Bead Cruise Swag...

I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I was super excited to share these porcelain pendants that I made.  I carved out a heart with wings a few months ago.  It has sat on my workbench for awhile and I never got around to pressing out any pendants.  I decided to do so for the Bead Cruise that Heather Powers of Humble Beads is organizing.

I normally am not very fussy about my glazing.  I prefer a rough, rustic vibe.  I like them to feel almost like faded tie-dye and my process reflects that.  Usually, I stick to a single color (sometimes jazzed up with a few watercolor-like washes), but I thought that I would make these pendants special.  So I went in and noodled around with a tiny brush and did three separate colors.  Blue-green for the background, bright red for the hearts and a transparent clear for the wings.

I was so excited for them... I couldn't wait!  And then when I finally did pull them out of the kiln, I was highly... unimpressed.  Every flaw stuck out and I could see where the glazes had bled.  I was kind of bummed out.  But then, I continued as normal, with my process.  I tumbled them with polishing grit overnight.  Something happened.  When I did finally pull them out, I was pleasantly surprised.  The extra step helped bring things together.  Instead of looking like mistakes, embracing the flaws allowed the pieces to soar!  I hope that the participants of the Bead Cruise enjoy them in all their handmade glory.