I have received an award!

I am so excited, I have received an award from my friend and creative sister, Dawn Schiller, at http://oddfae.blogspot.com/ thank you friend! I think this is one of the nicest things that has ever happened to me. I can not even begin to tell you what this means to me.

Here is a description as to what this award means: "This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers"

Wow that is nice, really nice!!!

I now pass it along to 8 blogs that I feel are deserving of it. The other criteria is that when accepting the award, you must post the meaning of the award on your blog (see above).

It is my pleasure to give this to blogs that mean something in my world.

I am forever better because of these blogs and people.

These are not in any particular order

http://omshantihandcrafts.blogspot.com/

http://mereditharnold.wordpress.com/

http://rubberstampplantation.blogspot.com/

http://leoninetimes.blogspot.com/

http://cupcakesandcutestuff.blogspot.com/

http://oopsdesperateblogger.blogspot.com/

http://cassymuronaka.wordpress.com/

http://jaxsbeads.blogspot.com/

Coming together and creating...

Laurie Langhorn from Lorelei Designs is an incredibly talented artist and she has a way with findings, metal, and beads that just sings to me. She is also my Bead-space.com buddy, which is how I first met her. I thought “I would love to do a collaborative piece with her” and then as what usually happens with me; I blurted that out in one of our conversations. It was one of those times when I thought, “OMG Marie, you have stuck your size 7 in your mouth yet again”. Well … after doing that all of my life, I tend to let it go and think “well if she wants to, she will and if not I will move on yet again”. But to my relief and wonder Laurie said “Really? How does this work?” YES!!!!!!
I sent her some stuff that she liked of mine and this is what her unique mind and talent came up with. Now I am saying to myself… "this is a gift and I am so glad that I asked her and maybe she doesn’t think I am a total loon” (well… maybe she does, but she is so gracious).
I love doing this with other artists; it is a way to see my work from the perspective of another mind and with their tools. It is a way to make my mind a bigger hard drive so to speak and to live outside of my self imposed rules and usually… it is always a gift, a wonder to behold and a way to expand, hopefully for everyone that is involved. I love a win-win and I think there is power and magic in these pieces. How can there not be? It is two or more minds coming together to create and that in itself and alone is magic, but when it is beautiful… it is blessed. Thank you Laurie for humoring me and I am forever better knowing you and your talent.

Find Laurie and her other wonderful works here:

http://www.loreleidesigns.etsy.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loreleidesigns/
http://twitter.com/loreleidesigns
http://bead-space.com/LoreleiDesigns

As for me, the Carlos Santana of Polymer clay, I just want to jam with friends!!!

Another mind expanding collaboration I am lucky enough to have experienced is Gail Friend, also a Bead-space.com and My space friend.

You can find Gail and all her wonderful work, beautiful attitude, and insight at,
http://www.gailfrienddesigns.com/
http://cupcakesandcutestuff.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gailsfurryfriends

Always a pleasure to play with, my sister-friend Dawn Schiller.

My favorite, Viktor

You can find Dawn and everything Oddfae at,

http://www.oddfae.com/
http://www.oddfae.etsy.com/
http://bead-space.com/oddfae
http://www.oddfae.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/oddfae

I am indeed blessed!

Product Review and Giveaway: Lisa Pavelka Signature Series

Ok we have another awesome giveaway by FaveCrafts.com

You have to just love this place with their great give aways and projects. Join them!

And besides they are all so nice. YAY!!! I love people like this. Thanks you guys for all your generosity and thanks Lisa Pavelka and JHB for yours!! Oh baby do these look like fun! Would you look at that zipper? Get on this now, the deadline is April 3rd.

Signature Series

click on this and read the review by Maria and leave your reply to be entered in to this awesome contest for these wonderful products to play with.
Posted by Caley on March 26th, 2009 at 11:42am
The Lisa Pavelka Signature Series JHB International includes a variety of tools for polymer clay: Border Molds, Texture Stamps, Craft Foil, Magic Gloss, Embossing Cutters, and Claying Around DVD.
Product Review By Maria Nerius

Book Review and Give away on Fave Crafts

Book Review and Giveaway: The Complete Guide to Wire & Beaded Jewelry

Book Review by Maria Nerius

WIN THIS BOOK!

Read the review and comment for a chance to win this book!!

Luck of the Irish?

Marie Segal 2009
Is it only the Irish who have luck or can it be for all? I think that jewelry that expresses intent helps me focus on a thought to attract more of that to me. And as my wonderful mother in law always says “It couldn’t hurt!”
So on this auspicious holiday make this dapper piece that encourages you or the lucky recipient you gift it to, to focus on the LUCKY instead of the something less desirable.
Not only are you activating the law of attraction, you are having fun and learning a new technique that will add to the body of skills you need to be an accomplished Indie crafter and artisan.
Oh and a tiny bit of the green may save you from getting pinched and that is very lucky!

