Trying a New Technique & Bird in the House.... again!!

Yip, we had another bird in the house! Still haven't discovered how they get in, not that I blame them, it is sooooo cold outside.  5 degrees today, brrrrrrrr!!

I was snuggled up under my blanket kinda snoozing on the couch, one eye on the tv when I swear a bird flew over my head.  What the...... Senior moment?  Nope, real bird!! The cats racing down the stairs sounded like a herd of buffalo..... they really wanted that bird.  Oh no, not again!!  I scrambled to my feet and began the chase. After following him through 4 rooms, cats in hot pursuit, he ended up perched on the transom above  the door in my office area. (See him sitting up there?)  I threw open the door grabbed the broom and striking a Babe Ruth pose I was ready to bat him out the door if he tried flying back into the room.

No doubt folks driving by thought I was nuts for having my front door open..... and holding a broom like a bat.  I am a source of entertainment to our neighbors, makes me wonder what they are going to talk about after we move.

I finally managed to use the broom to shoo the bird out the door and at the same time keep the cats at bay.  Pretty easy this time.

I have many breakable, hard to replace items sitting around so these bird invasions are traumatic for me.  The bird usually doesn't knock anything down but my darn cats will.  As usually I was yelling for help from the guys upstairs and once again they slept through the whole thing.

To give you an idea of what I have sitting around here is one corner of my front bedroom.... filled with stuff I do not want broken.

See why cats racing through the house gives me the willies?  Most of the time they are pretty good about staying off the furniture... but there is no stopping them if they are after a bird..... or a mouse. Yes on occasion we do have a mouse in the house.... at least they stay on the floor.... and our little female cat catches them in no time flat.

Fortunately I got the bird out before it flew upstairs.  What a relief.... after that adrenaline pumping experience my nap time was over......  No more birds please!!

Okay on to more important news!!

Our move to Eureka Springs is moving right along. We found a delightful little cottage, made an offer and it's been accepted.   So Exciting!!!  It's a much smaller house than this one but it is very nice.  It is a completely remodeled cottage built in 1900 and the location is PERFECT!!  The view overlooking the town  is TERRIFIC!!  I will show you photos after we move in... it will be a couple months. Hubby still has to retire and I have to pack, pack pack.  The streets are so narrow and squiggly I am not sure how we are going to get our furniture in there but my family assure me it can be done.   We'll see.

Okay, now on to clay.

 I haven't had a lot of time to play with clay.  A while back I did try out a new design technique with PearlEx that I like very much.....

Click on the photos for a closer look.

Two of the beads are made from scraps, the rest are air filled. I do like using the "air filled" technique, they are light as a feather and don't add much weight to a necklace or earrings.

Same techniques, different shapes and colors.

A couple tiles from scraps..... I do love those scraps!!

 I am now working on beads.  My studio is to cold to stay in there for very long so I got a tray, some scrap clay for bead guts and a few canes. Settled down in front of the television, put the tray on my lap and made these.   They haven't been cured yet.  I need to drill holes, put them on rods, then pop them in the oven.  Did I mention my studio in my new house has heated floors..... how cool (or hot) is that?

 Oh, and I made a pendant from the end piece of a cane.

I purchased a new extruder from Kimberly Idaiski called the Czextruder made by Lucy Clay Tools. It looks good and its gotten good reviews. I am anxious to give it a try, I am hoping it will extrude Pardo Art Clay.... stay tuned for the results.


That's it for now.

Thanks for stopping by.

Inchie Time!!

Brrrrrr.... it is soooo cold here...... like minus 7 degrees!  and there is a foot of snow outside.  I will be staying in today.

I haven't been able to clay much the last couple weeks what with the holiday festivities, my sons visit plus two baby showers for my soon to arrive great granddaughters. Both babies are due in February.  I rested up for a couple days and now I am ready to clay. I made a big pot of chili yesterday, that should keep the guys fed and  I can clay all day.  My studio has big windows so it is a little chilly but I think I can manage.

First I want to show you my inchies.  I love swaps, I love making pieces to share and I  get a big kick out of opening the packages filled with all the little treasures.

I signed up for 4 groups, here are the ones I made.  Click on the photos for a closer look

                              The first set is little birds. I used PearlEx to add a little shimmer.

                    Second set is little fans.  I used wire for the handles and PearlEx for the shimmer.

Fly a kite is my theme for the third set. 

I decided to try mini scenes for the last set.... half are country scenes and the other 6 are sailing scenes. 

And here are the sets I received 

Interesting assortment in the first set, I especially like the dainty flowers. 

Check out the textures in this set..... isn't that little owl cute?

This is an interesting group with lots of variety.... another little owl and a cute little duck, what fun!!

And the last group is fun too..... check out that snowman.... perfect for the season!! 

Close-up of the snowman.... he's pretty cool!

I am going to use most of the inchies on containers for my tools so I can see them everyday.  One of my favorites was made by the swap host, Jael, I am going to put it in a bezel  so I can wear it as a pendant. 

It was a fun swap. Now I need to get the hearts for Kim's heart swap mailed.... I will show you those next month. 

I am going to go clay now.... my goal is to make several pairs of earrings but that may change when I get started...... my muse doesn't always follow my plans.  I have been admiring Alice's large wall pieces and am tempted to try one myself,  a theme with textures has been rattling around in my head...... 

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year.  

Stay warm and thanks for stopping by. 

