Saying goodbye to 2011

Well, it's almost here.....2012.  Wow, last year flew by.  2011 saw the birth of a fourth grandchild, a boy, who grows more beautiful each day.  He is always smiling and happy and brings joy to my heart.  We were limited in the number of shows we were able to do, but, I continued to work with my polymer clay.  

I know we all hold dreams and wishes for the new year, some make resolutions, others wish for things like good health and happiness.  My wish, in addition to health and happiness, is for more room and time to continue my clay journey as well as inspiration to continue to develop unique designs that bring joy to those who buy my pieces.   Whatever your wishes or resolutions may be, I hope you are successful in your endeavors. 

Happy New Year!

New pieces

I'm in the process of making several different necklaces, sort of an early start for our shows next year.  Seems I tend to work on one for a while, then go to the next, then the next...you get the idea.  What happens is, I end up with piles of beads, sorted and waiting patiently to, finally, be put together and finished.  All this, while working and getting ready for Christmas {yes, I still have things to wrap!}. Well, I finished one of the necklaces and am happy with the results.  I need to work on the photos for listing the piece on ArtFire, but here is a quick shot.

 Let me know what you think.

Baltimore Polymer Clay Guild

Had the holiday party today at our local guild.  We had good food and a great time.  Got to exchange beads and gifts and spent the day chatting and, for me anyway, relaxing. 

Here we are!

Bead and gift exchange.

We will get back to our regular monthly meetings in January.  Can't wait to start learning new techniques!  In the meantime, I hope everyone has a great holiday and safe New Year.

Til next time.....

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Special day

Today would have been my Dad's 89th birthday.  Sadly, he passed away in 2008 from cancer.  I think of him, especially today, and wish he were still with us.  I'm sure you are looking down on us and missing all the soup and sweets you loved so much!  Love you Dad.

New ArtFire Guild for the Polymer Clay Smooshers

The Polymer Clay Smooshers are back on ArtFire!  Be sure to visit at http://www.artfire.com/guilds/polymer_clay_smooshers.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!

Mica Shift tutorial

It's been a while since I had time to update my blog.  The shows are finished for the year and I now can devote more energy on blogging and working on tutorials.  My first one is on my ArtFire site and I hope you all like it.

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/DreamWeaversDesigns/3662/mica_shift_technique

Hello to November

I guess now, the countdown begins.  Seems holiday decorations have been out in some stores for a few weeks.  We had our first fall show yesterday and, though the crowds were not as we expected, we did pretty well.  The next, and last show of the year, is in two weeks.  Then the real fun begins.....Thanksgiving, decorating, buying presents, and preparing for the possible "bad" winter ahead. 

I've spent several more weeks working on my mica shift technique, and am pretty happy with how well the pieces are turning out.  Once I have more time, I plan to put up a brief tutorial.

Here are just a few of my finished necklace/earring combos;

I used Premo pearl clay and added cranberry Adirondak alcohol ink for this one.  I was actually aiming for a little darker color, as I couldn't locate my red pearl clay.  Still, I was pleased with the results.

I love this one, the color is so deep and rich.  The pattern is very prevalent.  I used Premo blue pearl clay and added some flat backed faceted crystals for a little bling!

This one was made adding Meadow and Bottle color alcohol inks to Premo pearl.  I also added some crystals for accent.









All of the necklaces were placed on silver plated memory wire and the earrings were hand made using nickle free silver plated 20 gauge wire.  For finishing, I embellished with some crystals and glass beeds.  Feel free to let me know what you think!

Snow day

Well, it's snowing in Maryland.  Gotta admit, it's beautiful with the fall colors on the trees, but I hope this is not a omen of things to come this winter!  Spent the day getting ready for a few shows that we are going to do in the next few weeks.  My dining room table is, once again, a mess.  But we are making some headway. 

I made a few snowmen pendants this past week and was able to finish them up today.  These were made from a tutorial from Cindy Lietz.  She is amazing.  She makes things so easy to learn; clear instructions, great video and her tutorials are short.

I also finished off a few pins.  I think mica shift and mokume gane are two of my favorite techniques.  Now that I am comfortable with mica shift, I may spend some time perfecting the mokume gane.  I'd like to play around and see what other elements I can incorporate.  I definitely need to experiment with different color combinations. 

