My first Polymer Clay leaf

Yes you are looking at it upright. Ugly little thing isn't it.

Thought you might need a good laugh for today. I watched the video three times and took notes. I also had it playing while I made my first leaf. Needless to say it looks much easier than it actually is. I also had trouble with the black on the outside splitting as I reduced it. I can't use #5 on the my Atlas because it starts chewing up the clay. Not sure what that is all about. Maybe the clay needs to be leached at that point but who wants to stop and do that? Anyway, I have the other gradation to try so maybe I will get it right or at least closer this time. I know what I did wrong but I sware I put the black on with an opening so I would know where the bottom was. I think I got so excited about turning it into a triangle that I forgot to use the registration mark at that point. Geeze......

Deb's hair stick

Deb wanted a hair stick. So, I tried making one using some of the Mokume Gane slices, actually I like how it turned out, I used Kato clay which is much stiffer. Hopefully some of the rough edges will sand out.

More Clay play

I played with the Mokume Gane process of pressing thin layers of clay and then slicing through them to create thin slices of graphics to lay on other plain slabs of clay. I made tons of pins with the little pieces I sliced off. Not sure what else to do with them but for now it's another tool for the bag of tricks.

Today I am going to play with a complex cane that I learned from a DVD by Sarah Shriver. Amazing stuff.

Side Trip

So, I have taken a side trip to play a bit with polymer clay. Mostly because I want to add some relief to my work and think that this is a way to create it. I am in the learning stages right now but have created some wonderful slabs to us later in my work. Next I'm going to try stamping designs into the clay and then painting on it. These will be cut up and added to my first mixed media piece. Stay tuned for more.

Inspiration at the Georgia Aquarium

I saw some of the most amazing sights at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta Georgia. They made me want to come home and try to recreate them in cloth. Nothing to post yet but keep watching. I just know that there is a piece of art here someplace.

The jellyfish are my favorite and I have tried for years to decide what fabrics would work best for replicating them. Any suggestions would be great.