Or are you about ready to gouge your eyes out by now?

These are for the boys. The one on the left goes with Aidan’s orange vest, and the one on the right goes with Eamonn’s blue vest. They’re both made in my usual way, with flannel backing, polymer clay buttons, and a few patches of a solid linen/cotton blend. The patterned fabric is from American Jane’s Look and Learn collection - I used a charm pack, which gave me one 4.5-inch square of each pattern in the collection. That worked out pretty well for these small scarves, except that I might have chosen different areas of some of the patterns had I cut them out myself. For instance, I would have focused on little boys playing instead of little girls in those patches on the left. So far A and E haven’t noticed, though, and I’m not saying anything!

Kathi sent me the fabric to make this one for her. Good choices, Kathi, they go so nicely with the Blue buttons! Now, I just need to get this in an envelope and on its way. Sometimes that task takes me longer than it takes me to make the darn things! If any of the rest of you like this blue/purple one, there will be several more similar to it (and yet delightfully different) in my store the next time I get a chance to do some stitching. They’re all cut out and ready to go…

This might be a good opportunity to tell you about a few rss feeds that can help you keep track of my new creations for sale (just in case you’re waiting for a blue scarf, by chance). Subscribe to one or both of these in your favorite feed aggregator:

• New Creations at Polka Dot Creations
• New Creations at Etsy

And as far as the three scarves I posted about today go, there are more views of all of them on flickr, if you just can’t get enough. Heh.

So, what am I thankful for today? I’m thankful that I managed to stay awake on a 45-minute drive this evening, even though I was sleepy. I picked one of my mix CD’s at random to listen to, and it was a very good choice - kept me singing the whole way home. It was quite an enjoyable ride, and not once did I feel too drowsy to get home. Whew.

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

The boys and I braved 50-degree temperatures, squeaky car brakes and raging PMS for a quick trip to Wal-Mart today. I was in need of baby blue thread, and Neil not being home, I couldn’t just run out on my own. Waiting until Monday was out of the question because I really wanted all three of the last scarves completed and in my Etsy shop immediately. Patience is not my strong suit. So into the car we piled, amid I don’t want to go out’s and why can’t we stay in our pajamas all day’s and I think you should just go and let us stay home’s and (my personal favorite) Hey! I wanted to get in first! He can’t get in the car first! I wanted to get in first‘s.

Since leaving the whiny people behind in the driveway to debate the merits of being seated first was not a viable option, I soldiered on, bringing them with me. A few minutes on the road softened them to the idea of shopping, and I had just started to let myself think that this wouldn’t be a terrible trip after all, when they saw it: Stewarts. The only place Mom lets them have ice cream and frozen root beer floats for lunch. Can we go to Stewarts? Pleeeeeeease? Had I responded with my gut, I’d have said “You have got to be kidding me! The last thing I need today while your father is out of town and I am dealing with the Period From Hell is the two of you hyperactive on a liquid sugar lunch!” My cooler head prevailed, however, and what came out of my mouth was more along the lines of “I don’t think so, Sweetie. Maybe another day.”

There was a time, not so long ago, when “maybe another day” would have been greeted with a disappointed but understanding and accepting “ok, Mommy.” These days I am more likely to be barraged with a chorus of but why’s and I’m hungry now’s and why can’t we go to Stewarts today since Daddy isn’t here’s.  [Daddy has smartly declared his dislike of Stewarts, and in so doing has managed to render himself an obstacle to eating there.]  It’s enough to make me tear my hair out. When did they suddenly decide that whining, arguing, and pestering me was a good plan? I have never given in to that. I have never given them reason to believe that persistence in this manner would pay off to their advantage. The only logical conclusion is that they enjoy seeing my head explode as I try (usually in vain) to keep my cool.

But I was trying to tell you about my scarf, wasn’t I?

Wal-Mart itself was relatively uneventful. I got my thread, and the boys asked me if they could pool their Halloween money from Grandma and buy a new Backyardigans DVD. I have to admit, I was completely won over by the idea of plopping them in front of the TV for two hours this afternoon, and I readily agreed. As we were skipping with glee to the checkout, we found ourselves in the Halloween clearance aisle. I thought about the dragon costume, which has served us through three holidays now and a number of dress-up games in between, and it occurred to me it might be fun to pick up another costume or two. A few minutes later we were the proud owners of a $4 shark and a $5 Boba Fett. Not a bad haul.

