Craft Therapy

Memento Beads: Preserving the Memory in Polymer Clay

I know it's been forever since I've posted here, but I've been pretty consumed with my new, all-inclusive blog Craft Test Dummies. However, I recently came up with a class to teach at the May Artist's Way Retreat in Lake Logan, North Carolina, and felt it was time to share it over here.

I'm sharing my new memory project, "Memento Beads."  As many of you know, you can add inclusions to translucent polymer clay, especially organic ones. The larger, oatmeal-colored beads in the bracelet above are translucent polymer clay beads I made after I mixed in some dried rose petals and a bit of glitter. The roses where ones that grew in my garden and dried last summer. Since we are in the process of selling out house, this bracelet will remind me forever of the lovely, fragrant dark burgundy roses that grew by the front porch.

If you are going to make your own Memento beads, just remember that the organic material (herbs, leaves, petals, etc, must be thoroughly dried. Crumble them finely between waxed paper, in a morter and pestle, or even a coffee-bean grinder. Mix a little into your translucent clay, and combine thoroughly. (I use a pasta machine, but you can use a roller.) Be aware that the addition of the organic material might make the clay a little drier and more crumbly, but a drop of clay softener or mineral oil should do the trick. You can also add non-organic inclusions, such as fine glitter, metal or gold leaf, or mica powders to tint/enhance the clay as desired. Then roll your beads and bake, following the directions on the clay package.

Here are some ideas for YOUR Memento Beads:

• Dried wedding flowers
• Prom/ Easter corsages
• Flowers from a funeral
• Herbs from your garden...did you know many herbs have "secret meanings?"
• Flowers from the birth of a new baby (what a great keepsake for both Mommy and Grandma!)

You can make your beads into bracelets, as I do, but you could also make rings, earrings, necklaces, keychains, rosaries/prayer beads...well, you get the idea.

Have fun preserving your story...

Branching out: Selling my designs

Well, if you've been keeping up with my other blog, Craft Test Dummies, you know that I've launched into a new role as a crafts teacher simultaneously with being a stay-at-home mom.  So what happens when you come up with a great piece/design/class.... and then no one shows up?

I still get raves on my cuff when I wear it out and about.  I know if would be a fun class to teach. But sometimes it's just hard to find the right venue to the project. I've been teaching primarily at Grand River Beads, and now in 2008 I'm at Stamplistic monthly, too.

The fiber cuff was just too "quilt-y" for the bead shop, and not-at-all right for the stamping store. Hmmm.  Last night I had a bout of insomnia and spent a number of hours listening to the wind and trying to figure it out. There is another shop out there....but for now, I'm going to try selling my pattern and kits myself, via my CTD blog. (You can check out the link for price, what kits I offer, how to buy, etc.  And the photo is in my "wearable art" folder at right.)

I have no idea if this will work. Maybe I'll still have to reach out to my quilting guild, or quilting shop... but we'll try this first.  I just really believe that this cuff is cool, and other  folks might want to make their own!

Maybe Etsy, too.... we'll just have to see what happens.

Inner Lives - Polymer Clay Art Doll Pin

So this is one of the rare times when I'm sharing something both here and at CraftTestDummies. But I wanted to talk a little bit about the origin of the Art Doll Pin class that I'm teaching at Stamplistic and at Grand River Beads. (For other classes, check out my schedule here.)

Anyway, this is one of those projects that really is a therapy-type exercise. The "outside" of the figure - the face, wings, etc- are all slightly dingy, and a little beat up. However, the "inside" is rich, colorful, and bright. It's a metaphor for our inner lives.

I am a slightly frumpy housewife on the outside, with my scars and signs of wear-and-tear that life has given me. But on the inside, I am full of dreams, surprises, secrets and riches! Oh, the secret inner lives of women.... that you never could see from the outside.

I hope I get to teach this class over and over and over, and remind every woman who takes it that she is full of inner untold treasures. And her little pin will remind her of that!

I know. I'm so artsy-fartsy.

Little Acts of Kindness....

I hate to throw bits and pieces away, so when of my quilt sisters asked for bookmarks, I got all excited. I have some lovely hand-painted and -dyed papers just begging to be cut up into strips and used.

I also have a gnarly stash of Magenta's stickers that I seem to just horde.  So I got busy. Really, really busy, and made bookmarks for the Bahama library, 32 for my son's first grade... and more! So I decided to work on my random acts of kindness (RAK's) and send some out to my CPS sisters.

I used up some supplies and spread some love. Now doesn't that feel good???!!!!

More pics are listed in the Paper Crafting photo album...

More From the Holiday Gift-Nanza...

Here's one of the wall-quilts that I made for my mom and my sister... I used a commercial pattern for the bunnies and general layout, but halfway through I decided that it was too "busy" and nixed the whole outer border.

