Pithy Art Blog

Monday, October 28, 2013

Halloween Jewelry Blog Hop!

This year I thought it would be fun to play in a Halloween Blog Hop.
Thanks to Diana Ptaszynski for putting this together (she is the first in the list of blog hoppers).

Our rules:

Participants will create at least one piece of jewelry in a Halloween or Day of the Dead theme.
Each piece of jewelry must contain at least one art bead (visit Art Bead Scene if you need clarification on art beads).

Since I make most of my components anyway I thought this would be fun. Its always halloween around our house, skulls and the like are "normal" for us, so i thought I would challenge myself and push it a bit. Then the next thing I know time has gotten away from me and instead of making a groovy haunted mansion like my chicken shack, Im doing something quick and fast and easy.

Oh well. I m still going to make that haunted mansion, just its not my entry for this. My pieces are all polymer clay (ran out of time) candy corn earrings, a mini pumpkin pendant and a witch's hat, that still needs to be glued to its hair clip. They will all be presented to my halloween baby this year for prezzies (yup, born on Oct 31, and she LOVES it).

Your hoppers:

Diana Ptaszynski http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com

Staci Smith http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/

Kathleen Breeding http://99bobotw.blogspot.com

Sue Kennedy http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Dianne Miller http://www.artbydianne.blogspot.com

Lisa Liddy http://www.lisaliddy.wordpress.com

Toltec Jewels http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Linda Landig http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com

Laura Medeiros http://Www.zoeowyn.blogspot.com

Veralynne Malone http://www.veradesigns.blogspot.com

Lynn Jobber http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk

Michelle McCarthy http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Karen Totten http://www.starryroadstudio.blogspot.com

Jayne Capps https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor http://jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Joan Miller http://metalmudandsand.blogspot.com/

Melissa Meman http://melissameman.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger http://www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Kari Asbury http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Inge von Roos http://www.ingetraud.wordpress.com

Andrea Glick http://zenithjade.blogspot.com

Stephanie LaRosa http://Www.stringaholic.blogspot.com

Lola Surwillo http://www.beadlolabead.com

Jennifer Cameron http://glassaddictions.com/blog

Diane Hawkey http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com

Kristi Harrison http://kristibasket-itsanewday.blogspot.com

Nicole Valentine Rimmer http://www.nvalentine.blogspot.com

Tanya Goodwin http://www.Pixiloo.blogspot.com

Shai Williams http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Sandra McGriff http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com

Sarajo Wentling http://www.sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Marie Covert http://thistledown-and-swaddlings.blogspot.com

Lisa Stukel http://www.carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.com

Laurie Vyselaar http://www.Lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com

Sherri Stokey http://www.knotjustmacrame.com

Pam Traub http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

Lori Dorrington http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Eleanor Burian-Mohr http://cornerstoregoddessjewelry.blogspot.com

Sally Russick http://thestudiosublime.com

Christine Damm http://storiestheytell.blogspot.com

Dawn M. Gallop http://www.flipflopsandpoptarts.com

Thursday, October 24, 2013

What's on the bench?

I really haven't taken the time to clean off my work space and dive back into metal clay like I had hoped. But thats ok.
I started playing with these talisman/amulet "Juju" collection pieces.

These pieces are fun because I can play with my ~~collection~~ I mean stash of supplies, I can toss in some wire work, and include charms I make.

By the time I got to the last one of this bunch, I think I had the swirls on the large frame figured out.

These will make their debute at the Alabama Renaissance Festival this weekend October 26-27, and then they will make their way over to my Etsy store, with a few other I have assembled (well actually these will sell this weekend and I will have new and different ones in my Etsy store!--the power of positive thinking!)

This talisman collection features a carved jade fluke, an amethyst point, a ceramic sphere, a bronze tentacle, and a faceted amber bead.

This collection has a large fluorite bead, a buffalo tooth, a metal hand holding a ring, and a carved coral skull.

