Tilted Asylum

Love Cast in Clay

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my little corner of the "Love Cast in Clay" blog hop! The rules are pretty simple, you must leave a comment on all blogs and become a follower of all blogs. How easy is that! One winner will be picked from both Amazing Mold Putty blog and Creative Paperclay Blog to receive a 16oz package of Creative Paperclay® and package of Amazing Mold Putty. What a great prize!

See that list of very talented artists over there on the upper right of my blog ~~~~~~~~~>

Hop on over to their blogs to see all of the really cool things they created for our blog hop. Don't forget to leave a comment and to follow each of our blogs for a chance to win those goodies.

I decided to show you some of the things I use Amazing Mold Putty for.

Upper left is a mold I made to cast my own doll eyes. My daughter thought they were glass until I showed her how I made them.

Upper right. I love textures so nothing is safe from me smooshing on some Amazing Mold Putty to make a texture stamp I can use on my sculptures. Anything from tree bark to orange skin to the texture on my bathroom walls. These are just a few of the dozens of texture stamps I've made.

Lower left is a mold I made from a copper heart. I know I would want to use that little heart over and over but since I only have the one I decided to make a mold of it. I can paint the Creative Paperclay ® hearts with metallic paints to look just like the original heart.

Lower middle is the same as the heart. Only had one, wanted more ... tada ... Amazing Mold Putty to the rescue!

Lower right I made this little heart mold with my initials on it so now I just press the dried cast heart into the back of one of my jewelry pieces and easy way to add my initials without staining my eyeballs ... :)

See that list of very talented artists over there on the upper right of my blog ~~~~~~~~~>
Hop on over to their blogs to see all of the really cool things they created for our blog hop. Don't forget to leave a comment and to follow each of our blogs for a chance to win those goodies.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my post.

Creative Paperclay® Heart pendant

2012-01-15T06:10:00.002-06:00

My newest tutorial using Creative Paperclay®

http://creativepaperclay.blogspot.com/2012/01/creative-paperclay-heart-pendant.html

Thanks for stopping in and I hope you enjoy the tutorial.

Tutorial Steampunk Christmas with Viva Las Vegas Stamps

2011-12-15T08:45:00.002-06:00

This month has been a little hectic, as I'm sure it is for most of us, so I wanted to do something easy and fast for my newest Creative Paperclay® tutorial. Hope you all like it!

Steampunk Christmas with Viva Las Vegas Stamps

Polar Bear Christmas ornament

2011-12-11T12:38:00.001-06:00

Just posted my newest ornament, "Merry Christmas Polar Bear" I debated whether or not to add the collar, I'm glad I did! :)

Price is $25.00 + shipping

You can purchase this or one of my other creations at my Etsy shop

Thanksgiving Turkey Pin Tutorial

2011-11-15T02:38:00.000-06:00

Good Morning everyone! Today my first "official" tutorial as a member of the Creative Paperclay® Design Team posted.

You can find it here on the Creative Paperclay® blog Hope you have fun trying my tutorial and hey, while you're there check out all the other team members newest tutorials!

I have a WINNER!

2011-11-01T03:47:00.004-05:00

Thank you to all that entered my little giveaway. I used a random number generator to pick my lucky winner ...

and the winner is ................

Holiday Sparkle - Cyndi LaChance

CONGRATS!!!

Cyndi, please email me your address so I can send your Snowman ornament to you.

Creative Paperclay® Announces New Design Team

2011-10-23T08:04:00.004-05:00

I've been keeping a secret and it just about made me explode!

Creative Paperclay® has asked me to be a part of their new Creative Team and I am thrilled! I've seen the work of the other artists on the team and I'm honored to be included in this very talented group. Each month the team will be creating and posting tutorials for you to try and enjoy so keep checking back to see what we're up to.

You'll find our tutorials and loads of other fun stuff at Creative Paperclay® and at the Creative Paperclay® Blog. Also, each artist will share their tutorials on their blogs so please follow us and get to know us all!

Time for a GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-10-21T15:36:00.003-05:00

My Blog has reached two milestones ... the 5000th visitor mark and 100 followers. Wow, I never thought that would happen! To celebrate and say Thank you for stopping in I'm going to have a Give-away! WOOT for free stuff!

A couple of posts ago I did a tutorial on creating a snowman ornament with Creative Paperclay®, Snowman ornament Tutorial

I decided that I would give away that very same ornament that I created for that tutorial. That's right, the one you see being made in that tutorial.

Are you ready to try and win it? This is what you need to do to enter the contest, remember to leave a seperate comment for each one you do, that way you will get up to 6 seperate chances.

1. Become a follower of my blog. Then leave a comment under this post. If you already are a follower just leave a post telling me you are.

2. Follow my Facebook fan page. http://www.facebook.com/TiltedAsylum Leave another post telling me you did. If you already are a follower just leave a post telling me you are.

