LITTLE GIRL CATS, STORMY BEAD AND BRACELETS

Aren't these the cutest polymer clay cats you've ever seen?  I think so.  I'm going to try to find names for them.  These were given to me by Judy Phillips.  She is the very talented lady who does sculpting with clay and she does a lot of native American faces and figures.  I gave Judy a necklace and earrings made from Studio by Sculpey a few weeks ago and Judy knows I'm crazy about cats so I got this great cat family.  Judy collects bits and pieces of canes from the people in our Arizona Polymer Clay Guild and uses them on her pieces.  These little girls have capes made from canes that were given to her.  I just love them.  I'm going to try my hand at making some.  I don't have the sculpting talent that Judy does but I want to give it a try.  I love these little girls.

This was a bead that I had made from one of the lightning storm canes that I made.  I brought it to our guild meeting Saturday and one of the ladies grabbed it and said she had to have it so I sold it to her.  Another lady bought one of my lightning storm bracelets that I made.  I had it on Etsy but couldn't say no so I sold it to her and removed it from Etsy.  I love it when people who do polymer clay want my stuff.  It's an ego trip.

When I'm not doing polymer clay I love to do beading.  I go to the library and take out about 15 audio books and listen to them while I'm beading or doing clay, it's very relaxing to me and this way I get to keep up with the book stuff.  I've listened to over 100 books so far this year.  I'm a big James Patterson and Stuart Woods fan, they could put out a book a day for me.  I've just recently started listening to some Lisa Scottoline and Harlen Coben books and I love those now too.  Anyway, I've been making bracelets for a couple days for all my relatives and friends.  I love this one because it's really elegant.  I put the magnetic clasp on them.  I get those at Mobile Boutique and they really add dimension and glamour to the piece.  They are easy to put on and all my friends love them because they are so secure and not hard to put on and take off like some of the toggles that I used before.

My sister's mother in law is 95 years old.  I made her this necklace last Christmas. 
The focal bead is polymer and the crystals came from a necklace that she had since she was in her 30's.  They were beautiful.  She has been wearing this necklace every day since I sent it to her.  Someone in the assissted living place where she resides asked if they could buy it from her and she told them "No, it's a one of kind, and the lady that made it won't make anymore for anyone else".  My sister and I were in stitches.

My whole family is in Florida for Thanksgiving.  My mom and brother live down there.  My brother and his wife are celebrating 40 years of marriage and there is a surprise party for them this weekend at their house?????  I guess it's not a surprise anymore since my sister in law had the house painted and bought new furniture.  I don't travel on holidays and I just got back from a 2 week road trip so I'm traveled out.

My husband and I are going to a friend's house for Thanksgiving.  John, (my husband) is making pecan pie and a caramel-apple cheesecake.  I'm making pumpkin pie and Black and Blue cole slaw.  It's made with red cabbage, parsley, grapes, blue cheese, dijon mustard and other good things.  If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll send it to you or post it.  It's even better the second day.

Have a good holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving Grandma, we miss you.

CANES, CANES AND MORE CANES

HELP ME, I'M STUCK IN A RUT.  I love making canes especially these lightning bolt canes and I love to sit and make beads but I get in a rut about putting stuff together.  Might be time for me to take the 400 beads that I've made, put them together and sell them on ETSY just as beads.  People love my beads, SO, I should quit making jewelry and just make beads.  Like I said, I love making canes and probably have 100 of them stored here.  Not sure what I want to do with them.  I did put these two items on ETSY today.  I like the green bracelet, fits me perfect.  OF COURSE IT DOES, I make everything for me. 

My studio is a mess right now.  I've been sanding and buffing beads for two weeks.  I should be out Christmas shopping or golfing or bowling or cleaning house (NOT) but I'm here buffing beads.  Where's my friend Rose when I need her?  She comes over and gets all my beads out and puts things together that I never would have thought of and it's like watching a little kid with Tonka toys but she is so good at it.  I think I better call Rose.  Have a nice night.

POLYMER CLAY ARTIST'S GUILD OF ETSY HOLIDAY STOCKING GIVEAWAY

These are two of the items I donated to the Christmas stockings that the Polymer Clay Artist's Guild of Etsy will be putting in the stockings that they are giving away.

Beginning Thanksgiving Day, November 26 and running to midnight, December 12, any purchase in any of the participating PCAGOE member shops qualifies you for one chance to win one of three holiday stockings we are giving away!




The grand prize stocking is chock full of polymer clay items created by our member artists, plus a $75 Gift Certificate valid in any of the participating members' shops! The second and third place stockings also contain handmade polymer clay items and $50 and $25 gift certificates, respectively!



Any purchase you make during our Black Friday - Cyber Monday SALE also qualifies you for a chance at the stockings. Buy one item, get one chance. By five items, get five chances, etc!



Winners for the stockings will be chosen at random from among the qualified buyers and you will be notified as soon as possible after the promotion ends on December 12th.


Here are the shops that are participating in the Holiday Stocking Giveaway.


