"metalizing" half complete

hmmm think I have a new addiction!!!!!
These were destined for the rubbish bin but am totally loving how they've turned out. They are almost complete - a bit of "fluffing" to finish off and then they will become bronzy rusty rings. Yummo!!!

A heart or seven for Valentines day!

I've been playing with cork clay and without any consideration for the big 'V' day approaching it was hearts, hearts, hearts that my hands were called to create...and it felt right to share them with you today!

 You make my HEART soar!

I'd go to the moon for you sweetHEART!

A HEART full of Hope!

Handle this HEART with care and together we will mend!

The innocent HEART!

A HEART that knows its self!

The HEART full of faith!

and some more workshop pics......

First Workshop Since Coming Home

What an amazing, brilliant, energetic, funny, exhilirating and totally exhausting day I had yesterday. It was simply sensational. Since coming back from the states I've sat down and reworked how I run my workshops and implemented small changes that I thought would improve things - have to say I love the new workshop formula. The classes are now running for 4 hours with full colour lesson plans of the workshop emailed to students the day after (that's my job to do today). I also used to run my workshops technique based rather than project based and this was one of the first things I changed. For me this works much better and the results at the end are proof of that.

So our project was sculptured flower pendants from skinner blend bullseye canes. We then reduced the canes, shaped them and created small flowers for earrings. Here's a few pics to share.

and even more new flowers.........

and some new flowers...........

Skinner Blends

Have been having lots of fun lately creating skinner blends for new flowers. Have never been much of a blendy girl before but find I'm loving it.

Some New Flowers

Hi all, been very tardy lately and haven't been doing any blog posts - too much clay fun being had.

I've been playing around with flowers lately and oh! what fun I've been having. I now have flowers everywhere - love it!! This will be a great lesson plan for the Mullewa group coming up soon in March.

Fun with Lesson Plans

Oh my gosh I soooo love playing with clay - even doing lesson plans are fun for me (although I could easily leave the picture taking to someone else). Just want to show you some of the finished pieces I've been doing lesson plans for - all is going freaking fantastic.


A cross between the woody technique taught at the Clay Carnival by Kim Cavender and Christi Friesens gremlins.


Imagery cane (my signature cane). Kathi from Bakersfield taught me this one.


Some painted clay tube beads. This one was inspired by Donna Kato who taught me the faux silscreening. This is a variation on that technique.


Awesome flowers and leaf sculptures. Christi taught me the leaves and how to put it all together and I came up with some of my own flower designs to give it a twist.

Peek-A-Boo Brooches/Pendants

As Rachel mentioned - Autumn Roundup is nearly upon us (yay! so love this weekend) and I've been playing around with different things wondering what would be a great thing for the ladies to make. I've been tweaking lots of different techniques that I learnt with all these fabulour artists in the US and decided to have some fun with the Desert Brooches as taught by Natalia Garcia de Leaniz at the Las Vegas Clay Carnival. I loved the design of these and the peek-a-boo effect so you could create 2 different layers and have a "window" looking through from the top embelished layer to the decorative layer below.

This is what I came up with. I sooooooo love them and sure hope the ladies do too. There are lots of techniques involved in this one and so many that I learnt while I was away - yay!!

Autumn Round up 2012!

I've been getting myself organised for this years Autumn Roundup in Mullewa, for those of you who don't know about Autumn Roundup...its an amazing craft event held in the little regional town of Mullewa in Western Australia. It attracts around 150 - 200 people annually, which is a big effort for an event that receives no funding and is held in a town with a population of just over 900 people. This year is its 20th year and sadly it will be its last! Over two days crafters from all over the state take part in two, one day workshops of their choice, this year the workshops are:

Deb Crothers – Peek-A-Boo brooches & pendants with Polymer Clay

Elizabeth Morley- Paint, Print & Pattern to create your own fabric.

Fiona Parker – A day of paper craft

Rachael Mc Kenzie – Silver clay for beaders and Silver Clay trinkets and charms.

Anne and Tammy  Ringrose – “Ribbon Cottage” & embroidered woollen bassinette blanket.

Erika Monique – a figurative clay sculpture

Kaye Street – “Many Trips Around the World” in a day

Carol Brady – Links Quilt using strips and point to point Diamond Quilt.

Judith Lubieniecki – Quick Cathedral Windows & Make a Bag Day

I'm using some of the skills the fabulous Kate Mckinnon taught me for the Silver clay for Beaders workshop! These are the results of a play date/test run with my mum and her friend!  I love, love, love mums golden patinaed(is that even a word) bead caps!

Here's all the components all put together into a finished piece!

The trinket and charm workshop is a little bit fiddly but I love the sense of fun 

and play when making these little babies!

For more info on Autumn Roundup please contact Janine Crudeli at cruauto@westnet.com.au  

              

Painted, burny bits!

Debbie has been bringing me up to speed with some of the amazing stuff I missed out on

while we create more lesson plans. Today we are working on Dona Katos painted clay technique...which by the way...I Lurve to bits!

Debbie has some baking trays she found in a second hand shop that she thought 

would work well to form polymer clay and bake it on.

Good plan but something went wrong. Half way through the baking a little smelly 

smoke wofted from the oven alerting us all was not well!

Oh, my lovely painted bits are now a little bit burny, bubbly and flat out burnt! 

Oh my! We are not sure exactly what happened, maybe the oil etc left on the 

baking tray from previous cakey baking! Who know...?

Back to the drawing board!

Busy beavers!

As part of this project we are creating a series of lesson plans to share with 

community members for the next stage of the Thousand Mid West

 Flowers  project. 

Lots of making, photographing and note taking!

.....and more photographing!

The finished patina!

From shiny, shiny to midnight black , finishing off with a nice subtle 

colour to bring out the details!

I was always a pure matt silver gal but I have to say I have been seduced by 

patina's potential and her fickle mind, you never quite know what shade of the 

rainbow she will deliver!

To Patina or Not Patina

This is the exquisite ring that Rachel made during our time with Kate (and what an incredible little thing it is - clever girl). The pics show the ring in the bright silver after being tumbled and then blackish from the patina. It's been tumbled again after and has turned out a beautiful colour (don't think I got a pic of that one - might need Rachel to take a pic of it now to show you the difference). Kate's book "Structural Metal Clay" explains the patina process beautifully and shows what amazing colours can be achieved using patina.


The ring in all it's silver glory........


and after patina - to be tumbled again.