Birds

Not a lot to show for the past week even though I’ve spent a fair amount of time in my studio (I love saying that!!!). Just experimenting with shapes and colours some of which turned out and some of which are real duds.

This is a brooch I made using translucent clay mixed with red for the bird. I was hoping it would appear more of a deep red but instead it’s a more watermelon shade.  But I like it against the dark silver clay.

It’s about 3.5 cm in diam. and I’ve attached some random pieces of chain and a single bead. Harking back to the old days when a lot of brooches had a safety chain attached, only these chains are decorative.

Here’s a necklace I made a few days ago.

Again using translucent clay mixed with alcohol inks. I haven’t used trans clay much so I thought I’d try my hand at mixing inks and different coloured clays through it.

It’s a stinking hot day here in sunny old Perth. Terrible bush fires down south in Margaret River with the loss of about 20 homes and hectares of beautiful forest gone up in smoke. The worst start to summer ever.

Technorati Tags: polymer clay,polymer clay brooch,translucent clay,alcohol inks

Plentiful Pendants

I have pendants coming out of my ears. So I’ve listed these on my madeit store.

Black clay with silver highlights.

Ivory clay with pale gold highlights.

Denim blue on suede with silver highlights.

and this is my favourite, pewter clay with light silver highlights.

Now see these………

……I see trouble and grief heading my way. They look good but I know when I bake them awful things well may happen and I’ll tell you why. See the white markings along the branches (not the white dots, they’re fine) well the patterned piece is a very thin overlay on top of dark clay and because it’s so thin I couldn’t get it flat against the base clay without squashing the texture, so those white markings are probably going to turn into bubbles. I’ll let you know how they turn out. It’ll probably end in tears!!!

Just as I suspected……..trouble and grief.

I just cooked these. The top photos are the baked, bottom unbaked….shame the bottom ones looked pretty good.

Technorati Tags: polymer clay,polymer clay pendants,texture

…….and Action!

 

Here’s a couple of short videos I made on my ipad with the help of my wonderful friend Carmen. I’m demonstrating Viva Decor Inka-Gold cream paints which I just love while Carmen is holding the ipad.

 

The first very short video is a bit of a dud. My vanity got the better of me.

 

 

 

The second video is marginally better with a bit more of an explanation and some samples of what can be done with these lovely paints.

 

 

But I do need a lot more practice at this video caper. Like holding things up properly and for a little longer so you get a better view of the sample piece. And remembering to take my bracelet off so it doesn’t clang and bang on the table, and not to sniff (it’s hay fever season here at the moment……sorry). And possibly getting the camera operator……yes, you Carmen…… to ask some insightful and pertinent questions about the product.

 

Rolling credits:

 

Demonstrator:  Davinia

Camera operator:  Carmen

Director:  Carmen

Producer:  Davinia

Technorati Tags: viva decor paints,polymer clay

Circles and Dots and Squares

I’ve been playing around with my rather substantial collection of paints. I had some scraps of clay on my desk that when mixed together became a very pale grey. So I rolled it out and just started dabbing different colours of paint over it. I used Golden green and silver and Josona’s pale yellow.

Once the paint was dry (well almost) I textured the clay with squares and dots.

Then I cut out circles and used the inside cut-outs as well to create the overall shape using Liquid Translucent Clay to stick them together.

 

Once it was baked and cooled I smeared Folk Art Black metallic paint over the whole lot and before it was dry I wiped most of it off with damp paper towel.

Gunmetal embossed chain and a toggle and clasp finished it off and I have to say I like it. Something a little different and with a slightly contemporary feel to it.

It’s 12 cm (5”) across by 5 cm (2”) high so it’s a reasonable size and just sits nicely below the collar bone.

What do you think?

Technorati Tags: polymer clay,polymer clay necklace,golden paints,texture,gunmetal chain