More Butterflies and Owls

There has been a big demand lately for items with butterflies and owls.  These are more butterflies this time  made into shawl sticks.

And here are more owls made into shawl sticks as well.

Whenever I make a new item such as these owls, I like to take a photo showing basic construction.

I then print it out on an index card with more instructions such as clay thickness, clay color recipes used, etc.  I then keep it in this mini album that sits on my desk for a quick reference guide.  It is important that I do this and not just trust my memory for when I need to make more.

Here are more owls that I made using Judy Belcher's Knitting technique on CraftArtEdu.

My friend, Cynthia Blanton, lives miles away at the other end of the country, but thanks to the internet and e-mails, we feel much closer.  We seem to have a lot of similar interests -- at least where polymer clay comes in.  She has been playing with Judy Belcher's tutorial as well and you can see some cool items she has made on her blog.  I love her "knit" sweater which would pair quite nicely with my knit socks.

I should mention that all of the above items (except Cynthia's adorable sweater of course) are now available at The Falkland General Store.  This is a real gem with lots of great supplies and gift type items for the knitter or anyone else who just enjoys cool stuff!

Faux Knitting Techniques

I've been playing around with Judy Belcher's tutorial, Polymer Micro Knitting.  I love how she worked out how to replicate 21 different knitting stitches in polymer clay.  She starts with the very basic stitches and then combines them in various ways to create more advanced ones.  Her lesson is pretty clear and easy to follow.  The Missoni inspired stitches remind me of the Bargello but with texture.

Here are a few items I made using this tutorial which have been a big hit with the yarn shops.  You can see a list of all the stores that sell our handcrafted items on our website.

Resolutions For a New Year

I am always looking forward to starting a new year.  There is something about out with the old and a fresh new start.  I generally do not make new year's resolutions but this year I decided to make three.

One:  Try new things --  Ever since I have discovered polymer clay I feel I am constantly trying something new and pushing my boundaries.  It is always exciting to discover some new technique or vibrant color combination.  I already got a jump-start on this one.  Ever since I saw Judy Belcher's Micro Knitting in polymer clay, I knew I really wanted to learn how to do that.  Rather than trying to figure it out on my own I decided it was worth going right to the expert and learning directly from her.  I have had a chance to go through the tutorial and now excited about giving it a try.

Two:  Improve on the old.  No matter what we create, I feel there is always room for improvement.  Sometimes that means taking a new course or tutorial.  We all have a different view point and experience and so we can always learn from each other.  One of my favorite polymer clay techniques is mokume gane.  I have been creating with it for several years now but recently discovered how Melanie Muir had really learned how to master it with such a unique style.  While I really wasn't interested in making "Rock Cuffs", I decided to take Melanie's class through Craftcast and see if I could pick up any tips.  I managed to learn a few new things and after trying her method I found my mokume did improve and I was satisfied with the results.

The veneer on this kite bead necklace was created in a mokume using the new Pantone Spring 2013 colors of Monaco Blue, African Violet and Tender Shoots.

These buttons were made using the Pantone Spring 2013 colors of Monaco Blue, Dusk Blue, Emerald and Grayed Jade.  Both the kite beads and these buttons remind me a lot of Batik dyed fabric.

Three:  Don't over do it.  This one will be more of a challenge but sometimes I want to do too much and do not allow myself time for the first and second resolution.  This past year we found ourselves almost too busy at times and after Dave and I discussing things, we both decided that somethings had to give to allow more time for what was really important.  Making these types of decisions should not only reduce some of our stress but allow more time to enjoy the whole process and not feel so overwhelmed.

Now I am off to relax in our new jacuzzi hot tub for a nice relaxing soak.  This was our new addition to our home this year to help with the tendinitis in my shoulder and combat that extra stress.   It will be a good way to relax and unwind before we see in the New Year!