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THANKSGIVING!

Hoping everyone had a 

blessed Thanksgiving Day!  

A day to be thankful for what we have, who we have, those we have been blessed to have known, and even what we don't have.

 Wishing a grateful heart for all of you now, throughout the Christmas Season, and for 2015!

"Costume" Jewelry...Literally

 Dragon Eye Pendant

 

This pendant is polymer clay on a pendant bezel approx. 2mm deep and 1" in diameter with an antique silver finish.  The eyeball is gloss coated while the remaining portions of the clay remain matte finish with no coat or buffing.  

Some mica powders were used and the 'skin' is textured with dragon scales.  The clay was cured directly on the bezel underneath.   

A simple chain or cord would make this an interesting costume accessory....particularly for a dragon slayer!!

Easter / Civil War Pen

Can you believe Easter is here?  After such a long and cold Winter for most, it's about time, I say.  Having said that, the winter months are when I always hope to get so much creating done...which didn't exactly happen this year.   I had hoped to get more acquainted with the metal clays and  have a plethora of pens and other items completed in polymer.  Oh well...best laid plans, I suppose.

We had a beautiful weekend weather-wise here last weekend, then it turned cooler again this week.  So, I have a little more studio time left with out having the "cabin fever!"  (Which will go away when it turns hot and humid 'round here! )

I do have a photo or two I can share, however.  I have made a new pen that I haven't made before...the Civil War Pen.  This is a great pen for history buffs, in particular Civil War buffs, or any gun enthusiast.  The cap and tip of the pen are actual size replicas of 2 bullets used in the Civil War and the clip is a replica (not actual size, of course!) of the 1861 Springfield Musket used as well.  This is a pen with a larger girth, bu isn't too long, so it's balanced nicely.  (Would be good for those who have trouble gripping thinner pens, too.)

You can read more about the pen design here:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/185006443/civil-war-replica-ball-point-twist-pen?ref=shop_home_active_1

This one was made in black and copper clay with black enameled metal components.  The components are also available in

• antique brass (I should have some of these completed soon)
• antique copper
• gun metal
• chrome
• satin chrome. 

I'm thinking of making one in a stars & stripes pattern, too.  It is, afterall, American History!
This would be a really great Father's Day gift, too.

Bottle Stoppers

Bottle Stoppers are always a nice gift for the wine enthusiast or someone who likes to decorate.

Whether a seasonal theme, a hobby theme, or just a pretty design....

...whether small or large...

...there are so many options for creativity with bottle stoppers.
These stoppers are double sided for more clay-tivity!

These are stainless steel mini stoppers.  

Also available in Chrome.

Custom Orders Available.

The clay is cured directly on the stopper for a perfect fit.  All designs, powders, inks, or what-have-you are all placed on the clay while on the stopper.  The rubber withstands the curing process -- but don't forget about your stopper and leave it in the oven too long. That may dry out the rubber and cause it to crack.  Follow the instructions for baking the clay based on its thickness.  If you have clay so thick that you are concerned about the rubber piece, with a little effort you can remove the rubber piece and then replace it after curing or if you have a round cutter the same size as your stopper, you could cure the clay separately and not have the stopper in the oven at all -- then glue your clay medallion to the stopper.

Did you know that cured polymer can be carved??  This method lends to even more options for a bottle stopper.

There are other styles of bottle stoppers as well. They pose a bigger challenge to create, but it can be done!

HALLOWEEN is Around the Corner

Halloween is just around the corner!

I don't make a huge production of Halloween at my house anymore, but I still get a kick out of the costumes and decorations available and seeing people who do decorate and dress up.  

With some of these items I'm making, I might  even "dress up" at work this year!   

These may be the least expensive Halloween costumes EVER!! 

So, a little glow in the dark clay (or other clay) and a little mica powder or inka gold in a few colors, a hair pin or two, a bit of cord, a bead or two, an ear wire or two...and VOILA!  Halloween Costume!!!   MMMWWWAAAHAAAHAAAAAHAAAA

Vampire Hunter Trophy Earring - Vampire Tooth

Glow in the Dark Clay with red clay blood drips on gum metal fish hook ear wires.  

