Getting Ready

In between making decorations for my son’s engagement, I’ve been trying to get ready for the Boutique Markets hand made market day on the 18th March (you can see the flyer on the left of screen). It’s at the Burswood Casino in the Grand Ballroom. And I have to say the ballroom will be even grander when it’s filled with lots of hand made goodness and little ol’ me, Back Pocket Designs, all set up and raring to go. And all with the help of my best and dearest friend Carmen.

Well I have quite a lot of jewellery to display so I’ve been concentrating on my sweet little clay gift tags. Yesterday I wrapped up some parcels and tied some gift tags to them, that way I can set up a little display on part of the table so people have an idea of ways to use them.

 

I’ve made quite a few different colours with lots of different images, some have little teapots and teacups on them which I think will be perfect to tie onto a kitchen tea gift or house warming present.

Oven has just dinged so I’d better check the next batch.

Technorati Tags: polymer clay,polymer clay gift tags

I Have Been Busy…….Really

Now I’m waist deep in engagement decorations. I’ve developed biceps from cranking out 100’s of cuttlebug dies making the backboard for the sweets table. Once it’s all put together I’ll take photos.

Some of my ideas didn’t quite gel, so these rosettes were going in the bin. But then I thought that’s very wasteful, even though they’re not quite perfect and didn’t quite look how I imagined they would maybe they’d look ok on my studio walls.

So out came the glue gun and the bostik and I stuck them to the wall.

I brightens up the joint.

Technorati Tags: rosettes,decorations

Featuring

I’m knee deep in engagement decorations which explains my absence from my blog.  So I thought I’d feature some of the designers, crafters and makers on madeit.com. This is the on line market place I joined a couple of months ago and I’m so glad I did. I’ve had more success in 3 short months on madeit than I have in 3 or 4 years on Artfire (still tossing up about closing my store there).

So without further ado let me introduce you to……

…..Zinnia Pea. I love this mug, perfect for that stressed out office worker you know.

Quirky marble coaster or wall hanging from Studio Impress.

Something for the little ones in your life a sweet fabric wall decal from Miss Minzy.

Love the lemon colour of these canvases from Sarah Emily Designs.

Madeit.com is an Australian owned site but I think most store owners ship overseas, I do.

Off topic. Having trouble with my comments form. I’m not getting email notifications for some of them and one I did get a notification for didn’t show up on my blog. I believe it has something to do with the .au that is now on the end of our blog address for people blogging in Australia. Also new followers aren’t showing up even though my number has increased. Very frustrating and I wish blogger would hurry up and fix this problem. I’m in the process of changing my comment form so bare with me if things go a little wonky from time to time.

Technorati Tags: madeit.com,designers,coffee mugs,canvas,wall art

The Decorations

The decorations for the engagement party have started in earnest. So after perusing the internet for ideas I came across this.

Source 

Absolutely gorgeous. So I thought I’d try something similar, but after a few attempts and several colour changes (like 5) by the bride to be, I kind of gave up on the whole pinwheel idea. They were fiddly and I just wasn’t getting a good result.

So out came the trusty cuttlebug…….

…..and some dies.

I cut out 8 of these.

This die is gorgeous, it’s a spellbinder die but its a pain to use. Each time you make a cut you have to poke out all of the little bits of paper stuck in the grooves, pretty time consuming.

So I’m glad I don’t have to cut out too many.

Same with this little one, poke out the bits of paper. You can see the bits still stuck in it from the last cut that I made.

And this is what I ended up with, although this is just a prototype at the moment.

So my aim is to make enough to cover a board 60cm x 30cm.  Varying the colours of each one but keeping to the same scheme. And of course there will be some sort of polymer clay embellishment added to them as well.

This could take awhile! If it all works out like I hope I’ll take photos.

Technorati Tags: paper decorations,cuttlebug,dies

Hotter Than Hades

Holy hellfire it’s hot here. We’ve had temps in the very high 30’s (about 100 degrees) for the last few days and we’ve evidently got another week or so of the same. Summer is my least favourite time of the year, I’m an autumn/winter lover. It is so hot at the moment that it’s impossible to do anything, forget putting the oven on for baking clay or even working with clay.

So here’s a few photos of some pieces I made over the last few weeks, when the weather was cooler.

Crescent shape with some texture highlighted with a dark glaze.

And as Valentines Day is fast approaching a heart pendant.

The flower is highlighted with viva paints.

A textured star pendant that’s maybe a little too Christmassy I think.

Highlighted again with viva paints and attached to a ball chain with jump rings.

Isn’t this gorgeous.

 

It’s made with flowers punched from vellum and you can find the instruction on the 3 R’s blog. Wander around her blog and be amazed. Allison has many beautiful and very creative light shades on her blog all or most using recycled papers and have a look at her soda can pop tab light shades…..stunning.

Technorati Tags: polymer clay,polymer clay pendants,vellum,soda pop tabs

Art Saves

Barbara Lewis…..she of the wonderful creative and colourful blog Painting with Fire sent me an email a few weeks ago asking if I would mind if she linked backed to one of my posts on the website Art Saves……as if I’d say no to Barbara!!!

Some of Barbara’s gorgeous enamelled beads.

Do yourself a favour and head over to Art Saves and be inspired  by the interesting stories told by wonderfully talented and creative women who have used art to uplift them and help them through sometimes difficult times.

Barbara will be the curator of the Art Saves website during the week of 23rd January until the 29th January. And here is a list of the bloggers she’ll be highlighting.

Blog post for the week of January 23-29
A post by Rosey Revolver will air for the entire week.  She's one cool chic who makes hot jewelry!

January 23
Lori Anderson of Pretty Things
Davinia Algeri of Deez News

January 24
Mary Jane Dodd of Maire Dodd
Staci Louise Smith of Love My Art Jewelry

January 25
Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone
Andrew Thornton of The Writings of Andrew Thornton

January 26
Greer O’Neill of Vintajia

Christine Damm of Stories They Tell

January 27
Crystal Neubauer of Other Peoples Flowers 

Malin deKoning of Beading by Malin deKoning

January 28
Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studios

Diane Cook of Rosa-Josie's

January 29
Stefanie Teufel of Stefanie's Sammelsurium

Erin Siegel of Erin Siegel Jewelry

I’m really looking forward to reading the posts Barbara has chosen to link back to. Hope you are too.

Technorati Tags: Barbara Lewis,Art Saves,Painting with Fire

Getting Ready

Finally found a craft market here in Perth that I’ll be attending in March. Namely Boutique Markets and it will be held at the Burswood Casino in the Grand Ballroom (yay….indoor market). So it’s head down and bum up to make sure I have enough interesting pieces to showcase.

I have plenty of jewellery, probably enough to stock several shops.

Like this…….

….and this brooch…….

…..and this.

So I thought I would concentrate on polymer clay gift tags.

Fresh out of the oven.

Some still need to be stamped and glazed so I’d better get to it and stop playing Words with Friends. So addictive!!!!!

Technorati Tags: polymer clay,polymer clay brooches,polymer clay necklace,polymer clay gift tags