Vanessa's Clay Adventures

Pink and Black Woven lid box

2012-02-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest box. Its a square box with pink and black details.

side view

top view

the bottom of the box, the inside also has the same texture

Bottle of Hope Project Part 2

2012-02-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

Today four years ago I was in the local hospital palliative unit with my family. We were sitting bedside with my dad who we knew was nearing the end of his life. As difficult as it was watching my dad dying I am glad that I sat with him and experienced every emotionally painful moment. My suffering was minimal in comparison to my father's experience. I remember quietly and maybe it was only in my mind speaking to my dad letting him know that if it was his time then it was all right. Those he was leaving behind would be all right. Shortly after after 7pm my dad passed away. Sadly I don't have any digital pictures of my dad to share.

To commemorate this day I donated a total of 46 Bottles of Hope to the local Cancer agency. They were thrilled to receive them. They plan on giving them out during the survivor's dinner held during the Relay for Life in early June. Maybe before then I will create a few more bottles as there are many survivors that attend this dinner.

In early January I challenged myself to make this donation as close to February 6th. I am full of joy today knowing these little bottles will find new homes soon.

Valentine Ornaments

2012-01-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

I have created 9 hearts that I will be adding ribbon to and taking to a local shop in hopes that they sell.

My first clay covered canvas

2012-01-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

A few days before Christmas I found this quote online and it made me think of my husband. The quote reads "Here's to matrimony the high seas for which no compass has yet been invented" by Heinrich Heine.

I have wanted to cover a canvas with clay for at least two years. This finally seemed like the right idea to use for this project. Not having covered a canvas before and being a little uncertain how I wanted to display the quote this took me several days to complete. I used a thin layer of translucent liquid clay between the canvas and clay and the canvas is 8x10. The brown clay that is acting as the frame wraps around all four edges so no canvas shows when hanging on the wall. My husband loved it even though it was a few days late.

My personal Bottle of Hope project

2011-12-29T22:36:00.000-08:00

I have in the past posted pictures of the bottles of hope I have created and links to information about Bottles of Hope (B.O.H) http://www.vanessasclayadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/flowers and http://www.vanessasclayadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/flowers I have collected almost 50 B.O.H yet they are incomplete and need a few finishing details. Some of the bottles could use some sanding and most need a message added to them. My goal is to finish 50 bottles and donate them to the local hospital before February 14 2012. I am going to get in touch with the hospital and find a way to donate bottles to the cancer treatment unit at the hospital.

Are you wondering about the date I choose? The answer is a simple one. My dad passed away on February 7th and it this coming February he will have been gone for 4 years his birthday was also a few days after he passed away. So this year this is how I am going to commemorate his life.

To my clay friends that live locally I could sure use a hand one weekend afternoon to complete my project. With a little help it won't take long. Any one interested?

A game of tic tac toe and some crayons

2011-12-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

I have seen this idea before to make an altoids tin into a tic tac toe game but this when I saw the idea I followed through and made it.

the lid in shades of pink and purple

the inside the playing pieces have small magnets on them
and I used some clear mac tac to hold the game board down

another idea I have seen online, melt crayons down to make
your own. My crayons turned out all right

Red gift box

2011-11-20T21:20:00.000-08:00

I was inspired to create a box that looks like a gift you just can't wait to open

the lid

the side

Snowflake box

2011-11-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by a texture sheet I have to create a box with snowflakes.

the lid

side

inside

Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

I had the urge to create some ornaments although at this time I don't have a home for them. Most of the ornaments are shinny so I had a difficult time taking good pictures.

green holy with some gold glitter

Magic wand of Clay

2011-11-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

For Halloween I dressed as a witch (I know not too orginal) and I figured I should have a magic wand. So with only only a short bit of time before we had a party to attend I created this.

Gratitude

2011-10-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time browsing the internet and one of the recent themes I have observed on some blogs I enjoy is the theme of gratitude. So I am jumping on the wagon as well. It seems especially fitting today as it is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada.

I am grateful for

my loving and supportive husband
my son who amazes me every day with the things he is learning and loving
my home - which keeps us safe and warm each day
my computer - which allows me to interact with the world and learn so much
my health
my mom and her endless love and support
new friends - who are wonderful to talk with and get to know

Have a wonderful safe, happy and grateful weekend!

A first attempt

2011-09-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I showed the polymer clay group that I belong to how to create one of my solid clay boxes following that a good friend of mine Kam who has her own blog here Bead trendz Blog showed us how to do a quick and "easy" rose cane. Here's my interpretation of it.

4 more Bottles of Hope

2011-07-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Over the last two days I have squeezed in a little studio time and have created these 4 Bottles of Hope

the bottle on the left is a ligt blue

top view

these bottles are in fact green..hmmm didn't capture
that at all

top view

For all 4 bottles I tried something new to me. I cut out elements from a texture sheet and applied them to the bottles. I like how they turned out.

