CLAY BEADMAKING & STRINGING
I didn't start photographing the steps until I was well into the process. Steps not shown would be the conditioning of the clay, rolling the logs of solid black clay, making the tiny logs and twisted snakes used for decorating the solid black log. I make the tiny pieces by making snakes and jellyrolls combining different colors of clay. The snakes are twisted together combining different colors and the thin sheets of clay are rolled into logs like a jellyroll. The jellyrolls are then sliced thinly. All these little pieces are pressed onto the solid black log of clay.
These photos show my logs in different stages of loading them up with the little additions. It always amazes me how many little pieces of clay decor I keep adding until I fill up each log with little black showing through. The black clay base will reveal more of itself as each bead is rolled and shaped.