This was my first collection. it features a large hamsa and has raw amber beads, a raw garnet, a green glass bead and a silver drop with a wood bead from central Asia.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

The Ball Burnisher, Love this tool

I have a small collection of ball burnishers. The original one is from my art school days, when I used the tool to rub down custom colored text elements for design comps (yes that tool is over 20 years old, and I still use it!). It was during school that I discovered it was a great tool for clay (my first polymer clay playing was back in 1988/89). I now use the ball burnisher for polymer and metal clays.

Ball burnishers are great for making texture, drawing, smoothing seams, punching holes, and of course, making dots. Lots and lots of dots-for me that means suckers on tentacles.

Back when Sculpy expanded with the Studio brand clay, they also expanded the tool offerings. Even though Studio has disappeared from craft store shelves, the tools have not. That is a good thing, because the tools are fabulous. One of the sets is a small, piece, collection of ball burnishers one one end with clay pushers on the other. the different sizes of ball burnishers are very useful -- I particularly like the large ball for smoothing seams, and as a dome forming base.

My tiniest ball burnishers are nail tech tools--I got mine at a beauty supply store.

Drawing with a small ball burnisher

Not only are these tools great with clay. you can paint with them! They make perfect dots, and with some practice (clearly I need some more) and a flick of your wrist, you can make stars, swirls, flowers and fireworks.

I clearly need practice, painting with a ball burnisher.

If you don't have any ball burnishers, I can't recommend getting one enough. In the mean time you can use a dried up ball point pen (you don't want ink transfer), or knitting needles of various sizes. Aluminum knitting needles are incredibly handy tools to have as well, they make dots, they smooth, and you can use them as big hole forms.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Medusa featured in Fire Mountain ad!

image
Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

Im very excited, my metal clay and wire wrapped Medusa is featured in Fire Mountain Gems and Beads ad that is on the inside back cover of the current (september/October 2013) issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine!

This piece was a finalist in the 2012 metal clay competition.
I used Bronzclay the make a face with snake hair, and snake heads. I the. Used bronze jewelry wire to wrap the snake heads and a rattle tail, and make a framework of swirls. I used iridescent purple beads as accents along the edges.

Using the same wire I made a viking knit chain. The clasp is made of Bronzclay and is two intertwined snakes. The caps are brass tubes, that I forged and drilled holes in. The chain is epoxied into the end caps.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Etsy store reopening October 1!!

Im re-opening my Etsy Store on October 1!!

New items, tutorials, fairy doors!

It will be grande!

Tutorials That Works: Polymer Clay Eyeballs

I decided I needed a good eyeball for a figurine I was making. I wanted it to be a good, glass-like eyeball, really add some pop, especially since the figurine has buggy-out eyes.

I encountered a few variations of this tutorial on Pintrest for how to make glossy doll eyes.

THEY WORK!
These were the tutorials I referenced:
http://mistymooncreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/glass-eyes-for-your-dolls-tutorial.html
http://munchkinscreations.com/Eye1to3.html
http://makeitwithme-kell.blogspot.de/2011/09/how-to-make-fimo-clay-eyes-for-pin-up.html

I made a full eyeball, since they needed to bug out.
I used some texture making tools, a pin and ball burnisher to "draw" the details of the iris in place.

I covered and cured the the balls following manufacturer's instructions. One eye cracked. I remember a few years ago some artists were having this issue– white beads cracking, there was something wonky in the formula. My white clay was from that time, and it was that brand. (my clay is several years old, Im sure this issue has been corrected-cracking upon curing is not normal.) Since the crack was on the back side of the eye, and would be covered with eyelid, I wasn't too worried about it.

I used watered-down acrylic paint to color the irises.

waiting for the liquid clay

After they dried I used some foil to brace the balls from rolling around.

I heeded the warnings about messing up the liquid clay, so I worked in the kitchen right next to my pre-heated oven.