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Brown

This weeks Smooshers topic is brown.  Thinking of the holidays coming brings to mind a lot of brown.  Now, some of you may be thinking...brown??? what brown?  With colder temps, the leaves will be turning brown and falling in piles on the lawns.  Think golden brown turkey.  Umm, chocolate chip cookies are my favorite and a staple around Christmas.  And, some people love fruit cake.  {Yes, I happen to be one of them} This holiday, browse through the Smoosher's ArtFire shops for truly one-of-a kind, handmade items.  I'm sure you will find the perfect gift for that someone special.  I recommend you search early so you don't miss anything!

Speaking of leaves, check out AmyCrawley's shop to see more unique works like this light switch cover.

Cynthia Blanton Studio has several mixed media pieces.

May not be all brown, but how cute are these Christmas mice from QuernusCrafts!!

Don't forget to check out our ArtFire shops.  Just go to http://www.polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/     Hope you have as much fun looking at all the wonderful, creative pieces that I did. 

Til next time, remember:

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."

- Henry Ford (1863-1947)

Halloween

The topic this week, for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's, is Halloween.  Thinking of this particular time of year makes me want to hunker down near a fire, with a good book and some tasty tea.  For some reason, no matter how warm October is, this day is always freezing!  I love the colors, fragrances {think apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice candles}, and yes, the decorations in preparation for trick or treating. For those of us that do craft fairs, the rush is on for upcoming shows in November.  There are so many wonderful artisans in our guild, take a look at some fun Halloween pieces.

How cute is this kitty and pumpkin by Buttonwilloe?

Are you into spooky wearable art?  Check out other pieces from Mortimer Inc.

What would Halloween be without The Raven??  Wyvern Designs has plenty of holiday themed pieces to choose from.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at some of the fantastic work from the Polymer Clay Smooshers.  Feel free to check out our blog, at http://www.polymerclaysmooshers.blogspot.com/, where you can browse all the artisans shops on ArtFire.

Til next time, stay safe and don't let the goblins get ya..

Time away

Getting ready to head south for a few days.  We are going to Big Stone Gap in Virginia, where my Mom was born.  Just love the mountains and can't wait to see the fall colors.  I'm hoping I can get re-inspired to get back to my clay work when I return, as we have some shows upcoming in November!

Hope everyone has a great weekend.  See ya on the flip side.

Autumn Rain

Welcome back to the Polymer Clay Smooshers!!!  Michelle, of Creative Critters, was gracious enough to take over the administration of the group, sooo, we are back.

This weeks blog ring is about Autumn Rain.  Seems like everyone loves this time of the year.  I wonder why??  Does it have anything to do with cooling off after a long hot summer?  Or maybe, it's the beautiful colors that pop up everywhere?  Oh yeah, maybe the sights, smells and sounds that are all around; think crackling camp fire, apple pie, children laughing and running in their colorful costumes during trick or treat, and the fragrance and sound of crunching leaves under foot.

Whatever the reason you love Autumn, you should love the look of the jewelry and other items that are being designed by the creative artisans in the smooshers!

Sharp Art by Dawna made this beautiful, and colorful, pendant. 

Just look how bright this brooch looks by Valerie's Stuff.

 

This is sooo cool!  Look at the detail on this sculpture by The Kraft Kottage. 

I would like to take the time to thank those of you who support all the handmade artisans out there. Handmade items can be unique, beautiful, useful, quirky, you name it and I'm sure you can find it.  Be it jewelry, housewares, soap, clothing or the multitude of other things that are made one at a time, your patronage means a lot.

Til next time, remember:

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."

- Jimi Hendrix

Happy Autumn

Ok, so it's not quite official yet, but, who cares.  I love Fall.

Football has started and already my grandson is a fan.....and sooo cute too.

I have buckled down and taken this week to start on my goal of perfecting one polymer clay technique before moving on to another one.  Thanks Star for the link to all those wonderful techniques! 