3. Follow my Twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/TiltedAsylum Again leave another post telling me you did or you already are.

4. Visit my Etsy shop and tell me what you favorite item in my shop is. http://www.etsy.com/shop/tdozierart Post again for another chance. (and if something convinces you to give it a home, I'll happily send it your way!)

5. If you do buy something from my shop post about it here as well. Not only will you get another chance but you will receive an extra little surprise in the mail AND you will have a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart and receive oooo's and ahhhh's from friends and family when they see the treasure you found, you smart person you! (Hey, a little bribery now and then can't hurt!)

6. Post about my giveaway on your blog and you get another chance to win, just let me know below with a link in your comment.

Let's see ....... oh, contest will run till October 31 , 2011 Midnight (12:00) central time zone. I will announce the winner the following morning, after I wake up and have my cuppa java! Hope you have fun entering and good luck!

New Snowman and Bunny ornament

2011-10-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Just listed this one in my Etsy shop. Silly bunny, poor Snowman.

$35.00 + shipping

You can see more pictures of this ornament at my Etsy shop

Smoochy Smoochy

2011-10-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I crack myself up. While sculpting this ornament I just kept getting the giggles. If my family had any doubts about my sanity before I'm sure their peeking into my studio while I worked on this ornament clarified it for them!

My Etsy shop ... $28.50 + shipping

5 new Snowman ornaments

2011-10-18T07:24:00.001-05:00

I've just listed 5 new Snowman ornaments. These are done after the style in my Snowman Tutorial. Really cute and would look great grouped on a tree or wreath.

$15.00 + shipping ETSY shop

Thank you for stopping by!

Jack-o-lanterns all around

2011-10-18T06:39:00.002-05:00

Just added a new Apothecary Jar candle holder to my Etsy shop. It has 4 sculpted Jack-o Lanterns around it and the candle is a yummy vanilla.

$32.50 + shipping at my ETSY shop

Nuts about Wedding Cake topper

2011-10-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

I recently had the honor of making a unique wedding cake topper for two very dear friends. Jim has been a close friend of my hubbahubby's for a long time and his soon to be wife Jessica is his perfect match and a really wonderful lady to have as a friend.

A few months before the wedding we were over at their home and while the guys were outside grilling our meal Jessica mentioned that she was having the hardest time finding a cake topper. You see, I've always know Jim by the name all his buddies called him. At first I thought it was his nickname, one given to him because he is Native American. But after I knew him for a little while I found out his "nickname" was actually his last name. Jessica wanted a cake topper that shouted out his and her soon to be last name. I decided it would be the perfect wedding gift to give them and she was very excited about me creating it for them. She gave me complete freedom to follow my muse, only asking that I please add cherry blossoms to it somewhere.

Here is the cake topper I sculpted for them. She was so happy she cried. I love that about her! Can you guess their last name? ....... :)

I hate to go shopping, except ......

2011-10-17T08:03:00.001-05:00

when I'm going for art supplies. Oh Yeah!

It's the only time my daughter and I enjoy shopping. That's because we're both crows, we love sparkly, shinny things, oh and tools. We LOVE shopping for tools! My hubbahubby, on the other hand doesn't like shopping at all, especially with the two of us. Poor fellow, all too many times we will be walking around in the store and he will be having a conversation with the two of us only to discover we have disappeared. The truth is, we can't help ourselves. (Did I mention we are both crows?) When something catches our eyes an all too powerful force overcomes us both and like a giant magnet it pulls us off our path, causing us to forget all other things (like hubbahubby). It even controls our ability to create full sentences as we only seem to be able to mutter ooooooo and ahhhhhhh and drool.

The first few times hubbahubby witnessed this I'm sure he thought we were being possessed or had both simultaneously fallen and hit our heads on a shelf. He didn't understand then that he had married a crow and she came with a crow daughter. I still don't think he understands the crow part but at least now he knows to just follow the trail of drool to find us transfixed on pretties. He's also figured out the best way for him to handle it is to just let us shop ...... alone!

Graveyard Apothecary Jar

2011-10-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

I love going to garage sales because sometimes I come across some really great finds. I found this case of new, blank Apothecary candle jars that just begged for me to ~~snag them before anyone else~~ purchase them and bring them home to create beautiful, fun art on.

Here is one that I sculpted a graveyard scene on using Creative paperclay. You can purchase it at my Etsy shop.

Creative Paperclay Snowman ornament tutorial

2011-10-04T19:41:00.003-05:00

With the Christmas season just around the bend I decided to share my method of creating adorable Snowman ornaments using Creative Paperclay ®. I love working with this versatile medium.

You can find out more about it here, Creative Paperclay and on their blog Creative Paperclay blog

So, here we go! First let's gather up the materials you will need.