Don’t worry. I am getting to the scarf. Really.

Upon our arrival at home, we made ourselves some lunch, and sat down in front of the new DVD while we ate. I got sucked into the hour-long Secret Agent Backyardigans special episode, but I managed to tear myself away before the two regular half-hour episodes began. And that, my friends, is when I put together the new scarf.

This lovely scarf, made with prints from Amy Butler’s Lotus collection and a custom coordinating button by me, was to be an attractive 6×60-inch scarf. But something went horribly wrong. Well, not horribly wrong. You can’t even tell by the picture. Let’s just say, when I measured the fabric last week, I somehow left off about 10 inches. So, ok. 50 inches long is still acceptable, right? Sure. But I also managed to cut the width so oddly that the scarf varies from 6 inches wide at some points to 5 inches wide at others. It’s kind of wavy, and it’s noticeable.

Yes, it’s a misfit scarf, but it’s not without its charm. In fact, I would hazard a guess that the wonky part isn’t at all obvious when the scarf is being worn. It’s still got some pretty fabric, and it’s still backed by a nice, soft flannel. And of course, it still features that funky polymer clay button. So I’m going ahead and selling it anyway. With a significant discount to make up for its shortcomings. I just couldn’t relegate the poor thing to the back of a drawer somewhere. Someone will buy it and shower it with the TLC it needs. Poor little misfit scarf.

Whew. I sure said a lot for someone who initially wasn’t going to even bother posting. I thought all I had to say was “I added three more scarves to Etsy” and that would have made for an awfully short, uninspired post. I guess sitting in my dark bedroom, lights off, in my bed, under the covers, 10-String Guitar emanating softly from the laptop speakers, I found my voice. I’d keep this peaceful music on all night while I sleep, except for the fact that once in a while a voice pops out of nowhere for a 10-second promo spot and scares the heck out of me. I don’t need that kind of stress.

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

32 degrees to be exact.  It inspired me to get started on a line of scarves for my Etsy shop.  I finished the first today and have the fabric cut up for five others (one of which I am keeping for myself).

I used prints from Robyn Pandolph’s Empress Woo collection on the front, along with a nice linen-cotton blend.  On the back is a continuous length of cream-colored flannel.  I love these fabrics.  The Empress Woo skirt I made this summer is one of my favorites.

 I embellished the scarf with a polymer clay button.  I thought the colors in the Country color scheme went nicely with the Empress Woo colors, saving me from custom-mixing anything this time around.

I plan to make one more Empress Woo scarf, with colors that tend more towards yellow than green.  After that, I’ve got one based on the pattern in this skirt, one based on the pattern in this skirt, and two based on the pattern in this skirt (and one of those two will be mine - I can’t get enough of that Bleeker Street fabric!  It reminds me a lot of my Swamp color scheme, which is one of my favorites.)

I’m looking forward to making my own.  Plus, I really think these will make some nice Christmas gifts.  Hopefully there will be a few Etsy shoppers who agree with me…  And the best part of these scarves is that all of the prints are coming from my stash, which I have pledged not to add to until there’s more room in the box!

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

I’ve been seeing comments lately from readers who say they look forward to reading my posts as they sip their morning tea… that’s so very sweet! But now, knowing that I have a legion of fans counting on me, I can’t go to bed without saying something entertaining, can I? (Perhaps “legion” is a bit strong of a word ) At any rate, bedtime postponed, witty post commencing in 3.. 2.. 1

I came up with a new cane idea in the car today on the way to the njpcg meeting, inspired in part by the bold canes by heurebleue2 which I saw on flickr. I wanted to use colors from one of my existing color schemes (in this case, Country) and I wanted to put various sizes of the bold round canes together into a big square cane. I am ok with the way this came out, but I would have preferred it to look more random and less kaleidoscopic. I know where I went wrong, and if I get a chance to try this again any time soon, I will assemble it in quite a different way. And maybe, I’ll add more stripes and reduce/reassemble one less time so that the design is bigger and bolder.

