Fun with Terra Cotta Clay

As you can see, I work a lot with Terra Cotta Polymer Clay.  I love the rich color and how my finished creations look whether I have put a shiny finish on them or not.   I buy the large boxes of this clay at Michaels, but only if I have a coupon for the discount.  Here are some that I have made using this wonderful clay.

Cat Vase and Mouse

Wrapped in a Blanket

Ready for the Weather

Birdie in the Birdbath

Fairy House

 Garden Angel

Matchbox

Love Birds

You can find all of these listed in my shop:

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

Breast Cancer Tribute

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I was asked by a customer to create a tribute to his Mom who had died as a result of this horrible disease. I was honored to be able to create this mini canvas for him.

MelodyODesigns - Wonderfully Unique Polymer Clay Jewelry

I would like to introduce you to MelodyODesigns ~ a fabulous Etsy Shop featuring whimsical and colorful art jewelry and ornaments made from polymer clay, where butterflies, ladybugs, and Bakelite reproductions abound. 

Anita resides in Arizona and discovered polymer clay 16 years ago.  It has become her preferred medium because it's so versatile, strong, and can be mixed into a virtual rainbow of exciting colors just begging to come out and play. 

    

This collar type necklace features a charming detailed orange Monarch butterfly taking a nap amidst a wide variety of colorful autumn leaves and acorns. Whimsical Ladybugs dance on the leaves. The butterfly is adhered to an aluminum backing that allows the wings to be position-able and it appears to be poised for flight. All the components, including the complex caned butterfly and the tiny ladybugs, are handmade “from scratch” in her studio using artist-quality polymer clay. Each leaf is cut by hand from a pattern made of a real leaf and the veining imprint on some of the leaves is made from real leaves. The acorns are made from molds she made from real acorns. 

            

  

This Patriotic smiling Cat pendant necklace of Red, White and Blue, celebrates both our love of country as well as the Cats in our lives. It can also be worn as a brooch. The cheerful and whimsical cat features realistic caned eyes, brush bristle whiskers and a cat collar decorated with white stars. 

This smiling and whimsical mint green Angel Cat hanging ornament is decorated with pink roses. It’s perfect for celebrating Mother’s Day, Spring, cats, or a wonderful way to honor and remember a beloved departed pet. Hung from the ceiling, window, houseplant, or decorating a computer or cubical, its sunny disposition it will bring you smiles.

This winsome floppy eared Hound Dog pendant necklace in French Blue and lavender can easily be converted to wear as a brooch. It’s an original design meticulously handmade from artist-quality polymer clay. His endearing puppy face makes him the perfect piece of jewelry to wear in honor of the dogs in your life and those who are now Angel Dogs. It also makes a perfect inexpensive gift for the dog lover. 

The bat is made to resemble a model 125 ash Louisville Slugger. For a bit of fun that makes the necklace even more special, you can specify that the fake “autographed signature” of your favorite player be added to the bat. The glove is very detailed so you can see the stitching and lacing. It makes a wonderful gift that’s very unique. 

This red cherry necklace with GREEN chain is a faux Bakelite inspired reproduction of a popular necklace from the 1940’s. It is constructed on a GREEN plastic chain and features the contemporary addition of two tiny whimsical studio made ladybugs. There are five pairs of bright and shiny red cherries and eleven medium dark blue-green leaves. Handmade from artist quality polymer clay.

You can visit Anita's shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MelodyODesigns

You can also visit her wonderful blog at:

http://www.melobeau.blogspot.com

Dressing Up Artist Mannequins

I have been having so much fun dressing up these artist's mannequins.  

I loved the idea of creating a ballerina.  I used polymer clay for her hair and ribbon for her bodice and tutu.  I painted her shoes, added pearl beads to the bodice and a braided hairpiece to complete her.

This was a fun one to make.  I call her my Forest Mannequin.  Her dress is made of felt with a multi colored ribbon tied at the waist.  She holds a bouquet of flowers picked fresh from the meadow this morning.

This one is a work in progress. I plan on making her a very fashionable young lady! Her hair and hat were created using polymer clay.  Stay tuned to see her completed.