Materials

Creative Paperclay ® Air dry modeling material

Foam Core board

Exact-o knife

Wire and wire cutter

Masking tape
Wooden skewer or toothpick

Craft glue

Gesso (not necessary but I like using it to prep surface for painting)

Acrylic paints (I used white, black, orange, light blue, light pink and medium brown for antiquing)

Various sculpting tools

Various paint brushes
Damp rag cloth for antiquing

Small bowl of water. (for smoothing clay)

Glitter (optional for some sparkle)

Spray matte sealer.

Step 1. Draw out the shape of your ornament and then CAREFULLY cut it out with your exact-o blade. I usually do several ornaments at a time so I'll draw and cut about 5 at a time.

Step 2. Next you'll need to cut your skewer or toothpick. You'll be using this as a support for the carrot nose so the length you want to cut it is just a tad shorter than the nose. I cut mine 1/4".

Step 3. Mark were you want your snowman's nose on your cutout. Don't worry about being exactly centered, unless that's where you want it. A little off center, higher or lower actually adds character to you snowman! :)

Now take your pencil and poke a hole for your skewer. You don't have to poke it all the way through.

Put a little dab of glue into the hole you made and then insert your little skewer bit. Now let it set for about 15 minutes to give the glue a chance to dry a bit.

Step 4. Time to make your hanger. Cut a piece of wire about 2 inches long and then bend it in half. I bent my wire over one of my sculpting tools so I would have a nice curve, you can use a pen, needle nose pliers or whatever else you have. You will then bend up the 2 cut ends to form little hooks. It should look like this when you're done.

Now insert the wire into the back of your ornament near the top. You'll want to line up the top of the wire a little lower than where you want it because when you poke in those two little hook ends you'll also push them upwards a bit so they can "hook" the foam core and give you a finished hanger that won't slip out of your ornament. Then put a little bit of masking tape over the back of the wire for a little bit more hold.

Time to play with PAPERCLAY!!!

Step 5. First you'll make two clay balls that will be rolled out about 1/8" thick. These will be the front and back of your ornament. These are about 1 1/2" wide but how much you need depends on the size of your ornament.

I like to use 2 skewers as guides so that my clay rolls out evenly. Kind of looks like a clay pancake ...... yum!

Step 6. After you roll out your 2 clay balls apply glue to one side of your ornament. This will help your clay stick while it's drying. You don't need much, just enough to cover the surface so just squeeze a little bit and spread with your finger.

Step 7. Now press one of your clay "pancakes" to the glued surface and begin smoothing the clay over the edge and removing the extra clay.

Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other side of your ornament. Smooth out your seams along the edge but not so much that the clay becomes too thin there. Also remember that these are snowmen, they are made of snow, snow is not smooth ..... it's okay to have little bumps and dips and texture on the surface. In fact, those bumps and dips and things will look wonderful when you antique your ornament!

Step 8. Let's give this fellow a nose! Make a little ball of clay this time,

and then shape that into a carrot or cone shape.

Next, add a little glue to the wood skewer bit and then push your clay cone down onto the skewer.

Reshape the clay to give it a carrot shape, I bent the end of the nose a little to give it the look of the crooked end of a carrot.

You now want to make all those little creases and lines that are on a carrot so use a tool with a thin edge and gently push in your lines all over the carrot nose. You can use a sewing needle, a piece of wire, kitchen knife, whatever you have handy, as a tool to do this with. No need to have straight lines here either so have fun smooshing around the clay to get a look that you like.

You can let this dry for a few hours at this point, or continue adding the rest of his face. I let mine dry a bit so when I add the bits of his face I wouldn't knock his nose out of joint, (Har Har) or smoosh anything.

Step 9. Time to add a face! I like working on the mouth first so that's what we'll do now. Make a little clay snake, like so .....

Dip that little snake into your water, this will help it stick, and then place it on your ornament in the shape you want the mouth.

Now you want to smooth the edges of your snake onto the surface of your ornament, shaping the mouth as you go along. Smooth all around the mouth shape to blend in.

TaDa ..... what a grin!

Step 10. Make 2 balls for his cheeks.

Again, dip in water and then gently smoosh them close to the end of his mouth.

Smooth the cheeks out, like you did with the mouth. You can shape a grin line were the mouth and cheek meet just by pressing in and up a bit on the cheek.

Repeat for the other cheek. He's now starting to look like a happy snowman!

Step 11. Okay, let's add the rest of his face. Do this the same way you did steps 9 and 10.

Here's a chin. Use a pencil to make the dimple.

A pair of eyes .....

Little bags under the eyes ....

Some nice eyebrows ....

A little bit of snow on his nose. I added a dab of glue to the top of his nose before adding the clay to make it stick a bit more.