I got to do some sewing this evening, and I took the opportunity to make the bag I’d promised Eamonn. He needs something to carry his show-and-tell, his change of clothes (in case of “accident”) or his lunch (on the one day a week he has Lunch Bunch). When given the choice between a simple backpack a la Lotta Jansdotter, or a messenger bag like the one I designed for myself, he chose the latter. He picked the birdseed fabric and chose which coordinating button he wanted, and I whipped it up, making it a bit smaller than mine, widening the strap, and adding the lining fabric to the strap. I wonder how long before Aidan wants one with an Ultraman lining? Hopefully he won’t think of that because frankly, it goes against all of my design sensibilities

For the last few years, I haven’t worn many handmade things that weren’t handmade by me, but I seem to have developed an addiction to blockpartypress jewelry… If you recally, she made me a special set of beads last month, and just the other day I took advantage of a sale and got myself these pretty earrings. They looked really nice today with my Built by Wendy shirt in the Denyse Schmidt fabric (Heh. Listen to me name-drop).

Ok, I haven’t been particularly witty tonight, but it’s bedtime, and I think I actually want to watch the last half of a Stargate:SG1 rerun before retiring for the night. I’m feeling a deep need to be entertained before I sleep, for some reason.

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

But in a good way… I’ve just added six new items based on Alexander Henry’s Birdseed fabric to my shop. Two pendants…

…three big buttons…

…and a ring. There’s more (earrings and bobby pins in particular), but I don’t want to spend my whole day in front of the computer - the sun is shining, a breeze is blowing, and I have to go buy me some flowers for the coffee table! Perhaps I’ll post the rest later. Or tomorrow. Pop by Etsy whenever you get a chance and see what else I’ve managed to list!

I hope your weekend is going pleasantly so far

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

Have a handful of scrumptious Farmers’ Market kettle corn and answer a quick question for me, ok?

Thanks! And now on to other things…

Like toes! A certain little four-year-old boy looked up at me the other day and said, “Mommy? Do you have green nail polish?” I didn’t. “Do you think we could get some green nail polish for me to wear?” I thought it was a funny request from a child of the male persuasion, but I said “sure!” and the next time we were at Drug Fair he helped me pick out a bottle of green and a bottle of blue for good measure. Handsome feet, don’t you think?

I did some long-time-coming updates to both the Polka Dot Creations shop and my Etsy shop today. Here at PDC, I’ve got some Posy Hair Pins and Posy Rings in Swamp Calico…

…and Candy Chenille.

Over at Etsy, I’ve added some Posy Hair Pins and Posy Rings in the Triangles pattern and Heather Bailey’s Freshcut colors. I’ve had all of these posies made and photographed since late June, but I never got them listed.

Coming soon to Etsy, the Birdseed Line…

Somewhere in between inserting the final images and getting the correct links in this post, Aidan, surprised look on his face, said “hey! my tooth just fell out!” Much excitement ensued - at 7 1/2 years old, one week before the beginning of 2nd grade, this is his first tooth to let go. I felt a wee bit misty holding his tiny tooth in my hand - my firstborn has taken another step out of babyhood.

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

In the Encyclopedia of Me, D is for Dr. Pepper - the only Doctor I’d willingly visit every day…  And that’s really all I need to say about that, isn’t it?  Mmmmmm.

I have been a walking ball of stress all day.  I slept poorly last night, which I’m sure didn’t help, and when I got up this morning, the one task I really needed to finish all day just seemed daunting.  As any regular reader here knows, I hurt myself a week ago and couldn’t pack/ship orders.  I’m fine now, perfectly capable of getting the orders done, but it took so long that I ended up with twice the number of packages that I am usually able to do in one sitting.  And I needed to get them done before mail pickup at 11:30-ish.  Yeah.  Right.

