More Clay and Away Today

Before I forget - I have been meaning to put this at the top of my blog for ages and every time I blog I forget.

Jude has some fabulous blog candy on offer - I have had it in my sidebar for some time now but have kept forgetting to mention it on here.  Here is another picture:

A bit scrummy what!

You have until the end of March to join in

Now, if you can stay on this page rather than rushing off to Jude's I will show you some of the pendants I did yesterday with the Mokume Gane.

Think the purple velvet has changed the colour of these in the photograph.  Most are going to be pendants but there are a couple of pairs of ear-rings in there.  The ones in the last vertical row did not have a layer of Mokume Gane put over them but were left in the raw state.  The backs of all the pendants are similar to this last row.

Didn't realise the hole for my jump ring looks skewiff, won't show when it is put in and added to a chain or whatever it ends up on.  Can you see how the translucent has gone milky in parts and clear in others?

A couple of other shapes

Now I have to sand them to give them a shine but this is going to be a problem as I have been diagnosed with COPD and most of you will realise that this is a breathing problem.  Not sure what I am going to do as yet as I obviously do not want the dust, especially from gold leaf, to go on my chest.  I might have to get Chas to give them a light sanding (ooer, can I trust him?) and then use a glaze over the top.    Anyway, I know I showed you yesterday but here are some views of the unbaked clay which I used to cover these.

Interesting?

Hopefully will blog tomorrow and might even have some pictures from Harrogate to show you.

Polymer Clay

Well, today I have been playing creating with clay again.  Have you seen the advert in my sidebar for Elements II?   Once again I am doing the polymer clay element and this time Paddy came up with the idea of my doing Mokume Gane (pronounced mah-ku-may gone-ay) - sorry I don't know where the accents are on this keyboard - should be an acute accent over both "e's" at the end of each word.

It is often translated as "wood grain metal" and the technique dates back to the 17th century when it was discovered by Denbei Shoami, a sword maker.  Look it up in Google and you will see some fabulous jewellery using precious metals.  Expensive - you have been warned!

It is a good technique for beginners in polymer clay to experiment with and there are various methods of achieving a pleasing effect.  Paddy wants me to do the "indented" method and to use "translucent" clay and "gold leaf".  These first pieces use seven different colours of Pardo PC including black and translucent (the reason being that we can bake it in a domestic oven as it does not contain phthlates):

I was a bit bothered about giving too much away but saw, on Paddy's blog, that she had taken photos of her work and included much more than I was going to so now here is the same amount as she has shown.  Can't get into trouble can I?  You will see I have made some beads inside metal caps, done some round ones, some heart shaped buttons, a tiny pendant and a square piece which I am not going to tell you what it is for.  Likewise the cone shape?  What on earth can it be?  All will be revealed at some other time.

Then I wanted to make some more, try for a different look, and so I used some of my own Fimo clay in different colours - six this time but again including black and translucent.  This time I was a bit more discerning about where I cut my slices and what bits I used.

The gold leaf has shown up more this time and the translucent clay has gone clear in some places.  This time four rectangles (bet you can guess now what they are for), no bell caps on beads just round ones, but tiny buttons, and again, that mysterious cone.

 

this is it raw

Now baked

(as a ceramicist I still want to say "fired")

You can see how the gold leaf has shown through the translucent clay in parts but remained milky in others.  Now I am waiting for some more to come out of the oven as I made quite a bit with my own clay and have cut out some pendants.  Perhaps I will show you these tomorrow - well, schedule these tonight as I will be at Harrogate tomorrow (Hello Lisa and Sue (thanks for becoming a follower Sue) - and friends from Vicky Stampers who I know are coming).

Hope you liked my little showing of polymer clay.  Have I time to make up some more - no - must get ready for Harrogate as it is an early get up in the morning.

Just for Fun - New Format to You

For my piece on this Challenge I have used an Origami Book as taught to me by Caz at Vicky Stampers at the beginning of the month. When I first saw the photographs of what we were going to make I thought I had already done this but when I saw it in the flesh it was something quite different.

This is the whole book opened out.  I chose different scrapbook papers (8 x 8) for each of my pages and then, because it was not double sided I coloured the white side with Victorian Velvet Distress ink.

I used Cranberry Adirondack Ink to stamp my images.  If you look at the two outer triangles they are part of the pages and I just used a selection of small Asian stamps I had to create interest on these sections.

The tags are slotted in behind the two triangles (shown as solid colour which is actually the colour of the paper used) and again are stamped with Cranberry on Victorian Velvet tags.

These are the tags in a bit more detail.  of course, yours truly does not listen and I ended up with more pages than I was supposed to have and so I had to make some more tags when I got home.

A dozen tags - phew!