Missed the mark

2011-03-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

I some how feel that the two boxes dotty boxes I posted yesterday missed the mark and didn't measure up to the vision I started with. In the past I have been able to create a whole box in a single day (pre my son arriving) and now it takes much much longer. In fact these two dotty boxes took almost two full weeks to complete. Some where along the way I lost my original vision and I just wanted the project completed. I might have (oh ya I did) rushed the finaly details just to get it done. I am busy with my son and my husband works full time so the energy and time I have to work in the studio is minimal. (I know the saying...excuses are like a**holes everyone has one) I am finding that when a project takes too long I loose interest and my original vision becomes clouded.

I know the dotty boxes are just all right and I have previously made boxes that I love even more. I still have the urge to create and play with clay but I also experience frustration and disappointment at how long it takes to produce something I really like.

I suppose this is the stage of life I am in and I need to appreciate that I do get time in the studio how ever that may look. So my question to you is how do you feel when a project is taking too long or doesn't meet with the idea you originally started with?

Feelin Dotty in Pink

2011-03-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

This box is approximately 2.5 inches tall made completely from clay.

Feelin Dotty in Blue

2011-03-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

This box is approximately 2.5 inches tall by 2.5 inches wide. Made completely from clay.

My first resin experiment

2011-02-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

I recently purchased some resin and this was my first attempt at using it. I layered it ontop of textured hearts that also had some pearl ex applied. Originally I was going to inlay these hearts of top of a box but didn't like the look.

Pink and purple mokume gane boxes

2011-02-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

These boxes were an experiment and sadly I am not too happy with them

large

medium

inside of medium box

Green and Gold

2011-02-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine challenged me to make something with green and gold. The insides of the boxes are green while the outsides have been given a real shine with 3 different shades of gold pearl ex. In the middle I have added some tiny holess green beads

small

medium

large

My Birthday weekend away

2011-02-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

My birthday was last week and as a big surprise hubby planned a weekend away in Tofino at Crystal cove beach resort .We had a great weekend! Another couple came with us and we also visited with close friends that live in Tofino. Here are a few of the many pictures I took while there.Online web album of the trip

any see a special shape here?

texture created in the sand from rain drops
falling from over head trees

waves crashing at Amphrite point

I love the sense of movement in this picture

Don't do this....

2011-01-25T14:37:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday I had several members of my polmer clay guild at my home for a play day. We were so busy having fun we forgot to take any pictures. Sadly the day ended when my the tip of my left thumb and a sharp blade met :( I knew as soon as it happened I needed to apply pressure and raise my arm above my head. The other thing I knew with out a doubt was that a trip to the hospital was in my immediate future. One of the gals ran downstairs and got Pete he quickly put a dressing on my thumb and got us ready to leave the house.

The doctor put 3 stitches in and said it will heal really well. So don't do what I did! Yuu stick out like a sore thumb!

2011 Bottles of Hope (group 1)

2011-01-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

I recently felt compelled to make Bottles of Hope here are some of the bottles I made recently. If you don't know the story behind the bottle check out this link Bottles of Hope .

Set 3 of textured heart boxes

2011-01-05T17:30:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling a little obsessed right now! This set of boxes is made from black clay and a layer of blue/red duo pearl ex on top. The colour is a mix of pinky blue. I think my next set of boxes will be a black/red combination. Then a friend of mine said she liked them so much and would I do a box for her in green and gold hmmm that got the muse spinning as that is a color combination I haven't worked with. So more to come!

medium box with filigree

side view medium box

inside of medium box

small box with filigree

Black Textured Hearts

2010-12-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

I decided to do two more boxes in the same style as the previous hearts. The difference being the clay is black and I applied pearl ex to the black clay. The colours are brighter and more vibrant then the camera shows.

medium sized box

large box

2 textured heart boxes

2010-12-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

I have created 2 textured heart shapped boxes. Both boxes are also textured inside. I would love to hear your feedback on these boxes. I also have to more similar boxes on my work table that I hope to have done tomorrow. I know it's a little early for hearts but the muse has spoken..hehe

small box is about 4 inches across

lid off small box

lid of medium box

side view of medium box

2 girly felted wool balls

2010-12-22T16:35:00.001-08:00

I thought it was time to make a couple more felted balls this time for 2 little girls I know. This time I combined wet and needle felting for a different look.

Clayamies ornament swap 2010

2010-12-20T21:21:00.000-08:00

I think this is the 4th year I have participated in this ornament swap. Each time I have been in this swap I struggle with what to create, it has to be easily reproduced and mailable. This year I wanted to experiment with adding inks and glitter to translucent clay below you will see my experiment went really well. It was fun to see the colour variations I got with the 2 or 3 batches of clay I mixed up.

Christmas Wreath

2010-12-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

I can remember learning to make a ever green Christmas wreath from my Grandma when I was a child. I am not sure how often we made wreaths together. My mom and I also created wreaths together we would go into the yard and trim the cedar trees and holy and push them into a grape vine wreath base maybe add a bow or a few ornaments and it was done. As a teenager I started to make the wreaths on my own. I have even gone to a couple wreath making parties with my mom at a long time family friend's home. That was a lot of fun.

This year I under took my wreath making adventure on my own. I have seen quite a few wreaths on the Internet that combine ornaments and balls of yarn and I loved the idea. So I set off to gather my supplies a visit to the thrift and dollar store and rummaging around in the supplies I already had. Here it is.

