Merry Christmas to All And To all A Good Night

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
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From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books 

of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. 

So there is your history lesson for today. Now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol.

Merry CHRISTmas Everyone

Altered Mannequin

This was a wonderfully fun project for me.  I bought the mannequin at Hobby Lobby (with my forty percent off coupon) so if I ruined it, I wouldn't feel so badly about it.  But, the good news is I didn't ruin it!!!

First I decided that I would make some sort of hairpiece out of polymer clay. I decided on a Marge Simpson hairdo, only a red color, not her famous blue. After that was cured, I began the decoupage process on the large portions of the doll.  I picked out colorful paper as the doll itself is a drab color.  When I was finished I thought that it needed something else.  I used my Believe stamp on the same paper and then decoupaged it onto the front of her blouse.  Posing her was so much fun as you can see!

She stands 10" tall which includes her hair.  There are three different mannequin sizes at Hobby Lobby and this is the middle sized one.  I think I will try the large size next time.   The small one is too tiny to really do anything with.

More Altered Paint Brushes

Creating this bow was half the fun ~ adding it to

the paint brush was the other half.  I painted then sanded the handle  making it look weathered, then gave the bristles a bit of paint to add to the charm. I really love the grey and pink colors together.

Altered Paint Brush ~ Guardian Angel

I created this art doll out of Polymer clay over a fabulous little paint brush that I bought at The Home Depot ~ that is where I buy all my paintbrushes.  The plain wooden handles are perfect for the project and the bristles do not burn in the oven.  The first time I put one in the oven, I cringed, thinking that I would have burned bristles or no bristles at all  when it came out.  But lo and behold, these wonderful brushes do very well in the oven. I have to say, they even do well after the bristles are painted.  I wanted to add wings to this art doll after I had it finished, so back in the oven it went.  I did have to use some fiberfill to prop the wings on each side as they were heavy and wanted to pull away from the body.  Fiberfill is awesome for polymer clay baking.  It will keep round beads round and prevent that little flat spot from appearing on your beads.

The Time Keeper ~ Altered Paint Brush Art Doll

I have been having such a great time creating these characters out of paint brushes and polymer clay.  The bristles make really great hair which I have streaked with paint. 

Bebe Blaylock is Brisco's sister. She has been dubbed 'The Time Keeper' because she is always carrying around her big pocket watch. Time stands still for Bebe while it continues to tick on for everyone else.

I created Bebe out of polymer clay around a paint brush core. Her hair is the bristles of the brush streaked with green, gold and black paint. She stands 7" tall by 2.25" wide.

Brisco and Bebe are both for sale in my Etsy Shop.   
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandysGiftBoutique

Click here to read Brisco's post
http://sandyscreationsinclay.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-gate-keeper.html

Einstein ~ A One of a Kind Polymer Clay Art Doll

Jim is from Komotini Greece and opened his Etsy Shop

 Deep Sheep Dolls in October of 2012.  

With an original background in illustration and animation, about 15 years ago, he discovered the art of model making which gave him a perfect chance to combine all his skills and interests in a single artistic medium.

The lack of any specialized training courses in Greece forced him to become entirely self-taught through endless hours of experimentation, trial & error. 

ALL of his work is entirely One Of A Kind!   He NEVER uses molds or sculpting aids of any sort.

Einstein is a VERY important chap. Arguably.. THE most important person of the past century! And for anyone who knows Jim well... they will tell you that he holds a very special place in his heart! 

It is such a pleasure being around this old fella. He rarely has time for small talk, he will NEVER interrupt your thought process and (most importantly) does NOT tap his foot while he is in the middle of an earth-shaking, ground-breaking, mind-blowing idea (..which is almost always as you can imagine... so Thank God!). 

Lastly, he knows how to work that blackboard juuuuust RIGHT... so that you won't find yourself going mad over any repeated, squeaky sounds in the middle of the night! 

All he needs is a couple of refills a day of his favorite green tea (which is oh! so good for intensive brain-work) and he will gladly share some of his genius with you and your loved ones ;-) 

Einstein was sculpted out of polymer clay over a strong wire armature.

His attire is entirely handmade using a plethora of high quality fabrics, adornments and accessories CUSTOM made by Jim. His hair is mohair and he is blushed with high-end acrylic paints. 