I also got tired of tracing, so I replaced a few elements within the blocks. In the bottom left-hand corner I used an embroidered iron-on butterfly (instead of a heart on it's side) and in the middle top row, I replaced a tulip with the Easter eggs. I thought it would be more "Easter-y", and I love the shimmer of the Angelina Fibers. (For instructions on how to use stamps on Angelina Fibers, see my photo tutorial in the photos section!)

So, I cut out the pieces so that I can make one of my own. Will all of the time I'm spending on my new blog Craft Test Dummies, I have less time to sew...!!! But I think I can still get it done in time for spring.

The Crafter's Arc

I posted this over at Craft Test Dummies today, but I thought I'd "reprint" my own article here.... it speaks to the personal process of crafting. Anyway....

I was chillin’ over at GRB today, having a nice chit-chat with my friend and shop proprietrix, Eva. We were discussing how new jewelry makers (or any newbie crafter, for that matter) have a tendency to be project-driven. That is, they want to see a craft and duplicate it exactly, with little chance for error.

It’s my theory that we all pretty much start out this way- we want things to be pretty safe. Then, with skill/medium/technique mastered, it’s time to move on… either adding a new technique to the same material (like adding a new stitch to your knitting repertoire) or trying a new material with your mastered technique (like like knitting with wire instead of yarn.)

In any event, I really believe that we crafters keep moving, adding techniques and materials to our creative toolbox, slowly moving up the crafter’s arc… up into the art-zone….  which is where you are no longer “project driven” but rather “vision-driven”- where you have an idea in your head, and then, using all of the techniques and materials that you’ve mastered, find a way to make it work.

Great project idea from the Crafty Chica- Resolution Calendar

I was just surfing around, and ran across Kathy Cano-Murillo's "Crafty Chica" site.... and she's got a line of crafty videos on the LifetimeTV website. Anyhoo, watched a few and found one that I LOVE.... the collage calendar. The basic gist is this: buy a cheap 2008 calendar, and collage on the "picture" part of each month, using your new years' resolutions as your inspiration! Don't take my word for it, click over and check out the video for yourself- it's got a brief commercial on the front-end...only 16 seconds or so... so wait for it. Then get crafty!

More Soldered Art- the Bathroom Wallpaper story

So here's the story: Once upon a time, when I was a young girl, I lived in a house. And in that house, on the second floor, there was a bathroom. It was an OOOOOOLD bathroom, with clawfoot tub, and some very old, funky wallpaper. When we first moved into that house, it was ugly, funky wallpaper. Four years later, when I left for college, it was ugly, funky wallpaper. Eight years after that, when I got married, it was ugly, funky wallpaper. When the first grandchild came to visit the house, and take a bath in the claw foot tub, it was STILL ugly, funky wallpaper. Then, lo-and-behold, my parents finally decided to re-do the bathroom-- after 23 years of UGLY, FUNKY WALLPAPER! And do you know what?? My parents thought it would be funny to give me a piece of that ugly funky wallpaper... and dared me to do something with it. So, a few pieces of glass, some foil tape, and a sterling silver bathtub charm later.... it became to funky, GORGEOUS ornament! And the young girl, who was now a grown up lady, loves it. And she lived happily ever-after! (Oh, and so did her mom and sister, who also received similar ornaments for Christmas.) THE END. (Of the wallpaper!) ((or is it???!!!???)

New Years' End- Soldered Slide Art

Well, here we are at Year's End... so much to reflect on, so many new things to try in 2008! I am glad, however, that the holidays are (about) over, and I can share some of my hand-made gifties with you. First of all, I'm sharing my soldered slide photo necklace....my gift to:- ME! And I'm wearing it right now! I'm calling it my "2.0" version, since I figured out how to attach sterling silver wire w/ Swarovski crystals right to the soldered frame. This piece measures 1" X 1 1/2", and I've attached a pin bail to the back so I can wear it as a pin or a necklace. And, of course, it features my favorite subject matter-- my kids. More show and tell to come in the new year! Happy one to you and yours....

So Much Subterfuge!!!

Well, like so many crafty chicas this holiday, I've been spending HOURS in my studio....jewelry for some, soldered gifts for others, fibercrafts for a few.... and I CAN'T SHOW YOU!  Too many of my friends/family check up on me here, so I can't show off any holiday goodies.  Suffice it to say, though, that come January first I'll be uploading pictures till the cows come home.

In the meanwhile, I'm trying to get my ideas together for next year. I'm finding that between gift-giving and making samples for classes, I'm not always working on the things I want to. You know, those "bigger" art-type things that always sit on the back burner.  Oh, and Baby Girls' baby album....and she'll be three in a few months! Yikes!

Also, I am happy to share that 17 folks participated in my PolyClay Make-n-Take at our North Coast Needlers' meeting this month. We made nametags, and almost everyone was a newbie to PC..... so it was hectic and fun!  And I sold a few strands of beads at Grand River Beads, so I'm encouraged to make some more for them.....lots to focus on in the new year.