Saylor playing

2010-12-07T17:38:00.000-08:00

Daddy gave mommy an early Christmas present. A new camera and one of the things this fancy pink camera does is take videos. So of course seeing as I'm the centre of attention in this family the first video mommy made was of me!

Studio mess

2010-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

This post is especially for you Tina!( Please pop over and visit Tina here Beadcomber ) It isn't very often but it does happen my studio looks like something threw up! I took these pictures in the evening so the light isn't very good but it is proof that I can make a mess! I have at least 3 different projects that I have started and not quite finished going on in my space hence the mess. Until I get a few minutes to clean up I can't even work in there...ack!

A felting experimient

2010-11-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

Recently I have seen quite a bit of wonderful felt creations and I thought I would give wet felting a try. I was really fortunate and one friend game me a ball of wool that she had used in a previous felting project. (the orange -rusty coloured wool in the second picture) and another friend gave the big pile of roving! Lucky me!

My first project is a ball for Saylor to play with. I started by putting a few popcorn kernels in a ping pong ball (I found 6 ping pong balls for $2 at the thrift store. I sliced into the ball popped in a few kernels and sealed it up with duct tape. Then I wound some wool on the ping pong ball and wet felted it. Next I took the small ball of wool and wound on a lot of wool so the ball now was about the size of my palm and that was wet felted. The last step was to take some roving and cover the yarn with a nice design. I'm really happy with how the ball turned out.

I

I am going to cover this ball with roving

Finished ball has a gentle rattle to it from the
popcorn kernels

A whole lota roving from a friend

I also purchased some needles for needle felting. I have tried it once and I need a little more practice. Pictures to come when I try again.

We will remember them

2010-11-10T21:36:00.000-08:00

Lest We Forget

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.

Response: We will remember them.

A fall walk

2010-11-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning about 9am I packed up Saylor and I and went for a beautiful fall walk along the water front. The morning was cool and clear as you can see from the pictures below. I live in a beautiful area and thought I would share the view.

the harbour

the sea wall

yacht club

Fall colours

2010-11-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we got out for a walk along the waterfront and we were fortunate enough that the heavy rain showers held off while we were out.

lets count shall we? 1,2,3, 4000....

I love the mix of colours, greens, yellows, oranges, reds

it looks like the leaves needed a rest from falling

A lovely Giveaway

2010-09-06T02:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight I visited the beautiful blog of Marie Segal ! She is doing a gorgeous giveaway of one of her steampunk angels. I know that I have dropped Marie's blog before and enjoyed looking at her creations but it wasn't until just now that I started to "follow" her now I won't miss any of her creations or wonderful blog posts. Pop on over have a visit, I know I'm going back to read some more and enter her giveaway while you are at it.

Edited: Sept 11 2010

I won! I won a pendant from Marie Segal. I came home the other day to find a message in my in box from Marie Segal...a personal mesage...ohhh...wonder what it is. My heart started to race and I won! If you follow the link above and scroll down you will be able to see the pendant that will be winging its way me very soon! yipeeeee

4 new boxes

2010-08-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

It feels really good to be claying again. I have created 4 new boxes over the last week. One of the things I really like about working with polymer clay is that I can put it down and it will wait for me to come back. It doesn't change except maybe collects a little dust. This is a great feature with my little one here now. Have a look I hope you like them.

Sunset

2010-08-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the view from our deck tonight as the sun went down. The sun is glowing orange I think it's from all the smoke in the air from the forest fires.

Back to claying

2010-07-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

After taking a break from claying while I was pregnant and then after I had my son I got back to claying this week. I spent part of Wednesday creating two small round boxes. I haven't taken pictures yet I will soon. Sadly both boxes got a little brown in the oven I am hoping a good sanding will take care of this. My plan is to sand them both and then make the lids. It felt really good to get back in the studio and play around a little.

If you visit here regularly you will have also noticed that I have started to change the look of the blog. I like where it's going so far. It's a slow process as I'm distracted by my gorgeous little boy. More soon.

Our faux slate deck

2010-07-03T16:07:00.000-07:00

After many years of Pete and I giving our Friend Glenn a hard time
about building us a new deck we are almost finished and could not be more pleased with the results!

The deck pre concrete

2010-06-25T00:49:00.000-07:00

We have also had progress made on our deck. In fact in the morning the concrete is being poured! So here are a couple pictures pre concrete. We are going to have the concete given a faux treatment so that it will look like slate. Under neath the deck we are going to have a large storage room for garden equipment and other things and the other half of the space will be open.

The finished storage unit

2010-06-25T00:41:00.000-07:00

The on going project in our basement is finally done. My husband now has a new desk area that he loves and we have finally put pictures and other things back on the walls. It's looking really good and we have stuffed the shelves full!

