clay extrusion

I'm on a roll with the tutorials!!! I belong to a beginners clay site and we've been kicking around the skinner blend look in an extrusion. I hope these pictures help. Note the disk I used, how I arranged the clay going into the extruder,how thick the colors of clay are in the log, and the contrast in the colors I used. Those are the few things I think are most important. I'll try to use the extrusion 'spaghetti' clay in something and post a picture soon.

creative challenge!!

my completed mokume gane sheet and the switchplate I made with it.
inspired by this picture http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewelstreetdesigns/1433444670/

mokume gane tutorial

1-choose your colors. I chose 6 but I more frequently go with only 4 colors. The colors I have chosen are inspired by craftymoose's photo from her recent trip to italy and for the creative challenge on etsy.
2-make sheets of equal size.
3-stack and run throught the pasta machine3-4 times so the layers are very thin.
4-stamp and texturize using cutters,stamps,one of my favorites a piece of plastic canvas.
5.take very thin slices off the top to expose colorful designs within the clay.
6- use the remaining sheet and also the shavings by placing them on another sheet of coordinating clay.
experiment using different colors and textures. I love this technique, Hope this helps and inspires you to try this if you have not already!!

vote for the september challenge!

favorite book!!! Go vote at pcagoe.com!!

penguins

I have volunteered to make origami penguins for the local elementary school book fair in November. The theme is the arctic, maybe I'll throw in some snowflakes and polar bears!!!

polymer clay crane

here it is, I talked about it a few days ago and finally have it to post. I know it's not a new idea but it's pretty neat. Origami with thin sheets of polymer clay....

pcagoe

the challenge for the pgagoe this month is your favorite book. I love reading The giving Tree" and "A crack in the sidewalk" with both my children. I have created the pendant and earring set for the challenge. I'll let you know when it's time to vote, there always some wonderful items presented for it.

win a prize!!

Totally free!! a chance to win this beautiful bracelet just for signing up for our newsletter!!! Isn't it beautiful? Sign up at http://www.cgge.org/ The CGGE is the Creative Glass Guild of Etsy. A fairly newly formed street team on etsy. We've got some amazing talent please browse our website and sign up for the bracelet while you're there. An old friend of mine from way back signed up last month and won!!!!She's ecxtatic about it and so am I.Thanks!!

3d

I'm so excited about this!!! The witch on one side and leaves on the other, both on clearglass but at different depths! I'm going to play with this some more!!!

halloween

more for halloween, my favorite is the shoes, they make me smile!
They'll be hitting my etsy store soon!

Presentation of Paper Crane Folded by
Sadako Sasaki in 1955
Inspired by the 10,000 cranes on permanent display at the Tribute Center, Mr. Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s older brother, will present one of the original cranes folded by Sadako when she was critically ill from the long-term effects of the atom bomb. Sadako’s cranes motivated generations of Japanese children to fold chains of 1,000 paper cranes to be displayed at Hiroshima as a wish for world peace. Mr. Kazu Sumiyama, father of 9/11 victim Yoichi Sumiyama Sugiyama, will read his poem about origami cranes following remarks by Mr. Sasaki.

I found this in my email a few days ago and I want to share it with you all. do you all know the story about Sadako's 1,000 cranes? http://www.sadako.org/sadakostory.htm
I'll make one in polymer clay tomorrow and post it.

more photos from outside!

morning glory's!!

As I looked out my kitchen window yesterday I was drawn to the Morning glories growing on the hedge outside the window. This time of year is the best for them. I took a few pictures!!

more halloween and fall!

brass!!!

ooooh, I found this brass in my stash and decided to play with it...what do you think?
oh yea, a longtime friend of mine won the pendant offered by the cgge for signing up to the newsletter.....how kewl is that?!!!

blog tag!!

I have been tagged by http://blockpartypress.blogspot.com/. This is new to me so I hope I'm playing by the rules properly

Here are the rules:


1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

8 random papernclay facts


1. I am one of five children in my family. I have 2 older brothers and 2 younger sisters. We were born in five years. My mother was 18 when she had my oldest brother and had child every year for 5 years. At 23 she had 5 children. She was amazing!!!

2. I spent 8 months living in Okinawa, Japan. I was married to a Marine and I followed him to his station there in 1979. It was a very eye opening experience for me. It really changed the way I dealt with things.

3. My relationship with my mother was the most valuable in my life. She was kind of like an undiscovered Mother Theresa. I've learned so much from her, not by what she taught me but by the example she set for me.

4. One of the neatest craft projects I participated in was a quilting round robin. I've done 2 of them and both were terrific. A round robin is whe you start a quilt and pass it on to the next person. They add something to your started piece then pass it on to the next person. In bothe the round robin's I played in there were 3 people. After each person added to your quilt it is returned to you and you finish it off.

5.I have 2 children. Rachel 18 and Jerry 9. They are my greatest joy and my greatest pain!!!I'm just learning I need to let go of my daughter. She's so much like me it's unbelievable.

6. I work with the children in my church. I teach children's church 3 out of 4 Sundays. I have the third Sunday of each month to listen. It's very rewarding.

7.I believe God has plan for me but I haven't found it yet. I keep looking but I'm not finished, or I should say He isn't finished yet.

8. I hate housework too!!! I'd much rather be claying or glassing or folding paper!

time to tag!!
http://http//www.elementsbydawn.blogspot.com/
http://shinnybling.blogspot.com/
http://http//inkydoodle.blogspot.com/
http://http//getglassy.blogspot.com/
http://http//gazeduponglass.blogspot.com/
http://http//dichroicdazzle.blogspot.com/
http://http//www.ignisdesigns.blogspot.com/
http://http//www.quotentials.bogspot.com/
you're it!!!!

more mogukame gane...

this is the same technique as described in the switchplates from a few days ago. Please have a look....only this pendant is done with polymer clay with mica powder in it. Mica powder is sort of like very fine glitter, so it shines with a metallic quality. Polymer clay is so amazing!!!

glass quilt

This was my first real exposure to glass art. A friend at church, Frank Weidman, whose livlihood is stained glass,made this for me at my request. I've always loved to quilt and I drew the pattern for this window and Frank worked with me to acheive the results before you. it sits in my home in a room which used to be the garage but is now the 'playroom". It's where we are most of the time. This window is as magnificent now as the first day it was installed. Frank is also the generous person who made fusing glass a reality for me through the gift of a kiln. Thank you, Frank!!

mogukame gane!

these switchpaletes are made from polymer clay using a technique called mogukame gane. very thin layers of polymer clay in various colors, (purple,fuschia,gold and white were used in these), are stacked on top of each other.... them stamped,( I used stars and spirals),...then thin slices are shaved off the top. This process created the pattern seen. One of my favorite techniques. You never really know how it will look when it's finished, it's always a surprised and always a good one...well almost!