Albert will bring to his new home his entire work-space as well (Oh yes!), which is handmade by Jim! That includes a Plexiglass Display Case with Everything and Anything a world renown genius will EVER need!      (Please visit Jim's shop to see this marvelous display case.)

You can visit Jim's shop at:     

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DeepSheepDolls

Polymer Clay Critters ~ by Miranda Farrand

I would like to introduce you to Miranda Farrand ~ a polymer clay artist 

who has a delightful shop on Etsy called Mirandascritters.

Miranda Farrand ~ Welcome to my clay world. I am an avid crafter and stay-at-home mommy. I guess now is a good time to tell you that my home is not pet or children free so people with allergies beware..hehe. I love to share my clay creations with everyone. I also work in quilting, primitive stitchery and photography. I'm not sure if I would be quite so sane without my artwork. It soothes away troubles like a snake sheds it's skin. Certainly not a pretty picture, but apt none-the-less :)

Up for adoption is one adorably cute, long-necked spotted giraffe that I've named Clarence. It's so hard to list him for adoption when he won't stop gazing at me with his soulful, hand-painted brown eyes!

Clarence is hand sculpted from polymer clay over a foil and wire armature. He has been accented with acrylic paints and has gloss on key features such as eyes, spots, nose & inner ears. Clarence is not suitable for children due to breakage if mishandled.

Yurtle is a delightfully orange little dude. He thinks he's pretty cool, so do I! He is hand crafted from polymer clay over a foil and wire armature. He has been accented with acrylic paints and features a gloss coat.

Who you lookin at? You lookin' at me??? Heehe...Big Bad Ramikins is looking trouble in the eye...He is handcrafted from polymer clay over a foil and wire armature. His face & legs have been accented with acrylic paints & feature a gloss coat.

You can visit Miranda's shop at:  

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mirandascritters

A Super Hero Birthday

This past Sunday we celebrated my Grandson, Charlie's, sixth birthday and needless to say, he was very excited. Although he is dressed as Iron Man, his favorite Super Hero is Spiderman.  I ordered him this huge Spiderman Cookie and it made an amazing cake topper!  Charlie was so excited when he opened the package and saw that huge Spiderman face staring back at him.  He had a grin from ear to ear!

The cookie is so large that it takes up the whole top of the cake!

Charlie's parties are always so much fun!  The kids dress up in their Halloween costumes and have such a great time. His parties are held on the clubhouse grounds across the street from his house.  There is a play area with slides, swings, a sand box and other fun things that the kids love!

It was a wonderful day with perfect weather for my little Super Hero 

and all his friends!

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Amber Kundrat who is the owner of  ~The Cookie Crafter ~ created this fantastic Spiderman Cookie!  I was so thrilled when I received it.  I had sent her a picture of a spiderman that I liked and she created this perfect face. I also had her make small cookies with webs and spiders.  They were wonderfully made and so delicious!

The Gate Keeper

The Gate Keeper is my newest Altered Paint Brush.  

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Being a Gate Keeper is a very important job. It requires one to be on his toes every moment of every day.  If anyone other than the Gate Keeper opens the gate, it will most certainly open a pandoras box, the likes of which would send a shock wave across the country. This particular gate only has one key and it has been entrusted to Brisco Blaylock, aka The Gate Keeper!

I created Brisco using a paint brush as his core and fashioned him out of polymer clay. His hair is the brush which has been dipped in blue paint and dried in spikes. He is 7" tall and 3" wide and stands on his own.

 The Gate Keeper in now in my Etsy Shop: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandysGiftBoutique

Art Dolls by Noa Sadeh

Dancing Seeds by Noa Sadeh

From the Artist:

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved and emerged herself in nature. I'd stray and wonder outdoors discovering natural treasures that exist within our beautiful world. From the fields to the

mountains and beyond. I thought, how can I bring the innocent simplicity of the wild into my home environment and simultaneously into my life?. This question inspired me to create. 

Woman archer - fairy doll waldorf inspired mobile.Wondering in the woods, cultivating her skills, the archer woman is a zen artist. 

this lovely knitting caricature represents the beauty of creation. peaceful, colorful and relaxed she is all in her creative world. ideal present for woman who loves to create

The Guitar Player

Out there, exploring solely and courageously, the guitar player is writing the tune of life. This mobile is a perfect gift for any musician or anyone with music close to his/her heart

Noa opened her shop on Etsy August 1st ~ 2012

You can see more of her wonderful creations at: 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DancingSeeds

Etsy Fall Treasury

I created this treasury especially for the beautiful Fall Season.  These are from sixteen different Etsy shops.  Click on each on and it will bring you to that particular shop.  I hope you enjoy this treasury as much as I enjoyed creating it.