Built in Storage in our Family room

2010-05-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is the back wall of our family room. The shelving has been put in but is not complete. In a couple weeks the doors will go on and a desk and bookshelves will be added.

to the left will be a desk with bookshelves above it

as you can the vaccum cleaner already has a new home

Concrete and forms

2010-05-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pictures of the next phase of our deck.

forms being build for the concrete walls

concrete drying which is just as exciting as watching grass grow

forms removed from walls, as you see the offer of a mud bath still stands

the opposite corner with forms removed, isn't this a
lovely clean work site,even the wheel barrows are lined up

The mud hole or aka excavation for the new deck

2010-04-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

We have been planning to tear down our deck for over two years and it has finally happened. I took 90 pictures of the process here are just a couple.

the contractor and hubby inspecting the hole

at first there was just a trickle of what we thought was ground water..then it turned into a deep hole, the hole was drained and filled. The hole was full of all sorts of junk.

The above 2 pictures are an example of some of the things found in the hole. I haven't had a chance to clean up the glass bottles but when I do I will post again. I know some of you have spotted some great shapes in there I know right away I started to think about new how I could use the bottles to form some new clay vessels.

On another note most of you drop by my blog know that I'm expecting my first child any time now. I suspect that my clay time will be at a minimum for the next few months. I will be busy with my little one. Please drop by my other blog at http://www.babybetcher.blogspot.com/

Pen boxes

2010-04-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

After making so many pens I figured it was time to make something to hold the finished pens in. Previously I have shown off my pens in the orginal cardboard box I bought them in, that wasn't quite the display I was looking for. So i created 2 boxes based around the cardboard box I bought the pens in. These 2 boxes are all clay and as of this moment haven't been sanded.

A few more pens

2010-04-11T16:31:00.001-07:00

In the last 2 weeks I have covered and sanded 14 pens. Here is the second batch of them.

The Deck Demolition

2010-04-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

When we bought our house three and a half years ago we knew at that time we would have to replace the deck. A few weeks ago we applied for the building permit to replace the deck. While waiting for the permit we decided it would be best to pull the deck down. Here are a few pictures of the process.

Temporary storage for some tools etc.

At the end of demo day 2 this is what we are left with. The work will continue over the next few weeks.

Can you guess...

2010-04-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Which home based business inspired the colour combinations for these pens? I had a recent request for these colours and it was a lot of fun to put them together.

Something a little unusual....

2010-04-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

For me to make. A few weeks ago I made this figure the first figure I have attempted. The motivation behind this creation was the prenatal class I was attending. I enjoyed the class and part of it was creating birth art through drawing. Any way here's my goddess.

A small collection of....

2010-03-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend when I was sorting through my boxes of supplies looking for my pens to cover before I found the pens I realized I had several boxes of tins, jars and things to cover. I'm not sure how these objects multiplied when I was looking. So for a laugh I thought I would take a few pictures of the collection to share. Some of these shapes have already been used to form solid polymer clay boxes and I can use them over and over. Other items in this collection will eventually get covered and be given a new life.

Purple Writing Sticks

2010-03-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I covered a couple pens and then managed to find new homes for both of them.

Our downstairs family room in progress

2010-03-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

All right I promised a few more pictures of our downstairs and the painting. The painting has been completed and the curtains hung. The furniture has yet to be set yup and Pete is working hard to replace plugs and light covers so that they are all the same colour. The colour of the walls was hard to capture with the camera.

There will be more work done on this room including a custom built shelving unit. That is in the works but is at least a month or more away. I will post pictures when it is done.

wall colour

new dark blue curtains, that puddle a little on the floor

contrast between wood stove and wall

Colour changes

2010-03-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

After living with this Terra cotta sponged on orange paint for three and a half years we are finally covering it up and doing something more to our liking. Here are a couple pictures of the walls being patched and readied for the light blue we have chosen. More to come over the next couple days.

Beads and swirls

2010-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have been creating different boxes and vessels for over a year and rarely make any kind of jewellery now. I just can't give up the swirly beads. So I a whole box full of beads in various sizes and colours. Hmmm what to do with them...any suggestions?

Clay Daze the adventure

2010-02-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended a relaxed clayers retreat that we called Clay Daze. Over the weekend I covered this little tin with the heart cane I had previously made. We had a lot of fun over the weekend, claying, talking and eating. Thanks to all of the organizers.

My Birthday Weekend

2010-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

My birthday was last Wednesday and Pete surprised me with a weekend away to the Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet. I had a wonderful time away. The trip included a relaxing massage and a couple of walks on the rugged west coast. http://www.blackrockresort.com/index.html

This is a picture of a sweeping carpet linning a room in the resort. Yes, the lines really do mimic lines in the sand as a the tide comes and goes.

2 card cases and Wild Ocean

2010-01-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

I have had these 2 card cases for a bit and thought I'd try covering them for fun.

this pattern is more green then I could seem to capture with the camera

I covered a small box that previously held tea. The clay started off as translucent and then I tinted with blues and green, adding some inks and silver leaf as well.

A Blog Award

2010-01-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today I received a nomination from Carolyn of 2 Good Claymates for the Sunshine Award. Thanks so much Carolyn. Unfortunately at the moment I can't figure out how to copy the image of the award. urg!

