Okay, so I decided to finally make that arcane blue rose necklace idea that’s been kicking around in my head. Had some stuff lying around, figured why not give it a shot. Didn’t really have a solid plan, just a vague picture in my mind, you know?
First thing, I went digging through my craft supplies. Found a block of that deep blue polymer clay I bought ages ago. Also grabbed some pearly white clay, thinking I could mix it for a cool effect. Needed tools too – my little shaping tools, the roller, an oven for baking, obviously.
Getting the Rose Shape Right
Started by conditioning the blue clay. Kneaded it and kneaded it until it wasn’t crumbly anymore. Then I took a tiny bit of the white and swirled it in. Didn’t want it fully mixed, just streaky. Looked okay.
Then came the tricky part: making the actual rose. I rolled out super thin pieces for petals. This took forever. Tried to shape them so they looked like actual petals, thin at the edges. Layered them around a small ball of clay for the center. Honestly, the first attempt looked more like a blob. Had to squish it and start over. Second try was better. Built it up layer by layer. Made sure the base was flat-ish so I could attach it later.
Once I was happy-ish with the shape, I stuck it in the oven. Followed the clay package instructions. Had that weird baked clay smell in the kitchen for a bit. Let it cool down completely.
Making it ‘Arcane’
So, just a blue rose wasn’t enough. Needed that ‘arcane’ vibe. Found some iridescent paint, kinda purplish-blue. Lightly brushed that just on the very tips of the petals. Didn’t want to cover the blue, just add a shimmer.
Then I thought, glitter? Maybe. Found some ultra-fine silver glitter. Mixed a tiny amount into some clear gloss varnish. Painted a thin coat of that over the whole rose. Let it dry. It gave it a subtle sparkle, kinda magical looking I guess. Not too over the top.
Putting the Necklace Together
Assembly time. This part usually goes quicker if I don’t lose the tiny pieces.
- Took a small metal eye pin screw thing. Carefully screwed that into the back/base of the clay rose. Had to be gentle so the clay didn’t crack.
- Got out my pliers and jump rings. Opened one up.
- Hooked the rose’s eye pin onto the jump ring.
- Slipped a simple silver chain I had onto the same jump ring.
- Closed the jump ring securely. Checked it wouldn’t slip off.
- Added a clasp to the ends of the chain using a couple more jump rings. Made sure the lobster claw thing faced the right way.
Fiddled with it a bit to make sure it hung okay. The rose was a little heavier than I expected, but the chain seemed strong enough.
So yeah, that was the process. Wasn’t too complicated, mostly just took patience with the fiddly clay bits. Dropped one of the jump rings like five times, standard procedure for me. But it came out looking pretty neat. Got my own arcane blue rose necklace now. It’s definitely handmade, you can tell, but that’s okay. Feels good to have made the thing I pictured.