HURRAY! You have finished the sculpting part of your Snowman ornament. Now go hang him up somewhere and let him dry for a day or two. You'll want him to be completely dry before you paint him.

Grab your brushes ..... it time to PAINT!

Step 1. I like to give my work a coat of acrylic gesso before painting. You don't really need to do this but I feel it preps the surface for the paint and seals the piece a bit.

Step 2. After the gesso dries paint your ornament with white acrylic paint. Make sure to cover both front and back with white. Painted fingers are an option.

Step 3. Next, paint the carrot nose with orange.

Step 4. Cheeks and lips get a wash of light pink. I thinned the paint with water to give it a more watercolor like look.

Step 5. Next are the eyes. I painted the outer edge of the iris a darker blue than the main part. Just add a little black to your lighter blue to darken it a few shades.

Fill in the iris with the lighter blue. I also painted the pupils once the blue dried but forgot to take a picture of it. Now let all the paint dry. The next step will be antiquing and you want your base coats completely dry before you antique.

Step 6. Now comes the messy part. Be brave here, you're going to think you're ruining your ornament but fear not, it will turn out fantastic. If your brown paint is thick you'll want to thin it down a little. The paint needs to be sloppy and juicy but not watery. Start painting small areas and then wipe with damp cloth to remove most of the paint. What you're trying to do here is get the brown down into all those dents and cracks and stuff but wiping most of it off the surface.

OMG, I ruined it! ...... Just kidding. It has to go through the uglies to get to the pretties. What you'll do now is dry brush all your surfaces with their base coat colors ... white over white, pink over pink and so on. Don't know how to dry brush? Using a flat brush load it with your paint then on a paper towel wipe your brush till it has just a bit of paint on it. Then gently brush across the surface of your ornament with your "dry" brush. This will lay paint down on all the raised bits and leave the brown in all the dents and cracks. Keep dry brushing until you're happy with the colors.

Step 7. If you like a little sparkle you can dab some glue on the snow on the nose and then sprinkle on your glitter. Press lightly with your finger to make sure the glitter is stuck in the glue. Now let it all dry. Once dry spray entire ornament with spray matte sealer. Now sit back and enjoy your new ornament!

Finished WIP Ghost and cat.

2011-10-01T16:08:00.002-05:00

I finished my newest ooak art doll. He's the first in a new series called "Oopsied". The series will be dolls depicting weird and wacky ways some of us leave this world.

Title: Cat-astrophe

I like to write stories or poems for some of my creations and this poor fellow deserved one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cat-astrophe

Melvin's wife was quite the nag,
he stopped listening to her long ago.
He never heard her yell, (the old bag)
"The light's blown out, the stairs are dark below!"

With his tummy sounding a rumble grumble
he put his bunny slipper's upon his feet
Sleepily to the kitchen he began to stumble
not knowing the fate he'd soon meet.

At the top of the stairs he found no light.
"Forgot to mention the bulb?" he said with a shout.
"Not that it matters if I have no sight,
I know this old house inside and out!"

He lifted his foot to take the first stair
when he hit something soft and furry.
The next thing he knew he was high in the air
And then everything went kinda blurry.

When he opened his eyes he found he was quite dead
but the universe would show him no mercy.
The voice of his wife was no longer in his head,
now he spends eternity with a pissed off cat named Percy.

written by Tamara Dozier

You can find him in my Etsy Shop

Updated WIP Cat-astrophe

2011-09-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

I still have a bit to do. More stripes to paint and then "ghostify" and antique.

Yes, those are pink bunny slippers. Yes, I know no man in his right mind would wear them, (according to hubbahubby). They are staying pink, they make me laugh, that's all that matters .... I have spoken! :)

Painting the day away

2011-09-26T08:20:00.001-05:00

I plan on spending most of the day working in my studio, now that I can find things again ... :) Started painting on an ooak doll that I've been working on for some time now. Actually, he would have been done long ago except for a slight accident involving a too curious child. A dear friend of mine stopped in one day and while we were chatting away said kid stole into my studio and picked him up to look at him ,,,,,,,,, and then dropped him! Broke both of his arms, darn it. So I had to CUT off his arms, (good thing he's a ghost and he didn't feel a thing). But he's good as new. In fact, he's even better than new and my studio will now be locked when said child is visiting.

Here he is with a coat of gesso.

Save my home SALE

2011-09-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to raise enough money to save my home so I've put lots of my art up for sale in my Etsy shop.

Not only are these great gifts for yourself they also make great gifts for family, friends and co-workers. Thank you for looking.

More Pumpkins . wheee!

2011-09-10T07:57:00.000-05:00

I've added two more pumpkins to my Etsy Shop. This are such fun to make and would look good hanging on a Halloween tree .... (hint, hint, wink, wink) These two are part of my growing series tilted Jack B. Rotten.

