POLYMER CLAY NURSING HOME

For the last year or so, I've been losing things, mostly things in my studio that I use for polymer clay.  I bought a set of Prisma Color pencils that I used for a class that I took a couple months ago with Debbie Anderson.  Spent hours looking for those pencils, never found them.  Last week after our clay guild meeting I lost my precious over-sized acrylic roller.  I always blame Evelyn for packing my things away.  I called to see if she had it and of course she didn't.  I found it a couple hours later in the box with my clay, I never put that in there.  Last night I was looking for a box of beads I thought I had and couldn't find it, I opened the box with my glitter in it and lo and behold, the Prisma Colors were under the glitter.  I believe it's time for me to go to the Polymer Clay Nursing Home.  If you are interested in putting your name on the list for the future, please let me know.  You won't be getting nursing home food, we will have pizza brought in a couple times a week and if any of us are still driving we'll get Subway sandwiches, chinese food, ice cream and chocolate.  During the day we'll be doing polymer clay and at night we'll be watching x-rated movies.  Evelyn and I will be sharing a room because we have matching furniture and then I can blame her for everything that's missing.

I finally finished my cat pendant.  It's like the one Rose bought me for my birthday that Lupe made but I put a seed bead necklace on it.  I put it in my Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/bleekreations store today.

This is my "Hot August Night" necklace.  I finally got a decent picture and I put this in my Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/bleekreations store also.

I just finished this last night.  It's a purple, silver, turquoise and brass polymer cabochon that I beaded around with brass seed beads.  The necklace is a twisted herringbone and a brass toggle.  I put this in my http://www.etsy.com/shop/bleekreations Etsy store today also even though I would have liked to keep it for myself.

It's 8:14 p.m. here in Arizona and I'm sure the polymer clay nurses will be coming with my medications pretty soon.  Hope they bring a chocolate martini to wash them down.

BIRTHDAY LUNCH - LUCKY ME AND POLYMER PIECES

BIRTHDAY LUNCH

Even though it was a 109 today my friends Rose, Evelyn and Judy took me out for lunch for my birthday. It isn't till Sunday but this was the only day we could all get together.  We went to a wonderful restaurant called "Vogue Bistro".  That was my first time there and I loved it.  They have the best sweet potato fries I've ever had.  We had a great lunch and the waiter brought us a beautiful birthday desert.  I should have taken a picture of it.  It was four compartments and had chocolate coated macaroons, white chocolate coated dried fruit with macadamia nuts, white chocolate coated passion fruit and chocolate coated French wafers.  I don't want to eat again for a while.

I got some wonderful gifts (this is all leading to polymer clay) Evelyn gave me shoes to go walking in the water ( I guess she wants me to go to the pool again), a shirt with 2 cats on it, a container for my polymer clay and beading stuff and beads, Judy gave some special chalks to use on the new Tina Holden Honeycomb Tutorial http://beadcomber.blogspot.com/ that you can get the information for at her blog, Judy also made me one of her special bracelets out of canes that she has made and I'll post a picture of it when I get it back.  It needed one more bead.  Rose gave me a kitty stamp and a beautiful necklace.  She got the pendant from our friend Lupe at http://miramecreations.blogspot.com/ .  Lupe will be telling you all about it on her blog but Rose made the necklace part and put it together:

They all know I love cats and this necklace is gorgeous.  I think Rose and Lupe should team up and make jewelry although both of them make gorgeous pieces.

POLYMER CLAY AT LAST

I was gone 3 weeks and didn't get to do any polymer clay.  It's like not eating ice cream for a year.  Phooey, won't do that again.

I spent 3 days beading around a cabochon that I had done using the Barbara Maguire Mokume Gane technique.  I think it gave me a headache but it's done and I love it.

I made a short Herringbone necklace for it.  My camera still isn't taking good pictures but I should probably be taking pictures in the daytime.  I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can get a good one.

Next pieces are some Mica Shift that I was playing around with.  I actually bought the mica shift tutorial from Lynda Moseley http://www.scdiva.blogspot.com/ who does some incredible mica shift pieces.  As you can see I like to support the artists.  Here are my pieces.

I added a little of my own technique to the bottom ones.  Lynda does her with sanding and buffing.  I did sand these but then I put Magic Glos on them.

I had some leftover purple clay and some inks and other texture sheets.  As you can see I love those oval cutters and my new heart cutters with the tipped tail.

FLEXIBLE MOLDS

I've had a box full of flexible molds that I didn't do a lot with.  Last night I saw someone doing clay with flexible molds but not the way I had done it in the past.  I thought I would get them out and try the new way.  Looked interesting.  I have a Celtic cross mold and I know Evelyn likes those.  I made one and decided to make two more.  Now I know I was going about it all wrong and last night I finally did it right.

These came out beautiful even if I have to say so myself.  I used Magic glos on the middle part of the cross.  I used two coats, which I normally do.  I did the bails using the Cindy Lietz method http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog/ which you can find in her tutorials.  It worked wonderful.  Check out her website.  She sends tutorials every Friday and she is remarkable.  It's a really small fee to receive these tutorials but the learning experience from them is priceless.

