What to do with old canes?

Flower bouquetts!!
I love making them becaause of the endless possible veriations!...
I simply chose the colors, put them together, fill with trasulant clay and this is end of story...

Try it, it is fun!

 
 
 
 

Old canes---> scrap---> stripes!!

I have some old and dry canes that I do not want to look at any more...
So I chopped them, (good for the soul...)and made these thin stripes.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

The cane wich were not so dry became Hamsa-
Five fingers figure which are symbols of good fortune,
health, good luck and prosperity.

The hamsa / Fatima's hand is a protective charm that transcends religions,
a reminder that we are all branches in one family tree...

I will add them soon to my ETSY shop..
 
 
 
 

I am soooo proud of the beading!

 
 
 

Mica shift- first time!...

I have known it by seeing for almost 3 years and never tried to make it.

Yesterday I have got orders for 2 Mezuzahs- one for a friend's teenager daughter and the other for a new opened natural food store.
So I had my first Mica shift experience...

What is mica? wikipedia says it is a mineral.
The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word micare, meaning to shine, in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral . For more info- see wiki.

Mica is a naturally occurring stone that forms in thin crystalline wafers. It is very soft and can be pulled apart with your fingertips. Egyptian, Greek and Roman women used ground up mica in their make-up to impart a 'glow' to their skin because even when ground to a powder, mica's crystalline structure allows it to reflect light.
When you unwrap a bar of gold Premo ,you may notice streaks of dark gold running through the clay. When you process the clay in a pasta machine, the streaks disappear and the clay seems to brighten several shades and become much more reflective.
If you want to align the mica for maximum shine you must first process the clay,#1 on your pasta machine- for about 10 to 20 times...