In between getting ready for sales and doing some teaching, I had a chance to stop by Poco Créations last week to drop off this sample of faux ivory the class will be working on this Saturday. After creating the beads we'll incorporate some fabulous beads from Poco to make the pieces truly standouts. The faux ivory will be textured before baking, but I'll also demo a scrimshaw technique and perhaps a post-baked incision, if time permits.Speaking of scrimshaw, when I was at the Artisan's Market this past weekend, there was a fellow who did this work in old ivory piano keys. His work was marvelous, and the details were incredibly small...of course he used a jeweller's magnifier, something I have been meaning to get for a while. Even though I have new glasses with much greater magnification, I still have a bit of trouble trying to get the perfection needed for really intricate designs. That's not an excuse, I realize, so I'll have to "bone up" on my ivory or sharpen up my needle points.
Looking forward to a fun weekend. Gotta get some striated ivory made tomorrow in preparation.
