


I also started this ring. This is the first stage before carving. I will show the development as I go.



These are long dangly earrings to be and I will add the option of a red or faux shell bead attached to the earring wire.


I want to add some gilding to the bottom layer section.





Here is another idea for a layered earring look. I want to gild the top bead and attach a long wire.


Must get on and start the gilding.

Bye for today.