Here are the rules for accepting this award:
- Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
- Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
- Link the nominees within your post.
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

http://2goodclaymates.blogspot.com/
http://www.catherienarts.com/
http://gardensofutopia.blogspot.com/
http://amusedcreations.blogspot.com/
http://jesterkiss.blogspot.com/
http://beadcomber.blogspot.com/
http://blog.simple-inspirations.com/
http://butterscotchgrove.wordpress.com/
http://eugenascreations.blogspot.com/
http://into-the-dawn.blogspot.com/
http://www.crafterella.com/
http://knighttwork.blogspot.com/

Each one of these bloggers offers some amazing creations to share and unique inspiration.

I love using google reader so I can stay up to date with a variety of blogs! It's a great time saver and so easy to use.

One World One Heart Giveaway

2010-01-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

I have decided to particpate in this wonderful event again this year. Today I made a cane that I will use to cover a box and that will be one item in my giveaway. If you haven't heard about this event check out this site.

http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/one-world-one-heart.html

I should also say that I found the tutorial for this cane here http://www.polypediaonline.com/

Lime green and dots

2010-01-17T17:02:00.001-08:00

Here a funny little box it makes me smile.

Memory Wire Bracelets and key chains

2010-01-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

At work I have a set of keys and to keep from loosing them this year I made myself a distinct memory wire bracelet and added a key ring. I have had some really positive reactions to my bracelet so I thought I would make a few to show off at work.

Clay Daze

2010-01-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver Island Polymer Clay Guild (VIPCG) is hosting a low key clay weekend on Jan 22-24 2010. This event is just a short couple of weeks away. It is going to be a weekend of clay play a informal weekend filled with like minded artists and friends. Follow this link for more information. http://islandclayers.blogspot.com/

The Truth

2010-01-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

The truth is that I don't follow directions, instructions or tutorials very well. Quite often as I mentally prepare to build my next box or vessel I spend hours surfing on the internet and thumbing through the books I have collected this is especially true when I want to create something a little different from what I have previously made. The muse seems to need a lot of fuel to mull over. On the internet I will chat with friends, ask them questions, I will search words, colours and themes. Then I will go to flickr or Picasa and search online albums the same way. After I have given the muse all the input she can handle the idea starts to create it's self. Most night as I lay down to sleep I start putting different colour combinations, textures and shapes together in my mind looking for just the right combination for this particular project.

Currently I have a very special project in mind but it is taking it's time to percolate. I have gone through my collections of rocks, shells, beach glass and beads pulling out some things that I may want to include. I have tried multimedia before with out much success so maybe this time it will work. I suspect this project will be a few more weeks in the making.

A birthday gift for Gen

2010-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

I don't often see my friend Gen she lives almost two hours away. When I realized her birthday was comming up I decided to make her a gift and go visit for the day. During the process of making this box I took some pictures to demonstrate the steps involved in creating a all clay box. By no means is this a tutorial as some steps are not included and I have not included any further information. For a look at the process click on this link it will take you to my web album. http://tinyurl.com/ybrf5gf

Merry Christmas to all!

2009-12-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

I would like to wish all those that drop by my blog a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Take time to relish family and friends and treasure the moments! Enjoy relaxing around the dinner table and taking a few deep breaths. Know that the new year brings with it many wonderful things and even some challenges. I treasure blogging and knowing how many amazing people I have met online. Supportive and encouraging friends and artists. Enjoy where ever you are and enjoy the holiday to the fullest.

As I created the last two boxes I realized that I have now been creating boxes and vessels for a year. Last year just before the VIPCG lunch I covered my first tin. The person that received the the first tin I covered also by some wonderful coincidence also received the tin I covered this year. I have really enjoyed creating vessels and boxes. I think I will continue with this trend for some time to come. It really is my favourite thing to do with polymer clay.

Take care everyone!

Green filigree tear drop box

2009-12-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

This green box is going to be a gift as well for my aunt. I know she won't see this before the morning because as of right now she's on the ferry traveling to visit me.

Blue filigree Box

2009-12-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

Unlike the previous two boxes this box is all clay initally formed around a cookie cutter. This tear drop shapped box is a gift for some one special!

Blue Filigree Covered Tin

2009-12-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

I prefer to wait and take pictures during the day with natural light, unfortunatly this is a gift for some one tomorrow and I won't get another chance to take pictures. The tin I covered was formarly filled with choclate. I think it has become a lovely little trinket container.

Our Christmas Tree 2009

2009-12-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

Here's our tree for 2009. Many of the ornaments I have been given through childhood or collected over the years. Decorating the tree each year brings on a flood of memories for me.Merry Christmas to all, take a moment to remember what the season truly means. A focus on family, friends and time together.

Green filigree tin

2009-12-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to try filigree (again) and finally found the perfect project for the technique. I did find some insipration on the internet, sorry I don't remember where. I will be attending a ladies lunch with some of the ladies from the clay group on the island. We decided to exchange gifts with those that attend the lunch. I pondered what to make and searched for inspiration. I finally choose to cover an altoid tin that I have had in my stash for over a year. I still need to find something to put in the tin. This was a fun project. I couldn't have done it with out my extruder!

A ornament Swap (spoiler alert)

2009-12-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

This is the third year I have participated in a group ornament swap with Clayamies. For the swap I made 20 mittens in total I have probably made around 30 mittens. I wanted to make something simple and easy to ship. It took a couple of tries to develop something that I was happy with. Each mitten is slightly different. They were a lot of fun to make. Here is a sampling of a few of the mittens I made.