KellyPlaysClay.etsy.com

LaurelSteven.etsy.com

11BoldStreet.etsy.com

PolymerClayCreations.etsy.com

CreativeWriting.etsy.com

MarciaPalmer.etsy.com

BeeTreeByMe.etsy.com

TheColorofDreams.etsy.com

Bleekreations.etsy.com

RiverValleyDesign.etsy.com

Juliespace.etsy.com

Peggers.etsy.com

MichelesArtJewelry.etsy.com

AlisonEKurek.etsy.com

SCDiva.etsy.com

NKDesigns.etsy.com

AshPaints.etsy.com

WonderfulWire.etsy.com

IlysaArt.etsy.com

Stonebrash.etsy.com

Summergirl38.etsy.com

BarbiesBest.etsy.com

GoodspeedEmpire.etsy.com

MarcymPC.etsy.com

LJeans.etsy.com

Jencom72.etsy.com

SilverGateStudio.etsy.com

RozPetalzStudio.etsy.com

miramecreations.etsy.com

Good Luck, I hope I win.

Isn't it amazing how things turn out when you least expect it.  I had a friend over last Friday and I have been teaching her polymer clay.  I showed her how to do the lightning cane, then we went on to a quilt cane.  I didn't really like mine because I put too much ecru in it.  So, I made a triangle out of the cane, rolled the top flat, cut it in half and put the two halves together.  Squished (I think that's a word) the cane into a square, sliced pieces and layed it on some clay that I put through the pasta machine with a texture piece.  I used a large teardrop cutter to cut out two beads from this.  There was a lot of black going through the bead which made it look like stone when it was sanded and polished.

I took this and two other beads that I made over to my friends house Sunday night where I go to watch Desperate Housewives every week.  It's actually my way of being able to spend time with Sissy.

This is Sissy, she belongs to my friend Pat.  Sissy is a Havanese and she's the sweetest, smartest, most lovable dog I've ever met.  As you can see, she let me put rollers in her hair in this picture.

This was Sissy when she was a baby.  Sissy has a valve problem that we are hoping will get better as she gets older.  She's had a major surgery already and came out of it just fine, we aren't sure if she will need more but she is so sweet.  She loves to kiss and play and play and play.

Anyway, I brought a little bag over to Pat's with my beads in it to show her.  When I got home, no bag, no beads.  Pat found the bag with Sissy's toys so apparently she took it out of my purse.  Haven't gotten it back yet but when I do, I'll take more pictures and maybe finish the bead.  I want to put a bail on it and either make a black ribbon necklace for it or do a beading necklace for it.

My husband said this bead looks like it has hidden flowers in it.  He sees things a little different than I do.

Right now I have to finish the wool scarf I'm making for the Cave Creek American Legion so I haven't had a lot of clay time.

Next week I'll be teaching polymer clay at the Craft Retreat in Glendale.  I know it will be fun, Susan Richardson who owns the place is a really sweet lady and has a wonderful store.  I'll let you know how that turns out.

Judy Phillips Necklace and her sculpting

I have a very sweet friend who  belongs to our Arizona Polymer Clay Guild.  Her name is Judy Phillips.  She has more talent in one finger than most people do in their whole body.  If you don't believe me, check out the native sculpture above.  Judy does polymer clay sculpting and most of her work is of Native Americans.  She uses many different mediums when she does her sculpting besides clay.  I've seen her put pieces of plants and trees and bushes and feathers in her sculpting.  I was so happy she did some cats a few months ago.  As you know I'm a cat person.  Judy also does nail files that she sculpts people on and they are gorgeous.  I'll post some of them as soon as I get Judy's permission.  This post is because of the necklace that you see pictured above.  I made this from Studio by Sculpey clay and wore it to a meeting one day and Judy raved about it and asked me to make her one.  Well, I decided to just give her this one and I made her some matching earrings and I thought I took pictures of those but can't find them (senior moment).  I was so happy that Judy finally wanted something that I made.  It was a feather in my cap.  Judy doesn't wear a lot of jewelry so this really excited me and I made her promise to wear it to the next meeting.  I made myself two more necklaces like this but they never come out the same.  IT'S GOOD NOT TO BE THE SAME.  Thank you Judy.

It's been a while since I've done any jewelry or polymer clay.  I have been knitting and crocheting scarves for our troops in Iraq.  One of the clubs I belong to does a lot of charity work and we are now working with the Cave Creek Arizona American Legion.  They adopted the Arizona National Guard 285th BN.  We are working with them to supply hats and scarves to these people.  I found out something very interesting.  If you make something for one of the soldiers, it has to be made out of pure wool.  Everything you give them has to have the label attached so they know it's pure wool.  Apparently polyester burns.  If they get caught in a fire with a polyester hat or scarf, it would burn right to them, the wool won't.  I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday to buy wool yarn but they would only let me use one coupon and one skein of yarn was $9.95 so I guess I'll be going to Joann's to get more yarn.  If we get any pictures of the guys or girls with the scarves, I'll post them.

The picture above is the polymer clay jewelry I finally finished for my cousin Karen who lives in Wisconsin.  She asked me a month ago about making brown jewlery.  I made the beads and left them in the tumbler for 3 days so I wouldn't have to sand them by hand, they turned out great but it took a long time to buff them.  The smaller brown and cream color beads are jasper and I put a gold spacer bead in between.  The clasps are beautiful, magnetic clasps that I order from Mobile Boutique.  They are glamorous, easy to put on and take off, they hold really well and they look GREAT.

Hope she likes this jewelry.