Monday, January 28, 2013

Critters

This week seems to have started off with a critter theme.

George has been keeping an eye on things. It's been either too cold or wet for him to roam the neighborhood  so he's been hanging around and getting involved in our activities. It's always much more inviting to sit on the sofa and watch movies with a George cuddled up on your lap.



These little guys have been lingering in my work area since we visited P.E.I..
I'm dying to make a mold from them but I'm worried about crushing them with the mold making compound.
I'm sure I'll figure something out. Maybe a resin dip.......




We had a visit from Mrs. Grouse this week too.
She showed up in our front garden under a bush. I would have never seen her but Mom spotted her right away. We don't see many of these in town. She must have been overcome with the cold. Mom made sure she had some seeds to fill her up. 

How's your week starting off?
Hope you have some critters of your own to share it with.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

How I Use STAEDTLER's New Texture Sheets

 Thought I'd share my favorite way to get STAEDTLER's new texture sheets to do their magic.
I chose the leather and reptile sheet set to show you this time. I think it's my favorite........ 


I conditioned some new STAEDTLER fimo effect jade green #506 and rolled it out on the largest setting on my pasta machine. I misted some water lightly onto both the texture sheet and the clay to act as a release agent. I normally use cornstarch but tried water and really like it better for this application.




I placed the rolled clay onto the texture sheet and fed both through the machine at the largest setting at the same time. I had to help the texture sheet decide what direction to go when it reached the bottom of the machine, but it went much better than I expected. I think I thought the whole thing would jam in there or something.



It was very easy to lift the clay from the texture sheet. Very very easy......... It was a really good image too.
I think I'm going to be using these a whole lot more.



I dry brushed a bit of gold paint onto the textured clay just to guild the lily a bit. 
Couldn't help myself.



I also decided to dust some STAEDTLER metal powder in green onto some unbaked textured clay.



Here it is sanded off and just left in the cracks after baking.
So pretty!
Wait till you see this varnished!!!!



Sunday, January 20, 2013

Hollow Peekaboo Pendants

I've made some 3D pendants to show off the new STAEDTLER texture sheets and fimo effect colours that I've been playing with.
Here's how I did it.


I chose two colours of STAEDTLER fimo effects clay that I like together and rolled them through the pasta machine at the largest setting. Then I put them back trough the machine at the same setting with a texture sheet. I used the music notes and calligraphy sheet set for this front pendant.



I cut out some rounds of the same size using a 1.5 inch cutter.  One disc I cut a further smaller circle from and placed it on top of a curved bake able surface to create a slight dome. I baked the pieces for 20 minutes at 230 degrees. Then I added some detail with some gold paint. 



I glued the two pieces together using super glue.



I made a thin worm of the top disc colour and pressed it into the seam where the two sheets meet. Then I smoothed the new clay over the old by squishing it with my fingertips. I re-baked the piece for another 15 minutes at 230 degrees.



After the piece had cooled off I coated it with some STAEDTLER fimo gloss varnish and a few rhinestones. I'll drill some holes through the piece so I can hang them as pendants. They might also be used a brooches.... I'm not entirely sure yet.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

New, STADTLER Texture Sheets!

 I'm playing with some brand new toys this weekend.
I'm pretty excited about them too.

Here's a peek.
There are TWO SHEETS in each pack!
I think my favorite one so far is the skin pack.......
Maybe it's really the wood and wicker.....
Oh jeez, I'm not really sure.
I think I'm smitten with all of them.


They are going to help me show off the new colours.
I'll post more as I get things put together.
Can't wait until tomorrow so I can finish playing.
I won't get any sleep......



I'll be dreaming of this.........

Monday, January 14, 2013

Simple Nail Art Bunnies

 It's been beautiful and unseasonably warm here for a few days. I must have been lulled into a false sense of spring because I had a sudden urge to do Bunny nail art.


I used my Joe Fresh polish and as usual I didn't have the patience to wait for the eyes to dry before I clear coated. I got some smudging because of it but I'm pretty happy with the bunnies despite their runny eyes.


