Hiding out....

I've been more than just a bit sporatic with my blog.  I'm still buying clay and thinking up ideas for my next little project I want to do.  I've even bought some website names and hosting for some of the ideas I've come up with... why?  Because I would like to be able to sell some of my creations so I have that extra money to buy more clay... do more creating....

I've just been wanting to get creating again and I've just found that my life in the last little bit was just wallowing in discord... which made it really hard to take a break and get creating because my mind was all over the place.  I hate that when that happens.

Over the last couple of days I've been cleaning up around my place - which was my major discord... I just stopped caring, which then led to a massive mess and I'm soooo not good when things are messy and I was just getting sad and mad - why... I still don't know why I let things get so messy.  I just stopped.  I was ... am ... tired.  So anyhoo, rather than wallowing in my blah-ness I decided to get tidying and in turn I started to feel better and now that I have a clean kitchen table I got back into claying.  I wanted to make a name for my new neice that made her appearance earlier last week.

I made her name out of clay... I hope to have a photo of what I've done tomorrow (see, I'm being optimistic with getting back into blogging!)  I'm still trying to figure out a good way to take pictures of what I've done that looks good as my lighting leaves everything a bit yellow... which doesn't make me very happy.

I think I need to figure out how to make my own lightbox.

I have to say that I really enjoyed working on my little project today for my niece, it's been a long time since I actually set down to do anything with clay or anything creative - It just felt good.  I hope they like what I've put together, I'd made one for my nephew when he was born... that looked like this:

Now that I'm looking at this picture... I'm hoping that the squares I've made are small enough to fit in the frame (I got a great deal on a 3 pack)... I've also made a little flower in a clay pot to add a little more dimention to it.  Fingers crossed it all fits.... or I figure out a "creative" way to make the squares fit!

I'm glad to be back and blogging about what I've been doing and I hope to also get my websites up and running so I can share with you my little adventures in that as well!



An Hour at Michaels... Priceless

Today the family and I stopped at Michaels, just to browse.  Of course I know I'm only kidding myself when I say that I just want to browse.  My browsing took me all over the store and an hour later... and almost $100 later (I don't know how it ended up being that price...lol) I've got some new ideas to give a try.

Of course I thought I'd do my Ring A Day... which turned out to be one.  I'm terrible at doing anything for any amount of time.  It's like I've got ADD... there are just so many things to do - and my mind bounces around like it's a ball in a pin ball machine.  All - Over - The - Map.  I'm just hoping with my new little purchases ... I'll be able to do a bit more focusing on my clay and start to get back into it.  I've not done any clay work in month...and quite honestly I'm missing it!

I picked up some frames for my clay, so you can hang a few
around the neck, a bird cage, 2 bird houses, some rings, pinheads,
bead / pearling rods some clay and black embossing powerder.

The start to my little polymer clay terrerium

It was quite a a bit of an eye opener when I did get my bill.  I didn't realize what I'd bought would come to that amount... I also picked up some Valentine's Day bits and bobs... so really, I guess it wasn't so bad.

I think my first project will be my little terrerium.  I picked up 2 bowls like this... of course they may get a little dusty because there is no lid, but I couldn't find anything that was enclosed and small - either they were larger flatter bowls, larger more rounded bowls (all of which would be very awesome), but I'm just wanting to do a few mushrooms, toadstools, little home, trees and grass maybe.  I'll draw out some ideas - just to be sure that I don't end up forgetting something... or maybe I'll just go for it and let the creativity go where it wants to.

Happy 2012

Ok, I'm totally not sure where 2011 disappeared to, but here we are sitting in a fresh brand new year of 2012.  I'm excited and not quite sure where I plan on being by the end of it.  Still early days and I have to say that I haven't got one single resolution for the year - I find I'm good with a resolution for 2-3 days and then it all goes to hell.  This year is a year dedicated to goals.  My goals have yet to be worked out in detail, but I think this is why I'm a bit excited.  Because I have goals in mind and if (when!) I complete them - I'm going to feel like a million dollars.  Why?  Because I managed to do something with myself rather than wallowing in the feeling that I'm getting nothing accomplished... ever.

Time for a change - I'm excited!

One of my goals this year is to make 1 ring a day out of polymer clay (mixed media....included) to spark the creative in me.  Of course I'm planning on plenty of other things... so far my goals include:

• Ring a Day - post here and on Flickr
• Create some clay characters
• Make some clay beads... I've got the books!
• Buy a desk that is exclusively just for my crafts - no more kitchen table!
• Actually get my Etsy shop open and working
• Get my bead website up and running
• ... there will be more, but that's what I've got so far

So there you have it, things to work on and enjoy doing all at the same time.  It's a new year, it's going to be a good year!

