Earrings and Necklaces

 After my trip to Santa Fe, where I used Tory Hughes's Foredom buffer, I had to have one so I ordered it right away. I love the shine it gives my beads!

 On this pendant I used Diamond Glaze to give it a shine.

 Some mokume gane earrings.....

Busy, Busy

Some new items since my last post.

I've been so busy! I was lucky enough to spend a week in Santa Fe with Tory Hughes. What a wonderful experience that was!

My Son's Appalachian Trail Hike

Reaching Thru: Atop Springer Mountain with Bird 4/14/2013

Another Lotus Pond Necklace

Here is a simple necklace I just put together.

Lotus Pond Necklace

This is my latest necklace and I have to admit that it wasn't my original idea. This is direct from the book Flourish by Christi Friesen. It really wasn't hard to do at all! In fact, stringing those darn little beads and pearls was the most difficult part ( these old eyes aren't as sharp as they once were).

In the Grip of Faux Bone

I swore off jewelry in December, but somehow it has sneaked back into my creative stream. Faux bone had me in its grip for awhile, now I'm working on some springlike pods and branches, plus flowers unlike what I did last year. There is also a giraffe painting in the works. I must note that the faux bone I'm using is entirely made from polymer clay, it's not the product that Robert Dancik sells, although I have some of that, too.

Happy New Year!

Tonight I'm quietly cutting some stamps to use in my artwork. My jumping off point has been a wonderful book, Making an Impression by Geninne Zlatkis. I used her designs to make a few Christmas presents which were well received. I find cutting the stamps to be a very Zen experience. 

As 2012 draws to a close, so does this blog. I'm trying to discipline myself enough to paint each day, and I've started a new blog, Paint and Pencils. Please visit it to see what I'm doing and to encourage me with your comments. Thank you for being a friend and visiting this blog over the last few years.

A Painting a Day

 This is it! I'm jumping back into painting in a very public way. I've committed to paint one painting a day for thirty days, starting on January 2. Remember when I posted these paintings, about three or four years ago? Time flies and I'm not getting any younger, and I feel driven to paint. Please check on me and cheer me on. I will appreciate every comment.

New Boxes....Meow

Some more of my repurposed cigar boxes. The first is a steampunk style box. I've had a little bag of watch parts for a few years, just waiting for the perfect thing to come along to use them on. The next is cat related. All the stamps are cat pictures. It was fun to collect all the rubber stamps I used for this project. The last picture shows the boss, Perry, supervising the photography.

Practice

Just to keep my fingers limber, in the drawing way, I sketched this little girl's face today while I was working at the gallery. I miss drawing!

Little Shrines

This is what I've been working on lately, with lots more coming.......having a great time doing it! I'm also working on three inros, my first I've ever made. They each will be having an animal on them, a tree frog, a mouse, and some koi. I'll post pictures soon. 

Empty Studio

This is the first time ever that I haven't been in my studio for four days in a row, not including when I went on trips. The reason I haven't been busy in my studio is that I've been in bed for most of that time, just not feeling well. Now I'm on the mend and plan to get back in there tomorrow.

Portrait Practice Sketches

These are all just sketches, far from finished drawings. I'm trying to keep my drawing practiced while my life has been taken over by polymer clay. I referred to a book of portraits taken by the great photographer, Steve McCurry. These are some of the ones that spoke to me.

Ready for the Oven

Some new pendants ready for the oven. These are fun to make!

Two Little Projects

 I tried a new cane, Pixelated Retro Blend Cane, by Bettina Welker, but instead of her beautiful blend of colors, mine turned out jumbled and not very interesting. Maybe I'll use darker or brighter colors next time, but I know the problem is with my math. I should be able to figure this out, after all I taught math to accelerated fifth graders, for Pete's sake!

This is a chain I made following directions on Polymer Clay Tutor. I used scrap clay and then two colors of Gilder's Paste. Now I have to think of a way to incorporate it into a necklace.

Birthday Box

This is a birthday gift made for a special friend. The inside is decoupaged. Had a great time making it, especially using the keys which I thought I wouldn't be able to use because of flat backs. I guess if you wait long enough, you'll figure out a use for everything!