ALL THAT WORK, DOWN THE DRAIN

I spent hours making these beads and then I put them in the tumbler for 12 hours and then buffed them.  I saw some beads on the internet that were beautiful and I asked the person who made them what she used.  She told me about a glaze that she put on after buffing.  I ordered the glaze, put it on and 4 hours later they were still sticky even though the bottle said it dried in 30 minutes.  I put them back in the oven on 200 degrees for 30 minutes.  They were still sticky.  I put two coats of Future on them and put them back in the oven and they were still sticky.  I refuse to sand small beads.  I put them back in the tumbler for 10 hours thinking it would take all the glaze and Future off which I've done before.  If you look close, you can see the lumps, bumps and peeling on the beads.  They are tacky and sticky, feel and look really bad.  Going in the garbage along with glaze.

This is a pendant I just finished that I call "Mother-Daughter Pendant". I'm going to spray it with PYM II to protect the antiquing and put bails on them.  These will be a Mother's Day present.

I guess I'm into hearts and puff beads now.  This was done with a cane I received in our clay guild's cane swap.

I love the way these colors turned out.  It was a happy accident and I've tried to do it again but haven't been able to yet.

Another puff bead.  These are really fun but I have to get into some brighter colors.  I'm a gold, green and brown girl so it's hard for me to get out of my safe place.

Someone please come and move me to the other side of the color wheel????????????????

PUFF, PUFF, PUFF AND HE LOVES TINA

Yesterday my BFF's (Evelyn, Judy and Rose) came over for a clay day.  Judy brought donuts so that started things out right.  We were trying to decide what we wanted to do.  Our friend Tish (President of the Arizona Polymer Clay Guild) was telling me about these Puff Pendants she was making and how much fun they were.  I showed Tish's pictures to the BFF's and we decided to try it.  IT WAS FUN.

These were right out of the oven.  I think we had donuts on the brain.  Hope to have a finished picture soon.

Couldn't eat just one, I mean couldn't make just one.  I made two more.  I used a Stroppel Cane and a cane that I got from our guild's cane swap.  I was too lazy to sand and buff so I used varathane on them and then buffed them.  They each had a little leafing in them so I didn't want to lose that look.

The top one on the right is not a puff pendant.  It's a swirly lentil on a texture sheet.  I'm still thinking about donuts.  This is so much fun.  You can use up scraps of clay to make these.  They are really light.  You can put a leather rope through the hole or glue a bail on the back.  I couldn't sleep last night thinking about all the possibilities and wondering if there were any donuts left.

HE LOVES TINA

Wednesday night I was looking for my Shimmering Batik Tutorial from Tina Holden.  I couldn't find it.  I just organized my office and now I can't find anything.  So, I decided to print it out again because that's what I was going to do yesterday before the donuts showed up.  LOL

Buster came flying in the office when I started printing the tutorial and he sat there watching the whole thing print.  He even tried to help some of the sheets out.  I sent this picture to Tina so she would have a good laugh too.

TINA, HE LOVES YOUR SHIMMERING BATIK, and so do I.  I probably have 4 copies somewhere.

DICHROIC, NEED A PHOTOGRAPHER AND GUESS WHO

These are filled with black clay on the bottom.  The next layer is resin with some funny little stiff stuff and then more resin.  Someday I'll figure out how to take pictures of resin filled things like Carmi does.  Her pictures are awesome.  I use Picasa to do my pictures instead of Photoshop, I don't have time to go to school to learn another computer photo thingee.  At my age, I want life to be easier.

  OK, these are the first two.  Give me some time to practice.  They really are pretty but kind of boring.

Doesn't Buster look like he's saying "Get that camera out of my face"?  He got a new carpeted cat tower and he's loving it.  It had a pillow in the top compartment and he pushed it out twice, I finally got the message.  It's strange that my camera likes him and takes such pictures but it doesn't seem to like my clay and jewelry stuff?

Thursday is going to be a fun day for me.   I'm going for a massage and then my BFF's are coming over for a clay day.  It's been a long time.

