It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that bling . . .

For sometime now, I've been making hand made polymer clay beads, and pairing them with metal and glass store bought beads, to make strings of bling for purses and eye glass cases.

Here's how I made my own quilted fabric:

I loaded a yard each of the black fabric with lime green peace symbols, and printed cotton backing fabric (turquoise and lime green), and two layers of 100% cotton batting on the long arm quilt frame--just as I do when I'm free style quilting queen size quilts.

Free Style Quilting - Feather Bouquet

Forming the "S" stem, and filling with feathers

Feather Bouquet in Progress

The small zippered purses I made from the quilted fabrics are 8.5 inches wide by 7 inches deep--just the right size for a phone. 

It's so much more fun to zip zip zip with a handful of bling beads.

Shown here are beads I made: shaped like an olive, a square, and a tube.  The metal beads, one glass bead, and one yellow wooden bead adds interest.

Second purse - same quilted fabric, different bead bling.

Detail of glass beads, metal beads, and 2 handmade polymer clay beads in lime green shown at the top.

The eye glass cases are fun to make.  The bling of beads has only one function--decoration.  

Notice there is an enameled snap head just right of center that is an easy closure to keep the eye glass case closed and secure.  

There is a swivel clasp on a fabric loop at the top of the eye glass case--so you can wear it attached to your neckline, or clipped to your jeans belt loop.  It is also, just the right size to carry a cell phone and mad money.  

P.S. - the white string you see in these photos is the price tag (I didn't hide it very well, did I?)

 

Lower third of the photo above, there is a caramel striped tube bead I made from polymer clay.

It is an easy technique to make tube beads:

1. Condition several colors of clay and stick them together.  

2. Roll into a fat tube shape and twist them several times. 

3. Run the clay through the pasta machine to make a uniform thickness (1/8").  

4. Cut a long rectangle with clay knife; wrap rectangle lengthwise on a metal knitting needle.  

5. Pat with fingers to close the wrap forming a tube around the knitting needle.

6. Bake 265 degrees F for 30 minutes.  

7. Cool for a few minutes.

8. Slide warm polymer clay tube off of the knitting needle.

9. Slice into small tubes sections.  (As if you were cutting a straw into small pieces).

Thanks for stopping by!