     

'Awesome Fall Findings' by sandyprenzi

Fall is a beautiful time of the year and here are some wonderful Fall items from my featured shops.

Give Thanks Metal S... RefinedInspir... $24.95	Cream White Hedgeho... BacuJIucka $25.00	6 to 9 or 9 to 12 M... handmadebabyl... $13.00	Stuffed Fabric Pump... SunflowerTree $45.00
Clay figurine  &quo... NeldasScrapRo... $21.00	Wooden Door Hanger-... melanieshea78 $35.00	Vintage Hallmark Br... DodadChick $6.00	Earthy Brown Barn O... foxowlroad $50.00
Harvest Thyme Scare... DAWNSPAINTING $21.00	Napkin Ring Swags S... thehiphostess $16.00	Autumn Wood Nymph dVINEart $65.00	Boutique Embroidere... pachwilliamso... $3.00
Mr. Waffles the Dap... FullyFleecedE... $26.00	Perfect Little Pump... MagicalOccasi... $15.00	Crocheted Pumpkins ... dlf724 $17.00	Carved Gourd Art Ho... LeafSpirits $205.00

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

 

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This is my newest Paint Brush Creation.  You can see this and more of my creations at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandysGiftBoutique

Paint brushes aren't used just for painting ~ this brush has been decorated, making it a perfect gift for someone who wants something a little different.

I painted gold metallic paint on the handle of the brush, then added a brown ribbon and embellished it with a fall leaf. I created the face centerpiece out of polymer clay and brushed it with a light brown wash giving it an antiqued look The bristles have been brushed with gold metallic paint and stiffened to one side. It is 9" tall by 5" wide and will hang easily on a nail.

Polymer Clay and Paint Brushes

I have been experimenting with combining Polymer Clay Creations with Paint Brushes and have found that the two compliment each other extremely well.  The polymer clay pieces are creations that I have had for awhile and realized that by adding them along with other embellishments they make very unique gift items.

I painted bright red paint on the handle of this brush and embellished it with a polymer clay mouse, which I created, and centered her on a multi colored band of paper. I tied a polka dot aqua blue ribbon on the handle and added a bright blue heart in the center. The bristles have been painted with the purple luminous paint. 

With this creation, I painted purple acrylic paint on the handle and embellished the brush with a polymer clay Indian boy, which I created, and centered him on a purple and lavender ribbon. A large deep burgundy ribbon is tucked in behind the little boy giving  the brush a special touch. The bristles have been painted with the purple luminous paint.

These along with more of my Paint Brush creations can be seen at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Sandyscreationinclay

Altered Paint Brushes ~ Sandy Prenzi

 I discovered  paint brush art and fell in love with it. 

These are just a few of the pieces that I have created so far and are now

for sale in my Etsy Shop:  

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Sandyscreationinclay

I painted a lavender wash on the handle of this paint brush and embellished it with a cream colored feather and a large iridescent purple bow. I created the face centerpiece out of polymer clay giving the brush an artsy appeal. It is 9" tall by 5" wide and will hang easily on a nail.

Paint brushes aren't used just for painting ~ this brush has been decorated, making it a perfect gift for someone who wants something a little different. Painted a dark purple and embellished with a great big sunflower and double layered lace. It is 9" tall by 5" wide and will hang easily on a nail.

I wrapped the handle of this paintbrush with masking tape and painted it a light green color, I then wrapped purple ribbon around the handle and embellished it with a single pink rose and purple tulle. The brush has been painted with purple and green acrylic paint.

I painted the handle of this paintbrush a soft brown color for a nice contrast to the aqua blue and purple of the polymer clay butterfly centerpiece that I created. A beautiful multi color ribbon actuates the centerpiece and a special tag with the word Hugs hangs from the top and personalizes this creative piece. This brush is 8.5" tall by 3" wide.

Etsy Treasury ~ Water Colored Dreams

'Water Colored Dreams' by sandyprenzi

Beautiful artistry from my featured shops.

Treasury tool by StylishHome.