New Polymer Clay Pieces

After what's felt like an age of not using polymer clay, I finally got it back out tonight. I was a bit apprehensive because I just keep getting moaned at for using the oven. However it's only a low heat, and for a short time. I don't even care anymore. I put down a holding deposit on a rented house on Thursday. I packed up loads of my stuff yesterday. Just need my application to be passed and then it's go go go! Cannot wait to be using my own oven, when I like.
Starting to hate working with red clay. Have found I'm making sure I use it last of all just so it doesn't spoil any white or light colours I might be using in other pieces.
Tonight I made an ice cream charm with the help of a tutorial that was posted this week on Deviant Art.
Found this quite difficult to do. The overhang of the ice cream scoop was a bit difficult. Also found myself covering up the lines I'd made on the cone as I was going along, quite fustrating and fiddly. The scoop top is a bit out of proportion but maybe that give it a bit of charm. Was fun to do and I'll try again, I'm sure.

Then I moved onto some apples and valentines cupcakes. This was where the red came in. Making the round apple, I ended up with very red chalky palms. If anyone knows a good way to avoid this, then please let me know. Wire wool seems to remove it pretty well after. My hands have never felt so soft from so much washing up liquid too.

Someone left me a tip on my DA page about the cupcakes and that the bottom should be a bit narrower to make them a bit more realistic. Used this on the ice cream too. Works, sort of.

Not sure what to do with the red apple yet. Necklace or single earring to rebel a bit. Haven't got time to pick up a charm bracelet this week. It's either panto, work or something else. I do like a busy life but I like one with time to do things and go places.

Becoming more confident at mixing colours now. Maybe the mint green could have been a bit more 'mintier'. I don't know.

The tin of odd, sods and charms is getting fuller now. I can see how some people end up with lots in a small amount of time. A few afternoons here and there certianly boost supplies. I shan't be setting up an Etsy or Folksy shop anytime soon though. More time needed for that.

Waking up at the start of the end of the world.

So just before Christmas, I bought some Polymer Clay. And some tools (knives, yay!) to use with it. I spent a lot of my time on Deviantart in 2009 looking through tutorials and pictures of what people had made with it. Put it off for ages and instead made a huge load of cards and other little things.

In November I lost my favourite Grandmother. Sorting through her mountains of craft stuff, I must have inhaled some 'crafting dust'. Totally overnight I found the confidence and motivation to have a go. What's the worst that could happen, eh?

So I started with some brown,red, translucent and silver. I did a lot of bookmarking and watching Youtube videos. It was then that I began on cards first just to get into a Christmas mood. I forgot to take photos of those but everyone at my office got one and there was a lot of postive feedback from them.

One night when I'd got everything together I began to roll. I did forget to condition the clay enough and wasn't sure how much to bake at once. I hope also one day, to own a pasta machine cause I can't roll evenly to save my life.
My very first make were these earrings:


They're not very realistic but they do look a bit festive colourwise.

I then decided to add my second make in with my secret santa present for a girl at work. They went down a treat. Silver presents 'wrapped' in red ribbon tied in a bow at the top. She loved them and so did a few others. And why wouldn't they?

Then I began messing around with modelling it into other things. Such as Rudolph here
and our Mushroom Friend
I can see me needing glasses soon with the really tiny stuff and the macro setting on my camera is pretty poor. I have a Light Box on my Amazon Wish List if anyone is feeling generous. Where I'd put it, I don't know.
I've now made doughnuts, beads from bad canes and then a bracelet that was just pretty random.

There are other random pieces and they can be found in my Crafting Set on Flickr

First things first.

I need to work out what I want from this blog. But I have no idea what exactly I do want.

- It needs to be mainly about handmade crafts.
- It could blog the progress of my handmade crafting.
- It could just be full of prettiness.
- It might have a few cats.
- It might have a plea for crafting help.

Right I'm just going to sit and see what happens then. I've looked through so many great design and crafting blogs this weekend that I feel pretty negative about making something just as good.

Ones people should read are all listed down the right hand side of India Knight's blog, which is just full of very pretty and great designs.

I think my next post will be about polymer clay. I finally began to us this a few weeks ago and so far I've had a lot of fun, but there's a long way to go with it. Hoping to go to a class at The Bead Shop in Nottingham next month to learn a bit more about making beads with them.