NOW WHAT DO I DO?

There were no winners in the Guess Which Earring They Chose contest.

But, I am surprised.

They chose:

Number 3

Since I only had two guesses and one was anonymous (who are you), I'm going to have a special pair of earrings for Lupe Meter.

Check out her blog with the Breast Cancer (let's wipe that nasty disease out) necklaces she made.

http://gesmpccorner.blogspot.com/

Today I had breakfast with my 3 friends from high school who live here in Arizona.  We sure are more fun now than we were in high school.  At least we laugh a lot more.  I love those girls they are so much fun.  I'm really glad we were able to get together and talk bad about some of our classmates.  LOL

I have an order for 6 American Flag bracelets.  I finished one and was putting a clasp on it that I just bought and the clasp broke.  For many years when I bead, I add an extra thread on each end just in case something like that happens or if you have to shorten or lengthen the clasp, you don't have to tear the bracelet apart.

I'm doing a couple in Delicas and my eyes are starting to cross.  For those of you who don't know what Delica beads are, they are teeny-tiny perfectly cut beads but very very small especially for my old eyes.  I'll post a picture of the bracelet when I'm done.

BUSTER FANS

Today I was doing laundry and when I went to get the basket, guess who was doing Pilate's in the laundry basket.  And you wonder why I have black and white hair on my clothes????

Wish I could do that.

WHICH ONE WILL THEY CHOOSE AND THE DARLA PENDANT

So far this year I've made 287 pair of earrings.  That's why I have no nails.  Some of the girls that I bowl with are going to Reno to bowl in the Ladies National Bowling Tournament.  They asked me to make earrings to match their shirts.  I made 8 pair of royal blue earrings and they picked out the one they wanted and I made 6 pair of matching earrings for them.  Now two of the girls who will be bowling doubles wanted earrings to match their shirts.  The color of their shirts was a strange lavender, purple but light.  I have never seen that color before and can't describe it.  So here are the earrings I made, which ones do you think they will choose?

The people who pick the winner will have their names put in a drawing and I'll have my better half pick the two winners of the earrings and I'll send you each a pair of earrings.  I'll know tonight which one they pick but I'll give you till Friday at 3:00 o'clock Arizona time to vote.  I'll post the winners on Saturday.

This is what I'm going to call Purple 1.

Purple 2

Purple 3

THE DARLA PENDANT

This is Darla one of the sweetest ladies I know and she's holding my favorite (only) kitten.  He's only 7 months so until he's 1 year old, he's still a kitten.  Darla was visiting last week and she's an awesome beader but was curious about polymer clay, she thought I painted it.  I took some pieces of clay off my desk and showed her how I do different things and when I was done, I had a Darla Pendant.

She thought there was a butterfly that appeared in the middle just for her.

This is the second one I did with the clay that I had left.  I'm glad there was pearl and translucent clay in the mix, it really popped the colors.

Get those earring guesses in, I think I'm going to be surprised by their choice, I was at the royal blue ones they chose.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture so you won't get an idea of what they liked.

 

HERE COME'S BUSTER COTTON TAIL

I know, those aren't the words but my Buster does hop a lot so I changed the words.  My mom sent Buster a gift for Easter.  It's a squeaking lamb.  Mom goes to Goodwill and the thrift stores a lot so that must be why he came packaged in a tomato carton.  It's the thought that counts.

He laid in his bed and held the lamb for about a half an hour now he doesn't pay any attention to it unless I pick it up.

My sister is a school teacher and very crafty when she has time.  She makes beautiful cakes out of towels.  Unfortunately she lives in Illinois so we don't get to craft together but she sent me these pictures.

These are Easter chickens, awwwwwwwwwwwww.

Rabbits, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

I usually get a bag of black jelly beans for Easter but I was told that isn't going to happen this year.  They are my favorite.  I would buy them for myself but I wouldn't be able to talk because my tongue would be black for about 3 days.  Too bad they don't make white jelly beans that taste like black jelly beans.

Hope you all have a great Easter.