Going to spend this morning finishing up the sculpting part of two new Halloween dolls/figurines and then teach my daughter how to take pictures of my art so she can take over the photography and I can spend more time on my art.

Bad Seed

What Trick or Treater?

Hope everyone has a wickedly fun weekend!

Two new Pumpkin ornaments

2011-09-09T05:54:00.001-05:00

I just listed two new Pumpkin Halloween ornaments in my Etsy shop. I'll be listing 2 more today as well. Thank you all for stopping by and taking a peek!

"Happy Jack"

"Toofy Jack"

Facebook Shop

2011-09-06T07:56:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd give the Facebook Shop thingy a try so I'm uploading some of my ornaments and jewelry and stuff to it. Still have a few more to add but so far it's pretty easy to work with. I can't figure out a good way to add shipping yet so what the heck, I'm putting Free shipping on everything. Also, if you click the little like button (warm feelings) you'll get 10% off anything and everything you buy.

So here's the link, please take a looksie and let me know what you think.
My Facebook Shop

102 and no air

2011-08-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

Two days ago our central air conditioner decided to start blowing hot air instead of cold air. Hubby got a guy to come look at it and of course it couldn't be something easy and cheap to fix. It turns out the fan motor burned out. So, 2 days of 100+ weather, no air, grumpy family and I'm really getting fed up. Hubby was trying to remove the fan blades this morning so he could take the motor in and get it replaced but no matter what he tried it would not come off. I told him to take the whole thing with him that maybe, just maybe they would have the right tool to take the blades off the old motor and put them on the new motor. I sure hope so cause he's super stressed and a super stressed Hubby is no fun to live with.

My first youtube video

2011-08-14T21:56:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to make a youtube video for quite awhile now and after a great deal of research and annoying several friends and hubby with questions they couldn't answer I finally got my first one done. Although it's not exactly the way I want it I am happy with the results.

Don't forget to go down to the bottom of my blog to turn off my music before you watch my video.

Knock, knock, Muse, are you home?

2011-08-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

Oh my, I've been away much too long. In all honesty I've just been trying to survive day to day through a lot of crappy, stressful garbage and my energy and creativeness have been sucked out of me. I've been trying to find my way out of all this nonsense and finally have come to the point where I think I've figured something out. No matter what others are doing around me, even those that claim to love me, only I can pull myself up out of the muck, and the only way I know how to do that is to use the one tool I have ... my art.

So, I have to spend a part of each day digging deep and coaxing my Muse to come out of hiding and help me out. (Are you listening lil ole Muse of mine?) Even if I only have the energy for 30 minutes it's at least 30 minutes I spent trying to make my life better. I started yesterday by mixing up a new batch of clay and then covered 10 plain, glass ornaments with their first layer of clay. They are now hanging and drying. I also sculpted a bit on a new "Jack B. Rotten" ornament and the vision I have for it made me laugh (something I don't do much these days). Those 30 minutes stretched out to a few hours and during that time I felt ........ whole.

So lil Muse of mine, I will be knocking on your door each day and you must come out, if only for 30 minutes at a time.

Happy Mom Day!

2011-05-08T09:59:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. I hope your day is full of joy and pampering.

My Hubbahubby and Ducky (daughter) have been whispering and planning something for me today. They are going to fix me a FABULOUS bar-b-que ...... yummmm. Chicken and burgers and brats ...... roasted ears of corn, potato salad, mac and cheese, and 3 bean salad ......... a feast for a queen! Of course there will be plenty of leftovers for yummy chicken salad sandwiches and others for the next few days .... lol! Hubbahubby is a fantastic cook and when he gets in front of the grill he just cooks and cooks and cooks. I asked if we were having friends over with all that food they are making ..... nope, just him doing his thing at the grill. :)

Goth doll - painted

2011-03-13T08:48:00.002-05:00

I finally got her painted, YAY! I am so excited about how she's turning out, I just love making these and already have several more in the works.

I bought some black mohair for her hair but am going to have to dye it today. It is really a very dark brown with a few too many grays and that just won't do for a goth doll. Went to Wallyworld and got a bottle of Ritz liquid so going to see how big a mess I can make of my kitchen today. Also, the material in the background is the material I'm using for her costume. It's actually shades of grey and black, not the blues my silly old camera is showing.

This doll is a gift for my wonderful daughter so sorry, not for sale BUT keep checking back as there will soon be dolls to collect!

Jack B. Rotten bunny ACEO

2011-02-22T08:13:00.001-06:00

Just listed my newest addition to my Jack B. Rotten series. This time it's a cute little ACEO done in Prisma color pencils.

You can find it at My Ebay

WIP Doll update

2011-02-20T08:35:00.001-06:00

Slowly she's coming along. I'm working on her lower legs and once they are done I'll sand her, then gesso her, then sand her again, then maybe one more coat of gesso and another sanding.

