Once again, this vase did NOT end up how it started in my head.  I seem to keep DOING that, but like with the last one........ the end result seems to be quite satisfying.

Breaking out of my "Christmas" habits, I've been picking colors that have little to do with white, red, or green.


The black "grout" was a bit of a challenge.  I mixed artist oils with liquid sculpey and smooshed it on in there on the second baking.
I had some blank spots so a third go-around was needed, but it was worth the effort.


Looks pretty cool from the inside!!


Just a close-up of the pattern.

It would seem I've moved from ornaments to vases. ha ha ha

Once again, thanks for lookin'!
Opinions and ANY suggestions are always welcome.  I'm fairly new to "covering things" so these are all experiments at this point!

I started covering a flower vase today, and chucked my first idea.  It wasn't going well, and I decided to do something different.

Glad I did.

Actually, THIS guy was in the back of my mind for a while, but I've been unlucky in covering glass.  I figured with this, I didn't have to worry much about crisp lines and clunky finishes since clunky worked well!

The Tree Vase:



Back View:

I'm particularly pleased with the knot in the wood back there.  Came out just like I wanted it to.


View there of the top of the vase.  I really lucked out with the mix of the brown and black wash I put over it once it was done.  Another "experiment" that worked. YAY!


Just a close-up of his face.
I didn't want him to be creepy like the trees in the Wizard of Oz or Shrek.
I wanted something a little more on the friendly side.

Here he is with some greenery I had laying around.  I think it's a pretty neat effect...


I had contemplated putting black into the mouth area and not letting the glass show through, but now I think I like it JUST as it is.


Opinions and suggestions are always welcome!
Thanks for lookin'!

YEARS ago I made my Mother a wreath with ornaments to represent all members of our family.  As people have babies, I add more.  It took me all fall to make her that.
When my sister asked if I'd make HER one, I thought "No big deal. 16 pieces..."
Then her daughter wanted one for her MIL, and I thought, "No big deal. 16 pieces..."
Have I mentioned I suck at Math?
And that I needed all 32 complete in less than three days?

Ah, but I did it!


one tray of "critters" from the oven....


an "in progress" shot....


....and another.  I had to take this to make my family UNDERSTAND that there's no paint involved in these.  They just weren't grasping the idea that each color starts as an individual block of clay.  This is how I put the scarf work together. There might be an easier way, sure, but that's how I do it.


ALL the pieces, plus a few extra in case something broke on the way to my sister's house, or if I had a brain-fart while writing the names on all of them.

Some close-up shots....





That's my son's finger there in the corner.  He likes to count things. LOL


My sister specifically requested Ginger Bread People to represent her and her husband.


These two were my favorites out of all the ones I made.


The 16 my Niece claimed for her wreath.


A close-up with the names on a few.


My sister's finished product.


After I was TOTALLY FINISHED?
*whew*
I was very, very tired.

Thanks for lookin'!!

Every year I make ornaments for my sons.  Something I can put their names on, hang up.... and when they grow up and leave home? They can take the whole lot with them.  At the rate I'm going they'll be the only 20 year old men with FULLY decorated Christmas Trees! ha ha ha

Anyway, this year my 5yo told me he wanted ALIENS! for his ornament.
Not a snowman, or a penguin, or something festive but.....

Aliens.

So, I did what any Mommy who's obsessed with clay would do.

I made........


Aliens!
Their names aren't on them yet.
These were taken after I glazed them.


I dig the contrast of the red against the "alien skin".

I also wanted to try something different with the eyes rather than using beads like I do for my other "critters".  The eyes are all clay.  I'm kinda proud of that!


....and their teeth, toenails, and belly buttons!!
Yay for belly buttons!


The idea for the tail only came to me when I realized I had some of the green left over.  My husband wanted the little spade at the end of it.  I think it's a little "dragon-ish" for an alien, but I wanted to give it a try anyway.  I love the spots in their skin.  It was a little trying at first, but then I got the hang of it.


I want to make more of these guys now! ha ha ha


There are even tiny spots on the tip of their lil' alien noses!


I think the boys are gonna LOVE 'em!  Our youngest turns 3 on Sunday, and we've decided to wrap these up and let them open them on Max's birthday.  Just so they can put them up NOW rather than wait until Christmas morning.

As far as construction, sure -- I see some flaws.  The lines around the eyes aren't quite as smooth as I'd like, but all in all I think our 5 and (almost) 3yo will be happy with 'em.


Opinions and pointers are ALWAYS welcome!

Thanks for lookin'!

