Monday, August 31, 2009

You are awesome Pattee

I got the cutest post card from Pattee at Odd-Dolls http://odd-dolls.blogspot.com/ She had posted that she had some post cards and stamps made at Zazzle.com http://odd-dolls.blogspot.com/2009/08/zazzle-im-so-excited.html
I jokingly commented that I would like her to send me a card and... She did!!! The stamps are just the cutest things. I think it is awesome that you can put your artwork in a postage stamp... or your grand daughter LOL!!!
Oh my stamps with Madi, I love it. But the face above resting in her little hands is just darling!









Pattee's art work is fun and a little different and well worth visiting her to see what she does.
I love and follow her blog. A good read, pleasant visuals, great art, and a nice person make for a rewarding visit.
Thank you Pattee, you made my week.
And yes, I am going to Sandy Camp http://www.sdpcg.org/sandycamp11.html, I am on the committee too.
Please come ;-D

Saturday, August 29, 2009

PCCMMR- another story- altered art puzzle pins

I have a post today that is about Pccmmr-Polymer clay collaborative and mixed media retreat I went to in West Virginia in June.
Read about it here: http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2009/06/pccmmretreat-arriving.html
Here: http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2009/05/polymer-clay-collaborative-mixed-media.html
Here: http://mariesegal.blogspot.com/2009/06/lovely-meta-part-deux.html
or search PCCMMRetreat on this blog in the google search to the right.
They are getting ready for 2010 (can you believe that, 2010 weird)

My friend Meredith writes about Susan Z here: http://mereditharnold.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/creative-queens-like-susan-zacher/

One of the all time highlights of my time there was the final demo of the week long retreat.
Susan Zacher had done her preparation and this was sooooooooo much fun.

She had painted puzzle pieces with Lumiere paints front and back for our substrates. Those were beautiful by themselves. I love Lumiere paints, I can use them for almost any surface and they are permanent. I LOVE the Metallic Olive Green in the first picture? My fave. Plus I carry them too, it is a blatant plug. I love products that can be used for tons of things.
Anyway... then she brought out all of the things that we could embellish the puzzle pieces with.
OMG!! a ton of stuff and some things I got to work with that I never had, so much fun.
Stickles, black and white old timey images, plastic jewels, words printed on paper, she even had clay pieces but I didn't do those (sometimes I just have to put down the clay), stamp pads with different inks, stamps (I used some word stamps that I had from ERAGraphics), metal pieces, fabric stuff, feathers, and so much stuff it was unbelievable.
It was like walking in to a portable craft shop.
Crazy fun and I could have done this for hours. 
Check out how she made up words directed at a polymer clay group, such consideration in the gesture.
One of the best demos I have ever gone to.
She supported us with encouragement and showed us how to use some of the products worked if we had never used them. Guiding with out making us do it her way. She would say "well you could do this, or this, or this", or "you might want to do this" or "you can do whatever you want".
OMG!!! I can do whatever I want??? Hee hee hee, gets me every time.
One of the best parts is when I asked if I could make another and she said..."Make as many as you want". Geesh I didn't move, I was on a mission then. You know, I don't sit down and do many demos, I watch them for a moment and then move on, but I am so glad I did take the time to sit in on this one. 
We put pin backs on them (she brought those in several different sizes) left them to dry a bit and took home this pirates booty of wonderful, personal, and brilliant art from our hearts.
Susan, Oh Susan you are coming next year, right??? 
Thank you from the bottom of my pointy heart, this is a jewel in my life and I love you for sharing this with me.
I had sooooooooooo much fun.

I won an adorable dog- it is pugalishous!

I was so excited about winning the Pug Halloween ornament from Marie Z or Marzel as she is know by at the The Play of Light and Shadow http://theplayoflightandshadow.blogspot.com/, I could hardly wait for it to get here. I had won one of her monthly giveaways.
The box came the other day; I was feeding my grand daughter and had to wait till I opened it because she can not wait when she is eating. The girl loves her food; I know where she gets that from. I had a few ants in my pants needless to say and that is when the whole world gets in the way, right? Of course!!!
Any way... I finally got to open it.
And when I did I was so impressed, there was a little halloween display of leaves, tissue, berries, ribbon, little cut out spooky shapes and skulls rings. Doesn't it look darling? I had the staging all in the box for the photos.
And that is how I took it out of the box, 1 thing at a time slowly and cherishing every moment I spread out the tissue and laid out the leaves and the PUG DOG, isn't he the cutest? He has cute collar of silver foil and a spider web ruffle.