The Ballerina and the Forest Mannequin are for sale in my Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Sandyscreationinclay

Fun with Friends and Mixed Media Canvas

What a wonderful week I had in Arizona!  My friend Diane has the most fabulous craft room in which we spent hours of fun creating these wonderful pieces of art.  I worked on the polymer clay pieces while Diane created the backgrounds by adding different textures.

We delved into the fabulous world of Steam Punk, creating these two mixed media canvas pieces. The hair  was made out of curled construction paper. Diane had some sheetrock tape which gave  this one such a wonderful look and the shiny background is air conditioning tape. I love how they turned out!!!

One day our friend Gayl joined us, bringing small canvases and all kinds of wonderful items for embellishments. She showed us how to create these darling double hanging canvases.  I loved how they transformed with each added step. the one at the  bottom is Diane's the one on the left is Gayl's and the one on the right is mine.  It was so much fun learning something new.  Both Diane and Gayl are so very talented as you can see by their artwork.

   

It's a Dogs Life

I have come to the realization that the old adage "It's a Dogs Life" is true.

  

My little dog who will be seven this year is such a great friend, but she is quite lazy.  She has several  places in the house where she likes to nap, but she loves the pillow back chair in the living room the best and I can find her there most of the day.  If she's feeling peppy, she will lay on the arm of the couch, where she has a good view of the outside world and wait for something or someone to walk by.  She barks at the squirrels and the birds in the tree and tells me in no uncertain terms if someone is near the house. She will run from window to window and to the front door all the while growling and barking as if to say.  "I'M DANGEROUS, SO DON'T YOU TRY TO GET IN".  She feels that it is her doggly duty to inform me of anything that comes within five feet of the house.

Her name is Penny Lane and she is three quarters Maltese and a quarter Yorkshire Terrier.  She is spoiled rotten of course.  She has loads of toys. She loves those soft toys with a squeakier in them, but as soon as she gets one she works very diligently to remove it, so needless to say, there is stuffing all over the room until she finally succeeds.  

I bring Penny to the groomers only once a year, because she has a terrier coat, it doesn't tangle and is easy to manage.  I had her groomed last week and she looked so darn cute that I just had to take her picture.

The phrase "It's a Dog's Life" use to suggest the need to accept the existential fact that things are hard, but now the idea is that dogs have it easy, and so "It's a Dog's Life" equates to 'how cushy'! 

Polymer Clay Treasures

This is a treasury that I created today from some of Etsy's awesome Polymer Clay Jewelry Artists. Click on each picture and it will take you directly to their shop.

Treasury tool by StylishHome.

R F Colorful Creations

On my February 20th blog, I introduced Rosemarie of RF Forever Clocks.  Rosemarie has another shop on Etsy called RF Colorful Creations. Today I would like show you some of her wonderful polymer clay creations.

You can visit her shop at:   http://www.etsy.com/shop/RFColorfulCreations

This mini oil lamp is not only decorative, it gives off a warm glow when lit. It can also be used as a diffuser for your favorite fragrance. The glass lamp is designed with polymer clay. The foundation is a light pearl blue with With a designed water scene on top. The lamp is attached to a wood base, painted a metallic bronze. The colors in the photo are slightly lighter due to the flash. The completed design is multi-glazed for shine and protection.

This fun Kitty Cat Pen Holder was created with polymer clay. It's a functional smiley piece. Kitty Cat hopes to make you smile while holding your Pen. The kitty has a terra cotta pot base body that was covered with light gray poly clay. His wood platform was covered with three different shades of blue clay and then texturized. The completed piece was multi-glazed for shine and protection.It comes with a matching covered polymer clay pen.

This terra cotta candy dish is very unique. This is a cute way to have your favorite treat at hand. This pedal style candy dish was made with a rose size pot and saucer. The foundation was hand painted a school bus yellow. The design was created with polymer c;lay. The saucer has hand painted dots. The completed dish was multi-glazed for shine and protection.

This colorful fish frame was decorated with polymer clay over a wood base. It was triple glazed for a brilliant shine and protection. The frame rests on a hand made base with real, tiny seashells.

This glass tealight candle holder was hand designed with polymer clay. There are four polymer clay fishes that are hand painted. The decorative glass holder is fixed permanently the black iron pedestal.

The water is a translucent blue and glows in the dark when lit.