HAPPY WAY TO START THE DAY

Two very nice things happened to me today.  First, I've been accepted to the Polymer Clay Smooshers of Artfire.  They are a very talented group of polymer clay people.  I feel honored to be part of their organization.  Check them out on Artfire http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=10459 this is their latest collection.  My good friend Lupe belongs to the Smooshers also and she has a new blog
http://gesmpccorner.blogspot.com/.


The second great thing that happened to me today is that I got an email from 2 Good Claymates http://2goodclaymates.blogspot.com/2011/01/time-for-give-way.html saying I won this beautiful Lace Heart Pendant that they had on their giveaway.  When I get it in the mail I'll take a picture and post it for you.


CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION CAUTION

Today John is putting up smoke alarms in the garage because of the fire I had with my oven.  We moved the oven away from any cabinets and will put the oven outside when it gets a little warmer.  I am going to buy a timer to hang around my neck when I am baking that will go off every 10 minutes to remind me to check the oven.



I've had a lot of responses about the fire and the oven and I'm glad everyone is more aware of their own ovens and the place where they are baking.


GOLF STROKE COUNTERS

I just finished some golf stroke counters and put them on my Artfire and Etsy shops.

Now I'm working on the pendants for our clay guild's swap so I better get back to work.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

CAT AND BEAR AND OVEN GONE TO POLYMER HEAVEN

We are having our house painted today so John told me I had to leave because I'm so sensitive to chemicals and he didn't want me to get a headache.  I had just finished making a cute cat and a bear to put in my Artfire shop with the other ones so I put these guys in the oven in the garage.  Took my shower and went to check on the animals.  The entire garage was filled with smoke and it stunk.  I opened the door and yelled at John to tell him the garage was on fire.  Didn't mean to give him a heart attack.  This is what's left:

As you can see, the handle even burned off.

I have been baking clay in the garage for 8 years and never had a fire before.

For those of you who do clay and bake it in your house, please take warning from this.

BE CAREFUL

I thought I was.  I don't know what made me go check on it because I was getting dressed to go out and normally wouldn't have gone back out there.  My lesson now is to check every 15 minutes when something is cooking.  Now I'm scared.

Well, I guess I'll make a trip to Joann's to buy a new oven since I have a coupon.  The car still stinks. Phooey.

FROM THIS TO THIS AND A FUN BIRTHDAY LUNCH

I've always loved cameos. This pendant is probably 70 years old.  It's missing the stone in the necklace.  It belonged to a dear friend who left it to me when she died about 30 years ago.

I bought some 2 part mold making silicone from Terry Morris at http://epoxyjewelry.com/ so I thought I would try it with this cameo.

This is the mold.  They don't need a release agent.  I need to clean up the top of the pendant with a blade.  The clay pendant came out a little distorted on the top.  Kind of like me. LOL

I have to make 18 pendants for my clay guilds swap but I don't think this is going to be it.

I used some black clay to make the pendant.  Sanded and Buffed it.  Not sure where the gold highlights are coming from.  I antiqued it in white and didn't like that result so I redid with burnt umber and a copper mix.

The paint in the outside holes isn't dry yet.  Might take a tooth brush to it when it's dry to make it less obvious.

Yesterday we took our friend Evelyn out for her birthday.  We went to the Borgata in Scottsdale (very phuphu).  We ate at an organic restaurant.  The food was very good but the place was kind of empty.  I gave Evelyn some fancy measuring spoons and a Michael's gift certificate.  Rose and Judy made her handmade gifts (I feel bad but she liked the Michael's card).

This is the beautiful necklace Judy made for her.  Don't you love my use of the dish for the picture?

This is the gorgeous bracelet Rose made for her.

I have an excuse, I've been sick for 2 weeks with a cold.  These girls sure do awesome work.

Hope my muse comes back so I can figure out what I'm going to do and do it 18 times.  LOL

PALM SPRINGS BUS TRIP

Last weekend I went on a bus trip to Palm Springs with my girl friend.  We went on a 13 passenger luxury bus.  The tour guide had a PHD. in clinical psychology which I thought was a great idea since he was traveling with 9 women.

The little trailer in the back is where our luggage was.  We made a lot of stops because there was no potty on the bus.  On the bus off the bus, on the bus off the bus.  Lot's of that all weekend.

Our first stop after checking in at the hotel was going on the Tram.  I have a fear of heights so this was quite a scare for me.