I decided to try my hand at mica shift.  For those of you who aren't familiar with mica shift, it involves using special metallic clay, run through a pasta machine multiple times to allow the mica particles to line up.  Once impressed with a stamp, the raised areas are carefully sliced off leaving an image of the stamp on the smooth surface.  After the clay is baked, sanded and buffed {or coated with a glossy medium} the result is a 3D effect that is hard to believe unless you see it up close and personal. 

I made a few pendants using several colors of the metallic clay.  Here are a few in a soft copper.

This really looks better in person!

I was attempting to show the gloss from buffing.

I hope you can see the 3D effect.

This one shows the glossy effect a little better.

Here is the one I did in silver.

The silver looks a little darker in this picture.

Once I get some better pictures with my light box or outside, I'll be posting these on my ArtFire site.

I gotta say, I really like this technique. It took several attempts to get the right amount of slice off the clay, but, that's OK, if you don't have success on the first go round, just start over.  With all the stamps available the design possibilities are enormous.  I can't wait to continue with this process in different colors. 

If you are interested in trying your hand at mica shift, here are a few links:

http://www.hobbizine.com/pcmicashift.html
http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/ms_texture.html

Til next time, remember..........

"Anything that is too stupid to be spoken is sung."

- Voltaire (1694-1778)

Gettin chilly!

What a beautiful, crisp, very cool Friday morning I woke to!  It's continued through the day and now it's a very cool Friday evening.  I'll admit it, I put my heat on.  Yikes, and technically, it's still summer.  I love the feel of fall and am looking forward to all the trees changing.  It's time to start working to get ready for a few shows in November. Don't really have anything planned for this weekend, so it may be a good time to further organize my work space and see what I have.  Then I'll be able to devote time to claying and creating.

The only problem with polymer clay is the multitude of uses and techniques there are!  So many great artisans have developed their own styles and there are so many different products that you can incorporate into your design, it boggles the mind.  Since starting my journey with clay, a little over a year ago, I have picked up so many tips, techniques and possibilities that it seems like I'll never have time to try everything.  Just when I think I have found one technique that I want to focus on, I stumble on another one.  As a result, I have many works underway and don't give myself the time to really master any one.  That is going to change.  My goal is to develop my skills in an area until I make pieces that rival those of the true polymer experts.  {I just hope I live that long!}

On another note, the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild has closed.  I was not a member for that long, but really appreciate the time and effort the administrators put into keeping the guild up and running.  Through them I have become more aware of resources out there for promoting ones art and have had the pleasure of seeing other artisans beautiful and truly unique designs.  So, Star, I thank you and I wish everyone well. 

Till next time....Remember; Life is short and time is precious for us all.  Make sure you are happy in whatever you decide to do, take nothing for granted and, yes, take time to stop and smell the roses.  Take care of yourself first, then you will be better able to care for others.

Rainy September

Hi all,

Well, it's been a while since I wrote.  I can't believe how fast this summer went.  And, talk about crazy weather and earth shaking events!  Ok, maybe we shouldn't talk about it anymore.

I have not had too much time to work on my clay; did get to move my "studio" downstairs....well, my daughters moved it.  It's not really a studio, more like two tables piled with all my supplies.  I really need to make time to get more organized.  At least my dining room is now usable!  I think if I had a cleaner, dedicated work space {and room}, I may have more energy and desire to sit and create.

I think I am going to spend a few days looking at clay creations and varying techniques to see if I can get the juices flowing again.  I found a good tutorial for a faux leather look, and am anxious to try it.  I'll post some pictures when I'm done.  

I hope everyone is staying dry and safe in this east coast weather we are having!

Til next time.......

Watermelon

Summer days, family cook-outs, sticky faces and hands - these are the images I think of when I think of watermelon.  There's nothing quite like a good, crisp, sweet slice of this fruit.

The colors of this pretty swirled pendant from 2 Good Claymates reminds me of a slice of watermelon;

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--30000--20666_product_898254088_thumb_large.jpg


What goes better with a summer picnic days than....sunshine.  Check out the designs by Valerie's Stuff, including this bright sun necklace;

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--60000--32982_product_980023111_thumb_large.jpg

As you get ready for your summer outing, why not spruce up your wardrobe with colorful flowers to celebrate the wonders of the summer?  So what if you're going to a picnic; you can still look great with these beauties made by Phoenix Art Studio;

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--90000--79869_product_493094531_thumb_large.jpg

As this season starts to wind down, I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer and is looking for some cooler weather and wonderous colors for the upcoming fall.  Make sure you continue to check out the Polymer Clay Smooshers for beautiful works of art and unique jewelry pieces.