Blue striped box

2009-12-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Here is my most recent vessel.

Winterfest Gift

2009-12-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

I am participating in a gift exchange with a group called Clayamies. This is a Canada wide group of very talented clayers. I am playing secret Santa to some who lives on Vancouver Island. I was on a short deadline to create something small and flat that could go in the mail and arrive by Dec 14th. On the evening of Dec 14th the group will sit in front of their computers across Canada and take turns opening their gifts. We all log in to MSN and chat. It is really a lot of fun hearing about what everyone receives and even better to see some of the gifts. Here is one of the items I am sending to my giftee.

The Delightful Ms. Julie Picarello

2009-11-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I travelled to Vancouver with 4 other talented and delightful women. Passing the time on the ferry chatting and discussing what we might learn over the weekend. I did attempt to take a couple pictures on the ferry and over the weekend but they didn't turn out. I did get a nice shot of Julie smiling, something she did through the weekend. I really enjoyed the weekend and learned a great deal about Julie's method of mokume gane. I made a few beads on Saturday. Although what I really wanted to do was make a box or vessel with this new to me concept! So today made my mokume gane stack and started the base for my box. Thanks for the inspiration Julie. I will post more pictures as this project progress. Opps I almost forgot the link to Julie's site http://www.yhdesigns.com/

Workshop this Weekend

2009-11-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to be attending a workshop this weekend with Julie Picarello. http://www.yhdesigns.com/ Julie will be teaching her mokume gane method on Saturday and Sunday will be spent learning how she uses her extruder. I am travelling to Vancouver with 4 other talented women. I think there will lots of laughter and giggles through the weekend. There are just over 20 people attending this event, it promises to be a great time. I'm looking forward to learning some wonderful new things, meeting new friends and connecting with old friends. Check back next week some time for a review and some pictures of the weekend.

A new blog Annoucement

2009-10-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Some of you may already know that I have started a second blog. Go here to see what is going on. www.babybetcher.blogspot.com if you scroll down to the very bottom of the page you will see a terrific image.

Water colour painting experience

2009-10-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended a water colour painting workshop. I had talked with a couple friends before the class one said that painting with water colours is difficult and another said the opposite. So figured that I would just go and have fun. The class was taught by a wonderful local artists based on Gabriola Island, unfortunately I did not write down her full name or other information. I did try to find her online with out success.

We did a total of 3 paintings. The teaching method used was very affective, Linda would do a brief demonstration and then we would return our work stations and copy what we were shown this was repeated through the day. I managed to take a few pictures before my card was filled up on the camera.

stage 1 of the first painting

the first stage of the second painting

my pallet, brush, rag, the tape we used to keep
the paper attached to the corrugated plastic board
and bucket of water

nearing the end of painting 3 we used a graphite
transfer to put the image on the 100% cotton rag
paper

Splish Splash

2009-10-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Today I went out looking for a pair of rubber boots the only criteria I had was that they couldn't be the regular plain old black gum boots. I did find these wonderfully fun and colourful boots. Now I'm ready the the next week of rain fall.

Quirky Finds

2009-09-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

On one of my trips to Victoria over the summer I took some funny pictures. Down a small side street I spotted a jewellery shop with a wonderful name! Sadly they were closed the day I was there

The next 3 pictures are of large Terra cotta tiles that have been incorporated into a fence surrounding the patio at a restaurant that I believe was called the Red Dragon. I love the pattern and texture of the tiles.

Back off, it's mine!

2009-09-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Tina has done it again! She has created phenomenal faux stones from polymer clay. I don't know how she does it! Tina's faux rocks look like the real thing, I tried to guess which stones were which and I it was too hard I had to give up. Now Tina is giving away a faux rock bracelet and it's mine! No one else should blog about it or attempt to make guesses on her rock contest. That bracelet is coming to my house. If you really want to see these convincing faux rocks pop over to Tina's blog http://beadcomber.blogspot.com/ and have a look. Scroll down and check out her contest and I dare you to pick the real from the faux!

New blog!

2009-09-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

I belong to a wonderful online group of Canadian Clayers we call our selves Clayamies. Tina has created a group blog that will allow up to 100 different contributors to make blog posts. This is a huge under taking that has been a huge effort for Tina to develop. Thank you Tina! It is certainly a work in progress and will take time to evolve. Please go check out the blog and have a look and leave some comments. It is a great place to see many different and talented people that create with polymer clay. Some of the members are full time artists and others like myself create when time allows. http://clayamies.blogspot.com/ So far there are 10 posts and the blog is a couple days old! Way to go to all the contributors and if you are waiting to be added to the blog list or added as a contributor please be patient! In the mean time comments are appreciated. This new blog will be a fun place to visit with new friends. Drop by and say "Hello"

