Bold and beautiful...

I could easily have made this choker with polymer clay, but given the size of the beads, I wanted them to be as lightweight as possible.  Epoxy resin clay over Styrofoam was the answer.  I used ApoxieClay for this project because it has a working time of up to three hours and fully cures in 24 hours.  Because epoxy resin clay is somewhat sticky, it adheres well to just about anything it touches, and Styrofoam is no exception.  It also readily sticks to hands and tools but thankfully cleans up well with soap and water.   I wanted the beads to have an old world look, somewhat like a yellowed antique parchment.  This particular clay is available in white only, although a dab of oil paint can be added to the uncured clay for color.  To obtain an aged appearance, I first dabbed raw umber acrylic paint into the recessed textures and then wiped off the excess.  I then applied carmel colored alcohol ink randomly to the beads.  A light application of acrylic paint in metallic bronze added a subtle luster to the beads and a final coat of clear acrylic was applied to protect the finish. I will definitely enjoy wearing this choker.  I just may have to make another in faux coral!