These three crosses are now with Judy, Rose and Evelyn.  They got birthday presents from me.

Thanks girls for a wonderful lunch, great presents and a fun day.  I love you all.

TINA HOLDEN'S BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY AND A YOGA CLASS

If you are not familiar with Tina Holden http://beadcomber.blogspot.com/ you need to check out her blog, her Artfire shop http://www.artfire.com/ and her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadcomber .
There is so much great information on her blog and free tutorials.  She did a blog on UV Resins which I thought was great, she did one about a printer and she gives you tips about polymer clay that you may not find any where else.  She is wonderful about answering questions and her tutorials are very precise and clear.  I bought her Shimmering Batik tutorial and I have made some things that people try to take away from me.

These are some pieces I did from Tina's tutorial.  The ones on the left don't have Magic gloss on them yet.

Here are some of the wonderful things Tina is giving away:

And Here's Tina.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA

My birthday is this Sunday but I'm a LITTLE older than Tina.

YOGA CLASS

My friend and I took our first yoga class this morning.  I'm feeling muscles I didn't know I had.  I don't know who invented yoga but they must of had a dark side.  If I wanted to put my butt up in the air against a wall and have someone pull my legs over my head behind me I would have joined a Chinese Circus.  We are going again on Wednesday, it's good for a laugh.  I heard one lady moaning but I think it was because her tights were about 4 sizes too small and some of those yoga positions call for really loose pants.

If the inventor of yoga is reading this, you are mean.

HOME AT LAST, BRANSON

Hi, I'm home at last after 3 weeks of being in the mid-west visiting relatives and friends.  The second week, my sister and I took our 85 year old mother to Branson.  She wanted to go and that was the only week Susie could go.  Do you know how hot it is in Branson in July???  The humidity and heat were incredible.  If there's a recession you couldn't prove it by me.  The hotels, restaurants and shows were all packed.  There is only one street in Branson and the traffic is bumper to bumper and non-stop.  Susie scared me a few times when she just pulled out in the center lane and yelled "HOLD ON".
  Here's the hotel we stayed at:

It's called the Grand Victorian and it was filled every night.  Nice place.

We saw two shows every day which was a little much but we were glad we did.

  The first day we saw the 12 Irish Tenors.  They were great.  Good looking, very upbeat and great voices.  Would highly recommend.

The second day we went to see The Duttons.  They are a family of talented musicians, singers and dancers.  We really enjoyed that show.

  Would highly recommend.

CLAY COOPER

That night we went to see Clay Cooper.  He's a cowboy with an incredible voice and a great sense of humor and drop dead gorgeous.  We had front row seats and he came down, took my hand and MADE me dance with him.  Then he asked me to scratch his back and he hugged me twice.  Guess who's camera didn't work.  Sister Sister.  My friend Anita Brandon pointed out that his name is Clay and isn't it a coincidence that clay is what I do. :0).  TEE HEE HEE.  Ok, so his wife was on stage too.  Big Deal.  Do you know what a gorgeous cowboy smells like when he's hugging you?????  MORE, MORE, MORE.

Jim Stafford

We went to his show the next day and he's pretty funny.  His kids play in the show.  Jim is 66 and has a 17 year old and a 15 year old.  He said Branson was great because he found a nursing home near the high school.

For those of you who don't remember Jim Stafford, he sand the song "I don't like Spiders and Snakes".  He was a world renowned Flamenco guitarist.

THE PRESLEY'S

The last show we saw was the The Presley's.  They were the first family to put on a show in Branson.  It was a terrific show and we laughed all night.  One of fathers and his son do a comedy act all during the show and they are a stitch.  The music and costumes were very Nashville.  Lot's of talent.  We really enjoyed this show.

DID I MENTION I DANCED WITH CLAY COOPER ?

If you have never been to Branson, go in October when it isn't so hot and the kids are back in school. :0).

SHOJI TABUCHI

If you get to Branson and can't get tickets for Shoji's show, go to his theatre anyway just to see the bathrooms.  The ladies room is 2400 square feet and they bring in fresh orchids every day.  There is an English maid in there at all times cleaning and freshening things up.  The flowers and the pictures are incredible.  We didn't get to see the men's room but we heard there is a pool table in there and he plays pool with the men before the show.

This is a picture of the men's bathroom that I took off the internet.

This bathroom was bigger than my house.

RIDE THE DUCKS

Another thing you have to do in Branson is ride the ducks.  They give everyone a duck whistle when you get on the duck.  I got up with a headache the morning we took the ride.  Do you know what it sounds like when 40 people are blowing duck whistles?  Sister wore hers all the way home and the next day and the next day.  She will never find that whistle again.

They go on land and water and every time another duck passes going the other way the driver has everyone blow their duck whistle.  Don't go if you have a headache.

GOOD TO BE HOME

Booboo sang and yelled all night Sunday.  I'm guessing he was glad I was home.  We had words about his singing but it didn't help.

I missed him too.

Back to claying tomorrow.  Rose, Judy and Evelyn are coming over for a clay day. I really missed them and doing clay.  Hope to have some pieces to post soon.