It did get a bit chillier today. 
I think the bunnies might need earmuffs before the week's out.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Free Style Fridge Vandalism

We keep our STAEDTLER white board markers on top of the fridge so we have easy access to them for things like appointments and grocery lists.
The kids found them and decided we kept them on top of the fridge for this purpose............

Bet our fridge is way more fun than your fridge!
Silly kids!
:D

Monday, January 7, 2013

Teeny Cute Birdhouses With STAEDTLER Fimo

 I was recently asked to reproduce this STAEDTLER design to use in a advertising project.
I must say I've fallen in love with it.

I've posted the instructions here with the blessings of STAEDTLER's marketing team.
Thanks for letting me share.


They are teeny little birdhouses to use for decorations or place cards. I think I see some pendants in their future. They would make the sweetest little necklaces and earrings scaled down a bit.


I broke open my STAEDTLER fimo soft colour pack. Aren't these great colours? 

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

STAEDTLER fimo soft in a variety of colors
Wooden skewers or dowels
Acrylic paint to match clay colors
#4 flat paintbrush to paint dowels
Clay cutter
Clay roller
Ball point pen housing
20 gauge wire
Wire cutters
White craft glue

1.   Choose a color of fimo clay to make the birdhouse body. Condition the clay by kneading it in your hands until it’s soft and workable. Shape some of the clay into a house shape. Mine were no larger than an inch and a half tall. Poke a hole into the bottom of the house with a skewer.

2.   Condition another color of fimo clay for the roof of your house. Roll this color out to about ¼ inch thick and cut to fit the roof of your house. I used a hollowed out pen to make texture on my roof. Add the roof to the house by gently pressing the two clay colors together. Make a base of the same color you made the roof from by forming a cube of clay a little bit wider than the base of your house. Poke a hole in the base with a skewer.




3.   Wash your hands to remove any of the previous clay color from them. Condition some white fimo clay and make a 1/8 inch thick worm. Cut off little sections of the white worm and roll these into teeny balls. Apply these teeny balls to the walls of your house to decorate it. Use the end of a dowel to push a door way hole into the birdhouse.


    4.   Make some birds to decorate your houses by putting two flattened teardrop shapes together. Choose any color to make the birds that you like. Add a beak of orange clay and add some feather texture with the end of a skewer.


    5.   Cut a 2 inch piece of wire and curl it around a skewer. Add a bird to one end and poke the other end into the roof of the house. Bake all the pieces in a preheated 230 degree F oven for 20 minutes and let them cool. Cut a piece of skewer to fit between the house and the base. Paint the cut skewer with acrylic paint to match the house.  Assemble the pieces adding white glue to the joins.


    6.   Add flowers to some of the houses by making little teardrop shapes and flatten them onto the houses to make petals. The center of each flower is a ball of clay.


    Adorable right?
    I can almost hear the teeny birds chirping.
    Spring time......... come on back!


    You can make these houses hanging pendants instead of standing pieces by poking a hole through the peaks of each roof and threading floss or ribbon through to hang the pieces.

    Hope you all enjoy these little houses as much as I do.
    A big thanks to STAEDTLER for sharing this project from their archives with us.
    I'm honored to have been asked to recreate it in instruction form.

    Tuesday, January 1, 2013

    Coffee Cake and a Camera

    Hope you've all had a spectacular time with family and friends.
    Our holiday celebrations are all done now. Just have to clean up the glitter and baubles.
    Thought I'd share my big gift with you all.

    Mr Jimmy scouted me this beautiful camera!
    It's a Fujifilm finepix HS25EXR
    I'm still trying to figure out everything it does!


    I took these pics with the new fuji.
    Almost no editing here. I'm pleased as punch with how the pics come out.



    James and George take a post gifting nap on Christmas day.



    Very close up shot of the beautiful gift Aunt Janet and Uncle Alan sent.



    It takes panoramic shots.



    Maggs has begun work on another needle felted project supplies courtesy of Auntie J and Uncle A Man.
    It's been a spectacular year!
    I'm excited to see what 2013 will bring.