Crackly Marbly effect - Decided against a tutorial

For several reasons, but mainly because of the existence of a very good crackle/faux raku tut by Shannon Tabor. 
My technique is pretty similar to hers, and the results are not too dissimilar, the main difference being the 'active ingredient' so to speak. The 'active ingredient' I discovered, (cheap and available from any hardware store. . ) and which I use, can make some specific and unique effects. These particular effects and the positive reaction to them were what led me to consider the idea of maybe making a tut in the first place.

But after sitting down and thinking it through, rather than vaguely and unthinkingly mentioning it in blog posts as a future possibility, and after having had an amicable chat with Shannon about it all, I have decided that I will leave it as my own private surface trick and not share my process in a tutorial or in any other way. It wasn't a hard decision, and it feels like the right and proper thing to do. Win win and all that. . .

If I did try to sell a tutorial I would perhaps leave myself open to claims of plagiarism, which would be wrong but understandable up to a point. After all, I bought Shannon's tut and had the spark of inspiration about my own 'active ingredient' and it's possibilities while working through it. So I owe it a debt of gratitude ;-) The question of whether my process is sufficiently different from Shannon's to justify it's own tut would always be there. In my mind as well as in others'.
Anyway, it was just an idea!

So no tut.

I'll just carry on experimenting and getting cool effects. . . And you can try to work out what I'm doing ;-)

Other stuff I have been working on? Well, I made a few sets of small image trans round beads, as per my image trans tut, but using some of my small 'tile' pattern designs.

I made some crackly marbly bicones as per my secret technique, pics of which you can see at the top of this post, above.
I made some textured disk beads using up-cycled disk beads from a necklace I got from a charity shop, as cores, which is something I shall do more of.

And I made a bunch of cufflinks, as my existing cufflinks have gradually but steadily been selling and I only had a few left.

I'm definitely in bead making mode this year so far, and am enjoying getting stuck in after the distractions of Christmas and new year etc etc. Still plenty of DIY, but it's not as frantic. It's all good. . . Jon x

Start as you mean to go on. . . Ho yes! - featuring My First Tutorial

Well It's 2017. Let's hope it's not as turbulent as 2016 was. For me I mean, though I hope the World calms down a bit too. Lots of disruption and not altogether welcome change went on in all sorts of places in the last twelve months, causing anxiety, bewilderment and high emotion. . . Interesting times, as they say.

For us, the turbulence was caused by a stressful, but ultimately rewarding house move, as regular readers of this sporadic blog would have gathered. We've no intention of going through that palaver again so we've agreed that the only way we are leaving this place is in a box. Not the same one of course, two boxes would be required, but you get me drift.

Our house from across the fields - back view. Originally the front view apparently, circa 1780. . .

Anyway, I've been mentioning in passing how, at some unspecified point in the future I would probably be trying to make a tutorial to do with image transfer and it's use in my bead making, well, guess what? Listening to my inner Yoda ("Do or not do, there is no try") I went ahead and made one.

The pics link to it, and so does this TUTORIAL text link.

These are the beads in question

It was an interesting project, breaking down a process into a logical and repeatable sequence, then documenting that sequence, step by step, clearly enough for a clayer of any ability to follow and end up with a pleasing result. Having carefully followed that procedure, I hope I succeeded in that aim.

If not, it's all Ginger Davis Allman's fault! ;-)
Just joking. . . Obviously. . .

I approached Ginger for an opinion of my first draft, and she was very helpful, pointing out things that might confuse US readers, calling me out on bits that weren't as clear as they might be and helping with copyright stuff and disclaimers etc. All vital and extremely useful stuff, so many thanks Ginger!

I chose a simple technique for making tube and round image transfer beads in my usual rustic style, including some tips on successfully navigating the time honoured 'water and rubbing' image transfer process and avoiding the dreaded 'stickiness' problem which can occur.

the dreaded stickiness. . .

It's up in my Etsy shop should you feel the irresistible urge to buy it.

It feels good to have started 2017 with something new, for me at any rate. Something to coax me out of my comfort zone.

Well, start as you mean to go on. . . I hereby give notice that I fully intend to keep upping my game in various ways in the the weeks and months to come, and to thoroughly enjoy the process. Yay!

Here they are again

Until next time,
Happy New Year!

Jon x

ps - And I still haven't told you about the jackdaw in the other chimney. . . Ah well, next time.