I didn’t make it.  I got all of the Priority Mail packages done by around 2:00 and the boys and I dragged them to the post office ourselves, so at least those are out.  When we got home, we took a little Pepper Milk break (son #1’s invention - half milk, half Dr. Pepper - the boys love it, but I like my Dr. Pepper unadulterated, thankyouverymuch), followed by a Roll Around on the Bed Tickling and Giggling break,  and then son #1 decided to help me get the rest of the orders packed up.  What a good kid.  All of the First Class and Media Mail envelopes are stuffed now, and all that remains is for me to charge credit cards and print/apply postage.  Whew.  I feel relieved.  I’m going to feel even more relieved when I place that last label on that last package and drag it to the front door, though

Anyway, I am feeling somewhat better now.  In part, because the packing nightmare is nearly over, partly because it was fun taking 10 minutes to kid around with the kids, and partly because I got a little treasure in the mail today.

I have been admiring block party press‘ jewelry ever since I first noticed it on flickr.  In an earlier post, I alluded to a project I was having trouble completing.  When I saw the possibilities pendant, I knew exactly what I wanted.  I asked if she could make a few changes, and do it with an olive green background with a soft pink flower, and as you can see, she did!  Aren’t these beautiful?  I ordered the large bead, but she also sent me all of these extra goodies.  So sweet.  I can’t wait to finish my project and post a picture of it.  You’ve really got to check out her etsy shop - everything is even nicer in person, and I thought it was pretty great in the photos already

Neil’s working late tonight, and the kids are downstairs right now watching FarScape.  I think I’m going to join them and have a little sci-fi snuggle time on the couch before I have to make supper.  Looks like D is also for Decompression

Lisa

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

It’s pretty handy that C in the Encyclopedia of Me should land today, because clearly C is for Clay, and I just happened to attend the monthly workshop of the New Jersey Polymer Clay Guild today

I love the guild workshops. It’s 3-4 hours once a month that I know I can set up my clay supplies and crank out a few things. And while I’m not all that good at explaining things, I enjoy letting people look over my shoulder while I do what I came to do. I seem to attract a small gaggle of onlookers when I make canes, and that’s perfectly ok with me. I like to share what I know.

So today I brought my new bird skirt and set about to make some coordinating canes. My final goal was a pendant that I can wear with the skirt, and the first step was mixing the colors. I underestimated how much yellow I was going to want to add to the brown, and I didn’t bring enough (Thank you, Pat, for giving me some and saving the day!)

The colors came together pretty quickly with very little experimentation, and then I was able to build a few canes. I started with my favorite Triangle Cane, which I have demoed a few times but have yet to give written instructions for. Maybe someday, but in the meantime, check out the School Spirit Cane - it works in much the same way, it’s just squares instead of triangles, and it’s got an extra step of adding stripes, which is not necessary for the triangles.

After the Triangle Cane, I moved on to a Chenille Cane, which I haven’t done in some time. I came up with the idea of the Chenille Cane after watching Donna Kato on Carol Duvall. The first several steps of the Chenille Cane are identical to Donna’s Spiral Cane Pendant, but it deviates in the assembly stage.

I then made a striped cane, which I think kind of speaks for itself followed by an extruded cane

[Oh, brother - I just had to take a 45-minute break from blogging because son #2 broke a glow stick in his bed. A glow stick! What will that boy do next?? I cleaned up the kids while Neil cleaned up the room - I’m told the splatter pattern was impressive… Son #1 was more than a little bit freaked out to see his brother glowing, and frankly I was a little freaked out myself. While Neil cleaned the walls, I sat down with the kids and the laptop to do a little research and make sure the glow stuff wasn’t going to permanently harm them. Once we all felt better, I tucked the kids into my bed and went to change their sheets. Now the kids are cuddled up, hugging each other, asleep in my bed, and Neil and I are back downstairs playing “dueling bloggers” to see who can blog about it faster. I’m sure he’s going to win because I have to get back to talking about clay. But before I do, I just need to thank God that son #2 wasn’t drinking the stuff or anything - he may have itchy scalp in the morning, but at least he’ll be alive. I am going to be very very gray before I turn 40 if he keeps this stuff up.]

Ok, back to caning.

[Geez - who sleeps with a glow stick? And tries to bend it in half? …I’ve got to let this go.]