As you can see, this wasn't a trip for the weak of heart.  It goes up 8500 feet.  It carries 80 people and the floor turns 360 degrees as you go up.  There are 5 towers and every time it hits one of the towers it jolts.  It was 80 degrees in Palm Springs and 35 degrees on the top of the mountain and there was 4 feet of snow up there.  We came down in the dark so you could see the lights of all the cities.

This is the view going down the mountain from the tram.  Kind of scary.

Saturday morning we went on a bus tour of the stars homes in Palm Springs.  I guess you know who's house this was.  I added the little note on it just as a joke.

After the stars tour we went to a date farm and had a date shake.  I learned that dates have 24 calories and more antioxidants and potassium than 3 bananas so I bought 6 pounds of dates.  You've never had a date till you've had a fresh picked date.  They are like caramel candy.  I've eaten about 3 pounds so far.  I should be pretty healthy. LOL  After the date farm we went downtown Palm Springs and then to The Follies. 

 The youngest person in the Follies was 56.  The women dancing and singing in the Follies had the bodies of 30 year olds.  They ranged in age from 64 to 78.  The oldest man in the Follies was 81 and still tap dancing.  I know they were wearing spandex but spandex can only hold in just so much.  These ladies were awesome.  You have to go see the Follies if you go to Palm Springs.

One of the best things we learned about Palm Springs is that they loved Sonny Bono when he was the mayor. Our tour guide said he did more for Palm Springs and the city than any other mayor they had.

Too bad all the good guys die young.

It was a very interesting trip.  Why is it on all trips there has to be two people who know everything about everything?  This trip was no exception.  We did have a few laughs about this though. 

Oh well, grin and bear it.  Back to clay.  I have to make 18 pendants for a swap for our clay guild.  Must be done by February meeting.  I better get busy.

I'll post them when I get them finished.

AHHH-CHOO BUTTONS AND BEADS

I made myself a promise that I would have 100 animal beads done for The Beads of Courage program.  I wanted to turn them in this Saturday to our rep at our clay guild meeting so she could send them in.  Well, Sunday night I got a nasty cold truck hit me and have been on the couch for 3 days.  It's been couch, cat, hot tea and Law and Order for 3 days.  I do have 50 animals done so I'm half way there.

Before that nasty cold truck hit me I was experimenting with some little buttons.  Thanks to Marie Segal, she told me I could bake the buttons as long as they were Jesse James.  Once again she was right.  Here's a little cat with a mouse on him and a little dog with a bone on him.  They baked just fine.  Thanks Marie.

I took them on a trip to the Grand Canyon :0).

MAKING MOLDS

A couple of my molds (old ones) cracked (not my new ones from Penni Jo Couch, her's are great).   I decided to try some new mold making material from Terry Morris at http://epoxyjewelry.com/2-part-supplies.html.  It's called Simple Silicone and comes in 2 parts.  On his website, he has a video tutorial on how to use the product.  I've made 3 molds with it so far and it works great.  You can find his ad on Polymer Clay Daily, click on the box and it will take you right there.  They can be used for polymer clay, resin, chocolate, candy, wax, soap, etc.

BEADS

This is a bracelet that I finished Sunday before I got the bug.  It's going to a friend of a friend who has breast cancer.

Hope this brightens her life a little.



BEARS AND DOGS AND HEARTS AND A PRAYER

As I told you in my last blog, I'm making little animal beads for Beads of Courage.  I wanted to have 100 done by April 14th so I can send them to our clay guild meeting.  I won't be there this month, I'm going on a bus trip to Palm Springs, CA. to see The Follies and take a tram ride and visit some stars homes.

When I first posted I had 13 bears done.  Now I've got 44 bears, 2 dogs and one heart done.  I love PenniJo Couches flexible molds.  I'm not much of a sculptor so these really help me with the animals.  Here is her website http://www.bestflexiblemolds.com/.

Here's the latest:

I found some cute buttons but they were plastic so I had to glue them on later.  See the bear with the football.  I also gave some of the bears babies, they are soooooooooo tiny and cute.

The little guy on the bottom left has mittens on.  He has big hands :0).


PLEASE SAY A PRAYER

I just read on Marie Segal's blog that her best friend had a double mastectomy yesterday.
http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/

Susan sounds like a wonderful woman.  Let's say some prayers that she makes it through this safely.

Time for a cure for this dreadful disease.  Pray for that too.

I wonder if the Beads of Courage people would be willing to start the same program for women who have breast cancer.  You know we love bling and beads.  Time to get that show on the road.