He is ghostie, He is made out of clay, has rhinestones in his eyes,  a cone cap made from spooky paper and a spray of foil streamers and a bat to top that. Not one thing was out of place the way she wrapped it for me.


And the pirate ducky, can you believe this woman?  This is the giveaway and she does one every month. She also has some great free blog backgrounds and free graphics. She has a lot to give and a wonderful woman and talented artist.
This is one of the cutest Halloween goodies I have gotten in a long time.
I have been put on restriction from buying Halloween goodies because I go a little insane, it is my all time favorite holiday.
Winning this is a highlight for me. He is on the table right next to where I sit so I can pick him up and hold him and gaze in to his eyes. The detail is wonderful.
I think you get the point.
You know you have a few days left on her next giveaway, just in time for the spooktacular holidays coming. If I were you, I would get my butt over there A.S.A.P. and get in on the cutest Bat in the world.
Thank you so much Marzel, I just love him!!!

Friday, August 28, 2009

4th Giveaway no tricks, just follow

I found something on my desk that was supposed to be in this giveaway. I added it below and a picture of it too!!!
This is the 4th giveaway for Howard and me. Part of a year of payback, thank you, and love for 30 years in a job we love so much and good friends.
May you all be as blessed as we have been and are.
Thanks you, thank you, thank you, we love that you are here.
This one is an easy one.
Leave a comment on this post!

Follow this blog!
This one is a fun one, it is for a out of print instruction sheet.
Very cool, written in 1994 by Joan Pompa for Friendly clay. That is 15 years ago, a collectors item, LOL!!!
The instruction sheet may be out of print but the designs are timeless and beautiful. The clay used in this tri-fold may not be available anymore, but other polymer clays and air dry clays will work just as well for this. It also shows how to make beautiful roses and leaves, Calla lilies, dogwoods, pansies and cut out flowers.
What is in the giveaway package?
Buds and Blossoms Jewelry 15 projects just shape, bake and paint.

1 bag of assorted metal ephemera

6 brooch findings

10 oval shell pieces

30+ small rhinestones

50+ small and medium no hole pearls

3 butterfly charms I made

1 "frazzled" word mold I made

*Bag of small stamps* just added


Oops forgot!!! This is my 100th post this year, wooooooooooooowhoooooooooo!
This giveaway will close on September 6th at 6 pm pdt.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Kids play, I made that... Flowered Clay Flower pot

Cernit Phthalate free clay- 1- 2.2 ounce package of each, neon yellow, neon pink, and neon green
Makin's cutter sets -alphabet and flowers/leaves cutter set
Bamboo skewer
Cylinder glass jar-thick, I used a salt shaker jar from the store.
2 popsicle sticks
Crafter's Pick Ultimate glue
Clay Pot from a garden store or hardware store
Ceramic Tile 6"X6" or a smooth work surface to put your flowers and leaves on
You can visit my husband's store http://www.clayfactory.net/




Condition the yellow clay a little at a time; start with a 1/4 or 1/8th block.
Roll the clay between your palms until it is warm and pliable and then fold and roll again. Do this until the clay is creamy in consistancy.
Flatten in to a little pancake about 1/4" to 1/8" thick.
Place one popsicle stick on each side of the little pancake of clay and roll the glass jar over the popsicle sticks and clay like a rolling pin.
The popsicle sticks form a little bridge for the jar and will stop you from rolling the clay out too thin and keep it uniform for cutting with cutters.

Cut out letters to form your name or a saying you have picked out. "Smile" is always a good one if you don't want to put your name on it. Adults love that.
I spelled Madisyn, which is my grand daughter's name. I am making this for her Mom to take a plant to work in to remind her of Madisyn all day long. I am also making it to show you how to do this. This is how I taught my children when they where little and how I will teach Madi when she is a little older. I also learned best by watching others do something and trying to work it out after myself.
Cut out all of the letters, conditioning clay and rolling it out as you need it.



