Mehndi

I love doing henna--or mehndi. There is something about drawing with the cone, creating the stylized patterns that are based in tradition. Creating variations.

Something about it that I can do for hours.

Its more that just the drawing portion.

There is something very soothing and sensory about the entire experience.

Maybe it is the essential oils mixed into the henna, the smell, maybe its the texture of the paste.

I can keep going even when my hand hurts. Actually I dont usually notice my hands or my back when Im doing henna--just after when I try to move again.

I can go for hours without doing anything but henna. And I do mean hours.

In an exercise to discover when am I in the "flow" of creativity, I wrote repeatedly that it occurs when Im playing with henna, more so than with clay, or drawing.

And its not about the drawing. I can draw, I practice henna style work with markers, not the same. The closest I have come is fabric paint. And this has resulted in a painted dresser, many purses, and now a pair of shorts. I am thinking about extending onto more clothing.

Im very excited, in a conversation with a dear friend she suggested that I do henna at a local small festival instead of vending my jewelry as I normally would. I decided to do that. And as soon as I did I got 2 more opportunities to "do" henna.

I haven't done henna at this level in a long time. I am looking forward to it very much.

Tomorrow is the first faire. If you are in Hendersonville TN, come by The New Earth Center I will set up at 11am and hang out henna-ing until.....

Discussing Steampunk

Originally uploaded by Zoeowyn

I will be discussing Steampunk with Mitzi on Bead Java Saturday August 15, 9 pm central. On Blogtalkradio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Bead-Java/2009/08/16/Bead-Java-Your-Hot-Forum-For-Hand-Crafted-Jewelry

Burning up!

It is way to hot outside. I feel like I could make a bunch of projects out of polymer, put them on the back porch and in 20 minutes they would be cured! I know its not even as hot here as it could be. I finally made it to Tuscon--ok in the middle of July--ouch talk about hot!

Im not very motivated in extreme weather, Im sort of like a lizard, I just want to go lay out under a big flat rock and do NOTHING.

Here are some goodies from folks over at etsy who didn't just do nothing. Of course they all remind me of how hot it is...


This is Treade hes a fire dragon from ElementalDragons
isnt he cute!

And this pen is called Dragon Skin its from creativewriting

And these swirling Rust leaves look like flames to me. Beautiful pendant is by iamcr8tive.

Cepholapod Coronet

My mermaid with the octopus crown made it in to the current (August 2009) issue of Polymer Cafe. It was killing me to not post images of her on the internet, since they say no previously published images, and posting it on flikr is "publishing".
Well here she is, this is another view from the magazine. I was trying to show off as many different textures on her as possible.
The challenge was for texture.
The face and arms are poceline, I did not make them, the rest of her is pretty much polymer clay using different sculpting techniques.

Paisleys and dots

Applying color theory to creating a colorful paisley and dot pendant.

This pendant takes approximately 1/4 of a standard sized block of polymer clay. Using a neutral color, condition and roll out a section of clay. Roll your section on the second or third to largest setting of your pasta machine. (The largest for my machine is a 7-I rolled my clay at 5).

Fold the clay over on itself and lightly press together--doubling the thickness, and removing any air bubbles.

Place a sandwich baggie smooth over the surface of the clay. Press into the clay, through the baggie, with a round cookie cutter-about 2 inches in diameter. The sandwich baggie makes a nice beveled edge to the cut shape.

Roll the remaining clay back thru the pasta machine, at the same setting. The remainder of the shapes will be cut from a single layer of the clay.

Using a small round Kemper punch cut out several small dots. Roll these into small balls. Using the small round punch, cut a hole into the top of the pendant base. Approximately 1/4 inch from the edge.

Using a small tear drop shape cookie cutter, cut 3 shapes. Use your fingers to gently curve the tear drops into paisleys.

Arrange the paisley shapes and dot balls in a pleasing arrangement. For smaller dots cut the  punched dots in half.

Place a hot set crystal on one of the larger dots as accent bling. Use the tip of a knitting needle to push accent dots into the centers of the clay dots, and along edges of shapes.

Use color theory principles to help select pigment powder colors. Apply colors loosely with soft brush. Do not inhale the pigment particles, cover your mouth and nose, and use in a well ventilated area.

Cure following the polymer clay brand's instructions. When cool brush off any excess pigment powders and coat with Varathane, or your polymerclay coating of choice to protect the mica pigment colors on your design.

Its creativity time!

Everyone has a time of day they are most creative. I tell you what mine is not mid-afternoon! Its nap time.
I seem to be most creative first thing in the morning. Its like my coffee, gets my brain working. I can't seem to dedicate a whole lot of time to this first creative endeavor. I do seem to sit down, knock something out, then get to my day-whatever that means. This first brain boost sometimes, but not very often, rolls into a mass creative spell. And the next thing I know its nap time (about 4 in the afternoon) and Im still in my jammies!

My other creative time is evening. I seem to do my best work then. I get started right around 6 PM and can work late into the night.
I think this is left over from when I was a freelance graphic designer, and my husband worked swing shift. I tended to not "go to work" until he did. And I would work until he came home.

The best work creative environment for me is evening, basically alone-or not interrupted and lots of adventure movies. 5th Element, XXX (with Vin Diesel), and Timeline are a few of my favorites to work to.

Those little things that get in the way...

Ok so the mess in my work space really isnt little. But it is getting in the way. I have way more supplies and ideas than I have places to work. And the whole time issue of not having time to complete something one it has been started, well thats another one of those things.
I need more space
I need more time
and I need someone to please come buy this stuff, I dont want to store it anymore!