Creative Crafting

Posts Tagged ‘Crafts’

There are some wonderful tools available for the Polymer Clay artist.   One of these that I have used quite extensively in my projects involving fairies is the flexible mold.

You can purchase them at your craft store.  There will be a wide variety of molds for you to use, everything from feet, emblems, leafs, flowers, hands, faces, even body molds.  These molds are made of a flexible rubberized material. However, I have learned there are some tricks to using these molds to your advantage.

First if you have never worked with Polymer Clay the first thing you should learn is to condition it.  That means take a small amount of clay off of the block and knead it with your fingers until it becomes very pliable.

I have been married a few years…40 to be precise.  Unfortunately, or fortunately whichever the case maybe, I don’t remember much of that day only through pictures. I don’t have many of my wedding gifts left, but that is what happens over a long period of time.   The one item I do have and I cherish is a decoupaged wedding invitation given to me by my late brother and his wife. I have always loved it and it has always hung in a place of honor in my home.

It is such a simple gift and yet it is the only one that has lasted a lifetime.   Several years ago in another home, we had a small fire and some of my wedding memories were lost in the water and smoke damage so I no longer have the original invitation, only this reminder.  Yes, it is yellow with age, but it is still a reminder of a wonderful day.

Ribbon Candy has always been a Holiday staple as far as I am concerned.  So this year when I found a way to make decorations out of polymer to look like ribbon candy, I couldn’t wait to try it.

I am using these on the tree, to decorate packages and a bowl of “fake” ones on the table in a candy dish.  I have no small children coming to my house, so I don’t have to watch for anyone wanting to eat them!

Click on picture for more instructions

So much for my 21 days of Christmas Crafting…my only excuse is shopping.

Design by Marie Redmond

Last year around this time I was just starting my exploration of Polymer Clay. I knew from the start that this was something I would enjoy for years to come. One of my favorite aspects of clay is the miniature scenes, characters, and villages one can make. I like doing things in a small size.

I ran across this on my favorite Polymer Clay site Sculptey.com. The complete instructions for this and other crafts are there for both novices and experienced alike.

Happy Holidays!

Decorating your house for Halloween does not have to be expensive. Most of the materials you need are laying around the house anyway, so why not “recycle” them. I never thought of doing this, but will this year.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Corrugated cardboard
Pencils or markers
Craft knife
Glue stick
Orange tissue paper
Painter’s or masking tape
Lamp

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Measure the inside of an appropriate window and cut corrugated cardboard to fit tightly. Draw a face on the cardboard, then cut out the pieces with a craft knife (a parent’s job).

2. On the interior side of the cardboard, use a glue stick to cover the openings with orange tissue paper.

3. Set the cardboard in the window and use painter’s or masking tape to hold it in place. Place a lamp near the window to light your house-o’-lantern.

You won’t believe how easy it is to create this Fall centerpiece. Even little kids can do this one! It looks great on a holiday table or as an Autumn decoration around the house, and it’s made of mostly recycled materials!

You’ll Need:

* Sturdy paper plate
* Paint (Fall colors)
* Scissors
* Three toilet paper tubes
* Yellow tissue paper
* Glue
* A sponge
* Fall colored ribbon
* Pinecones
* Silk or real fall leaves
* Raffia

What to Do:

1. Cut the toilet paper tubes so that they are in three graduated sizes. Refer to the picture if you don’t know what I mean.

2. Sponge paint the toilet paper tubes and both sides of the paper plate. In order to sponge paint, just dip the sponge into the paint and tap it onto the surface you’re painting. In the example, I used orange, brown, and green paint and tapped the colors onto the tubes and the plate. Let the paint dry completely before you continue.

I am having so much fun making the gnomes and fairies. I can’t believe with very little practice how easy these are to make. I highly recommend Fairies, Gnomes and Trolls  for showing you how to make faces of all sorts. The principles are the same whether you are making a human or make believe face.  I am working on a Troll at the present time….it is presenting some new challenges!  But I will get his face right yet!

It is getting so bad, I am now naming my creations.   They are becoming real; part of the flower/pond neighborhood.

The Green Man is looking out for my garden and all it inhabitants:

The garden is flourishing under his constant care:

Coral Bell Mermaid is lounging by the side of the pond:

Check out what’s happening at CreateForLess this month. May 2 was National Scrapbooking Day, but they are celebrating all month long with these great promotions…

It’s a celebration of scrapbooking this month at CreateForLess. Our Scrapbooking Sale is featuring some of our most popular scrapbooking supplies at great low prices. Sale items change weekly – this week we’re featuring scrapbooking albums, then adhesives, punches and Bazzill Cardstock. This is the perfect promotion to add to your scrapbooking section, especially if you’re already promoting National Scrapbooking Day.

Shop, Crop and Save at the CreateForLess Scrapbooking Sale.