When I was little, about 8 or 9, I remember there being a craze at school for Erasers. Everyone tried to get different colours and styles and to show them to their best friends and swap them and collect them.
My favourite one (and does anyone else remember these?) were the sort that had a type of building brick around them. As you used the eraser and it wore down, you would remove the brick at the top and restack it on the bottom, revealing more clean new eraser at the top. The bricks were all different colours and I think there were about 10 of them.
This new bracelet of mine reminds me exactly of those, and also of a City Sky Line full of Skyscrapers.
Isn't it strange the places and memories that inspiration comes from?
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Friday, 1 May 2009
Peacock Bangle
The other day, my friend Jo from Muddle House Mosaics, came to have a Play with the Clay Day! She wants to learn to make canes so that she can use them in her mosaic work. We had a great day drinking coffee, chatting, and eating the lovely cake she made.
We did actually get some claying done as well, I showed her how to make a leaf cane and I made one at the same time to demonstrate. Hers was really beautiful, she has a great eye for colour and it showed. Considering this was the very first time she had tried her hand at polymer clay, the results she got were fantastic - I could have some serious competition here!
Anyway, I have used the cane I made in several different projects (have a look at my flickr pages if you would like to see more) and had a go at making a bangle. I got these lovely bangle blanks from the US and am really happy with the way this turned out. I will be making a few more of these I think.
We did actually get some claying done as well, I showed her how to make a leaf cane and I made one at the same time to demonstrate. Hers was really beautiful, she has a great eye for colour and it showed. Considering this was the very first time she had tried her hand at polymer clay, the results she got were fantastic - I could have some serious competition here!
Anyway, I have used the cane I made in several different projects (have a look at my flickr pages if you would like to see more) and had a go at making a bangle. I got these lovely bangle blanks from the US and am really happy with the way this turned out. I will be making a few more of these I think.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Beautiful Birds
Please let me introduce you to the work of my very special Friend, Lynda of Diva Designs.
This stunning pendant is part of her series of Bird Beads and I think it may be my favourite yet. This newest series of hers has become incredibly popular, not surprisingly and Lynda was recently featured on Polymer Clay Daily.
Lynda has a way with the clay that is elegant, original and always beautifully finished. And I mean Beautifully Finished! We have had many conversations regarding the merits of sanding, sanding and then sanding some more!
Enjoy!
This stunning pendant is part of her series of Bird Beads and I think it may be my favourite yet. This newest series of hers has become incredibly popular, not surprisingly and Lynda was recently featured on Polymer Clay Daily.
Lynda has a way with the clay that is elegant, original and always beautifully finished. And I mean Beautifully Finished! We have had many conversations regarding the merits of sanding, sanding and then sanding some more!
Enjoy!
Friday, 24 April 2009
A Rest, A Restart and a Revisit!
I have had a bit of a break from the computer for a couple of weeks, over the Easter Break, but now I am back!
I feel much better for my little holiday, not that I went anywhere, but it was good to try and recharge my batteries, they were running on nearly empty I think!
So we tried to have some family time, and not think about work too much! My contribution to time was to stay off the computer (except for essentials!) The children really appreciated having us all to themselves for once and we had some lovely days out!
It has been back to the routine this week, children back at school, and us back at work, and so to the revisit...
..I have not made any Faux Jade for a long time, but thought it would be interesting to revisit it. Sometimes it is good to go back to basics and do something that I tried way back when I was first starting to work with Polymer Clay. It was very soothing to make something really simple for a change, my hands just knew what to do, while my mind was going down various other routes of things I might try next week.
Hope your weekend is a good one!
I feel much better for my little holiday, not that I went anywhere, but it was good to try and recharge my batteries, they were running on nearly empty I think!
So we tried to have some family time, and not think about work too much! My contribution to time was to stay off the computer (except for essentials!) The children really appreciated having us all to themselves for once and we had some lovely days out!
It has been back to the routine this week, children back at school, and us back at work, and so to the revisit...
..I have not made any Faux Jade for a long time, but thought it would be interesting to revisit it. Sometimes it is good to go back to basics and do something that I tried way back when I was first starting to work with Polymer Clay. It was very soothing to make something really simple for a change, my hands just knew what to do, while my mind was going down various other routes of things I might try next week.