Taking a moment

I've been away... and totally not claying or being remotely creative over the past little while.  I think with the pressure of work, family and my "studio" being the kitchen table, my ability to get anything remotely creative accomplished has been lackluster to say the least.  Also my computer is continually conking out on me and it's been a pain in the butt.

I have to say that I did manage to get some crafting retail therapy in over the weekend... I was so pleased with myself.  I took the family to Michaels and had a blast - I bought enough clay to last me quite some time and it was even more awesome by the fact that the clay was 50% off!  Holla!  I bought a few more things at the store, stamps, pearl luster (I see it around... had no idea I would find it in the stamping area... gah!), and I stopped by Chapters to pickup a Moleskin book for my drawings and "creative" moments that I felt I should write down.  I also stopped by Staples to pick up some watercolour pens.  Ohhhh.. I'm all ready to get my creative on.  I've just got to find the time to myself to do it (which is WAY easier said than done).

So seeking a little inspiration as to what to put in my Moleskin book.... to put into effect with clay I decided to stop by Illustration Friday.... which this week had the word: "perennial".  Now my mind goes straight for flowers... but I wanted something different and I went through what others had come up with for the word and for the life of me, that word Perennial... gave me ziltch for inspiration.  I'm hoping that this Friday will give me something more to work with because I was an empty empty woman when it came to being inspired by this week's word.

This past week I've been looking online for some ideas, inspiration and just an opportunity to be uninhibited and just enjoy creating.  I stopped by Fun Clay and they had some "how to's" on creating little characters.  I gave a whirl to the bird... and enjoyed it so much I made two!

Crazy little birds... I had fun making them

New Books!

New Books for Polymer Clay and Jewelery Design!

Oh you have no idea how excited I was when the Purolator man came by and dropped off my books!  I got them on Friday and I ripped open the boxes I received (thank you Amazon.ca!!!).  I am so excited to get into more Jewelery making with Polymer Clay... learning a few things from Donna Kato and her Polymer Clay book and some Sherri Haab jewelery techniques.  I have to say that the little sea urchin rings sold me on the book!

I'm hoping to get a few projects up and running and hey, maybe even completed while I have a few days off work.  I really like the colourful beads that Donna makes and I'm always wondering about different techniques to make the clay look the way it does when so many talented people make their beads and I'm left going... how??? So I figure once I've got a few new techniques under my belt (hey, even figure out how to make a few polymer clay canes.... without them getting warped when I make them smaller..) I would be so stoked.  Maybe get a few more items into my online store... and finally get my Etsy store up and running.

I'm excited to get started and I'm really going to try to make some time to get creative and get the crazy work life out of the way... because that does nothing but make me mad.  So out with the negative and in with the good vibes.... seriously.

Illustration Friday: Asleep ... Part II

Illustration Friday: Topic ~ Asleep

Well I thought I'd be spending a bit more time on creating my little sleeping kitteh in clay... but in total it took about 3 1/2 hours and most of it was for making the green carpet under the kitty.  Each of the little tips of the carpet were hand rolled and made of various sizes... and I did it all while watching Harry Potter, so the time went by and it was a fun little project.

I decided to throw in a ball of yarn that the kitteh played with and then got so tired that she needed a nap on the squishy chair.  I really enjoyed myself making it and gave it to my daughter once I'd snapped a couple of pictures of it. 

My Muse.... Sweet Fluffy Kitteh

Illustration Friday: Asleep

Illustration Friday :: Topic ~ Asleep

I've been wanting to try my hand at Illustration Friday for a while and if you've been reading this blog, you've seen the Illustration Friday icon on the sidebar navigation.  Have I yet had the time to get a little creative with the ideas that come up weekly.... well.... no.  BUT!!!  Today I decided I'm going to do, as I've got a few days off and I plan on enjoying them (and not just spend the entire time cleaning and puttering and generally wasting time until I have to go back to work).  Well, that's the plan anyway.... so I'm going to put together a little clay creation of a sleeping kitteh in a funky chair with some crazy shag carpeting.  Have I ever attempted anything like this before?  Nope.  So it should be fun, challenging and hopefully not too frustrating...


  I put together the illustration in Fireworks and I have to admit since I've been away from doing anything with graphics for almost 3 years.. getting back into it is challenging.... what use to come pretty naturally is SO NOT the case.  I put together the illustration above using Adobe Fireworks.  I love that program.  It just doesn't feel as bulky as Photoshop and Illustrator... and has always been my preference when putting together graphics, editing photos, and general illustrating that have an opportunity to do.  I'd like to get back into making graphics and even trying my hand at creating web templates or something like that.

I'm getting way ahead of myself on that topic... for now I'm going to enjoy making this little clay creation.  Wish me luck!