I've already picked out the materials for her clothes and I think I know what I'm going to do for her hair. I'm really enjoying making this doll and have started on a few more heads for more dolls. This doll is a gift for my daughter but I will begin making them to sell.

Anyhow, back to my studio to clean and straighten and then hopefully I can spend a few quiet hours working.

Furry little cat

2011-02-13T10:56:00.002-06:00

I use to sculpt miniatures, in fact, at one point in time I supported my kids sculpting dollhouse miniatures. I've wanted to try furring a mini for some time and decided that while kinda stuck at home with all the snow and a cold it might be fun to try. Wow, it sure is a lot of work!

Kitty is available at My Ebay

New Doll - WIP

2011-02-07T10:04:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to try my hand at a doll, an honest-to-goodness doll with moving arms and hand sewn cloth clothing. I've thrown all sorts of obstacles in my way, (why do we do that?) made up excuses for why I couldn't create one. How to do the armature, how to make the clothes with no sewing machine, how to sculpt it with paperclay and make it smooth and on and on. I finally decided that I can figure out the armature, that I can hand sew the clothes and don't really need a sewing machine, that I can make the clay smooth enough and that a few little bumps here and there just add character and define my style. So ...... one big gulp ......... and I begin a new path.

I will make an effort to record my progress. I love watching other artists wip's and I'm hoping you all will enjoy my attempt to create this doll.

Bootique offering for Feb, 2011

2011-02-03T06:23:00.001-06:00

Here is my latest offering for Feburary's Halloween Queen's Bootique. I really like the way these barrel beads turn out, very much worth the amount of time it takes to make one.

http://queenscastlebootique.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-post.html

Snowman candy bowl

2011-01-22T11:27:00.001-06:00

I just listed my newest creation on ebay, actually the first new piece for 2011. Okay, I know I'm slow but hey, at least I'm back in the studio! I've decided that no matter what craziness is going on about here I can go into my studio, close the door and immerse myself in a creative coma!

Here's my Jolly Snowman candy bowl.

You can find it at my Ebay

Happy New Year! ---- finally

2010-12-31T05:00:00.001-06:00

Here's a toast to all of us that survived a very tough 2010.

*** 2010, may you rest in peace. 2011, may you bring joy, prosperity, health and happiness to all those that 2010 pooped on! ***

End of Year SALE

2010-12-27T10:05:00.000-06:00

Time to shake off the passing year and start the New Year with new ideas, new work, a fresh view and hopefully less stress and more creativity.

It's SALE TIME!!! I've decided to mark the end of this year with a sale so I'm re-listing many goodies at 25% off. I don't normally have a sale like this at the end of the year but I just think it's something I need to do to help me bring new energy into my life and work. So if you have a few minutes please hope on over to my Etsy shop and take a look around. You might find something you wanted on sale ....... :) Oh, and I'll be adding goodies throughout the next few days so stop on by later as well.
My Etsy Shop

Glad it's almost over.

2010-12-22T07:15:00.001-06:00

This year has been a year of difficult challenges and I, for one, am glad to see it coming to an end. I'm a fighter and have always landed on my feet in the past, always have found a way to get through tough times but there has been such a flood of it this year that I'm exhausted. It's all drained me so much that my poor little muse is hiding somewhere in a dark corner deep in my mind and no matter what I try she is not being coaxed out. At times I find myself just sitting and staring at nothing. I am unaware of any thoughts but I do think those moments are times when my mind is trying to sort through and make sense of this last year.

This year my family has come close to losing our home, my husband had surgery on his spine, we had 2 family members attempt suicide in the last 3 months, work hours have been cut so there's not always enough to pay bills and eat, one child has moved back home because they can not find work in the town they lived in and sadly are having the same issues here, no insurance to pay medical bills so we get up to 10 calls a day and even though we try to tell them we've applied for help they don't care and just keep calling. It just goes on from there.

I'm not sleeping and the stress seems to have lowered my resistance to colds and flu because I just keep getting sick. I've lost my smile and things that use to make me giggle and laugh just get blank stares from me. I'm worn out, emotionally drained and creatively dead. But then, I'm the mom and the wife and the rock that's suppose to be strong and support and nuture and take care of and keep things going and solve problems and grease the wheels and ..... and .................. ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that just because the year is about to change that it's not going to magically be all bright and shiny and giddy and everyone and everything is going to be fixed and the world will make sense again but dammit ...... I have to believe that the New Year has a chance to be better, ...... right?

Update on Cat-astrophe

2010-11-16T06:46:00.000-06:00

I finally got all of the polymer clay parts finished. I'll be spending most of today working on his jammies which I'm sculpting in paperclay. LOL, right now he looks like he's in a body cast!