A single earring with the vampire's tooth as the Hunter's keepsake for the kill!

Horn Hair Clips and Horn Hair Pins

Bobby Pins and Alligator Hair Clips make dressing up easy peasy!

 Werewolf Hunter Trophy Necklace - Werewolf Tooth

Instantly become very scary as you display your werewolf slaying talents around your neck!

Oh My Goodness!

Oh my goodness...it has been WAY too long since I've posted anything here on the blog.  It has been a great time since Christmas (with the new addition of the niece and nephew to the family), and it has been a stressful time (at work and with some home repairs).
I haven't done as much with the clay as I had planned over the winter months, but some badly needed organization has been completed and am hopefully going to be in a position to do a lot of creating this spring...and hopefully get the home repairs completed at the same time!  Whew!  A busy time!

Easter has come and gone...I hope everyone had a blessed day yesterday! It's still not very warm here where we are, but the grass is getting green, so hopefully it won't be long before it feels like Easter!

So, in honor of Easter, here's one of the creations I was able to complete this past weekend...

 

This bunny is all clay except for the whiskers (fishing line) and the eyes (glass beads).  Oh...and a few toothpick halves inserted to secure his head and each ear.  Other than that...solid clay.  This bunny was made with pearl white clay, which I probably will not do again.  The pearl clays are so soft that it is more difficult to retain the shape while holding the figure and keeping fingerprints out of the clay.  

I only gloss coated select parts of the bunny - the pink portion of the ears, the cheeks, the nose, the teeth, the egg, and the paw pads. 

He is my first animal "sculpture."  Not too bad for numero uno.  But I do (as will always) see areas that could use improvement. 

Instructions:  He was simply built by shaping the body first, adding the feet/legs and shaping the toes, then adding the "arms" and shaping the fingers.  Then separately the head was formed, the cheeks added and the teeth.  The triangular pink nose was attached and then the strip above the nose to round out his forehead.  The eyes were added by sinking glass seed beads into the clay and then fishing line inserted into the cheeks.  The whiskers were removed for curing and then glued back into the holes once hardened.  The head was then attached to the body using a piece of toothpick to serve as a small "spine."  The ears were formed with pink clay added and shaped before being gently attached to the head, again, using pieces of toothpicks for support.  And finally the tail.  The tail is the same white/glitter clay the cheeks are made with. Many tiny holes were made in the tail before attaching.  The hands were pulled away from his body enough to insert the clay egg.  As he is pretty thick, I baked him for more than an hour -- keeping watch on his ears as they are thinner and didn't want  them to burn.  You could cure the body partially then complete the curing once the head is attached. Just watch your series of bake times based on the thickness of the head.

I"m debating on what do make next -- a frog, turtle, maybe a mouse??  Stay tuned...

Halloween Punkin' Picks

BOOOOOO!

Halloween Decorations! 

These Punkin' Picks are glo in the dark ghosties made for a customer as a custom order.  They sit (and wrap around) copper wire cut to a point for easy insertion through the pumpkin skin.  They are clear-coated with polyurethane.  These are not hard to make, but are a bit time consuming due to the number of coats of glo paint and clear coat and drying times in between.  Also, the copper wire is purchased with a coating that has to be stripped off.

These can also be stuck down into a mums pot if you don't have a pumpkin.

These can be used for outdoor decoration for a time.  Most clay items can withstand quite a bit of the elements outdoors, but can fade over time in the sun and become brittle (depending on thickness) in the cold.

*** I would, however, keep them out of reach of dogs and other animals that like to chew on and eat plastic. My dogs love to eat the clay.  This is not good for the decoration, jewelry, etc., and is definitely very BAD for the dogs!  This certainly applies to any item made with PC, but with holiday decorations coming out of storage, it's a good time to remind!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Wishing everyone a successful & prosperous new year in 2012!  

