A Touch of Blue Treasury

One of my polymer clay necklaces has been featured in this fab treasury by hybridhandmade.

Random Rambling

Where did August go? I'm positive some sneaky individual hit the fast forward button while I wasn't looking. If it was you, take note, I'm on the lookout now and you won't catch me out for September.

For anyone looking forward to the Tote Tutorial, I have a little progress report: I have taken a photo of the cut out pieces of fabric. And that's it! Aren't you just amazed at the huge amount I have accomplished towards this project in a mere four and a bit weeks. With my speed and prowess I'm sure I could revolutionise the world in the blink of an eye (or maybe a few centuries).


I did manage to corner my poor husband and force him to play photographer on one of those rare sunny days we had. So I finally have some shots of my polymer clay lentil necklaces on a model (only me, I'm afraid). Due to the wonders of Picnik I was able to take some rather oddly lit shots and come away with decent pictures. I'm particularly pleased with the one below because it's the first image I've been able to get of this necklace where the colours look right.


But now, fair readers, the lists call and I must away.

Advance of the Octopus

A number of interests have all come together in the last couple of days. A love of marine creatures, steampunk, randomness and polymer clay finally combined, resulting in a small collection of miniature cephalopods.


I hold my hands up and admit they are not anatomically correct, for a start they are suckerless. They are also somewhat different in colour to wild octopuses but just as difficult to photograph. And yet, these delicate little creatures have just devoured most of my day and I don't regret it one bit.


I'm not sure what to do with the unattached ones. Are they too delicate to use as pendants and, if not, how would I safely attach them?

I will now be packing away my polymer clay for a while as I have a large list of sewing projects waiting, and there is only room for one thing at a time on my dining table. Look out for upcoming projects including my version of Kristen's Men's Shirt Makeover (http://kristenmakes.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/mens-shirt-makeover/).

Fuzzy Dice of Change

After many false starts, I finally took the plunge and used the template designer to update the look of my blog. Here is me moving away from the safe, but rather plain, black into a new world of light and colour (although I haven't gotten rid of black altogether). As has often been said, a change is as good as a holiday (which I have also been trying to enjoy).

And in this mood of change, I feel that it is time to stop spreading myself so thinly and focus on what is most important. After all, now that I'm 40, I have to admit that there is not enough time in any one lifetime, possibly even in half a dozen, to do all the things I have on my lists. When there are so many things demanding a look in, nothing actually gets the attention it deserves. Very likely, I will also need to stop procrastinating, but that is a whole other truckload of fuzzy dice.

What this means for anyone dropping in on this blog is that, yes, you guessed it, lots more polymer clay with possibly some sewing thrown in. I might even manage the odd tutorial (once I work out how to do the technical putting-it-on-my-blog stuff).

Turning Forty

My poor blog has, once again, been woefully neglected. I do have one or two pathetic excuses but I'm really not sure they let me off the hook at all.

On a positive note, I have accepted the challenge of keeping the McEtsy Team blog ticking over and have managed to do better there than I have here. It's a great team with an amazing variety of talent and I'm enjoying getting to know everyone (and one day I might even meet some of them!). You can check out the blog at http://mcetsy.blogspot.com/

Another positive, and not really an excuse for my bloglessness, is my imminent 40th birthday. I know many approach this milestone with dread, but I'm actually finding it quite amusing. I certainly don't feel 40 on the inside, although externally my body does sometimes remind me that I'm not 20, or even 30, anymore. I think there are so many advantages to being that little bit older and wiser. I've mostly learned to enjoy the moment instead of constantly yearning for what hasn't arrived yet. I haven't lost any of my enthusiasm and excitement in learning something new (see previous posts about polymer clay for proof). And I admit I'm very fortunate to have a gorgeous, affectionate husband and son whom I love to bits.


Above is your no expense spared, free of charge, totally gratuitous polymer clay photo, because you can't have a blog without at least one picture :-D

Grey Skies

Well, the gloomy grey skies have conspired to keep me indoors this week. Although, true to the saying "Every cloud has a silver lining", this has meant that I finally sanded all my polymer clay lentil beads and can now start putting them into some actual jewellery. I managed to reward myself for all that work by making a couple of pieces and one is pictured below.


And there are other benefits. The on and off again sunshine and rain has made my garden go wild and, as long as none of us get swallowed by the knee high lawn and I continue to ignore the weeds elbowing their way in between the "proper" plants, I can smile every time I look out the window. The "Dig In" seeds (www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/digin) I managed to plant last month are growing well on my windowsill and I hope to get them out into the garden later this month. I'll certainly need to move the french beans before they get much more triffid-like. A little bit of clear weather will likely prompt a gardening frenzy and then I can leave it all to itself again for another wee while.

Speaking of time, there's not that much of it left until the summer holidays when, for six weeks, work takes a back seat to being a mum. Which means that I really should be filling every moment until then with getting as much done as possible. Ahhh, but all work and no play makes Jo a dull girl - so there might just have to be a little bit of fun in there somewhere, cue more experiments in polymer clay!