Hope you like my offering for this week's challenge - it was a format new to me and I am hoping to do another one - this time in black and white - the book is made - just need to get my tags done.  Sorry I am not giving instructions on how to make but it is Caz's book and not mine - maybe she will put them on her blog - shall I ask her?

Some great techniques this last week, girls you really pulled out the stops and I now have a list of things I want to try out - thanks so much for joining us and thanks for the great ideas.

Why don't you pop over to Just for Fun and join in the Challenge. There are some great themes coming up and I promise to visit each and every one of you who enters (and not always at the last minute, honest).

WOYWW 93

What a lovely Doctor my friend Margaret saw yesterday.  He was so nice and 'patient' (can't think of the word I want), he explained everything to us, took time to listen, answered all questions and it seemed as if he had all day to deal with her.  Hopefully now she can get the treatment she needs to help her regain her life and begin crafting again.

Anyway, here is my desk this morning.  Began cutting card up last night but was tired and so I stopped.

Not really my desk - my chair!

On Sunday, at the show, I had to cut some A3 card down a little to feed it through the Grand Calibur with the die jutting out (to make a scalloped card) so I decided to bring the card home and cut it on the cutter in readiness for next weekend and the Harrogate show (do say hello - Oyster Stamps stand - if you are going).  You can just see one of the scalloped cards on the desk along with some of the bits I have cut off.

This is my desk

a bit contrived looking

Yes, that is a Vagabond you are looking at.  Love it - can't wait to have a whole day to play with it - got lots of ideas in my head and a new die from my friend Jayne on Sunday.  But what is that lurking behind it - YES - it is the Grand Calibur.  No, I have not bought one, yet, but Tracey let me bring it home to play with.  Guess what? I forgot to bring some dies!  Doh!  Still I can cut out some things with my other Spellbinders - just not Grande ones.

That's my favourite (and probably one of my first) cutters and my brilliant stamping mat to the other side.  You might just sneak a peek at the corner of the packets of charms I bought from Ali-Crafts on Sunday and there's a blue pamphlet which is an old (64th) CHA programme which I want to show Jo so she can see how big it used to be compared with the one she saw this year.

To the right you can just about see my ATG gun which has given me endless grief recently, so much so that I almost "pitched it" across the room the other day.  I just keep snapping the tapes or they run wrong and even though I religiously follow the instructions on You Tube I mustn't be getting it right.

So no crafting today, just cutting card ready for Harrogate.  Sorry if I disappoint all you followers of the incredible Ms Dunnit with my lack of crafting - for those who do not know what I am talking about I suggest you pop over to The Stamping Ground and follow some of the links (after reading what Julia has to say - she'll probably give you a laugh, she has the knack).  You can wile away an hour or so - good excuse for a cuppa.  Enjoy!

Super Show

Yesterday the show was really busy.  When the crowds came in the stall was under seige and I could not sit down as there was simply no room for a chair.  I was demonstrating the Grand Calibur, mainly showing people how to cut a scalloped card using one of the Grand Nestability Dies and it was not long before I sold my first Grand Calibur.  I had to fight my way back to my side of the table which I had left it to put the name of the lady on the first one underneath the table.

This little beauty was flying off the shelves (we sold out and had to take orders) but Tracey assures me there will be plenty of stock for Harrogate which is a two day show next weekend.  Anybody going to Harrogate?  Do stop and say hello - I will be with the Grand Calibur on Oyster Stamps.

When I got home it was to sad news.  My old friend Kath had died that morning, her daughter, Sheila had rung to let me know.  Now Kath was the mother of my best friend Kay who died some years ago having undergone surgery for breast cancer which simply spread throughout her body in the end.  I made a promise to Kay that I would always visit her mum and I have kept that promise, at first visiting her weekly, but then as Kath began to suffer with dementia I am afraid my visits went to fortnightly and then to monthly this last year.

Kath was a lovely old lady who used to keep us enthralled by the stories of her life in Virginia Waters many many years ago.  She met lots of  famous people down there, and worked in the post office at Windsor for some time.  Kath would have been 97 next Sunday, 20th March, and a few years ago I was convinced she would be getting her telegram from the Queen.  When I saw her last week she was poorly,, but comfortable clean and obviously well cared for by the staff at Burrswood House, but I did secretly hope she would make her birthday.

I have made this card for her daughter, Sheila and family.  I am not putting "with Sympathy" on it as it somehow does not seem right.  Kath had a good life, and a long one and so I just want the family to know that I am thinking of them so that is what I will put inside the card.

It is an Elusive Images rubber stamp which Dot sent me for my birthday.  I stamped it in black and put clear embossing powder over and then I masked the outside of the image and coloured inside with Distress Inks.

