Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Tutorials

Holy cow did you guys know it is just a week until Christmas?..... yikes!! I thought I had at least another couple weeks.   Panic time!! I thought I was doing really good, we put some decorations up yesterday and I have most of my shopping done (mostly on line, those packages better start getting here soon!! ) I was lolly gagging around like I had all the time in the world..... well this is not good....I don't have the tree up and I need to make Christmas cookies and candy.   First I have to go to the store and buy the ingredients to make the cookies and candy.  Every year I make divinity for my aunt..... yes even old people have aunts... I have to get it in the mail..... so why am I sitting here.... beats me, but I am.


My friend Penni Jo has a free tutorial on her website to make these cute Christmas Tree Earrings.  She has more free tutes on her website Best Flexible Molds by Penni Jo ..... and if you need molds hers really are "the best".

I have a "tutes" board on my Pinterest, I  have many tutorial there and never get around to trying them... so for some unknown reason... instead of baking cookies like I should be doing.... I decided this was a perfect time to try a tute.  

As a "Senior citizen" I do a lot of things for unknown reasons..... like why it took me an hour to go to the bathroom.... which almost ended in a disaster... I went upstairs to tinkle... our main floor bathroom is also the laundry room. As I entered the room the dryer shut off,  Being easily distracted from the task at hand... I had to take the clothes out of the dryer before they wrinkled.... I do not like to iron....  it was important to fold or hang the clothes.  Once the dryer was empty I needed to move the next load from the washer to the dryer.  I then had to take the folded and hanging clothes and put them away.  I put the tops and underwear in the drawers and put the shirts on hangers in the closet.  I needed more room in the closet so decided to move some of the summer clothes to the upstairs closet.  While upstairs I saw a couple shirts that I hadn't worn for quite some time.... I've been weeding out old clothes, taking them to the Goodwill.. so I decided to try them on. I did, they looked pretty good, so I headed back down stairs with shirts in hand..... when I reached the first floor I heard the mailman putting mail in the mailbox... so I laid the shirts down and went to check the mail.... when I opened the door the cold air hit me... yikes!!  Uh oh...at that moment it hit me....I had forgotten to tinkle..... so locking my knees together and muttering an apology... along with "please, please, please"  to my bladder  I headed down the hallway doing the "please don't let me wet my pants dance".   Fortunately,  I'm sure you are relived to know..I  made it in time.  

Okay, back to the original thought...  the tute I tried. (Click on the link for the entire tutorial)


She did hers in black and white... I decided to make mine in color. It started out being peach and pink... not sure what happened to the pink.  



Canes from the above.... after reducing.


                                              These two are my favorites.


I made this pin/pendant but I'm not sure I like the white on the border.  I also made a neat mirror image totem bead.... I will show you later.



I also played with metallic clay a bit.  I mixed blue with gold to get the green, added a dark orange to gold for the amber and the third color is mostly gold with just a touch of orange.  I used a couple texture sheets to make the designs.


My favorites always come from the scraps.   After I cut out the usual shapes I used the leftovers to make these.  Now all I have to do is add some beads and join them together.


I like the tropical jungle look of the oval pendant.


That's it for today.  Hope you check out the tutes and give them a try..  I'd love to see what you make.
there are many more I want to try..... right after I bake those cookies and put up the tree...

Thanks for stopping by.

8 comments:

  1. After nodding and chuckling through your tinkle tale, I thoroughly enjoyed your beautiful kaleidoscope canes, B.J. I know the "geometry coolness" is part of the reason I love making them, but also curiosity that the end product is so often surprisingly transformed in motif or colour (witness your disappearing pink clay!)

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    1. I couldn't agree with you more Monique.... the element of surprise is my favorite part of kaleidoscope canes.

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  2. BJ, that's a great cane. Love your pendant. Buy cookies, play with clay.
    Merry Christmas

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    1. Thanks Bonnie. Are you crazy? My family would shoot me if I bought cookies. They are the glue that holds the family together. I mixed the dough for the butter cookies yesterday and it has "rested" over night.... today I bake.

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  3. Oh dear gawd, I SO related to your tinkle tale! Been there, done that, far far to many times! I am so easily distractable - except when I'm fiddling around in my clay. Then nothing can even penetrate my focus... except for the smell of smoke because I put something on to cook, then got into my clay 'just for a minute...'

    Love what you did! The colors you used in the mica really sing to me, and the textures and shapes just made them all the better. Love 'em.

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  4. Thanks Debbie, good to know I'm not alone. I have learned to stay out of the clay room when I have something on the stove..... I had to throw away several pans before I finally got myself a slow cooker... takes longer to cook but at least the house isn't filled with the smell of burning broccoli.

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  5. I recently did it in black and white, but like you I want to get into some color so after the Holidays, I am going color happy. Love your colors

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  6. Thanks Donna. How did your black and white one turn out? I would love to see it.

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