Mixed Media Polymer Clay & Wire Critters

 I know, I know, I have badly neglected my blog but a lot has been going on.  What with scary storms, yard work and vision problems I haven't been doing much with clay.

My vision has been bad for a couple months so I finally gave in and went for new glasses..... or so I thought.   Without glasses the only letter I could read on the eye chart was the large "E" at the top and even that was a little blurry. The Doc says glasses won't do the trick this time.... I have cataracts and must have them removed.  I have an appointment with the surgeon on June 3rd and I hope to have the surgery soon after that... of course they can only do one eye at a time so I'm not sure how long all of this is going to take but everyone assures me it will be worth it..... "like having new eyes" .   We shall see.... at least I hope we will!!

A friend asked me to make a purple kitty, she wants it for a birthday gift for a friend. I have until the end of June to get it made but as I will be preoccupied with with my vision quest I thought it best to make the kitty now... I made two, so she can have a choice... which do you like best?  

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Purple Kitty #1

Purple Kitty #2

I also made a couple Wire Doodle Critters. I will back them with polymer clay once I decide what colors and designs I want to use.  

The first is a Squirrel 

I have a thing for owls... so this one is my favorite.

I hope to do better with my blog... I really like blogging but real life things keeps getting in the way.

Oh... I used Pardo Art Clay for the Kitties..... it is fast becoming my favorite clay, just wish it came in metallics too.  I am going to try mixing it with some of the soft Kato Pearl and see what happens.

Back to Pardo Art Clay

After my experience with the new Premo and the new Kato...... both brands were soft and sticky I found it very refreshing to work with Pardo Art Clay once again.  One pack of the white Pardo was a little dry and crumbly but I added a little translucent and after a few passes through the pasta machine it smoothed out nicely.  And there is no smell... I love that... the raw clay doesn't smell and it doesn't give off fumes when it is in the oven.

First I tinted translucent with a few drops of alcohol inks.  The cherry red beads are from a scrap that I had in my Pardo drawer. I think I colored it with Stewart Gill Byzantia paint.

Click on the photos for a closer look.

This is a two piece pendant made from the end piece of a cane and a round bead made from a striped cane. 

Pardo Art Clay Canes.  The lines are clean and  sharp and they reduce beautifully. They slice cleanly too.

The canes on the right and left are made from the center cane. 

This pendant is made from one of the striped canes above. 

The last necklace is an experiment. I over reduced a cane..... no big surprise, I just can't seem to stop myself.  So I cut off slices and ran each through the pasta machine to the number 5 setting.... fairly thin. I then baked the slices and joined them together with cute little brads that I found at Michaels.  I am going to wear it for a couple days and see how it holds up. The slices feel sturdy and they bend but do not break.  If they hold up well I will make more necklaces. 

This is the back of the necklace. 

I am going to take a couple days off from claying. The weather has improved, no rain or tornados the last couple days so I'm hoping to do a little yard work. Grandson Brandon moved the lawn today and Heather helped me pull weeds. I hope the weather says nice so I can start planting flowers. 

Mixed Media Odds and Ends

Hi friends, I'm back! At least I think I am. I've had some kind of summer flu for the last couple weeks and my muse was on sick leave.....  I feel better now and  spend the whole day in my clay room.  I cleaned off my work area, lots of half finished things lying around covered with dust and cat hairs so I tossed them in the trash.  It felt good to have a clean area to clay in so I got to work. 

I made the wire portion of this pendant some time ago. I made a kinda peacock cane to back it with but didn't like the way it looked so  I got out a striped cane and used it to back the pendant and then made beads to match.  I like it with the stripes. Now all I have to do is figure out a bail for the pendant.

Then I made a mixed media "Heart Strings" pendant with assorted beads, colored wire and metallic clay. 

The last photo is of  the "peacock" pattern that I originally made to back the first pendant.  Instead I used it to  make a pendant and matching beads.  I used some of the new Premo colors mixed with old Kato pearl.  I like working with metallic clay, it's fun to sand... I like shiny shimmery beads.

I am disappointed that the new Kato and and the new Premo are soft and sticky, it's hard to work with gooey clay... and I just bought gobs of both.  I will have to leach and leach and leach.  In the mean time I am going to get out my Pardo Art Clay. 

I Shall Return!!

I haven't run away from home ( although the thought did cross my mind!) I haven't been kidnapped (I should be so lucky!!) and I haven't forgotten about my blog (I miss my blog, really I do!!).

 I am up to my eyeballs in tax forms...... nasty yucky tax forms!

I would much rather be playing with clay and blogging.... I shall return... if I survive.... wish me lucky!!

Heather has been doing really cool things with vintage buttons..... take a look. To see more of her  beautiful creations check our Etsy  shop. Knightwork Studio

Sneak Peek at my New Kitchen Colors

Yipee!! The painting is done.  I am loving my new kitchen colors!!

We only had a couple minor mishaps. The painters said they were done last monday, they packed up their supplies, left me a small amount of left over green and gold paint and said they had used every drop of the red.  Before they went merrily on their way they told me to leave the cabinet door open for 24 to 48 hours..... so I did,  I turned on the ceiling fan, closed the kitchen door and waited....