Sorry about the somewhat out of focus shot, It was around 6am when I took this and then my camera died on me. Must of been that ghost in the window that sucked all the power out of it! YIKES!!! As soon I get it recharged and I chase that ghost away I'll try and take more pics.

Banner for Anaboo

2010-11-14T20:04:00.001-06:00

I was asked to create a banner for my fellow artist Sylvia Smiser of Anaboo Creations. She was very happy with the work I did and put it on her blog as soon as she got it. Here's a link to her blog so you can see it in full size and while you're there take a look around at her creations. Really cute creatures living there! Anaboo Creations

If any of you out there in blog land are needing custom banners for your site please contact me. I'd be glad to create one for you.

Knocking off the dust

2010-11-09T11:39:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, a piece just does not want to be finished when I want it finished. This fellow is a good example of that. He's been sitting on the sidelines because he simply would not let me finish him. I think he wanted to just hang out and watch me work on other projects. Try as I may, I could not coax him back into the lime light.

First it was his arms, he didn't want them to do what I wanted them to do .... fine! Then it was his head, wonky, wiggly mess. Then it was the cat. Oh that evil little fur ball, how many times did I attempt to bring you to life?

Then, out of the blue, when I have other things going on, other pieces trying to be born, he sneaks back into my thoughts, he invades my dreams, he whispers to me when I'm at my desk working. "Now, finish me now!"

I'm a slave to their whims I tell ya!

His head hands, cat, light bulb and shoes are all polymer. I still need to finish the cat and his shoes will be bunny slippers. He'll be wearing pajamas and I'll sculpt those in paperclay. I've written a poem that tells his story and will print it on parchment I think. Hopefully I'll have him finished this week.

Pirates Treasure

2010-11-07T17:20:00.001-06:00

Second half of a commission was creating card holders in a pirates theme. After chatting with my client on what they wanted they liked the idea of a beach with a pirates treasure and something extra for their boss.

I sculpted 9 of them using my own paper clay for the sand and Creative paperclay for the chest. The "pearls" are actually glass beads. Everything is painted and antiqued with acrylic paints and then the bottoms have a rubber gasket-like material that has one side coated with a super sticky glue that never, ever lets go! Great stuff for protecting the bottoms of my sculpted art. I like it so much I bought a whole bolt of it several years ago.

First pic is closer to the actual colors of the card holder. The skull was painted to look old and the hat is purple with gold trim. Can't seem to find pics of the finished pieces, silly computer seems to have eaten them.

Second pic is a bit dark but it does show the details better. My client was thrilled when they got them and I'm hoping those receiving them are equally thrilled.

Mummykin

2010-10-04T08:23:00.010-05:00

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a fan of old horror flicks. I'm having fun putting my twist on the old classics, (did I just say old?) and creating a Jack B. Rotten version of them. The movie that scared me right out of my diapers the most was the Mummy. That's right, I said diapers! I'm not THAT old ya know!

Here is my version of this creepy, classic monster .... MUMMYKIN!!!!

I'll be listing him on Ebay later this evening ..... that's the time all creepy monsters come out ..... bwahahahaaaaaa!

Note: Mummykin is now listed on my Ebay.
Mummykin is SOLD and on it's way to it's new home. Thank you!

Count Pumpcula

2010-10-03T18:19:00.006-05:00

Count Pumpcula is my newest addition to my Jack B. Rotten series of Halloween pumpkins that have a rather rotten attitude.

Okay, okay .... I know the name is a bit corny but hey, it works. :)

You can find the Count hanging out here in My little spot on Ebay.

Yar me mateys!

2010-10-01T08:16:00.005-05:00

I got a commission to make a bunch of pirate pins and was given free hand at designing them. Only request was colors and make each unique. This is what I created and the buyer was thrilled when she got them. They look so much better in person.

Now I am working on the other half of her order but I'm not telling till I get them all done! ....... snicker

Yard work

2010-09-29T11:39:00.002-05:00

I hate yard work. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if we had a normal sized yard. I suppose it would be easier if hubbahubby and I had been able to keep things in order but a few injuries, one surgery and a broken lawn mower did nothing to help. It might even be an enjoyable way to spend a morning out in the fresh air getting much needed exercise.

Who am I kidding!

Mowing grass is for goats. I mean that's what they do best. If I could find a Rent-A-Goat store I'd be their best customer. Man and Woman (especially woman) were not meant to run back and forth in semi-straight lines pushing a coughing, sputtering, smoking, rock throwing contraption attempting to keep growing green things short enough so tigers and bears can't hide in the yard. That a goats job! A goat doesn't care if it's too hot, if there are too many bugs, if sweat is pooling in their bras ...... eh um ......I mean if it's raining. Heck, they don't even care if they step on those enormous brown bombs the dogs so cleverly hide in all that tall grass. (I think my inside tennies are now outside tennies) Goats are just happy doing goaty things like keeping all that grass nice and short and making little goats.

