Dawn Schiller's new book

Dawn Schiller is a very talented sculptor and she has finally written a book. Yay!! Dawn, I am very proud of you!

She has step by step photos and shows you how to make these lovely Fae Creatures from scratch. With detailed instructions and great pieces, this looks to be an asset to the polymer clay books library available for sculptors today!

Dawn is not only one of the most talented sculptors that I know, she is funny, quick-witted, and a dear friend. I am thrilled that she is published and I am thrilled for all of you. No matter where you are in the world you can enjoy Dawn's talent.

Dawn has a wonderful website with her works shown http://www.oddfae.com/
She has an etsy store http://www.oddfae.etsy.com/
Sells on ebay http://myworld.ebay.com/autumnthings/
Has a blog http://www.oddfae.blogspot.com/
She has and ArtFire store http://www.artfire.com/users/oddfae
And also a Cafe Press store http://www.cafepress.com/oddfae
Also has a fan page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/71326176904/
She shows at Comic- Con in San Diego and has been there for the last few years.

That finding is one of my Hoarders Closet findings. Yay Dawn!

Pre-Orders on Amazon are welcome and it won't be long before it is out!
http://www.amazon.com/FaeMaker-Making-Fantasy-Characters-Polymer/dp/1440313660/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339479914&sr=1-1&keywords=faemaker

But if you cannot wait to get the book, Dawn is teaching a class in the San Diego area before her Comic-Con appearance. She is going to show you how to make her assistant Fetch. I believe there are only a couple of spaces left.

Happy New Year... finally!

Well, the new year is here and I  for one, am excited.
I hope you are too.
The year has been interesting.
Thank you so much my dear friends for staying for the year, for sharing your love and your hearts, and for giving me a reason to keep writing.
I am better for knowing all of you!
Thank you!

I have been playing with some new things. New year, new things, I started early. 
I thought these were very fun and I thought you might like to try too.

This is like scrapbooking jewelry... woooooooooooo whoooooooo.
I knew my boatloads of fun with Jodi would lead to something like this.
I also like it because it is one of the bib necklace findings I just loaded in to my HoardersCloset Etsy store here for gold,
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88706811/vintage-metal-gold-tone-brass-bib
and here for silver,
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88644235/vintage-metal-silver-tone-plated-bib

That is the finding right there in the background above with no decorations on it.
I have had these for years and I have added clay to them and that is fun, but this is cool because I can use all of my newly collected scrapbook and paper supplies on these too.

Here is a pic of some of the things I used on the necklace, plus some scrap book paper.
Yes!

You will need:
1 brass or silver tone crescent
Chain necklace with clasp and jump rings
Scrap book paper 
Gel medium- soft gel
1/4" flat brush
jewels and metal bits
glossy accents
scissors
glue
glitter glue
Distress inks
foam applicator
clay pieces
assorted goodies and beads
brads
Distress ink
paper doilies
Glass rhinestones and cabs
Ribbon
Anything else you think might look wonderful on here

I started with one of the brass crescents   

Cut a piece of paper that is bigger than the crescent.

Glob on gel medium, with flat brush, on to the front of the crescent.

Turn over the crescent and place it on top of the paper.
Pick up the both of them and press the paper on.
The gel will squish out around the edges
Set this aside and let the gel dry for a little bit.

Cut off the paper below the loop on the crescent.

Like so. Do both sides.

After it has dried a little cut the excess paper around the crescent.

It should look something like this.
I go around the edges and press the edges to the crescent.

Now I cover a paper doily with metallic ink and let it dry or heat set it with a heat gun.

Now I distress the edges of the paper on the crescent with walnut stain Distress Ink.

This colors the edges of the paper so they are not stark white besides giving the paper on the front a nice soft antiqued look. I love this ink!!

I love the way this looks.

I place the doily over the crescent to see where I want it to go and then cut a section out.

Cut a section to go on one end also, I liked it like that.

I put a layer of gel on to the end where I am going to place the piece of doily and then paint the gel on the back of the doily and place the piece where I want it to go.

Place gel on the back of the other piece and place it where you want it.

Put gel on top of that one.

I set it aside and let it dry on the crescent. Because of the curve of the crescent I lift it upon something (scissor covers) so the edges down.

When dry cut, away the excess doily.
Like so.

With Crafter's Pick Ultimate or E-6000 Glue on your bits.

I had to throw in some clay. I only use a little glue in the centers of the butterflies the glue seems to press out to the edges when I press them down on the paper.

At this point I just start filling up the base with stuff, rhinestones, flowers, keys and other assorted things.
I haven't finished this but I will post it when I do.



Have fun with this. I would love to see what you do.
Have a great 2012, much prosperity, health, and peace for us all.
Blessings all over you all.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

May the spirit of Christmas bless you with love, abundance, joy, and peace in your heart!