Hoping those of you who make resolutions are successful and hoping 2012 is generally better than 2011.

I had put the clay away for the holidays but will be creating again soon!

Tis the Season to Decorate!

 These are clay ornaments with mother of pearl finish and glitter accents.  The beak and the feet on the dove ornaments are gold clay.  The hanger is craft wire and comes with the ornament (if you're like me, the package of ornament hooks just about ruins the decorating experience!  So...I included the hanger!) 

 I've made these ornaments in sets of 4, 5, 6, and 8 - depending on the ornament.  The cross ornament below is an individual -- it is a larger size and includes a Swarovski crystal as well as 2-tone clay, glitter edging and metallic finish on the edge and the center circle as well as the textured lines. 

 This set of 8 small ornaments (approx. 1/2 inch) are textured, feature mother of pearl finish on the edge with glitter detail on the edge as well.  These also include a wire hanger that you never have to remove!

 The set of 5 dove ornaments above feature gold glitter as well as "hologram" glitter.  A little less glitter on these to accentuate the detail.

 The fleur de lis ornaments are a little larger than the small cross ornaments and are painted with mother of pearl in the center recessed portion with hologram glitter around the edges. 

The Poinsettia ornaments can be made with 2 colors of red or one, in gold or white.  A touch of gold glitter in the center and red metallic highlights on the raised edges of the leaves really make this one stand out.  these are about an inch and a half and include the hangers as the others do.

The same poinsettias (and a couple others) were used to make these napkin rings of clay and copper wire.  The set of four go together, but each one is a little different.

The rocking horse above is my favorite.  I also don't think I would ever get what it's worth considering the time and work involved!!  But I think it turned out great!  The mane and tail are suede leather strips that were cut and applied one at a time, jump rings were used on the bridal and as stirrups, tin was used on the saddle and black suede cord was used for the reins.  Swarovski crystal accents on the bridal, saddle horn, and harness give him a little bling!

And we don't want to forget the Reason for the Season...a small grapevine wreath with a cross, dove, holly and swags.  Good size for a small space on a wall or in an office cubicle.  Glitter and metallic finish on the textured clay pieces give depth and hand-engraved lettering make this a one of a kind wreath.

So...when you find a bare spot among your decorations...just get out the clay!!

It's October! BOOO!

Pardon the crudeness of these pictures, but these were made to take to the Hendersonville Flea Market October 7-9.  I'm hoping to sell them there and not list them on Bonanza or Etsy.  
These were fun to make. The Punkin' Picks are simply clay on copper wire and a few are painted with Glow-In-The-Dark Paint! Stick them in your pumpkin or jack-o-lantern for an extra spooky touch or in your Mums planter.

The Pens are simply round disposable pens (like Bic Round Stic, but a generic brand). Simply cover the white tube (remove the ink and tips) and decorate any way you like and cure.  A gloss coating was painted onto these and Glow-In-The-Dark paint was painted onto the eyes of the ghosts.

Since the pen cap won't fit on the pens once they are covered with clay, I made holders so they would 1) stand up and 2) not dry out.  Although, I made covered Bic pens about 10 years ago and my mother still has one...It is still writing! (I think that means she doesn't use it much!! LOL)
Anyway...it's an inexpensive and fun project for Halloween!

Fall Is Here!

Grapevine wreaths are inexpensive and are a blank slate for creativity.  (Just buy the ones that are actually round and not lop-sided!)  Make anything you want in clay and glue it to the wreath!  (I recommend a glue gun rather than superglue.  Superglue works great, but it turns white and it's impossible to glue items to this kind of wreath without some of the glue showing.  Glue from a glue gun stays clear.)  You could gloss the entire wreath - grapevine and all - or just the clay parts - or neither.  These were not hard.  It took longer to figure out the leaf placements & glue them than anything.
If country decor isn't your taste, you could cover just about every inch of one of these wreaths with clay transformed into...well...anything.

HAPPY AUTUMN!