Til next time remember.....

"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."

- Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

Black and White

Black and white brings to mind; classic old movies {and very old televisions}, penguins, many typed term papers, zebras, and of course traditional bride and groom garb.  With all the wonderful colors available in polymer clay, you would think black and white would take a back seat in the creativity department.  Not so!  Black and white jewelry can be very chic and make a powerful statement.

Take a look at Averilpam's creations...

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--90000--81077_product_1026456308_thumb_large.jpg

Dana's Jewelry Etc made this interesting piece combining polymer clay and beading...

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--90000--84004_product_1107710919_thumb_large.jpg

Handmade Specialties incorporates polymer clay with her crocheting...

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--120000--103917_product_1772226841_thumb_large.jpg

Hope you enjoy these picks. 

Til next time......

Have fun browsing the Polymer Clay Smooshers ArtFire shops to find that right piece for you or someone you love!

Outside the box

The polymer clay smooshers guild has regular challenges.  This months theme was beach.  The challenge is not mandatory, but, a way for the artisans to "think outside the box" and create something we may not have otherwise thought to do.  I had several ideas for the challenge and ended up with a necklace that incorporates some new techniques, new to me that is. 

I think I am most pleased with the palm tree and the parrots.  If other artists are like me, they rethink and critique their work all the time.  Even though I love this necklace, I keep wondering how it would look if the shells and parrots were set a little different, maybe lengthwise vs hanging off the stringing wire.  I'll keep looking at it...and critiquing....and looking....and critiquing...and....

Saturday show

It was a gorgeous day for a show....as long as one had some shade.  Nice breeze, plenty of people, just a few sales.  But, what else would you do on a Saturday?  I certainly didn't feel like cleaning!!  One of the things I've learned about crafters is, they are really nice people.  Met a few the past two weeks.  It made the days even better. 

Our site on the grounds of the fire department.  It was nice to have the car right there.  Sorry about the glare on the picture, had to use my cell phone because I forgot my camera.

This is Sara, another vendor at today's show.  She makes the cutest baby gifts.  We were both a little slow with traffic, so we ended up bartering a onesy for my grandson for the pendant she is wearing.  It worked out well for both of us!  Check her out at http://alittleannafaith.com/ 

No more shows for a while, so I need to rearrange my crafting area.  Will probably move it downstairs so I have more room to spread out and, hopefully, get a little better organized.

Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Rainforest

This weeks Polymer Clay Smooshers blog ring topic is Rainforest.  Funny, my daughter and I just watched the movie Medicine Man, with Sean Connery.  For those of you who haven't seen it, it is set in...a rainforest.  So, I have fresh visions of what this word brings to mind.  Of course, heat and humidity, but also green, green and more green.  Spots of brightly colored birds, plants, and of course plenty of water.

The colors in this Green Goddess plaque fit in perfectly to the theme this week.  Check out more items from Sassy Clay Creations to view her other wonders!

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--30000--19206_product_1333448314_thumb_large.jpg

Amazing Designs makes polymer clay flower magnets {among other things}.  Here is just one of her orchids.

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--90000--81862_product_2094846521_thumb_large.jpg

Green, green and green.  That's what you see in a rainforest.  DesertWindDesigns made this leafy pendant.

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--90000--82760_product_1874394451_thumb_large.jpg

Remember to check out the smooshers on ArtFire for the Christmas in July sale.

Til next time, remember:

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Americana

Hope everyone had a safe and relaxing 4th.  Lucky enough to have a 4 day work week, though what a week it's been.  I almost think it's not worth the extra day off, what with all the work you have when you return!  

This weeks Polymer Clay Smooshers challenge is Americana....quite appropriate, don't ya think??!! Of course, what better representation of America, than red, white and blue. 

Here is a beautiful bracelet made by Blue Morning Expressions;

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--30000--3672_product_1921028173_thumb_large.jpg

Need individual beads to make your own unique creation??  Look at BeadsbyHaffina.