Something New..... and More Hearts.

This was an experiment using scrap clay and a clear stamp design.  First I rolled out a sheet of scrap clay and stamped it with a clear stamp design.  I then rolled out a sheet of black clay, #5 on my pasta machine and cut pieces of the black clay that matched the design.  Once I completed the image I brushed on PearlEx to add a little shimmer.  I popped the piece in the oven and while it was curing I  made scrolls of dark blue wire, woven with gold tone wire and gold seed beads that continued the design.  I textured a sheet of clay, cut a matching piece to put on the back, embedded the wire and put it back in the oven. 

Here is how it looks from the back.   It is fairly large, approx. 3" x 4"  it may work best as a brooch. I used sandpaper to texture the back..... cuts down on the sanding.  I did sand the edges to give it a more polished look.  I have other designs that I want to try this with.  It was fun to make.  I may even make a tutorial...... but it will have to be after the holidays.

For this one I rolled out a thin sheet of tinted Kato Pearl clay, # 5 on the pasta machine. Folded and manipulated into a shape that I liked. I added  the texture with my stylus and other tools.

These little pendants are Heart cutouts with stamped owls in the cut out centers.  Originally I had in mind making heart beads for earrings by laying folded strips side by side and cutting out the hearts..... which I did but then I like the heart "frames" so the pendants are a by product.  That is how  many of my pieces evolve.

Here is how I finished the backs.... textures again saved on the sanding.  I will make earrings with the heart beads.

This is just a fun heart I made with a mirror image embellished with strips of textured gold clay.  This has an underwater look to me.

 and here is the back.

My next project was  making beads with one of my canes.....

once the beads were made I decided to squish the cane a bit and use the "new" cane to make these hearts.  

I used Page's technique to make this air filled heart.  After I cut it out I used one of the scraps to make the top part........ I really like this one.

 not wanting to toss the left overs in the scrap bin I used them to make the frame for this heart. I stamped a design with silver for the center and backed it with aqua clay for a layered effect.   I put textured tendrils and silver leaves around the frame.  I like this one too.

I made a matching tube bead that I will most likely use with the air filled heart ....  once I figure out what kind of chain I want to make.

and here is how I finished the backs..... more texture.  This time with a piece of mesh.... and I sanded the sides.

I was going to make a chain while I watched the finale of Survivor......yip, I am a Survivor fan.....  but I got caught up with all the excitement and didn't get my chain made.   If there are other Survivor fans out there I just want you to know I was not happy that Tyson won...... dang, anyone but Tyson..... well maybe not Monica..... I do not understand why women on these shows do not stick together.... oh well..... maybe next time.

That's it for tonight.

Thanks for stopping by.

Still Playing with Hearts

Quick post.... I have so much to do!!

I finished another necklace... and made more hearts.

Closer look at the necklace. I used amber wire to make the tornado bails. I also use some of my half and half beads to make the chain.

I used scraps to make these hearts... they have a mysterious look to me.

This is a little different. The texture in the center was made with a button, then highlighted with PearlEx. I used tinted Translucent Pardo Art Clay to which I added glitter for the embellishments.

Layered Heart with torn pieces of textured clay and a cane flower as the focal interest.

I used a strip of scrap clay to form the heart.  I filled in the center with torn pieces of the texture that makes up the background.  I then used a stylist to texture around the torn pieces and added a little shimmer with  green PearlEx.

and I made a couple square tiles too....   this one is random pieces of border cane on a textured background.

I like layers..... I used half a log to make the top piece and the other half of the log to make layers on the square tile.  I like these colors together.

I finished all the hearts for the swap.  I am very pleased with all 50..... wish I could show them to you.  I should be able to post photos of my Inchies soon...... and the ones I receive, that will be fun 

That's it for today..... gotta go do some cleaning and painting.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mixed Media Polymer Clay & Wire Necklace

I added wire and some additional polymer clay adornments to one of the pendants I posted last week.... this is the result.  I love it.... hope you do to.

I've had this delicate chain for some time, I like the open weave balls, it goes well with the pendant.

I didn't like the wire showing through so I covered it up with a textured heart.

I added a row of textured dots on the layered heart..... they are from the same sheet of clay as the heart at the side.

I secured the wire swirls to the back of the pendant with Zap a Gap glue and then covered it with a thin sheet of clay in the shape of a heart.

I used one of my canes to make these tube beads and the end pieces of the cane to make the mirror image tile.

I made a few "end of day" beads and then textured them, highlighted with PearlEx and popped them in the over to be cured.

This is what I am working on now..... tiles for a bracelet and earrings.   I will texture a sheet of solid color clay to finish the backs of the tiles.  The round beads are made from the scraps I trimmed off the back of the mirror image triangles.   The triangles are made from cane scraps  that I smooched together, twisted and rolled into cones and them sliced in half lengthwise.  I'm not sure what brands of clay they contain..... I hope Premo and Kato....  I like the colors and don't want them to darken when cured.

Heather has been making attractive neck pieces from vintage neckties..... arn't they gorgeous?  They are available in her Etsy shop The Midnight Raven

Elegant in red and purple...

or  check out this lovely in greens and purples..... and rows of luscious tinted pearls.

She also made this pretty repurposed necklace and earrings from a vintage tin with drops and chain from a broken vintage necklace.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching...... I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving with friends and family and lots of scrumptious food.

Thank you for stopping by.