I'll Admit It, I'm Addicted

Here we go with more polymer clay (no rolling of the eyes, please). I just can't seem to move on, but at least I've dragged myself away from the lentils to try a new technique.


This week I discovered stacker beads thanks to Carol on the 'Handmade in Scotland' Flickr group. This really cool technique came from Amy of Ovenfried Beads and after following her tutorial (link below) I made the beads pictured above. But never fear, the most exciting part was yet to come. I have been wanting to make ammonite halves ever since I realised the possibilities of polymer clay but hadn't had time to try and work out how to get the patterns. As soon as I saw this technique it all just fell into place and the results of my first attempt are pictured below.


I haven't entirely neglected my lentils this week though, as the following picture will show. Plus I managed to make my first Goddess pendants and a sneak peak of these can be seen on my Dragonflight Designs fan page. Polymer clay just seems to have gotten under my skin and I'm addicted - could it be that I have I found my ultimate craft?



Carol's shop is at http://www.folksy.com/shops/carolscrafts
Find the Stacker tutorial at http://www.ovenfriedbeads.com/stackertutorial.htm
Find my fan page at http://www.facebook.com/DragonflightDesigns

Something to Talk About

There I go again with another almost blogless week. But I haven't been doing nothing, I promise! Lots has been happening, I just haven't got around to writing about it.

It has been a rather bitty week - a bit here and a bit there - but important all the same. The biggest news of the week is finding a lovely new local shop to stock my jewellery, focusing on the polymer clay items (a feature will follow). It's so nerve wracking approaching a complete stranger to ask if they will display your creations but so encouraging when they say yes. I also delivered new items to Thirteen Moons (http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/) and put some new listings in my Etsy shop. Last, but not least, I almost wore out my hands making more polymer clay beads (after discovering some of my new clay is rather hard to condition) but now my struggle is to decide if they are better left matt or sealed to give a shiny finish. I like both, hence my dilemma. A small selection is pictured below.


So, here's hoping that I can build on this week's small successes and make the next week something to really talk about.

Eye of the Storm

Well there's another week gone while I wasn't looking. I'm sure it shouldn't be allowed to do that.

Doesn't it sometimes seem like you are caught up in a whirlwind of activity that just seems to be taking you round in circles? This week seems to have left me still dizzy and without that much to show for it. At least I have made a number of new pieces of jewellery with my polymer clay beads, that I just need to find time to photograph properly (but here's a sneak peek at three of them).



I also think I'm ready to start sewing Roman clothing for my family's roles in the Ninth Legion (http://www.ninthlegion.co.uk/) and I have compiled a list of accoutrements I'd either like to buy or make myself (some more new skills to add to my To Do List). At some future date, photos of the ensembles are sure to appear here.

Well, I think the eye of the storm is passing so it's back to the twister for me.

Imperfect Obsession

I have become a little obsessed and, while this is not unusual, it is not normally so much fun. At least in making beads I have retained a measure of self-control to prolong the pleasure and limited myself to one batch a day.



I admit that these beads are rather organic in nature but that appeals to me. The process is evident in the result, from faint fingerprints to nail impressions, off-center holes to imperfect shapes. I could sand them to remove some of these imperfections but in making them more uniform I think they would lose something. A measure of their value, at least to me, is in their individuality. I formed them with my own hands and although someone else could use exactly the same products in the same combination they will not produce an identical item.



The pinnacle of this process for me is my son's reaction to the beads I make. He has said he would like to keep some just to look at and has been offering me names for them. Some suggestions, such as Ocean Beads and Chocolate Beads, I may use but I think the ill-fated Meat Beads (as he says they look like the steaks Alex the lion eats in Madagascar) will be quietly shelved.

Climbing the Learning Curve

I am now definitely asking myself why I didn't start making my own beads months ago. I'm having an absolute ball experimenting with the different types of polymer clay and making patterns.

As I only have a small supply of PC I've been limiting myself to one batch of beads a day or I'd run out of clay too soon. So far I've tried Pardo, Sculpey III and Fimo Soft which all handle differently and have a different finish when baked. Next I want to try mixing the brands to see what effects this will produce. And then it's on to doing some sculptural pieces and adding some Steampunk accessories. And then reproduction Roman beads. And then ... this could go on forever!

I'm getting so inspired I may also have to break out the air drying clay my husband bought me a while back. And I do need to remember to actually use the beads in some jewellery rather than just stock piling them.

New Skill No. 1

I'm rather pleased. After several months of having an array of polymer clay types and colours sitting on a shelf below my laptop, I finally made my first beads today.



Unusually, instead of distracting me from work, my husband actually managed to inspire me to "just do it". So the kitchen table became a temporary training ground and I managed to draw some of the ideas that have been swirling around in my head into the physical realm. For a first attempt I think they look pretty good and I'm sure will soon find their way into a new piece of jewellery.

The moral of this story must certainly be to think less, act more. I have high hopes that this year will be one full of new discoveries.