You can find instructions for extruded canes in various places online, including Kathy Weinberg on HGTV.

[Ok, couldn’t let it go. I just went up and checked on them - they’re sleeping peacefully, not glowing. I gave them each another goodnight kiss and now I can get back to clay. Really. I’m letting it go right now. There. It’s gone ]

So, anyway, I made those four canes, and I’m very pleased with how nicely they complement the skirt. I can hardly wait to make my pendant. I got started making one at the workshop, but wasn’t able to bake it. I’ve decided that I am going to make several things with these canes, since I clearly have more than I need for a single pendant. Stay tuned to see what I come up with. I predict a bevy of buttons, pendants, earrings, and posies for my Etsy shop.

C is for Clay (and for Children who glow)

Lisa

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

So, in addition to the arrival of Donna Kato’s new book this weekend, I’ve had plenty of other distractions. For instance, this morning the mailman delivered two packages of interest. In the first, was this great little change purse from Trail Mix Designs. She had admired a few of my posies, so we did a trade. I love this cute purse, and the bonus card she sent. She makes great patchwork cards - I’ve bought a few sets for gifts and a few for myself in the past. Check out her Etsy shop. Thanks, Karyn!

The other interesting package was a box with two crafty books in it (I am starting to wish I carried more than just clay books in my own store…). The first is Amy Karol’s Bend-the-Rules Sewing, which I’ve wanted ever since I started reading her blog a few weeks ago. The second is Last-Minute Fabric Gifts, which was definitely an impulse buy - it’s a $25 book that was marked down to $5 - and it’s relatively new. Hard to resist a steal like that. Turns out there are a lot of nifty ideas in it, not the least of which is a sarong-style skirt that I can’t wait to try. And I have just the fabric…

…which leads me to my travels this morning. I found a nice little quilt shop about 30 minutes from home, and got myself a nice little selection of things. The top two are fat quarters of fabrics I already had and just needed a little extra. The next three are from Moda’s Yuletide Blessings collection [edit: it’s 3 Sisters Roman Holiday collection - oops!] I plan to make a Christmas apron or two while I’m in an apron-making mood. The bottom one is a gorgeous floral print from Martha Negley that’s destined to be a skirt. I love the unusual color combinations. I didn’t know what skirt it would become until I saw the project in that book I mentioned above. Now I know.

Around the block from the quilt shop was a yarn shop. I thought I’d pop in there and see if they had any good fuzzy stuff for flip-flop embellishments. Specifically, I wanted something to go with the tote bag I have been using around town. I found a couple of colors that look good - I may even try using them together and see how that turns out. I haven’t embellished many flip-flops this season, but it occurred to me on the drive home (as I almost missed my exit due to thinking about flip-flops and not about where I was going) that it’s the perfect portable craft. I often find myself wishing I had something productive to do while the boys are playing outside. It bugs me to sit around and do nothing when I’ve got plenty of projects in the house calling my name. Unfortunately, most of what I like to create can’t be made outdoors. But these flip-flops can. I suspect I’ll be making a pile of ‘em now that I’ve had this little epiphany!

So, I’ve got these new books and crafty supplies calling my name, but I ended up spending most of my day cleaning the kitchen and re-arranging the boys’ bedroom. And not rearranging in a fun way. We were just replacing their old beds with newer old beds
Tonight Son #1 and I have our “special night,” so we’ll be finding something we can do together (I doubt he feels like making flip-flops or sewing a sarong…). Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting with my parents for much of the day. And I have a lot of Donna Kato book orders to get ready to pack! Crafty stuff will have to wait. Ah well.

Can I leave you with an image of what I did yesterday? I can? Why, thank you This is really two show-offs in one. This is my new “claypron.” That is, an apron I plan to wear when I do clay things. I’m always wiping my liquid-clay-covered fingers on my pants, so this will be nice to have. Instead of a clay button, I pinned my clay name tag to it - I wear that tag to NJPCG meetings, and it coordinates decently with the claypron, so I put them together. Peeking out from under the claypron, you may notice the skirt I also made. It’s another wraparound skirt from the Sew What! Skirts book (same pattern as before, different fabric). There are more images of both on flickr, if you’re interested.