Place a small amount of glue on the back of each letter, one at a time and add one at a time to the rim of the flower pot. Press each letter on to the pot but do not smash the clay down. Just make sure the back of the letter is completely attached to the pot, gently now, you can do this, I know you can. Kids are very smart.







See all of the letters are on the pot rim and you can even see some glue, but that is ok, it will dry clear and bake in the oven too.




We are going to make some flowers and cut out some leaves with the cutters.

First condition some green clay the way you did the yellow clay in the beginning.

Then flatten the green clay and roll it out the way you did the yellow clay.
Aren't these colors awesome??





Cut out some leaves, I cut out 10 leaves, but for your design you may need more or you might like less, it is your pot and your design. Cut out 10 to start.

Use the side of your popsicle stick to gently mark a vein down the center of each leaf and set those aside. You can see how I have set the leaves and flowers I have made on to a ceramic tile till I glue them on my pot.


Now let us make some flowers. I first off mixed some pink and yellow together to get a couple of shades of orange. I used 1 part pink to 2 parts yellow for one orange color. I also used 1 part pink to 4 parts yellow for another orange clay. I condition the clay like I did above until it is one color and flatten in to a pancake again. Cut out 1 of the large flowers in a color and then cut out a medium one and place on top of the large one. Here you can see I used pink and cut out a large flower with the cutter and then I cut out 5 small individual petals.


I then cut out one of the medium flowers with a cutter out of an orange color of clay and placed it on top of the large pink one.


Then I used the small petals and placed them on the medium orange clay flower one at a time with the bamboo skewer. Place the skewer right on the point of the petal and fold the edges around the skewer. Place the petals in a circle in the middle of the flower. I added a 1/4" ball of yellow to the center. Press it gently in to the center but do not flatten, leave it kind of rounded.

These flowers would also make great magnets for your refridgerator, bake them the way you will bake the pot when you are finished and use the same glue you use to glue the flowers on the pot to glue magnets on the back of the flowers you make.

Now have some fun coming up with combinations of colors, flower cutters, and petals to make your flowers. If you need some inspiration look at the flowers I made above. I bet you can pick out the cutters I used and the colors just by looking at the flowers I made. You can also enlarge the pictures by clicking on them.

I am going to start placing things on my clay pot, and I am going to start with a couple of leaves first.

Place a bit of glue on the back of a leaf and place it some where on the pot, I usually start right under the letters.



Keep adding flowers and leaves.








Here you can see how I built the flower picture on the front. I think Madi's mom is really going to like this, don't you?








I am going to keep adding flowers and leaves all of the way around the pot.

Here is the next side of the pot.

Use your imagination and decide what looks best to you.

There is no right or wrong way. Whoever you give this to is going to love it just because you made it for them.

I remember when I first started making stuff I was not the best, but I kept trying because it was fun and then I kept getting better and better.



Here is another side of the pot.

Now let the glue dry completely. Then with your mom or an adult's help, bake in your home oven for 30 minutes at 275 degrees.

Shut off the oven and let cool in the oven.

Ask your mom or an adult to take it out for you.

Plant a plant or a flower inside and give to someone you love. It will make them smile.

If you need someone to cheer you on or ask questions you can write me anytime Marie@mariesegal.com
But I think you can do this. As a matter of fact I know you can.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Amazing Grace



I have always loved the song Amazing Grace, but I think hearing it in Native American flutes just added a whole new love for a song that I will say has many plays and tears in my life.


I also like it in bag pipes.

Listen to this, it is incredible.

I found it on a blog I follow http://www.soaringimpulse.com/ Dr. Maithri (Pronounced My 3) is an angel on earth and works in Swaziland with children and people with HIV. He is also a glorious singer himself, a poet too. I didn't find the song on Soaring impulse but Dr. M's other blog http://whispersofpeace.blogspot.com/ a blog dedicated to the memory of John O'Donohue, who kissed Dr. M's life with his fragrant words.

In blog land there are people that move my life and touch my soul and they are right at the keyboard I type on. This is indeed a wonderful world we live in. Angels are among us everyday.


My daughter, granddaughter, and I donated old baby clothes, baby baths, extra diapers, shoes, and all kinds of stuff on Saturday to a place called Serenity House, http://www.ncsh.org/services/index.html their mission is to:

“North County Serenity House is committed to providing behavioral health services in a safe, secure environment to women, children, and families through a multidisciplinary approach that improves and promotes health, fosters learning, embraces diversity, and enhances quality of life in our community.”
It is a humbling experience to see women that take your old stuff as if it is Christmas and like it was brand new. It is a small thing that we did, but it made us feel great and we helped many families with the gesture.