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--30000--29747_product_2145588719_thumb_large.jpg

Cane work comes in all types of designs.  The idea is to make a continuing pattern throughout the clay, that can be sliced for use in any number of ways.  Think rolls of cookie dough.  Canes can range from a simple bulls eye {one color wrapped around another} to very intricate patterns that simply amaze.  If cane making is not your forte, just browse My Polymer Clay Canes for creations you can purchase and use in your own jewelry making adventures.  Here is one that shows the true meaning of Americana.

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--60000--34712_product_611061148_thumb_large.jpg

Well, I need to get busy for our show Saturday.  Let's hope the weather cooperates and the shoppers are out ready to buy.  Oh, by the way, look at our shop on ArtFire for the Christmas in July sale. 

Til next time;

"Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame."

- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

Tickle Me Pink

Gotta say, with a new grandson on board, my mind has not been focused on pink.  However, having 4 daughters, we had a lot of pink in our house.  Pink brings to mind Easter candy, spring flowers...lovely fragrant roses, summer drinks...pink lemonade, and of course, cotton candy!  Light hues, dark hues and all those in between can create wonderful works of art.

Popnicute made this unique, beautiful pendant.  Check out her site for more great pieces.

http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--120000--103917_product_1564576942_thumb_large.jpg

Just look at the color in this piece by Handmade Specialties.  Reminds me of a frozen pink lemonade bar!

  http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--120000--103917_product_1564576942_thumb_large.jpg


 And, in honor of Easter memories, what could be better than a chocolate bunny perched on a pink egg.  Love this one by ColtPixy.

 http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/--30000--5830_product_1527095401_thumb_large.jpg

Make sure you browse through all the great shops of the Polymerclay Smooshers.  You never know what memory will come back to you.

Til next time, remember;

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

- Sun Tzu

New works

Getting ready for an upcoming show and I am trying to think of different techniques for my clay pendants.  Luckily, I had the opportunity to attend the Bead Show in town last Saturday and stopped by the booth for Craft Fantastic.  I had never heard of her before, but was excited to see her wares.  Basically, she has put together packets with glass, glue/glaze, bails and image sheets that one can use to make great looking pendants in minutes.  Bought some and am incorporating my clay work with the glass covers.  Here are a few of the pendants I made.  The one on the far right was made using one of her image sheets.

The green, black and white piece on the left was made with a mokume gane cane I made.  The tree was made using a punch out of a tree for the pattern, silver leaf and alcohol inks.  It didn't quite turn out the way I expected, however, I think it looks ok.  The purple, black and white was made from some scrap clay, twisted and rolled through the pasta machine.  Each clay piece was baked onto the glass {trying to get all those little air bubbles out was difficult}, then the clay back was covered with the Fantastic Glaze and Glue included in the packet I bought.  The pieces were finished by gluing on the silver plated bail with E6000 glue.  All in all, I was very pleased with the results.  If you are interested, check out her site @ craftfantastic.com. 

Just for fun, I have been trying my hand at some sculpture {inspired by some of the great artisan in the PolymerClay Smooshers}.  Keep in mind, this was done by someone without a significant art background, but I think they are pretty cute.

On to the next task....work!

Have a great day and see ya next time.

Busy month!

Well, I can't believe the end of June is almost here.  This month welcomed the arrival of my 4th grandchild, a boy, on June 1st.  My 13yo finally got out of school for the summer and softball finally finished.  Wow, seems like just yesterday that it was cold and raining every other day.  Finally able to get back to the campground and just sit, read and relax by the creek under the trees.  Though I must admit, I didn't take any clay with me.  Just had to relax and re-energize.  Times like this I wish I was a teacher, so I could have the summer off, then I would have time to do everything I wanted to. 

Meet my beautiful grandson:

Here are a few pictures of our trailer and the creek.   

I did have time to attend our monthly polymer clay guild meeting last week.  They are a great group of ladies and so very talented!

Hopefully in the next few weeks, I will have more time to devote to clay work, try different techniques and get some more jewelry made!  Here's to a great, productive summer.

Til next time, remember:

"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something."

- Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895)