Pretty Pink Beads

Made some pretty pink beads this weekend.

 I also spilled a wee dram of my evening cocktail into my old friend Lappy (aka my laptop). I learned that Lappy doesn't know how to hold his liquor. He's in at the Dr.'s. Thank goodness for LOD Custom Computers & Consulting. May be time to put the old computer out to pasture after many years of loyal service. We'll see how things work out. Neil at LOD is a genius and a magician, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a happy reunion.

Although... (and don't tell Lappy!) A new toy wouldn't be horrible... Would it?

Cue the Lotto winnings...

Here are the pretty beads.

I used STAEDTLER Fimo effect in colour # 206 rose quartz

STAEDTLER Fimo soft in colour # 0

a heap of fine sparkles in iridescent and pink

STAEDTLER Fimo gloss glaze

Several round toothpicks

a paper plate

First I conditioned some of the rose quartz Fimo by kneading it in my hands until it was soft and pliable. I added some sparkles and kept mixing.

When I thought I had enough sparkle added to my clay I rolled it into a 3/4 cm thick worm. I wrapped a 1/8th cm thick worm of white Fimo soft around the pink worm and rolled slightly in more glitter to seal the two worms together.

I cut the worm into 1 cm long segments. Some of the segments were rolled into balls and others I left as cylinders. I poked a round toothpick through one side of the bead. When it was just barely poking through the other side I stopped pushing, removed the toothpick and poked it through the other side of the bead. The double poking helps keep the bead round. Sometimes poking through one way only, makes the bead look a bit tear shaped.

I poked holes in the bottom of a paper plate so the bead loaded toothpicks would stand up while baking. I poked all my toothpicks into the plate and baked the beads in a preheated 230 degree oven for twenty minutes. I allowed the beads to cool before finishing them.

I glazed the beads with three coats of Fimo gloss varnish and let the beads dry.