Yep, more Critters 


The little guy on the left?  After I did the first baking, his eye looked like it was hanging out of his head.  I'm not sure what happened.  I have to assume I just wasn't seeing it from the right angle when I put it in.  So, when I added his hat? I just slumped it down over his Sloth-From-Goonies eye and took care of THAT hot mess!


I'm totally in LOVE with the blue I mixed for these guys' shirts, but think it might be too dark on the black with the penguins.  Still, LOVE that blue!


I used the "effects" clay with the glitter in it for the white and the mixed green. It's hard to see in these pictures, but these ones just twinkle in the light with all that glittery goodness mixed on in!


I don't know why I've been on a purple kick lately either, but I like it!

I have one next to one of the other penguins I made a few weeks ago to show how much smaller these guys are.....



I was messing with the translucent clay, trying some stuff I saw on a web site. I ended up not liking the result, and balling the clay up.  I let it sit, and decided that, rather than waste it, it would make different looking shirts for critters. 

These two were the result:




A close-up of the bear's back....


It's all about experimentation sometimes, right!?

Thanks for looking! Comments, opinons and pointers are always welcome!!

Last night I wanted to just play with the clay.... not do anything too productive except FINALLY bust out my pasta roller that I've had in a box for over a year.

My finished product is a clunky and messy votive holder.  This morning my five year old said, "WOW! I didn't know Mommy could make candles, too!!"
Ah, thanks kid 

I think it's pretty rough, but it's something I want to keep working at.

I tried overlapping the color circles so that, when lit, they'd shine through one another.
It didn't quite work out that way.  I'm assuming I put too MUCH color in the translucent to have that happen.  Live and learn I guess!


Made some new Critters this week as well.  THOSE?  Yeah, I dig on THOSE! ha ha ha




The bears and penguins have since been glazed off and they're SO shiny now!!

Individual shots:





Even though I made them all the same night, I adore each of their "different" expressions.  Then again, I'm a sucker for penguins.

Thanks for looking!
Comments and opinions are always welcome!

Been busy crankin' out the Christmas Cheer over here....

I bought some effects clay in purple.  Not a favorite color of mine for Christmas stuff, but I've been havng fun doing various scarfs with the critters and the purple dazzles nicely....






I like all three of them standing together.  Looks like they're ready to belt out "Jingle Bells" or somethin'!


And of course, there are bears.  Messing with the antiquing stuff, I've been having some fun with it....
On this one I think the base color was too dark to get the full effect...


But this one, you can see it a little more....

(I was so excited to photograph this one the glaze hadn't even finished drying yet!)


I only used the antiquing on the face to accent the eye area on this one. I wanted to keep that sweater RED RED RED!


Yep, I'm diggin' on the Trios right now!


When I was making these guys, I had planned to antique them but loved how the pearl clay made the white "fur" shimmer and decided to leave them as-is.

My 2yo was the inspiration for this last one.  He's always luggin' around a blanket or a stuffed animal so I tried to capture that a bit in the clay....

Front


Back

Opinions, comments, and pointers always welcome!

Thanks for lookin'!!

I bought eye beads and was excited to use them.
I made this bear, and got his torso done. Baked it.  Let him sit until the next day. All I can think was that the night before,  I MUST have been tired.  The eyes weren't pushed in enough and they were BUGGING out and he looked......... well, he looked CREEPY!

Rather than chuckin' the whole thing, this is how he ended up....





He'll probably end up as a gift to my Mom.  I'm not TOO crazy about him, because his feet are too small. I like givin' my Critters oversized, floppy feet.... but he's cute enough I guess.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my "Whoopsie!" moment to show you can salvage something that might seem like a "goner".
I should've photographed those freaky eyes before I covered 'em!

Thanks for lookin'!

'Tis getting closer and closer to my FAVORITE time of the year.  I skated right past Halloween with my clay and dove head-first into the Christmas Fun!

A few of my new creations:


I bought the Studio Sculpey antiquing in chocolate brown. I know it's not much different than using acrylics but I'm lazy.  This stuff is already ready. 


I don't know why, but she sat half-finished over most of the Summer. I found it in the back of my cabnet and finished her.  Glad I did. 


I love penguins!


I had pre-baked these cookies a long time ago and set them aside.  I was happy to finally use one for somethin'.


And I thought MY "bed head" was bad! ha ha ha

I plan to glaze all these off to a high gloss finish.

Lemmie know what you think!
As always, thanks for lookin'!

I had these strings of mini-lights and wanted to do something fun with them.  I only wish they actually LIT up.  THAT would be totally cool....











Made some penguins, too.  Just 'cause I was in a Penguinish kind of mood!



Thanks for lookin'!!