Busy Bee

Hi gang!  I am so busy these days, but it's all good!  I've been working up new workshops, painting and creating and experimenting A LOT, and refinishing tons of furniture!  I don't even have time to turn around most days.  I apologize I've been a goon about taking pictures too.

So just to whet your whistle- I've been playing with new Premo! and Souffle' clays by Sculpey.  I've been enjoying the vast array of DecoArt's new Media line of paints and mediums. I have jumped head first into Roc-Lon's multipurpose cloth!   I have also been playing with Chameleon markers.  And I've been combining all of the above!

A tiny bit of eye candy for you- Below on the right is what the clay started out looking like.  With the addition of markers, varnishes and liquid glass.... they began to pop and explode with color!

So enjoy your summer chickens, I'll pop in now and again with updates!

A little something just for me! Polymer Fairy Houses

So, I've been running non-stop this year, and haven't had time to make many of the ideas rattling around in my head- so I took a day, and made something just for me!  (Well, something I've been wanting to make, and something that I could share with Sculpey too.)  As many of you know, I am on the Sculpey Design team.  They are a wonderful company to work with, and I enjoy all the challenges they give us!  They have been really a great source of inspiration for me, and I hope to share the fun with all of you!

I am fascinated with tiny.  Small is BIG right now.  Gnome homes, fairy homes, fairy furniture, fairy doors.  But I have loved fairies since I was a little girl.  I always liked small.  Barbie furniture, elf furniture, sleeping bags, elf toys and elf gardens.  I loved to re-purpose things even then to make tiny things.  Spools and clothespins were always handy, lids and sewn little cushions and tables and chairs.  Oh and tiny containers!!! Sigh....

So as a way of rewarding myself for not overeating this holiday season, I headed for clay.  I spent a glorious fairly uninterrupted day making these little fairy cottages.  Just for me.  They serve no purpose, other than to make me happy.  And they do!

If you would like to make your own fairy cottage, I spell it out step by step, with tons of photos over on the Sculpey Blog.  Jump over if you wanna see!

Industrial Chic Blog Hop Part 2



Vintage Vessels meet Industrial Chic





A couple months ago, I received a wonderful box filled full of the most awesome goodies from the new Industrial Chic Line!  I loved them so much, I almost immediately hopped in the car and headed to my local Michael's to see the rest of the line!   Wow!  Talk about kid in the candy store!  Even with the stash at home, I still had my little basket filled in a blink of an eye with  all sorts of the delightful thing-a-ma-bobs! I have lots of projects in store for these little lovelies!

                              industrial chic

I had been working in polymer clay, and within an hour or two had created the fun "Relic Rings" out of the Industrial Chic ring bezels!  I love the fat and wide and smooth styling- no pinching of fingers here when sizing.

 Using the 2 part molding putty, I created molds from some vintage cameos I owned, and with the addition of polymer clay, metal paints and a patina or two I was thrilled at the results.

Encouraged by the polymer clay fun, I decided to take my "Vintage Vessels" further with added Industrial Chic flare.  I particularly enjoyed the pinch frames, as I could pry them apart easily and add some of my own vintage photos and flowers and reassemble them under the transparency. 

I adore the metal knobs as the feet and the dangling charms make me smile.  What fun it was to take something I've been doing for awhile and change it up with the addition of these beauties!  I love going further and pushing myself to do more, and with this line, it makes it simple and successful!

  

I'll be teaching this Vintage Vessels class on Friday August 24th in Lisle, IL (Chicago area) at the Create Mixed Media Retreat!  Still have a few spots open, come join me! 

Our fun continues with a second Blog Hop for Industrial Chic. Here are the artists participating in the August Blog Hop:  See previous post to follow the great ideas in the July Links!

August 10th - Barbe St. John

August 11th - Cheryl Bodkins Waters

August 12th - Cindi Bisson

August 13th - Gretchen McHale

August 14th - Jenny Barnet Rohrs

August 15th - Kari McKnight

August 16th - Lindsay Obermeyer

August 17th - Seth Apter

August 18th- Suze Weinberg

August 19th - Tami Bayer

August 20th - Theresa Cifali

August 21st - Tracie Stivers Lampe

August 22nd - Traci Bautista

August 23rd - Jen Crossley

August 24th - Eileen Hull

August 25th - Pam Carriker

August 26th - Sandy Martin

Bezels and charms and spacers, OH MY!     Knobs and frames and chains, OH MY!        We're off to create in the studio, the wonderful studio of art!

Relic rings

Playing with my polymer clay and Knead-a-mold again!  Finished them off with fabulous metal paints and patinas.  Iron, Copper and Bronze are my 3 favorites to work with. I love how these are organic, and continue to change from day to day as the patina blooms and develops.  Made tons of these and friends gobbled them up as soon as I made them, so I had to make more to donate at the CREATE Orange County Mixed Media Retreat this coming week!  If you are in the Irvine area, come play with me in my workshops!

Tennessee Anyone?

Hi gang!  I've been out on the road again, and working on some new workshop ideas for NEXT Year's workshops!  I keep meaning to post pictures, and will soon, but every time I go to do it, the camera is not where the computer is.

Vintage Vessels

I will be at Townsend Atelier in Chattanooga this weekend, with some fun classes, and there are a couple of spots left!  I would love to have you join me, and check out the awesome studio space Stan and Peggy Townsend have put together!  Click here for more info!

Vintage Vessels
Enjoy polymer clay in its finest hour by creating a one-of-a-kind box!  Delight in creating lovely faux-aged vessels to store the most precious of trinkets.   Learn how to use Knead-a-Mold to cast lovely old jewelry pieces  accented by hand rolled and textured forms.   Rubber stamps and metal paints give depth and dimension, while mild acidic washes allow us to enjoy the very best of “instant” aging. The resulting new pieces have very old souls.  Each student will receive a plentiful  materials kit.

Stamped & Stencilled Journals
These richly patterned journal  pages explode with color and visual depth. The binding technique is especially for pages to lie flat when opened.  Students will use stencils and stamps in a unique layering technique to create signatures and covers.  This journal is a treat to hold, and even more enjoyable to use! You’ll find the creation of the pages so much fun, I’ll have to stop you so we’ll have time to bind the journal!  The color and excitement on the pages will give you a great jumping off point and inspire your journaling every time you see it!  Each student will receive a plentiful materials kit

The Studio is comfortable and well equipped, with every luxury.  Spacious, with plenty of room to spread out and work, this well located studio has plenty of free parking!  Hope to see you there!