concept to completion

Here's a little glimpse into how this particular project went.  The palette of the blouse was my inspiration (which just happens to be the last photo in this montage - It just fits better this way!). I start off by forming the core of the beads using a heart mold I made some months ago. I combine the colors of the clay until I get just the right shades that I want. I create a few canes - very simple ones in this case. I used a jelly role, stripes and a cane I made with extrusions. After I bake the heart forms undecorated - I coat them with a liquid polymer and adhere the sheets of canes as I see fit. I sand them with a 400, then 800, then 1000 grit sandpaper. I then buff them because I like the finished look of the high sheen. I add the embellishments and the bottoms - and bake again. All set for stringing. What do you think?