All of the products below with code # can be found at my husbands on line craft store http://www.clayfactory.net/
Cernit clay in black CG-025 and green CG-018 (http://www.clayfactory.net/cernit/cernitg1.html)
Lumiere in Pearl Emerald green-572 (http://www.clayfactory.net/jacquard/lum.html)
Necklace finding- decorative swirl, DECO1 (http://www.clayfactory.net/misc/miscstuff.htm)

Small round turquoise flat back glass cabochon (http://www.clayfactory.net/misc/miscstuff.htm)
Rattail satin cording 2mm in green
Piece of screen, lace, un-mounted stamp or anything else with a soft hand for texturing
Ultimate Clay Machine (M35054) http://www.clayfactory.net/makins/makinsprotools.htm
Scalpel (SCP) or Craft blade
3/8” heart cutter (APC3H) http://www.clayfactory.net/kempertools/pages/patcut.htm
Crafter’s Pick “The Ultimate” glue
Word Mold (from previous blog post, making word molds)
http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2008/09/making-word-molds.html
#2 pencil with brand new eraser
½” round stencil brush
Paper towel or old towel
Making the pendant
Prepare the pendant with glue and let dry till the glue is clear.
This glue will bake in the oven with out any problems and is not the same as using regular white glue for this purpose.
Make the LUCKY word mold http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2008/09/making-word-molds.html

Condition the black clay until it is a smooth consistency and roll out in the clay machine on the 4th thickest setting.
Use the finding to gently mark the clay for the size of the inside of the bezel. Do not press all the way down to cut it or the glue will stick to the clay. You can also do this step first if you wish.

Use the scalpel to cut around the marked area, slightly inside the deep line. Hold scalple straight up and down vertically to cut.





Place the cut out oval into the opening and center before gently pressing in to place.

With a piece of screen or a rubber stamp or some other texture press the black clay all the way into the area.



Condition and roll out the green clay on the 4th thickest setting in the clay machine. Use the 3/8” pattern cutter to cut out a heart shape and place the cutter on the black textured clay and pull back the cutter really fast to get the clay heart to release on to the black clay. Sometimes this will not work, you do have to practice at this and if it doesn’t work cut out the hearts and turn the hearts over and place on the black clay to prevent the indentation from the plunger from being on the front of your design.

Before you place all of the hearts on the black clay in the shape of a shamrock, cut out one of the green hearts and roll in to a ball and then roll in to an elongated cone about ¾” to 1” and place the point of it towards the middle of all of the points of the hearts.

Now place on the last heart from the cutter.
Then mark all of the hearts with the back (thickest side of the blade) of the scalpel blade. A couple or three lines in each one will be fine and I also like to vary the length of the lines.

Cut out another green heart and roll it in to a ball and place in the center of the shamrock where all of the points meet and gently press down but not smash in place.
Add a tiny, tiny bit of glue to the back of the stone and let dry. If the glue is wet it will slide on top of the clay.
Add the small turquoise cabochon to the top of the ball and use the pencil eraser to push the cabochon all the way in to the green ball of clay. I find that when I am using the pencil eraser as a “stone pusher” it is best to hold the pencil straight up and down vertically to the stone.
Condition and roll out a small ¼” coil of black clay.
Place the coil end in one end of the LUCKY mold and lay the coil across the rest of the word mold.
Do not cut off but press the clay coil in to the mold.
Use what is left of the coil as a tab to pull the molded word out.


Cut off the rest of the coil right next to the word.





Curve the LUCKY word banner a little in an arc and place a tiny, tiny bit of glue on the back of the banner. Place on the top of the oval, a little on the bezel and a little on the clay.
Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for one half hour shut off the oven and let cool to touch before removing.
When completely cool use the stencil brush to punch in the green Lumiere paint on to the pendant metal and the clay. With a damp not wet towel or paper towel wipe off the excess paint from the clay and the finding.

Cut the length of rattail or ribbon that you are going to use and thread through the jump ring to finish the necklace. I also add a very small amount of glue to the ends of the rattail to prevent it from unraveling. You can also do this with the green Lumiere paint, just dip the end in to the jar and let dry.

Marie Segal
PO BOX 460598
Escondido, CA 92046
760-741-3242
marie@mariesegal.com
marie@clayfactory.net

http://www.mariesegal.com/
http://www.mariesegal.blogspot.com/
http://www.clayfactory.net/
Here are some other wonderful uses for these pendants.



Kathy Davis http://www.kathndolls.com/

Dawn Schiller http://www.oddfae.com/

And myself