Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Scrap Beads


Haven’t made many beads throughout my short polymer clay journey, so I thought I’d remedy that today. As most polymer clay artist know you end up with a rather large amount of scrap clay and you know the old saying waste not want not.

So I gathered together some scrap clay and went to town and here are the results about to go in the oven.

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I don't have one of those fancy bead trays (would love one though) so I improvised with bamboo skewers and binder clips. It worked a treat.

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I’m dreading all the sanding though.  Maybe that’s why I haven’t made many beads!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Rhyming

Last year when my then 29 year old son Michael went backpacking through Europe he brought me back a mixed bag of beads from Slovenia.

I finally got around to making a necklace for myself a few weeks ago and as I was putting it together I was thinking why Slovenia?

 

Why not Paris..........

......or Rome.......

 

.....or Barcelona.

So the other day I asked him.....why Slovenia.......not that I have anything against Slovenia, I'm sure it's a beautiful country. Well he just looked at me like I was a bit slow (possibly because most of the time I am) and said ........ Because it rhymes with Davinia. Why yes......yes it does!

Frankly it's about the only word that does rhyme apart from vinegar, which is what the kids at kindergarten used to call me because none of them could say Davinia.

So anyway, I love my Slovenian necklace. It goes with a multitude of styles and colours and it's an easy slip on and off necklace.

 

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Molds


Now life is slowly getting back to normal and the last of my relatives leave today I have some time to post to my poor neglected blog.

You may remember I’ve become a Design Team Member for my lovely friend Mel and her wonderful molds. I made these pieces a few weeks ago but with the passing of my mum and a house full of guests here for her funeral I was unable to take photos and post.

First up is a macramé bracelet I made using this mold.

oval mold

I used turquoise premo clay and continued the neon theme with orange embroidery cotton for the band.

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I baked the piece laying across a small glass jar to give it a slight curve so it sits on the wrist nicely.

The next piece is from this mold. I’m giving birds and owls the flick (temporarily) and starting a love affair with rabbits.

Rabbit mold

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I used Ecru premo clay and after he was baked I coloured him with alcohol inks and then sanded back a little to highlight his features. He’s cute isn’t he.

Brass chain, round connectors and a fancy schmancy brass connector and some small dyed fire agate beads in blues and caramel wired together. Long enough to slip over your head so I didn’t use a toggle and clasp.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

These Hands


These hands…..they bathed, clothed and fed six daughters and for the most part as a single parent. They sewed all of our clothes and sometimes without the luxury of a sewing machine. They cooked our food, a lot of the time without a decent oven and washed hundreds of nappies using an old copper washer without a wringer.

mums hands
Photo taken 2009 

They taught us to sew and knit and instilled a love of books.

They’ve cuddled and kissed and soothed grandchildren, great grand children and great, great grandchildren.

But on the Monday 25th June, just a few weeks short of her 94th birthday and surrounded by her six daughters our dear Mum passed away peacefully.

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Roslyn Joyce
Miss you already mum.