Whilst I was in my room I decided to catalogue my new fairy stamps (not sure they are fairies when I look at them - am sure I was told they are) so in the process I made a couple more quick cards.

There is a small tulip stamp which I thought went well with this one and so I added some direct to the card peeking out from the main image.  Am wondering if this is a bit bare.

For this one I used up two images and as there was no stamp related to either I used this corner of ivy which I think is rather nice.

Well, off to the hospital with a friend tomorrow so must get to bed as I have to be up bright and early.  Will take myself a book to read whilst she is being seen to - hope we are not there too long but hope they diagnose what is wrong with her so she can get some proper treatment.

Probably back on Wednesday for the WOYWW and most likely my desk will be a bit of a mess.

Anyone Going to Leigh Tomorrow?

I have been a bit remiss with my crafting since my birthday - maybe I was overwhelmed by the fabulous array of handmade cards I received.  I must try to do a video of all of them and upload it here so you can see.  But ... not until they have been up at least a week as I am enjoying seeing them day by day.

After dinner I decided I should try to get one or two cards made as I have some birthdays coming up that I need to acknowledge and what better way to do them than by using some of the lovely stamps I got from my friend Lorraine.  They stamp a dream.

I hadn't realised they were all fairy stamps until Jayne pointed it out to me but almost every fairy image has a smaller stamp that can be used with it - this is the only one that doesn't but I used these butterflies which I already had,.

This has both the flowers and the dragonflies

Love this with the border of flowers

And this one has a largish corner to use

These are only four of the fairies and there are lots more to come - I can see I am going to enjoy using these.

I also got some stamps from Dot and from Aunty Mary (pet name) which I need to put on EZ Mount and then get using.  So you see I have lots to be doing in the coming weeks.  Then there are some balloons from my friend Mary in America which can be used on a celebration card which I must do - pity I missed Mardi Gras on Tuesday.

Well, wondered if anyone is going to the Sincerely Yours Show at Leigh tomorrow.  It is a super little show and if you buy your tickets in advance you get free tea or coffee all day (I think).  Usually it is well attended and a very busy popular show and yours truly will be working on the Oyster Stamps stand - probably using the Cuttlebug or maybe the Grand Calibur.  Please pop by and say "hello" if you are going - would love to meet up with you.

Tracey says there will be Martha Stewart new Punch All Over the Page and other new punches,

The Martha Stewart Scoring Board (I love mine - would not be without it)

New range of Spellbinders Dies for 2011

Tim Holtz NEW Distress Stains

NEW La Blanche Stamps

Demonstrations of the new Cuttlebug Version 2, The Grand Calibur and the Pazzles Inspiration

PLUS Demonstrations of the Martha Stewart Punches and La Blanche Stamps.

Can you afford to miss it if you live in the area?  Hopefully see you there!

Just for Fun - New Technique

When I saw what I had to produce for the Just for Fun challenge I did kind of take a step back as I love techniques and was wondering what I could do, if I was being honest, and then I thought about Soot Stamping!  Never done it, shied away from it - so now was the time.

There are some gorgeous samples done by the Design Team and I just want to have a play at them all as soon as I can.  Anyway, back to Soot Stamping.

All the instructions said to use Glossy cardstock, hold a lit candle underneath letting the flame touch the cardstock.  They also all warned that it is easy for the edges of the cardstock to catch fire so the best thing was to do it over a sink.

Well, three or four attempts later and not one had caught fire.  The reason for three or four attempts is that although they turned out fine (I was secretly rather pleased with the results) I had problems when spraying with a fixative.  The first two went a bit "spotty" and so ended in the bin.  With the next two I just went for it and sprayed direct on the cardstock and stood with fingers and legs crossed.  Here is my card:

I quite like the misty quality, although it should be a card I upload around November time, and I felt the Alcohol Inked background paper gave it a lift and echoed autumnal colours too.  Ok, it's Spring!  I am just a wee bit early.

Hope you like my second piece of work since joining the JFF DT - I am having a great time and exploring new avenues.  See you next week!

ps  after several queries I realise I had not put any instructions up - all you do is (over the sink so you are near water and a receptacle to drop it in should it catch fire - remember mine did not) light a candle, taper kind is best not a fat display type one, and allow the flame to touch the cardstock, moving it about so it blackens the cardstock.  When happy with it blow out candle and carefully put sooty card down and then stamp on it with a plain, uninked rubber stamp.  Careful when you lift it off - any mark will show.  Then apply fixative to stop it rubbing off.  I first misted over it and that didn't work for me so the second time I sprayed directly on to the card - that was better.  Check when it is dry that it won't come off - if necessary give it a second coat.


Just wash your stamp in water - I used a toothbrush on mine.