Wishing you all the very happiest of Holidays with your family and friends.

May your New Year be better than 2011 ever was.

Relax. It is all good.

 

Santa Can Christmas 2011

Marie Segal

Something else I got side tracked on

Halloween cupcakes!
I was making molds and had to try some of them out.

I got stuck here for a while, I made one for everyone on the Sandy Camp committee. I really appreciate all of these ladies.

No wonder I do not have enough time for everything.

I keep adding stuff to my list. ;-D
Do you do this?

Are you having a wonderful start to your fall or spring?
I am loving our weather.
The light is changing.
The sky is so beautiful.
What a planet!
We are so lucky to be here.
My favorite time of year.

I made this! Halloween Album

Here is the Halloween book I told you about, from when Jodi and I got together a few weeks ago. I took some of the skills I have learned from Jodi and combined them with the Coptic book binding I taught myself and some new ideas to make this Halloween scrap-book.
I love the holiday and I finally got to make something for it in the paper area.
Jodi would not let me put bats all over the houses we made at Christmas for my family. I know there is good reason behind this, she always has those.
I just have a hard time seeing that from my point of view. I mean, don't you think that everything should have skellies, bats, and wicked cool fences and ghosts and pumpkins, candy corn and witches all over it, all of the time?
See, I knew there would be tons of you that agreed with me. After all, the colors for Halloween are just divine, right?
I can see Jodi in my mind, shaking her head right now and not in that up and down "yes" fashion either. ;-P

I used this monster colored green paper with crows(ravens) all over and spider webs too for the covers.
I used my thin chip board but double-sided taped 3 pieces together.
This is quarter sheet of paper book, 4 1/4" by 5 1/2". I then covered with that awesome green paper.

Like so.

Double sided tape to adhere.

Covers done on the outside. Chose very cool raven paper for the inside.

I used Distress ink to age the edges of the outside and the inside of the covers.
Gives it that spooky feel!

This is a full sheet 8 1/2" by 11" of card stock scored down the length in the middle.

And then scored down the middle of it the other way! Jodi learned and shared with me about the ball stylus on the score board. It works great, better than my bone folder. Howard carries these in the www.ClayFactory.com  of all sizes. We have double-sided, like this one shown, and single sided too.

It is folded and holes are poked in the middle fold. This is the page opened up here. This is one signature in the book. I did this to make pockets to hold things.

I used the Big Bite to punch the holes in  the covers for the eyelets.
I make a template to make the holes 1/4" in from the edge on the cover where I am going to make the holes.
I lay the template on my score board and make the scores evenly spaced so I can see them.
I will have to make one later so you can see how I mark and place the holes.
Another tutorial!

Here the holes are punched in the cover.

Here you can see the eyelets and the binding. The pages are in.

Here is a different look at them.

I glued two pages together either on the side or on the top and made pockets to put things in. I made the page on the right a diagonal pocket.
And the one on the left a side pocket. I glued another piece of paper to the front on the left to make another pocket for the Happy Halloween tag.

The pocket on the left is a top loader and I glued the side together to do that. The pocket on the right is a top loader too and then I used another piece of paper to make another pocket on the front. With the tag in it.
I am going to stop here because Blogger is throwing a tizzy, too much going on for its poor little brain to handle.
I will continue this in the next post!
You can see though, I am having big fun! You can also see how a lot of techniques come together for even more fun for unique twist. I love when that happens.
Have a great weekend yall'

Jodi's book-Mariposa

Well, you saw my book but I have yet to show you Jodi's. So here it is.

Jodi has taught me everything I know. We work well together and she puts up with my hundreds of questions, maybe even thousands ;-D Her patience is unbelievable.

Jodi has an eye for beauty and design and turns a sows ear in to a silk purse...or something like that.
I know I am going to get a ration after she sees this.

Jodi is very modest and gets mad when I brag about her skills.
So this is why I am doing this while she can not reach me.

Jodi you are talented and so giving and kind!! I love you!
So now everyone knows ;-P

Jodi is working with Die Cuts with a View paper Mariposa. It is beautiful, it has an Asian air to it. It has glitter, gold, and beautiful focal butterflies. It is just gorgeous and rich. I love the red pages.

This picture shows the brilliance of the papers best. Would you look at the red pages? They are just yummy. DCWV you did good on this papuh!!

And the front black pages are pretty damn good too!
I really love this book too!

So you can see why I am doing so well. I have an excellent teacher. Hard to believe these are paper bags...yes??

My favorite page one last time.
Hope none of you get this cold, it is yucky. All I want to do is sleep. I don't do that all that much and I love it so it is good I guess.
I would love to taste my food though.
Be well, know you are loved, and be kind to others.