Fear, risk and being creative

2009-09-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

I have often found myself thinking about trying a new technique or method in polymer clay and being reluctant to get started. I don't understand the written directions, not enough pictures or I don't have all of the required materials. I have a couple different choices when I come upon these self imposed obstacles. I can simply not attempt the new technique, which in truth is the fear taking over and this option frequently over rules and I stop before I make a attempt. I can try the new to me method and hope for the best, sometimes this even works. Then I become very excited and think to myself "why was I so scared to try?" It turned out great! My other option is to seek support and encouragement from some amazing and talented artists that I call friends. I have met so many people in the clay community who I can chat with online. Some of these women I have had the good fortune to meet in person and some only in online chats. Discussing my fears, reluctance and concern over learning something new is very helpful. The chat could revolve around my fear to attempt a new technique but more often it's a discussion around what it is that I am trying to learn. Maybe I have read a article online or seen something in one of my polymer clay books and I don't understand the information. This opportunity to chat in real time with friends and artists is a phenomenal learning experience in it's self. I feel so joyful in knowing how many clay friends I have made and that we can and often do lean on each other regarding creative ideas and I think more importantly we support each other through every day events. Having all of this wonderful support lessens my fear and increases the risks that I am willing to take in my creative journey. I strive to learn and improve my artistic knowledge. Sometimes fear of things failing stops me from taking a creative risk but knowing that I have support decreases my fear and I jump in with my heart and hands.

Thanks to everyone who is part of my creative community!

101 blog posts! and a tin

2009-09-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

I knew that I was getting close to 100 posts but I wasn't watching the numbers. So when I checked today there it is, 101 posts. I started this blog on July 7 2008. In just over a year I have written about a few topics with the main theme being what I have created with polymer clay. In a year I have seen my skills improve, learned about blogging, found many spectacular blogs, I've blogged about travelling, and visiting with other clayers who are terrific friends. This has been a great experience so far and I look forward to the next year. Thanks to all of you that have dropped by with a note of encouragement and other comments.

Tomorrow I am back to work after a very relaxing summer off. I have bought myself a few lunch bag with a couple pockets in it. My previous lunch bag had pockets that I just dumped things in and the contents frequently spilled out. arg! So it occurred to me last week as I was trying to fall asleep one night that I could cover a tin to co ordinate with my new bag. Here it is. The tin originally had a insert to hold a CD. I have filled the tin with a couple tea bags, some tylenol and antihistamines. I'm not sure the tin is deep enough. If not I get to make another tin!

Blackberry Crumble

2009-08-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a Friend from work coming for tea so I thought I would make a treat to eat. It took some pondering to figure out what to make. Then I thought of the blackberry crumble another friend makes...sooo good. So I ventured outside in search of blackberries to pick. I found some. I was also reminded of how sharp the thorns are on the long brambles. In fact I got more then one hug from the long clingy tentacles of the blackberries. In fact the bushes seemed to want me to stay, they just wouldn't let go. I was very glad I had taken along a pair of snips to cut my way out.

cooking down about 8 cups of blackberries

into the dish to bake

crumble added and out of the oven. Oh it was so very yummy. In fact it turned out so well thanks to Gloria for the guidance and recipe. That my mother is coming to visit today so she can have some.

Just to prove I'm never far from the computer, it came with me to the kitchen so I could cook and talk.

I also have a small confession. I have been thinking about selling my creations again. I will be applying to attend and sell at a show this fall with my friend Gen. I have had the application for a week now and am feeling rather scared about applying and selling. I am also considering selling online and approaching a local gallery. As soon as I start to consider these things the muse runs screaming and running away from the studio. It's really scary to think about pleasing others with my creations. The muse seems to be on vacation again. While she is away I will make myself do some sanding and truly finish some of the boxes I created this summer.

I have had wonderful reactions to my notebook and pen. I do want to make another one, but the thought of selling has apparently freaked out the muse. She is being a little temperamental at the moment. Ahh now that I have confessed I can take a deep breath and focus.

Beachy pen and notebook set

2009-08-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was surfing the internet recently and saw a store bought notebook with a wire sprial spine. The orignal carboard cover had been taken off and replaced with a polymer clay cover. I loved the idea. This was definetly a challenge, worth completing. I am planning on using this set at work this year. Let me know what you think.

Going Swirly

2009-08-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Meet going swirly this vessel is approximatly 3 inches tall and 4 inches long. I applied a texture to the clay and then used some mica powder for shine. I also used a gun metal coloured rub on product for the lid to give some contrast.

A talented sculptor

2009-08-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have met a wonderful gal on line who lives in the Montreal area. She has her hands full with 4 children the youngest is almost 4 months old now. Some how she manages to find time to create wonderful whimsical figures. Her newest creation is a mermaid baby boy. He looks as if he just waking from a nap. He's a colourful creature! Here's the link to him on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140340761030 . He's looking for a home. I know that the artist is in the middle of creating another amazing sculpture. This is Janice's blog link where she often posts pictures of work in progress. http://gardensofutopia.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

2 black and white vessels with a little brown thrown in

2009-08-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here are 3 new vessels. They are all about the same size under 3 inches tall.

Feeding the Muse

2009-08-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Suddenly a few days ago the "Muse" began to holler at me. I need something I need some stimulation and a break. So her and I went off to the beach right that afternoon. I took a few pictures, enjoyed the wind blowing my hair around my face and picked up a few shells. I enjoyed that so much that I did it again today. Starting to feel recharged and the muse is pondering a few new projects. Last night I drove up to Victoria to visit with my friend Gen. We chattened and clayed and even laughed a little. I think tomorrow the muse and I will be ready to create again.

