THE LAST OF THE HEARTS AND A FEW USEFUL TIPS

The hearts for the wedding are done.  This last set was done with the new tiny flexible mold that I bought from Penni Jo Couch at bestflexiblemolds.com.  I love her molds.  The other ones I did in lots of colors with Pearlex and Perfect Pearls.  These I did in just white and the color of the flowers and leaves.  I wish I would have done them all in white but I'm not starting over.

Here are some of  the pens.  They have beads at the top with a magnet so it will stick to the refrigerator.

Click on the picture to see them closer.

Right now they just stick to each other.  Now I have to put the rest of the hearts and pens together but I got an order for another frame and they need it right away for a gift.

USEFUL TIPS

I lived with my grandmother for 25 years.  She died when she was 99.

  Grandma started smoking when she was 50 and I knew she always liked beer but until we lived together I didn't know how much.  She had a great sense of humor too.

GRANDMA'S TIP #1

She had a "friend" that would come over unannounced, at odd times and wouldn't leave.  She would help herself to what ever was in the refrigerator and run her fingers over things checking for dust.  One day grandma saw her car pull up and she told me to pull all the kitchen chairs into the dining room and to get the vacuum cleaner out and put in the middle of the living room floor and open the vinegar bottle and pour it into the toilet and leave the seat up.  My grandma was very smart so I did what she told me to do.  In the meantime, she got out all the buckets and put them on the floor in the hall leading to the kitchen.  The doorbell rang and grandma let her friend in.  Her friend looked around and made a sniffing noise.  Then she said to grandma, "I guess I got you at a bad time, I'll come back some other time when you aren't busy".  She left, grandma got herself a beer and a cigarette and sat in a chair and told me to put everything back the way it was.  I did what she said.

If you want to get rid of unwanted guests, make believe you are in the middle of cleaning and get the vinegar or Pinesol out and put it in a bucket in the middle of the floor and put the vacuum cleaner by the chair they usually sit in.  Have all these things handy at all times.

WEDDING HEARTS AND SISSY

A while ago I mentioned that my nephew was getting married in September and my sister is having a bridal shower for his fiance.  I told her I would make some shower favors thinking there were would be 15 or 20 people at the shower and then she told me there would be between 40 and 50 and she was having it at some restaurant near her house in Chicago.  The first two words that came to my mind were "BIG MOUTH".

I had to decide what I wanted to do and I wanted something different and special.  I love making pens and putting beads and magnets on them so they will stick to the refrigerator.  I just finished the pens for the quild's swap so I just kept going.  I've got the pens done.

So now I'm working on the tops.  I decided to make hearts.

The front of the hearts have their initials on the top and on the back I stamped
"LOVE" 9-17-2011

I used a lot of Pearlex Powders and Penni Jo Couch's flexible molds. http://www.bestflexiblemolds.com/.  I just ordered some more from her to use to make the next 40 molds for the hearts.  I love her molds.  I use them a lot when I make beads for the cancer stricken kids at Beads of Courage.  I'm glad my family doesn't look at my blog because these are going to be a surprise for them.  When I finish some I'll take pictures and post them.  If you click on the picture you can see them up close.

MY FRIEND PK'S BIRTHDAY

Today is my friend's birthday.  I made her a frame with her dog's name and picture in it.

This is Sissy.  She let me put those curlers in her hair and take her picture.  I put a little Yorkie button on the back along with a cat button.  PK use to have a Yorkie by the name of Jose, he always tried to kiss my cat Booboo and Booboo would swing at him (never connected).  Jose would put his head down and start crying and Booboo would just shake his head and walk away.  He was a spoiled brat but was very cute.  Sissy on the other hand is very hyper and very smart and loves kissing but not cats.


Hope you had a nice Easter.  We are having oatmeal for dinner.  We had our Easter dinner Friday night.  When you are retired and away from family, holidays just seem to come and go.  I usually get a bag of black jelly beans every year but I didn't this year.  Must be the oatmeal thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

POLYMER CAFE AND FINALLY DONE

I got my June issue of Polymer Cafe in the mail today and I was sitting outside reading it waiting for my friend Judy and her husband to come and pick up a car by my house.  I started reading the last page titled "The Musings of an Artistic Late Bloomer".  As I started reading I had this feeling I had read this some where before but didn't know why.  I looked up at the top of the page and there she was big as life "JUDY KELLY".  Just then they drove up and I'm running across the street waving my magazine and yelling.  I'm sure the neighbors thought I was nuts.  Judy was in shock when she saw the article.  She didn't know it was going to be in there.  Anyway, for a kid who couldn't draw stick figures or do stained glass she sure has taken to polymer clay.  I'm kind of proud because I sort of pushed her into it.  We were hugging and whooping and then her husband said to me "see, you created a monster".  It wasn't the first time and won't be the last.  CONGRATULATIONS JUDY, you are in the big time girl.

