Marie-tangle beads part 3 spacers

This is continued from part 2

This tutorial will be for the little black spacer beads in this photo.
you can make these of any color. They are pretty much mindless work, so you can do lots in front of the TV.
I like to have something like that for in the evenings when I am not sitting at my desk and working. Idle hands and all that!
This is definitely the zen part of the whole thing.
Chop wood, carry water kind of work.

You will need:
Cernit Black
Clay machine
5/16" Round Kemper cutter
Knitting needle


Condition and roll out black clay on the thickest setting in the clay machine.
Fold the sheet of clay in half for double the thickness.

Press them together.
Using the 5/16" round cutter cut out rounds.

When you have a bunch cut out, roll the cut outs in to balls.

When you have a bunch of balls, pinch flat. Try to use the same pressure and pinch flat evenly.
They should not be much bigger than the end diameter of the Marie-tangle tube bead.

When you have a bunch of flat pieces, use the knitting needle point to press into the middle of each flat bead.

You can then pick it up and press it in a little further. Just a little, so you can see the end of the needle.

You then take the bead off the needle and put the point through the hole you just made on the opposite side or in the out hole.
This will keep the holes nice.

Do this with the rest of the flats and bake on a piece of card stock or card board, grunge board or chip board.
I use a piece of a box top from a cardboard box we get product in, like I used for the ultra fancy back ground in my necklace shot above and below!!
I love baking on cardboard in my baking trays.

These also make very good beads for children to make.

You can also use different sizes of  round cutters for different size beads.
By using a single sheet of clay you get bead sizes in between.
Gotta love that!! Keeps everything the same size, yet hand rolled and made.