New Studio Room

This is the start of my studio room! (apologies for the blurry second photo).

I can hardly believe that after working for the past 5 years at my tiny Ikea desk to both clay, assemble and photograph my jewellery I am going to have a dedicated work space. The house looks and feels as though a bomb has hit it, but the excitement levels are running high. I will post more pictures as the work gets done so that you can see how the whole thing progresses.

In the meantime I am claying in the kitchen and assembling in my bedroom. Not a lot of fun, but it will all be so worth it!

I am still planning the whole studio/craft station/storage thing as I go along, and have no real idea of what I am doing! If you have any useful tips, brilliant storage ideas, amazing ideas on how a studio works best then I would really love to hear from you.

Most of all thought, this is going to be fun - hope you will enjoy seeing the room develop as much as I will.

ABS Amazing Giveaway

One of my favourite places to get some inspiration is Art Bead Scene. I must visit it at least a couple of times a week and love reading about other designer makers and seeing their work. Through this site I have been introduced to so many wonderful artists and had the chance to see a little of their work processes, had a stroll around their studios (one of my favourite things to do!) and generally enjoy myself and wish that I could meet them in real life!

If that is not enough incentive for you to visit then what if I were to tell you that they are having a huge giveaway this week as well!

Here is the link - enjoy! http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/

I am still here...

...I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. It's just that Easter Half Term came - two weeks of glorious not having to get up, not having to make packed lunches, not having to do anything much but spend time with the children and paint some chairs. Then we went to Cornwall for the Easter Weekend - and what a wonderful time we had with great weather, great food and the best friends in the world. Bodyboarding on Gwithians Towan for hours, had to be the hightlight of the weekend - sheer bliss.

Then a 3 day week before the big event...... My Birthday, Our Wedding Anniversary and of course the Royal Wedding all on the same day!

So - I am still here - just had some other things going on for a while!

See you next week when all should be back to normal again.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Something A Bit Different

Just how many different things can I make with the leaf canes that I made last week?

This little "Spring Bouquet" came about without any real input from myself. I just sat at my desk trying to think what to do and the next thing I knew I had this! How exactly did that happen?

A very different style for me - but I like it! Hope you do too!

Have a wonderful weekend - the weather is set to be gorgeous here in the UK!

Fresh New Look

Do you like the new layout for the Blog? I had some new graphics made for my Etsy Shop by Winchester Lambourne on Etsy :http://www.etsy.com/shop/WinchesterLambourne. I honestly think she must be a mind reader - she came up with a design that was exactly what I wanted, despite me giving her only the very slightest of ideas. It is colourful, fresh, contemporary and I love it. So I felt I had to update the blog as well. It feels like spring, both on my blog and Etsy shop as well as outside.

The rest of my week has been busy making lots of leaf canes in various colourways that I made up into various bits and pieces - I have obviously been needing a little injection of colour in my life after the long winter months.

This weekend is the second Module on Christine's Hollow Bead Course and I can't wait. I have been too busy making stock to practice and play, but am hoping for a bit more time to play next week.

Hope you all have a colourful weekend.

What A Week!

I have been having such a great time on Christine's course and am learning so much. It's funny, I thought I knew quite a bit about polymer clay, but honestly, the more I learn, the more there is to know it seems.

The other course members are a wonderful group of people. Loads of sharing, not just of our successes but our failures too, which helps everyone to learn and figure out how to do things better. Christine must be online 24 hours a day as far as I can tell, because she is always there to answer questions and offer advice.

I have made up all the beads I have made this week into necklaces or pendants and am happy with the pendants, but not sure still about the best way to string the necklaces. Something will come to me I am sure over the next few weeks.

The bangle was a last minute idea this afternoon. I needed a break from the course and to do something completely different for awhile. Cara ( see previous post) was wearing some beautiful bangles on the PPP weekend and they inspired me to have a go at making one. Really pleased with it and will definitely be making some more of these.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Where To Start...?

It has been a full on two weeks since my last post. So much has happened that I am not sure where to start! So...just to be contrary - I'll start with now and work my way backwards!

I am taking Christine Dumont's online class "Hollow Beads" and I am having a Ball!!! We started on Saturday, and of course I was working at the Craft Fair, so had to wait impatiently until Sunday morning to start!

Making my first Hollow Bead (the middle Green and Gold one of the necklace) reminded me exactly why I fell in love with Polymer Clay in the first place. I have not had such a feeling of sheer joy (mixed in with utter surprise) that something that I made turned out so beautifully. I can blow the trumpet for this bead, because although I made it, it was Christine's vision, talent and wonderful teaching skills that helped me produce it. I could not have done it without her. I am just so happy to have produced it.

It is made with Kato clay, which for me, is a thing that I thought I would never happen. I tried Kato awhile back, but found the conditioning so difficult that I almost immediately gave up with it and stuck to my favourite, tried and tested, Premo. I think I have been converted! The new Kato formula is easier to condition which is good, but for the best results it needs to be leached to make it really firm which in turn makes it better to work with. I have rolls of clay in various stages of being leached in kitchen towel all over my work desk and window sills and any other available surface I can find!

I am fast becoming addicted to the Hollow Bead technique and all the possibilities it holds and am very excited to be a part of such a fantastic workshop. I have met lots of new polymer artists and a few old friends. There is a great atmosphere of sharing and encouragement and help - all online! What an amazing experience!

The conversion to Kato clay started started however on the brilliant Polymer Pamper Play weekend, in Portland, which I was lucky enough to attend. We had two fantastic teachers, Carol Blackburn and of course Christine who this time was teaching her amazing Butterfly Beads.

This was the first workshop I have attended and it was with some trepidation that I made my way to the reception area to meet with the other delegates. I need not have worried. I met some lovely people, some that I had "met" online before, particularly the lovely Cara http://surfingcatclay.blogspot.com/, please have a look at her blog - she does the most beautiful work! Some completely new to polymer, who then amazed and astounded me with their sheer talent and ability to take a technique and run with it to a new and unthought of place that was all their own. And obviously a large number of complete polymer addicts like me whose idea of heaven was to clay from 6.30 a.m. until 12.30 p.m. with just a couple of breaks for lunch and dinner (and even then we talked polymer!) One of the best moments for me was being able to look at and hold both Carol's and Christine's creations. I was blown away by Carol's work. Her finish is something to behold and to feel. The attention to detail was astounding. It was a huge inspiration for me. A level to reach for.

On the second day I was lucky enough to see not only Christine's amazing Butterfly Beads, but also her incredible Hollow Beads in person . Words cannot describe how they made me feel. Wonderful works of art. Tactile, Beautiful, they literally took my breath away.

A big thank you to Rebecca and Debbie for organising a wonderful event

Thank you so much - I had a really good time and came home inspired and not a little exhausted!! If you would like to see pictures please have a look here http://www.polymerpamperplay.co.uk/gallery.html. I can really recommend it. Rebecca and Debbie are already planning the 2nd event for next year! Can't wait!!