First I processed up some scrap clay and also made a pale green. The scrap was rolled into a snake, cut into equal pieces and rolled into balls. The light green was used to cover each ball with a thin layer.
I gathered up a few older canes (white stars in translucent, white/translucent spiral, an older green leaf cane, etc.) and woke them up (a little squeeze pressure and wiggling to soften the clay before slicing.) I also made several new canes, using translucent and opaque clays: white & translucent stripe, green & translucent stripe, a lace cane with white wrapped translucent and random tiny blue/green snakes, dark green & translucent spiral. I made another lace cane using some reduced white starburst cane, wrapped in translucent & olive green.
Next I cut VERY THIN slices from all the canes and layered pieces randomly over each ball. Then I rolled the ball smooth in my hands, applied pressure with the plexi square and rolled each ball into a bicone, which I flattened into a lentil. Then I baked the clay.
Holes were drilled AFTER baking using my new mini-drill press and my lentil drilling jig, which I made following instructions found here. Great idea from Desiree's Desired Creations - thanks! I altered mine a bit, using a heavy duty cardboard tube glued to the board rather then buy a 48" piece of 1/4 round. I used a small finishing nail instead of a needle - hammered straight in and with the head snipped off. You still must be careful to match the drill bit with the nail, so they just kiss and drill the starter hole straight.
After drilling, the beads were sanded with the standard series of wet sand papers then polished on my buffing wheel. (I keep trying to achieve the same level of gloss that Debbie Updegraff - she sets the bar pretty high!)
Coming soon: How I was inspired by those striped white/translucent canes to make some angelic music! But that's another story and another guild.