Hope your weekend is a good one!
Friday, 27 March 2009
Flora
I think that Spring must have gone to my head this year. I have not created so many flowers since I used to make Wedding Cakes and made them in Sugar Paste!
This bracelet has over 60 little flowers and Ivy Leaves and each one has been individually wire wrapped onto the bracelet links. It took ages, but I am so happy with it, and it sits beautifully!
This is the reason I love Polymer Clay so much. It does not matter what idea/inspiration/brainwave I get in my head, I do not need to source beads, or try and find the correct sizes, or try and match colours. I do not need to spend hours trying to find what I need (I can spend that time making it instead). I do not need to worry that I will not find what I have imagined. I know that my imagination can be made a reality. I can do it all with the clay.
What a wonderful medium!
This bracelet has over 60 little flowers and Ivy Leaves and each one has been individually wire wrapped onto the bracelet links. It took ages, but I am so happy with it, and it sits beautifully!
This is the reason I love Polymer Clay so much. It does not matter what idea/inspiration/brainwave I get in my head, I do not need to source beads, or try and find the correct sizes, or try and match colours. I do not need to spend hours trying to find what I need (I can spend that time making it instead). I do not need to worry that I will not find what I have imagined. I know that my imagination can be made a reality. I can do it all with the clay.
What a wonderful medium!
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Blossom Branch
At last I have had a little time to play with the Art Clay Silver.
This little brach of blossoms was inspired by a photo my friend Kate from Organic Odysseys posted on our Forum. I had at first, decided to inlay one of the blossoms with Polymer Clay, but that proved a lot more tricky than I had imagined! So the tiny centres of the blossoms are polymer in shades of pearl, lilac and cerese instead. Just that little touch of colour really makes the pendant "pop" and shows off the silver that little bit more.
It is a steep learning curve, making things with Silver Clay, not least because of the short time you have before the clay starts to dry out, but I am enjoying trying things with it. I made a few more dics to inset into polymer pendants as well and will make those up next week. I have a lot of beads I need to make up into a pebble fringe bracelet and a couple of pendants that need wire work and they all have to be done before Saturday so I can take them to Cirencester.
I think I will have a busy day tomorrow!
This little brach of blossoms was inspired by a photo my friend Kate from Organic Odysseys posted on our Forum. I had at first, decided to inlay one of the blossoms with Polymer Clay, but that proved a lot more tricky than I had imagined! So the tiny centres of the blossoms are polymer in shades of pearl, lilac and cerese instead. Just that little touch of colour really makes the pendant "pop" and shows off the silver that little bit more.
It is a steep learning curve, making things with Silver Clay, not least because of the short time you have before the clay starts to dry out, but I am enjoying trying things with it. I made a few more dics to inset into polymer pendants as well and will make those up next week. I have a lot of beads I need to make up into a pebble fringe bracelet and a couple of pendants that need wire work and they all have to be done before Saturday so I can take them to Cirencester.
I think I will have a busy day tomorrow!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Ocean Currents
Just had to show you my latest pendant.
This technique is called mokume gane. There are many different ways of doing MG, but this particular technique was shared with me by the wonderful Linda of NK Designs, please check out her blog, the link is on the right in the list of my favourite blogs.
She sent me the tutorial last night, and I couldn't wait to have a go at it. I am so happy with the way this turned out and of course it is in my favourite shades of teal and green. Mind you I did do some pink ones as well! I will post those on flickr later today I hope.
So just a huge thank you to Linda - what a great artist and a great friend. Please check out the link and have a look at hers, they are amazing!
This technique is called mokume gane. There are many different ways of doing MG, but this particular technique was shared with me by the wonderful Linda of NK Designs, please check out her blog, the link is on the right in the list of my favourite blogs.
She sent me the tutorial last night, and I couldn't wait to have a go at it. I am so happy with the way this turned out and of course it is in my favourite shades of teal and green. Mind you I did do some pink ones as well! I will post those on flickr later today I hope.
So just a huge thank you to Linda - what a great artist and a great friend. Please check out the link and have a look at hers, they are amazing!
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