POLYMER CLAY BEAD EXCHANGE AND MR. KITA

I mentioned a few days ago that some of my friends and I were going to get together to do clay and have lunch and do a bead exchange.  We did and we had lots of fun and really made a big mess in my studio but it was great.  The picture above shows three focal beads.  The one on the left was made by my friend Rose who took some canes that I had given her and some that she had made and put them on this lovely heart.  Well, I like doing wire wrapping and also like to add Swarovski Crystals and other elements to my wire wrapped items so I wire wrapped the red heart and I love it.  The circular bead in the middle was done by my friend Evelyn who tends to go to the greens and browns and golds.  Her large round focal bead had teeny tiny no-hole gold beads all over it and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with a round bead.  I may have gone a little overboard but I really like that one too.  The focal bead on the right was made by me with scraps of clay that was left over from our clay day.  I actually did an extruder cane and wrapped it around a big rose colored ball of clay and then flattened it.  Those colors didn't really come out until I sanded it.  Once I buffed it they really popped.  Those aren't really my colors but I really like that bead.

This is the bead that Judy made, the picture doesn't do it justice.  It really is pretty and quite unique.  I haven't decided how to finish it yet but I'll post a picture when I do.

These are not cookies.  They are post earrings.  I was in a Christmas mood yesterday and the window washers were here so I couldn't do much.  I made these guys and I when I took them out of the oven, I thought they looked like they had too much egg nog.  I have a tendency to overwork things and these two guys were definitely over worked.  I actually put some ginger and nutmeg in the clay thinking that would make them smell but so far it just made them look silly, I'll wear them anyway and see what people think.

On a sadder note, this is Kita.  He was an Akita and Sheppard mix.  This has been my brother's best buddy for the last 9 years.  Mr. Kita as they called him, went every where with my brother John.  They went on the boat, they went to the store, he went on jobs and never left my brother's side.  My sister and I always joked that Mr. Kita was Johnny's only friend.  Last week John called and said that they had to put him to sleep.  He started losing his eye sight about 2 years ago and then his hips went bad (which usually happens in big dogs).  He was doing good but in the last 2 months he could hardly walk and dragged his feet and his paws would bleed.  He got really bad last week and they took him to the vet and the vet helped them decide to let Kita go some place more peaceful where he would have less pain.  It's been a long time since I've heard or seen my brother cry and it broke my heart.  Anyone who has had animals in their lives knows about unconditional love.  That's what animals always have for people.  Booboo my cat was 18 in October and he has unconditional love for me too.  However, at 5:30 this morning he decided to unroll the entire roll of toilet paper and run back and forth through the blinds till I finally got up.

We had our Arizona Polymer Clay Guild Christmas party this weekend.  We really had a good time.  Everyone brought food ( I ate too much)  we had a raffle and played games and then we did a gift exhange.  I was very lucky to have picked a box that was given by one of our very talented members.  In the box was two polymer clay bead rollers that I didn't have (thought I had all of them).  A bag of great flat backed beads, a bottle done in polymer clay, a wire book and this beautiful faux cinnabar necklace with silver chains that she made herself.  It was a very generous gift and I'm glad I got it.  This necklace is beautiful and I can't wait to wear it.  Thanks Kathy.  YOU DID GOOD.