Hump Day Doodling Wednesday’s 7:00 – 8:00 PM A Continuous Class Every Week, Starting Wednesday May 15, no cost By Maimun N. Khan At: Signature 81 http://www.signature81.com. 9273 Kellogg Road New Hartford, NY 13413 (In the Kellogg Commons next to Packy's)
Supplies provided though you are welcome to bring your favorite marking tool.
Get through the week with a meditative and rejuvenating hour of Zen Doodling. Zen Doodling, also known as Intentional Doodling, is a method of relaxation and concentration but can also be used for meditation and prayer. It is a wonderful way to get through the work week as you discharge stress and replenish yourself. As a craft form, it can be a rich technique on it’s own or as an addition to other forms. It can be used in scrapbooking, jewelry, clay work, most anything. Join Maimun N. Khan in exploring this calming act of creating.
Something about Alchemy has always called to me and now I've finally learned how to turn clay into silver.
1) ignore the screams of the credit card as you buy the Precious Metals Silver Clay 2) form the clay into whatever you want 3) fire the clay 4) frown at the dull white rough objects that come out of the kiln. 5) polish 6) be amazed as before your eyes dull white rough becomes shiny smooth silver optional 7) use Accent Gold paint and be even more astounded!
Baby Moon Pendant BabyMoon Pendant by MunLtStmpr, on Flickr This used the Accent Gold. I truly believed that the piece was ruined when it came out of the kiln. I did not at all expect the gross, greenish yellowish globby finish on the cat to turn gold.
I made a few hair toys over the last week and they were finally dry enough to take some pictures.
This first one is made in my usual way: side view IMG_0376 by MunLtStmpr, on Flickr top view: IMG_0378 by MunLtStmpr, on Flickr I found the topper in a store where it was disguised as a ring. I just removed the beads that made it a ring and glued the flower onto a dowel that I had tapered, sharpied and clear nail polished.
This one is the result of finally trying out my dremel on a wooden rod: IMG_0375 by MunLtStmpr, on Flickr Once it was shaped, I painted it with copper nail polish with a layer of OPI's shatter which makes the crackle effect. Once that was all dried, I applied a coat of Triple Thick.
And lastly, the one I like the most: IMG_0374 by MunLtStmpr, on Flickr this was also shaped with a dremel, coated with a pale goldish nail polish, then a layer of chunky copper glitter nail polish and a final layer of Triple Thick.
I used a pin vise and mini drill bits to form the hole on the top for the beads. And I've been buying more nail polish than I have in my entire life!
I found making paper beads to be so relaxing and meditative, from the cutting the strips to rolling the beads. But I also have a hard time leaving things well enough alone. Thus came the Paper Beads of a Thousand Cuts.
First (and if anyone has a better way of doing this, I'd love to hear your ideas!) I layered sheets of Joss Paper that I bought at a local Asian grocery store by watering down plain white craft glue and brushing each sheet as I set them atop one another. It's thinner than construction paper and thicker than tissue paper. I've been playing with are using construction paper but the sheets don’t adhere as well to each other with the above gluing technique. If it ever gets warm enough around here (so I can do it outside) and I figure out a way to go with without creating a disaster, I want to try spray adhesive.
Once the layered sheets are dry, I form the beads as they usually are formed but glue along the coil rather than just the last few inches. For this to work, the layers need to stay glued to each other throughout the whole bead.
Once the formed beads are dry, I smooth out the bead by cutting just a touch more than the ridge edges. (And that is how these beads got their name… I was so excited to try this that I didn’t use the right kind of blade and carved the way you shouldn’t carve. When I shampooed my hair the next morning, I discovered rather painfully how badly I had shredded my thumb.)
As you carve the bead, the layers of colored papers show through and the striations come through. Be sure to seal the bead well. I liked the effect of Mod Podge Hard Coat the best but a matte clear nail polish was also fun.
unsealed Mod Podge Matte polish
(This is my first tutorial posted on Craftster... please C/C!)
I saw these glass pearls in a catalog and fell in live with them. First time I every loved pearls! And this is the necklace they wanted for their home.
The pearls are wired onto the wired frame hanging off strands of fresh water pearls. All while I was working on the necklace, I could not get Ariel, the Mermaid, out of my head.
I made a matching bracelet to go with this necklace. that one bead really isn't sticking up as badly as this angle makes it look. I used florist wire, so it's very soft. And that lets me adjust the bracelet so it's very fitting. I love these beads a bit too much!
I think I've made this big enough that I don't have to do it, but it got me thinking about hardening my wire work. For those of you who do wire work, do you harden your pieces? If so how? Does everything need to be hardened? If not, how do you know which one needs it? And how do you do it?
This piece also got me thinking that it wouldn't fit into any tumbler that I would ever consider buying. I did read once of someone who hardens her work in her washing machine.
After a day at work that had me in tears, I figured I needed to be kind to myself by (of course) buying new craft stuff. I went to the local Lowe's to pick up what I had in mind, but as I was going passed the paint section, I actually remembered the question I kept wanting to ask.
There were 3 young clerks there and I asked them if there's anytime the paint chips get thrown out. The young man said, "yea, always... every night 'cause we're too lazy to put them all away. They're in a box right here." So I ask is there a time I can stop by and take them? He heads over to them, one of the other clerk tells me to just take whatever I want, and the other clerk looks a little funny. The guy who went to get the thrown away box gets to the display and says 'hey, someone put tape over the slot!' At this point, the clerk who hadn't said anything speaks up to say that she did that because so many people were just throwing them in there.
I said no problem and started walking away, but all three basically started nagging me to take what I wanted.
I was in Michaels, indulging, when a new blank journal caught my eye. After I picked it up, I saw a notice for a Visual Journal Online Workshop Series.
The first one started Jan 1st, but I was able to sign up today and the previous' weeks sessions are available so I can catch up.
I did need to register and it is free. Just what I needed these days, so I'm just passing it on.
The focal image is a hand carved stamp in the shape of a Star Trek IDIC with the Earth and symbols of some if Earth's religions within it.
For the last several years, I've had to send out close for 400 New Year cards. I do New Year cards because I couldn't keep up with who celebrates what and then when I was sending out to folks I knew quasi-professionally, I didn't know what they celebrated. Plus, it gave me an extra week to get them in the mail
Because I sent so many out, I'd hand make one then have it printed. That's why they're also in postcard format. As things turned out this year, I didn't have to send out 400, but I found that out after I had them printed. So, if you'd like a copy, please PM me with your mailing address. (Mods, I hope that's ok to offer... if not, please do ahead and edit this post!)
Finally, thank you so much for this challenge! I would have loved to send out a card to everyone who helps make Craftster such an amazing place, so at least this way, I can post it for everyone!
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