We are saving up to make another run.

Maithri and Serenity House also take monetary donations if you are so inclined, follow their links. It takes a planet.

As Maithri says

"Walk with me.
Together we will find ways of making a change.
My love to you, Maithri"

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Michelle is the winner-3rd Giveaway- the Renee Bracelet- Life and Death

I am so excited Michelle http://anchellblue.blogspot.com/ and http://michelle-colourmyworld.blogspot.com/ is the winner of grandma's Renee http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/ bracelet. Michelle is a nice lady and a talented artist. 
I love you all for playing and because you make my grandma so happy. Grandma is having a hard time posting blogs and stuff right now because her computer is sick. She wants you to know she and papa are working on it. She will be around when she can find a computer to play on. Please don't forget my grandma and me. We will be around as much as we can.
Michelle if you could please send your address to my grandma, her email is on her profile page. Congratulations Michelle!!!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Small Hand Mirrors

For the small hand mirrors you will need:
3” round mirror
Cernit Phthalate free clay in Black 2.2 ounce pkg
Brilliant Gold and Silver Pearl EX
Pearl-ex varnish
Victorian flexible push mold
Craft Knife
Clay blade
Applicator sponge
Clay dedicated Pasta Machine
All links above take you to my husband's store Clay Factory and to the page where the supply highlighted can be seen and purchased. Or you can visit the Clay Factory site a http://www.clayfactory.net/

1. Condition clay.


2. Roll out in your pasta machine on a thinner setting than the handled mirror, I used the 3rd thickest setting.
Put a thin layer of glue on the back of the mirror, let dry completely.
Place the back of the mirror on the sheet of clay.



 
 
3. Press the mirror down firmly.








4. Trim around the mirror with your craft knife leaving a 1/8” allowance
Press out all the air bubbles, you will be able to see them.


 
 
 
 
 
5. Press the clay up around the edges of the mirror.







6. Trim off the excess with your clay blade.






7. Roll out another sheet of clay on the 3rd thickest setting.

8. Cut a strip ¼” wide and long enough to go around the outside of the mirror.
Cut one end of the strip at an angle.
Press the strip on to the outside of the mirror attaching it to the clay on the outside edge.




9. Trim the end that’s left with your craft blade and butt the edges together.

Smooth your seams gently with your finger.

 
 
 
 
 
10. Mold little pieces of the Victorian mold and place on the strip.











Here you can see that I am not molding whole pieces, just parts of them, I am using ¼” balls of black in the mold

 
 
 
 
 
 

11. When you are done embellishing the mirror place a small amount of silver powder into a Ziploc baggie, zip it closed and shake the powder around in the bag


Place the mirror into the bag and shake the powder onto the clay around the mirror, again you will get powder on the mirror but you will be able to wash it off after you bake it

 
12. Now I take my applicator sponge and on the front of the mirror I daub on the Brilliant gold powder lightly on the high spots


13. Bake in a preheat 275 degree oven for 30 minutes

14. Shut off the oven and let cool

Paint with Pearl-ex varnish, let dry and place back in a preheated 200-degree oven for 15 minutes, shut off oven and let cool

Place into a little bag and this little beauty is ready to give as a gift or go right into your own purse. Wouldn’t this make a great bridesmaid’s gift???