A couple weeks ago Judy, Rose and I took a class on beading on spools.  I sort of left mine sitting there for a while.  Well, now I have a pinched nerve in my back so I couldn't go golfing today.  I decided it was a good time to finish that necklace.

This is the best I could do for a picture.  My computer got a virus and I had to change some programs.  I tried to flip this but my Picasa doesn't want to transfer or work very well right now.  I really like this necklace.  My husband said I should sell it since I never go any where dressy enough to wear it.  Wait till we go out for fish Friday night and I have on my good tee shirt that matches this necklace, he'll be surprised.

Going to ice my back and put all my beads away.  At least I finished something today.

Hey Linda, thanks for your update on the gold prices.  Glad I do polymer and not precious metals.  Love all your information.

PEN SWAP - AMAZING THINGS AND A GENEROUS PERSON

These are the pens I received from our clay guild pen swap.  They are beautiful and unique and the one that looks like a pencil really is a pen and the eraser is clay.

AMAZING THINGS

Wasn't sure what else to call all these things that I saw at the guild yesterday.

These are beads made by my friend Lupe for our Beads of Courage project.  She sanded and buffed these guys.  Aren't they adorable?

This piece was also done by Lupe and you will see it in your Polymer Cafe this month.  She was the runner up for the Steampunk Challenge.  She's a happy girl.  That was her first time in Polymer Cafe.

These are pieces made by my friend Evelyn.  Look on the right side of the picture.  She made ice cream cone beads for the Beads of Courage project.  They are soooooooo cute.

These are Judy's necklaces.  Rose, Judy and I took a beading class to make spools and make a necklace.  Rose and Judy finished their's, I'm still a work in progress.  The necklace on the right was made with a faux Pandora bead technique.  She incorporated wire, ribbon and beading into this.  It's yummy.

This is Rose's spool bead necklace and she made the little colored beads that go in between out of polymer clay.  Isn't that fun and beautiful?  She's so colorful.

A GENEROUS PERSON STORY

About two weeks ago I got an email from a lady saying she saw my blog.  She told me she had done clay and was allergic to it.  It made her lips go numb.  She told me she had all this clay stuff and wanted me to have it and hoped I could use it.  We emailed back and forth for 2 weeks and I met her Saturday afternoon on our way home from the guild.  She lives about 3 hours from me.  At first I thought this was a little strange but I do have things happen like that.  We loaded 5 bankers boxes from her car to my car along with some little boxes and a plastic box.  It was 95 degrees outside so it was too hot to stand and talk.  She liked the necklace I was wearing so I gave it to her.  When I got home I was stunned.  I have 2 boxes full of clay, some open some new, bead rollers, pasta machines, clay books, cutters, stamps, mold sheets, etc.  and this:

It's called the Syndee Holt Travel Clay Studio.  It has all these bottles of Pearl Ex powders, Lumiere paints, Neopaque paints, Pinata paints and a host of other things.  I felt like it was Christmas.  I'm set for a good number of years on polymer clay supplies now.  I'll be making beads for the Beads of Courage as fast as I can now.  My dear, sweet person that gave all this to me, I want you to know I really appreciate it and hope I can help you with something some day.  Hope you think of me everytime you look at the cat.  Thank you again.  People really are nice and kind.

BURRO POOP PART 3 AND PEN SWAP

OK, the burro poop didn't work for me.  I have a bag of dried burro poop if anyone is interested.  For sale, CHEAP.  Got a free room and some free food at the casinos and had a good time but the burro poop must only work for the person that picks it up off the ground.


GUILD PEN SWAP

Tomorrow is our monthly guild meeting and we are having a pen swap.  These are a few that I made.

They have a lucky lady bug in the middle of the heart and the top part is a magnetic beaded piece so it will go on the refrigerator.  I put them in a bag with a magnetic list note pad so it can also go on the refrigerator.  I made pendants for each bag and stamped everyone's name on the back of the pendant.  Attached the pendant to to swivel lobster so it go on a purse or bag.  One of our girls is a motorcycle mama so I made a special one for her.

This one I made out of the cane I made last week.  This one is for a really sweet lady with a big heart.

PICTURE FRAMES

My friend Evelyn made some frames for her great niece and nephew who are twins and Evelyn is a twin.  They love horses and cowboys.  Evelyn was an art major and taugh art her whole working life.  She's also got macular degeneration and is having considerable problems seeing.  I think she does great even though things are usually pretty blurry for her.  These are the frames she did.

YEAH EVELYN.  Love that cowgirl hat that she hand made.  These are all covered in polymer clay.  The horses and boots are Jesse James buttons that she used some Rub n Buff on.  I think these are awesome.

Can't wait to see the pens I get tomorrow.  I'm making little bears right now for The Beads of Courage so I better get back to work.  Just wanted to put in an update on the burro poop.