Time to put Son #2 to bed. Hope you’re all having a great weekend!

Lisa

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

As I look around the once-clean living room at the toys strewn about, I am feeling distinctly like I need to do something about it. Or, at the very least, press the child who made the mess into service.

Instead, let’s talk about flowers I decided that I really did like the first batch the best and that it only needed a few changes. So, I gave it a new center and added a leaf. I am finally satisfied. Whew! I made a few of them to coordinate with Heather Bailey’s Freshcut fabric collection, and listed them on Etsy. In fact, I listed 9 new items today, all in that colorway.

Now, as far as using that actual fabric goes, I have something planned for the one with the large floral motif. I bought this great book the night I got my sewing machine, and it’s called Sew What! Skirts. I love the concept - instead of sewing from a pattern, take your own measurements and make something that is guaranteed to fit your unique body. And these skirts look pretty simple, even for a beginner like me. A few nights ago, I made an elastic-waist a-line skirt from a thrifted sheet, using instructions from that book. I didn’t photograph it, since I’m not too thrilled with the way it came out. That’s ok, though, because I learned a few things in the process and now I’m ready to make something with my expensive fabric.

The project I’m trying with the nice stuff is a wraparound skirt. I looked over the instructions, and it’s so similar to the half-apron I’ve made a few times that I know I can do it. Assuming I took my measurements correctly…

Now, for those of you who have been patiently watching my blog wondering “when is she going to stop blabbering on about posies and sewing and tell us about the latest polymer clay books?” I give you this teaser… The truth of the matter is that there hasn’t been much to write home about in terms of new things (well, except the Cats book, but I already wrote about that!). But, all of that is going to change this summer when a few long-awaited items hit the shelves.

Right now, I have a living room to clean and laundry to fold, but the next time I blog, it will be to give you a rundown of what is coming soon in polymer clay publications land. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, go buy yourself something cute at Etsy

Happy Friday!
Lisa

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

Whew! Both of my orders got here while we were eating tonight. yay! And of course, I zipped through supper cleanup and went straight to my clay stash to mix custom colors and make a couple of canes.

I have 6 buttons, 2 pairs of earrings, and 2 pendants curing in the oven as we speak, and hopefully I can drill the holes and finish them all up tonight. Then tomorrow I’ll be able to do my scanning and put everything up on Etsy.

It’s funny when I have a project brewing in my brain for more than a few days - when I finally get a chance to work on it, I become a complete whirlwind of activity. I can’t wait until the stuff comes out of the oven.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll make an apron to go with one of those buttons

Lisa

P.S. I still have two more sets of fabric to play with, but now that I’ve gotten some of this out of my system I think I can pace myself, LOL!

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

Last week I admired some pendants that Libby Mills posted on her blog. She emailed me and offered to send me a handful of bead frames to play with. They arrived today, and included a finished pendant that Libby made. Isn’t this a great little treasure to have arrive on my doorstep? Thank you so much, Libby! I love the double-sided pendant (I’m wearing it right now!) and I can’t wait until I have an opportunity to play with the bead frames. I’ll be sure to show you what I make.

As an aside, when I went to Libby’s site to get the correct link for her post, I saw this. Please excuse my while I wipe the drool off of my keyboard.

Another treat that showed up today was my Etsy purchase from Whimsy Love. It’s a ring made of vintage buttons, and I have thought it was cute since the moment I saw it. I finally splurged and bought it for myself. I thought it would match my new apron. It doesn’t, unfortunately, but I don’t think anybody is paying that close attention, anyway This box included a bunch of goodies, too, from the hand-made ring box to the cute little cupcake tag. Son #2 was watching me open the package and when I took out the cupcake tag, he said “I think that one’s for me.” Heh. Nice try, kid. I don’t know if you ever read this, but thanks, Nikki, for the fun little touches you included - you put my packaging to shame!