Finally the paint was dry and I closed the cabinet doors...... wait a minute, I don't remember standing on my tippy toes to open the doors above the sink.... what the heck... did I shrink?  Ah ha, the doors are upside down.... well damn!! I sit down at the table to look up the contractors phone #... I glanced at the cabinets and what to my wondering eyes should appear but unpainted areas under the two cabinets next to sink and the little one by the window.... now I am really upset.  Those damn painters!! And they seemed really nice to, I even talked about them doing more work for me.   The undersides are primed but not painted. Remember they ran out of red paint?.... I guess if you run out of paint that means you're done.

To make a long story short, I called the contractor to register my complaint.  The range hood was to be delivered on thursday...( that is another story!!)..... the contractor would come on friday to install the hood and "take care of the touchups" which he did, and now it is done.  I still have to hang things on the walls and put out more of my doodads... I have lots of doodads, I like doodads.... here is how it looks now.  It is so nice to cook again. There is green beans and ham hocks simmering in the pot on the stove, when they are tender I will add new red potatoes... it will be yummy!

 See the white chickens in the window, for many years they sat in my grandmothers kitchen window. I was rummaging around in the attic and found them in a box, now they are in my kitchen window.

This is my granny cabinet that sits on the wall opposite the cabinets. It is dark and dreary outside, snowing yet again, so I couldn't get a very good photo.  I have a long antique print that I want to hang over the granny cabinet. It will have to wait until Roger heals from a tendon injury in his shoulder.... poor old guy.

I collect vintage tins. My friend Pat thinks it is weird that I have old tin cans sitting all over my house.

I will get back to claying soon. I need to make outlet covers and fan pulls for my kitchen.  Thanks for stopping by.

Trying Out the New Premo Colors

I have been distracted by the work going on in the kitchen, hopefully they will be finished soon.

The older I get the more I like bright colors so I decided to do something bold in the kitchen. I have for many years wanted painted cabinets and now I do, or I will when they are done.  The walls are "Yellow Squash", The woodwork is"Green Saddle" and the cabinets are "Red Garnet".  I will take photos when everything is back together again.

I did get a little clay time in, I made a few pieces I want to show you. All the new Premo colors I have tried have been soft and sticky, much softer than the old Premo.  I like the colors but had a difficult time working with the mushy clay.  I finally mixed it with Kato Pearl which helped considerably.  I also mixed the New Premo 18K Gold Pearl  with old Premo red Pearl and got a pretty terra cotta.  I still had to add a little Kato to give it body.

Here are a couple pieces I made with it.

Here is a closer look at the plaid piece. As you can see the clay was still hard to work with, It was difficult to get clean lines. I usually put a piece of parchment paper over the top and burnish but the clay was to soft to put any pressure on it.  I did cover it with the paper and gently smoothed as best I could with my finger. 

I made a Skinner blend flower petal to make the flower piece. I made the golden background by mixing Premo gold 50/50 with Kato Pearl.  I placed the petal in a pleasing pattern, burnished the flower smooth and ran it though the pasta machine on the number 2 and number 3 settings. I then place it on layers of terra cotta red and the light gold and cut a shape I liked. I slanted the blade to get the border I wanted. I always enjoy sanding and buffing any piece that contains Pearl clay, I like the shimmer on the petals.

Here is a closer look at the flower piece.

The painters will be back tomorrow so I'm not sure how much claying I will do. I am going to work on some wire pieces tonight, maybe I will have time... and energy... to blog about them tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your comments. I would love to know how others feel about the new Premo colors and the consistency of the clay.

Polymer Clay Fairy Door and New Tin Can Art

My muse went on vacation after the February Thing A Day. I've made a few beads but nothing to write home about. I do want to show you my Fairy Door.

I am a fairly new member of the PCETeam on Etsy. This months "Stretch yourself" challenge is to create a Fairy Door. That sounded like fun so I gave it a whirl.  I made canes for the little flowers and leaves and the vine was easy enough but the little vases and bird not so easy, my "all thumbs" fingers did not want to cooperate..... and drawing that spider web  on the glass made me crazy!! I'm still not happy with it but after 20 tries I gave up..... it looks pretty good in person. So without further ado, here is my Fairy Door.

Now, what I really want to tell you about is Heather's newest creations.

We have added a new line in our Etsy shop.  Tin Can Alley Art.  Heather makes these wonderful pieces from old tins, the kind that have pretty patterns and once held candy, cookies or fruit cakes.  A lot of them have dents, scratches or rust and she has "up-cycled" or "repurposed" them into interesting works of art. She also embellishes with vintage hardware, buttons, sewing items, keys... all kinds of odds and ends.  See for yourself....

The first is a cute Owl Wall Hanging

"Circus Act" wall art piece, created inside an old wooden box.

This one is my favorite. Cat and Mouse Wall Art .... on  the bottom of an old cheese box.

 

Raven on the lid of a wooden cigar box. 

She is working on a Cow jumping over the moon that I really like too. Heather has been giving new life to old an damaged items for over 20 years.... long before recycling became such a craze.

I still want to tell you about the new Premo colors.... I haven't forgotten.  Dealing with insurance adjustors and contractors keeps getting in the way.