Two little vessels

2009-08-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

These two containers are just under 2 inches high and about 2 inches across. Great for storing something special.

Heavenly purple

2009-08-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have created a pair of vessels. The first two pictures are of the smaller vessel and the next two pictures are the larger vessel.

Excursions to Victoria

2009-08-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last week was a eventful one. On Tuesday I drove into Victoria to have lunch with some wonderful ladies. I felt honored to be part of the lunch as the attendees are a remarkable group of talented and creative women including Gera Scott Chandler, Wanda Shum, Liz, Kristine and Barb. We met up for lunch to meet Roberta in person of http://www3.pei.sympatico.ca/palmers/ We ate quickly and then talked for hours about clay and our lives! I sadly didn't take pictures during lunch. I did go for a short walk after lunch and shot a few pictures of the Victoria harbour.

Over the weekend hubby and I headed back to Victoria to mark ou 3rd wedding anniversary and to attend a friend's wedding reception. For lunch we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory and I took a couple more pictures. The first one is of a neat railing.

Hanging light fixture

The end bracket of a bench

Flowers in front of the Empress Hotel

A pair of dreamy hearts

2009-07-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Over the last week I created a pair of stacking boxes. My biggest adventure with these boxes was learning how to make the lids fit over the box. (like a shoe box lid) It was a little tricky but it worked out. These dreamy little boxes were a lot of fun to create. I hope that you can tell in the pictures how the lids fit. Thanks for looking. I'd love to hear from you how you like my little boxes and the colours I'm using.

this is the smaller heart box closed

smaller heart box open

side view of larger box to show how the lid fits

top view of larger box

Any one for a giant game of Tetris?

2009-07-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

During the winter we heat our home primarily with our wood stove. Last winter we used approximately 3 cords of wood and we ran out of wood in March. So this year we hope to have 4-5 cords of wood. We have had this pile of wood drying in our side yard for a while now. My husband built this temporary shed to contain the wood, later on it will be covered with a tarp. Today hubby split some firewood and I played Tetris. The wood in the pictures is approximately 5 feet high and a little over 6 feet long. It was really warm here today so this took us a couple hours with a few breaks in between. In fact later this afternoon we cut and stacked some more! Give us a couple more weeks and it will all be done.

The remaining wood pile to be split and stacked.

A different angle of the same wood pile. The fence that you can see in this picture is around 5 feet high.

Greeny Ocean Breeze

2009-07-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

As of last night I think my muse is tired and has left on a short vacation. I couldn't even come up names for the two most recent creations. Thanks Janice for the help with names this morning. I'm pondering what colours to work with next and at the moment I'm stumped. So a break for a day or two may be needed.

Dreamy Milk Chocolate

2009-07-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Zebra of a different Kind

2009-07-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

I often come up with a name for my vessels as I am creating. This little box doesn't have a name yet I'd love some suggestions. The box is about 2.5 inches square and about 2 inches tall. So sweet.

Sold

Bubbly Blueberry

2009-07-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

This little vessel is awfully cute and fits in the palm of my hand. It would be great to store a little jewellery or some paper clips on your desk.

Tool holders

2009-07-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

While I was visiting with Tina I was able to flip through her large collection of magazines. One of the magazines was Polymer Cafe fall 2006. It had a great idea for using a metal business card holder as a form and creating a blade holder.

This first holder I used a cardboard tube to drape my clay over.

I used two cardboard tubes here to create a form to hold my acrylic roller. My roller often rolls away from me and lands on the floor with a great thump. Hopefully this will solve that issue

With this last blade holder I actually used a metal business card holder as a form it worked really well I think.

My Tofino Adventure

2009-07-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have safely returned from my wonderful visit with Tina in Tofino. We had a wonderful time creating with clay. On Tina's blog http://beadcomber.blogspot.com/ you will see the necklaces we created and the details. The necklaces were a real challenge to put together. The results were definitely worth the time and effort.

I also with some guidance created a polymer clay slab box. This first attempt is for my eye only as it was truly a experiment. hehe. The next box will be a great improvement and I will share that one.

On Tuesday mid morning Tina, her husband Bill and I took a much needed break so we got dressed for the rain and piled into the truck. We went to a wonderful place called Schooner Cover in Tofino. The adventure started in the parking lot and a with a few short steps we were immersed in a old growth forest. Surrounded by enormous Hemlock trees, wild blueberries and other vegetation. The path through the forest was a wooden boardwalk, some of the boardwalk had been replaced in the last few years and some of the path was well worn. I had to stop periodically to gaze around me and take in the wild beauty around me.

This is a picture of a large crevasse created bye the ocean and time on a small island just off the beach we explored.

A set of steps on the boardwalk.

Tina and I.

This pair of trees is near the begging of the trail at Schooner Cove a very nice natural arch to pass through.

I feel rested, rejuvenated and ready to continue creating in polymer clay. Thanks for everything Tina and Bill!