I am thinking that the UPS guy may bring me another happy treat today, but he doesn’t usually get here for another 2 or 3 hours. I ordered some more fabric to play with… I’ll be getting a few more Amy Butler Lotus designs, but this time in the blue/sand colorway. I also ordered some of the Heather Bailey Fresh Cut line, and Anna Griffin’s Elsie’s Kitchen. I want to make a few more aprons, which I’ll likely give as gifts, but even more than that right now, I’m eager to get my hands on the fabric so I can mix up some custom clay colors and make matching buttons. Mmmm. Coordination.

Lisa

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

I love the first Sunday of the month. It’s the day the NJ Polymer Clay Guild has its workshops. In the three or four hours I’m there, I get to socialize with like-minded individuals, sharing some of my knowledge and absorbing some of theirs. I get to sell a couple of the latest books & videos to hit my shelves (if I bring them with me - I don’t always). I get to see what everyone else is working on. But probably my favorite thing is that I get to work on a project uninterrupted for several hours. Today I made buttons. Some in my usual color schemes to be sold in my regular store, and others in my new “designer fabric” scheme to be sold at Etsy.

There was a lot of talk about Donna Dewberry at our meeting today. Many were concerned about Polyform’s certification program, which is being spearheaded by Donna. I think it’s the most lively conversation we’ve had in some time. I can certainly agree that it’s ill-conceived for one clay company to “certify polymer clay” after it’s already gained such a foothold with many artists and enthusiasts worldwide. But the more I look at it, the less I see this endeavor as such a global thing. I was just poking around the Polyform site, and I see that they are calling the program “Studio Home Dimensions”. Teachers will be certified to teach the particular “Home Dimensions” techniques to a likely audience of beginner polymer clay crafters. Their target is people who have never touched the stuff. That really has no bearing on those of us who have been working with clay for several years, and on those artists who make their livings teaching advanced techniques. Would I demand that, say, Judy Belcher be certified before I consider taking a class with her? Um, NO! I think of it like Donna Dewberry’s “One Stroke” program. That program has enabled many crafters who didn’t think they could paint to go on and make pretty things. Has the One Stroke program cut into the livings of serious painters? Those who make art their livelihood? I don’t have any empirical data to back this up, but my gut tells me no (I welcome comments from anyone who has data to the contrary). As much as the clay community is up in arms about this right now, I suspect by this time next year it will be a non-issue.

As usual, I thought of most of these things long after the conversation was over

Anyway, I had fun at today’s meeting. Next month the focus is going to be on faux techniques. I wish I could make it - I’ve got a lot of great books/videos on the subject that I could bring. Unfortunately, there’s a scheduling conflict with my clay widower of a husband that weekend, and unless I can find someplace to deposit the wee ones, no clay day for me.

Lisa

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

Yesterday I made the apron I'd been planning to make, and it only took me a hour!  The first one I made took twice as long.  I guess I'm getting the hang of this sewing thing...  Here are some flickr pictures for your viewing pleasure.  I had enough fabric left to make a tote bag, too.   I carried it around on my errands this morning, although I haven't taken any pictures of it yet.  So that makes three sewing projects under my belt.  Cool.

I'm having fun with this sewing machine, and my impulse is to run right out and buy lots of fabric to play with.  However, I'm not good enough at this to sell anything I make, and I only need so many aprons and tote bags, LOL!  So, I'm resisting for the most part.  I do have a fun apron-related idea that might help me recoup some of my losses, but it's still in the formative stages in my mind. 

I bought some cheap-o fat quarters at the Rag Shop this morning that I plan to use to make small tote bags for the boys, and I want to make myself a simple skirt once I pick out the perfect fabric.  I'd also like to make some valences for the bare windows in my bedroom, once I find the perfect fabric for *that*.  It's hard to find a fabric that both clarkesworld and I find appealing, though.  I bought a funky pillow on etsy that I love for the bedroom.  If I pair it with a white lightweight quilt and a couple of coordinating solid-color throw pillows, I think it would be a cheery, summery look.  I want to make valences to complement that look.  (And another darker set to swap in when the winter comes).  I think I need to take the pillow shopping with me, though, so I can find the right colors.