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Magic Mirrors

I wrote this up in 2003 and I like them so much I thought it would be nice to publish it here for you. One is a palm held mirror that you can carry and the other is dresser mirror with  handle.
I still carry the Victorian Decor push mold (a mold that I designed) that I used and at a highly discounted price yet ;-D but any hand rolled design or sculpted pieces would work well for this. You can find other molds now that will be just as lovely when finished.
It is the building of the mirror that is the lesson here.
I loved my grandmother’s hand mirror, I always felt so elegant holding it and combing my hair. It was silver and beautifully detailed with flowers and leaves all over the back of it. I have always looked at these mirrors later in life as a reminder of a simpler time with very fond memories. I found that with my favorite medium, Polymer clay, pearl-ex pigments, a fork, and with little round and oval mirrors I could bring back a small piece of a pleasant past. By putting the little mirrors in the great drawstring fancy bags that you can find available just about everywhere you could also share a small smile and a tiny bit of nostalgia with your friends or family too.
You will need these things for both mirrors
3” round or a 3”x5” oval mirror
A very inexpensive small dinner or salad fork
Cernit Phthlate free polymer clay 2- 2.2 ounce blocks of black and 1 block of pearl
Silver and Brilliant Gold Pearl-ex pigment
Piñata Chili Pepper red ink
Hammer
Old towel
Needle type tool, tooth pick or needle
Crafters Pick the Ultimate glue  from Adhesive Products Inc.
Pearl-ex Varnish
Applicator sponge or brush
Clay Blade
Craft Knife
Ziploc baggie
All of the links above will take you to a page in the Clay Factory's website where these products are and can be purchased.
Or you can browse the whole site at http://www.clayfactory.net/

Handled mirrors
1. Take an old towel and wrap it around the tine end of the fork. Take this outside to the sidewalk. I suggest you don’t try this on your kitchen counter. Hammer the tine end of the fork until it is flat.







2. Put glue on the front of the tines of the fork and down to the base of the fork where the handle is, but not the handle.
Place this on the back of the mirror. Now put a layer of glue all over the back of the mirror. Let the fork and the mirror dry overnight without disturbing it or moving it.






3. When the fork and mirror is completely dry condition your clay.


4. Roll it through the pasta machine on the thickest setting. It would probably be a good idea to use a whole block of clay at this time so you have enough for the mirror and the fork.



5. Lay the mirror and the fork on top of the sheet of clay and trace around the handle and the mirror with your craft knife leaving a 1/8”allowance all the way around.
I lay the mirror and the fork on their front (it lays flat then) to trace it and then turn it over to press the clay on it.

 
 
 
 
6. Press the clay to the back of the mirror and fork pressing the air out as you go. I start around the tines of the fork on the back of the mirror and work my way out. Press the edges up over the edge of the mirror.
 
 
 
 
7. Trim away excess clay from the top of the mirror and fork handle using your clay blade or craft knife. Trim flush with the top of the mirror and the fork.
 
 
 

 
 
8. Roll out some more clay on the thickest setting and turn the mirror and fork over and trace the front side for the fork handle. You do not need a 1/8” allowance for this piece.

Press the front and the back together smoothing the seams.
 
 
9. Trim off the excess from around the bottom of the mirror where the fork handle meets it following the edge of the mirror.
10. Add a little 1/8" coil of clay all the way around the edge and over the front of the mirror face. Butt the ends together and press gently down on the edge of clay around the mirror.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Roll out a 3/4” ball of pearl and roll it into a teardrop.
 
 
 
 
 
12. Flatten the teardrop between your forefinger and thumb.

13. Take a toothpick and make a dent in the top of the flattened teardrop. It will look like a heart.

 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Place this on the center of the back of the mirror.

15. Paint the heart with Chili pepper red Piñata ink and let dry.
When it the ink is dry paint it with Pearl-ex varnish and let dry completely.



16. Roll out a 1/8” coil of black clay and place it around the heart.
Trim off the end with you craft knife and butt the edges.






17. Take a needle or needle like tool and make indentations in the coil all the way around the heart.



18. Embellish the rim of the mirror and the handle with things that you mold from the Victorian mold. Remember that you can use pieces of the molded item without using the whole molded piece.
Attach those firmly without distorting.

19. When the mirror is embellished take a small amount of Silver Pearlex and place it into the baggie. Zip it closed and shake it all around.
Place the head of the mirror gently into the bag and rub the powder on to the mirror. Be very careful and rub off the excess powder, proceed to the handle of the mirror. It will stick to the glass of the mirror, but you will be able to wash it or brush it off after the mirror is baked.
20. Bake this in a preheated 275 degree F oven for 30 minutes, shut off the oven let cool for a while in the oven.
When the mirror is completely cool wash off the excess powder and let dry.
21. Coat with a couple of coats of Pearl-ex varnish letting each coat dry in between.
Place back into a preheated 200-degree oven to harden the varnish for 15 minutes.
22. Shut off the oven and let cool.

Next post the palm size mirror.