CREATIVE CRAFTING

Posts Tagged ‘projects’

Finding interesting polymer projects to post on here is not a problem.  The problem is after I try them which ones do I post?

Carol Duvall who is the “queen of crafts” as far as I am concerned always had wonderful ideas and instructions for most crafts, but she is no longer on TV.  So I have to rely on other sources and my own imagination.

My daughter collects watches.  So I am in the process of making her one for her birthday, which is coming up.  Happy Birthday Jenn!

Project courtesy of Lynne Manning of Milton, Mass.

Materials and Tools:
blue, white, pink and black polymer clay
watch with watch attachments
15″ elastic
20 large-hole 6mm beads, silver colored
super glue
pasta machine
acrylic roller
thin slicing tool
cardboard
clay-dedicated oven

Steps:

1. Condition your polymer clay by running it through the pasta machine about 20 times.

2. To make the face cane: Draw a face design in a 2- to 3-inch circle. Start making the eyes of the cane by rolling a black snake 2 inches long. Run some white clay through your pasta machine at the #1 setting. Wrap this around the black snake, making sure the ends meet. Smooth the seam. Do another wrap with the white clay. Make sure to smooth the ends again.

3. Run some black clay through the pasta machine at the #5 setting. Wrap this around the white clay, making sure the ends meet. The end of the cane will sort of look like a bullseye. Flatten this piece slightly lengthwise so that the ends look oblong.

Polymer Clay is a fun medium to use because it is easy to mold and it can be cooked in your oven. When making jewelry, and you have run out of beads that you want to use, take out your clay, and make beads. Here are some techniques that will make your bead making more intricate and unique.

I found a technique for making imitation bone or ivory beads using polymer clay. You can also maneuver the clay so that it will take on a wooden look. You start the process by making beads the size you need out of white. Some artist like to use more cylindrical shapes as they claim it enables them to “carve” patterns easier than more rounded beads, for myself I didn’t see a difference. So use your own ideas on the shapes (more fun that way too!)

After the bead has been baked use a small knife to carve patterns. You can also use on of your pointed clay tools or a sharp needle also works well. Once you are satisfied with the carving use either a tan or light beige acrylic paints and lightly rub the outside of the bead. Do not rub so much in that the paint goes into the carving you made, that part should remain white. While the paint is slightly damp still use either a piece of paper towel or a napkin to remove any excess paint.

As many of my readers know, I have become a huge fan of Polymer Clay.  I like making yard gnomes, fairies, and little scenes to go with them.   Over the winter I made a lot of flowers, little houses, and some new fairies and gnomes.  All of which will find a spot in my garden this summer.

Here are two of my newest creations.

I hope you enjoy these little creatures as much as I enjoy making them.  In weeks to come I have some ideas on what to do with the miniature birdhouses I made..Stay Tuned.

It is a little early in the season for flowers to be blooming in my gardens.  The daffodils are blooming of course, and the tulips are starting to bud.   But I am anxious.  I love flowers, they make me feel happy.

Polymer Clay also makes me happy..so why not combine the two.   I made Roses, Tulips, Dahlias, Canna and a few that I am not sure what they are, but flowers are free flowing, so I used my imagination.

Now that I have this veritable garden sitting in my hobby/computer room I am not sure what to do with them.  I will put some in little vases to either give to friends or sell at my yard sales this summer, but I think I will make a few more and make them into jewelry!

Each of these flowers is between a dime to a quarter in size, just to give you some idea.

It has been awhile since I last posted.  I have been busy planting my gardens, learning more about polymer clay, and having fun with different projects.   All of which I will be posting about in the coming weeks.

Here is one such project that has been keeping me busy.  I made some for myself, my daughter (who also has a beautiful garden), my new daughter-in-law who hasn’t learned the fine art of relaxation with gardening, but I made a set for her anyway just in case!

I put pictures of the project at the end of the article….so have fun!

Design by Roxane Burkett, Sheryl Eggleston – Stamp Studio

Materials and Tools:

* Premo! Sculpey clay in the following colors:
o Pearl 5101, or White 5100, or Ecru 5093
o NOTE: Any light pastel can be mixed by adding a tiny ball of colored clay to white or pearl clay. This is all a matter of choice!
* Small, medium, or large metal eyelets (available from Stamp Studio)
* Sculpey Super Slicer or craft knife
* Stamp Studio “Sweet Pea” Stamp #E551
o NOTE: Other flower species are available in these plant stake stamps from Stamp Studio.
* Pigment Inkpad in color of choice: you can use black, dark green, olive green, whatever strikes your fancy. Inkpads from Ranger, Tsukinekko, Stewart Superior, Colorbox will all work beautifully. Heatset Re-inkers used with a disposable pad will also work as will Lumiere paints from Jacquard.
* Heat set fabric markers or other permanent, colored markers in colors of choice. Or, assorted Gel pens in flower and foliage colors

The title of this book, SCRAPBOOKING OFF THE PAGEàAND ON THE WALL: Off the Page And on the Wall (Scrapbooking) says it all. The projects included within its pages take scrapbooking to a new level, turning your memories into artwork to be displayed on the walls rather than in a book. The project ideas include a variety of themes; Family, travel, vacations, babies, sisters, gardening, children’s special moments, graduation, friends, weddings, heritage, cowgirl, love, sports and pet themes and decorations for holidays and around the house. The unique aspects about the scrapbooking projects in this book are the materials on which the photos are displayed. Among them are canvases, shadow boxes, frames of various shapes and sizes, shutters, an aluminium sheet, particleboard, mat board, a clipboard, ceramic tiles, a wood cabinet door, an artificial evergreen wreath and a small wood screen you assemble yourself.

Scrapbooking is a great passion for a lot of people. The ideas in SCRAPBOOKING OFF THE PAGEàAND ON THE WALL: Off the Page And on the Wall (Scrapbooking) are so exceptional and inspiring they are what makes this book a must have for scrapbookers. The photos are beautifully arranged so they are distinct amongst the embellishments and the relevant memorabilia. I really like how the color combinations from the frame to the papers and embellishments all tie in with the photo in the layout (i.e. the person in the photo of the Cowgirl themed layout is wearing a red sweater and the color of the papers, embellishments and the frame match it as closely as possible). One of my favorite scrapbooking techniques from this book is the use of small frames in combination with big frames either within the layout or hanging from it as part of the embellishment. This technique was used in a couple of the projects in Scrapbooking off the Page … and On the Wall. It was really hard to pick my favorites from the wide variety of layouts because they are all so beautiful and inspiring.