If I could, I'd completely go to town at the reprodepot.  How cool would it be to have an apron with little miniature jello molds on it?  Or maybe lemons and cherries?  Maybe I should just whip up a whole pile of aprons right now while I'm in the mood, and then put them away for 7 months to be used as Christmas gifts...

Ok, here's a question for all of you clayheads out there.  When you are hard at work in your studio (or your dining room table, as the case may be) and your hands get a little messy from liquid clay, or even regular clay, what do you do?  Do you get up and wash them? use a baby wipe? wipe them on your pants? just ignore it?  Post a comment and tell me what you do with your sticky hands while you're claying.  I'll pick one of the comments at random to win an only-viewed-once copy of the brand new DVD "Extruding Polymer Clay Canes" by Cindy Beljan.  Just make sure to mention your name in your comments, and check back tomorrow to see if you won!

Happy Claying!
Lisa

I spent some time last night with my snazzy new Amy Butler fabric and mixed some clay colors to coordinate with it. Then this morning I made a few canes (Triangles and Stripes) with the new colors. From the canes I made myself buttons for the impending apron or tote bag.

The thing is, I had made enough of the canes to make a lot more things, but I didn’t want to create a whole new color scheme for my website. Enter Etsy. I’m finally realizing what niche I can fill with my Etsy shop. I didn’t want to just duplicate items from my website (although, that’s what I’d been doing up until now) but I didn’t know what I should put in there.

I’ve decided now that I am going to make mini-color-schemes that won’t go on my website and will only involve one or two simple cane patterns. They’ll all be limited-edition pieces and will coordinate with some of the fabrics that are popular on Etsy. (If you do a search for “Amy Butler” lots of items come up - maybe someone who buys a purse made with her fabrics will want a pair of coordinating earrings…) I figure I can add to this line whenever I make myself anything new with popular fabrics - as I make myself a button, I can use up the canes on some other items for the shop. It’ll be nice to have a place for those oddball items that don’t really fit on my website.

I’m looking forward to posting next week about some new DVD arrivals - keep your eyes peeled for that. I’d love to do it sooner, but tonight I’m packing up orders that *need* to go out. Boy, I wish I could just be creative or nerdy all day long (either one would do!). Packing and shipping is such drudgery. Ah well. I plan to listen to a Sherri Haab podcast while I work, so it won’t be *all* bad!

Lisa

P.S. I had my new apron on this afternoon and suddenly found myself listening to Vegas Vic’s Tiki Lounge and baking cookies. That apron has some weird powers…

Share This

Originally published at Polka Dot Creations. Please leave any comments there.

I spent some time last night with my snazzy new Amy Butler fabric and mixed some clay colors to coordinate with it.  Then this morning I made a few canes (Triangles and Stripes) with the new colors. From the canes I made myself buttons for the impending apron or tote bag.

The thing is, I had made enough of the canes to make a lot more things, but I didn't want to create a whole new color scheme for my website.  Enter Etsy.  I'm finally realizing what niche I can fill with my Etsy shop.  I didn't want to just duplicate items from my website (although, that's what I'd been doing up until now) but I didn't know what I should put in there.

I've decided now that I am going to make mini-color-schemes that won't go on my website and will only involve one or two simple cane patterns.  They'll all be limited-edition pieces and will coordinate with some of the fabrics that are popular on Etsy.  (If you do a search for "Amy Butler" lots of items come up - maybe someone who buys a purse made with her fabrics will want a pair of coordinating earrings...)  I figure I can add to this line whenever I make myself anything new with popular fabrics - as I make myself a button, I can use up the canes on some other items for the shop.  It'll be nice to have a place for those oddball items that don't really fit on my website.

I'm looking forward to posting next week about some new DVD arrivals - keep your eyes peeled for that.  I'd love to do it sooner, but tonight I'm packing up orders that *need* to go out.  Boy, I wish I could just be creative or nerdy all day long (either one would do!).  Packing and shipping is such drudgery.  Ah well.  I plan to listen to a Sherri Haab podcast while I work, so it won't be *all* bad!

Lisa

P.S. I had my new apron on this afternoon and suddenly found myself listening to Vegas Vic's Tiki Lounge and baking cookies.  That apron has some weird powers...