I'm ready for winter. Three feet of grass killing snow is on my wish list this year. And some goats, I want some goats.

The BIG 31 gift giveaway has started

2010-09-15T19:43:00.005-05:00

All of you need to hop, scurry, slither and fly on over to the Halloween Queen's blog and sign up for the 31 days of giveaways! There are 31 fantastic gifts being given away, one for each day in October. You do not want to miss out on this!

31 days of prizes from The Halloween Queens

2010-09-09T07:41:00.002-05:00

The Halloween Queens are having a HUGE giveaway to celebrate our favorite time of the year. 31 prizes in 31 days! You do not want to miss this! Wait till you see what we've created just for all of you! Sign ups start Sept.15 thru Oct.15th so fly, don't walk on over to The Queen's blog for more details and get ready for all our witchy fun!

September with the Queens

2010-09-07T05:59:00.007-05:00

The Halloween Queens are rattling our bones in the month of September. Come take a peek at our boney offerings on ebay ........... I dare you!

The Halloween Queens on Ebay

Grinning Jack

2010-09-04T08:02:00.006-05:00

Thank you Sue for buying my Grinning Jack ornament from the Queen's Bootique!

He was so excited about finding a new home that he woke me up at 4 am to get him packed all snuggle and safe and wouldn't be quiet till I went out in the dark to put him in my mailbox. (I can hear him out there singing while waiting for the mailman). I hope he brings you lots of grins!

New art at the Bootique

2010-09-01T04:05:00.004-05:00

It's that time again! The Halloween Queens have restocked their shops with lots of wonderful Halloween goodies! Please stop on by to see what we've been stirring in our cauldrons. AHQU Bootique

A little peek

2010-08-30T12:57:00.003-05:00

Someone's peeking at you. Who could this be?

You'll just have to come to the Holiday Queen's Bootique Sept 1st to see who this stranger is ..... tee hee.

Jack B. Rotten 2

2010-08-30T09:18:00.007-05:00

Just finished my newest Jack B. Rotten ornament. I love creating these pumpkins with such nasty attitudes! Must be my wicked muse sneaking out .... :P

You can find it here My Ebay

Peek a BOO!

2010-08-28T10:37:00.005-05:00

Somehow I managed to finally settle down after all the craziness around here and create a new ACEO. I haven't made one of these in a long time and it was relaxing to curl up in my recliner and paint while my poor, injured hubbahubby watched tv.

This is painted on 140lb. watercolor paper with acrylics and Prismacolor pencils. I love combining the two materials.

Peek a BOO!

You can find it at my EBAY

Universal dump

2010-08-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Had a very late night at the emergancy room with my husband. He tried to hack off his thumb with an electric hedge trimmer. Cut through the nail to the bone, cracked the bone. Will be taking him to see an bone specialist in a few days. Okay Universe, we've had enough crap dumped on us this year so you can stop anytime now and let something good happen!

Will the madness ever end?

2010-08-23T12:51:00.003-05:00

I've been adding pages to my blog and writing code trying to get it all right. I had all my goodies linked to my auctions and was rather proud of the way it all worked ..... that is until some of those auctions ended and I realized I had to go back into all that code and remove those particular links.

What the heck was I thinking? I'm going blind from all that code and I'm now convinced that my brain was momentarily visiting another planet during the time I wrote it all.

Okay, so now I'm going to try something new. Instead of having all those lines of code linking this to that I'm going to make it simple ... I'm just going to post my prices on the art that is available and each page will have my email link on it so if anyone wants more information they can simply ask.

Please take a peek at my pages and tell me what you think? Do they look okay? Do they work okay? Has my brain gone on another space trip? LOL

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere

2010-08-14T11:09:00.002-05:00

I don't know if it's my desire for cooler fall weather or the fact that I just love Halloween pumpkins but it seems my head is swimming with pumpkin ideas lately. So of course I'd have another pumpkin ornament to offer you all.

I think she's cute with her silly grin.

You can find her at My Ebay

Pumpkin Scarecrow

2010-08-14T09:17:00.005-05:00

I just finished my Pumpkin Scarecrow OOAK doll and decide to title it "I don't scare you?" This one was a real challenge to create. I just love his expression and all the details in this one. He's also my largest piece to date, 11 1/2" tall!

Hope you all like him as well.

You can find him at My Ebay

Witchy Moon

2010-08-04T11:25:00.003-05:00

Just finished a new ornament, Witchy Moon. I added combed yarn hair to her and I really like the look. (even though it was a pain .... lol)

You can find her here: EBAY

2 New Heart Necklaces

2010-08-02T06:50:00.003-05:00

I've had a few requests to make more of my Love Bites heart pendants so here are 2 that I just put up for sale.
Ebay listing - Love Bites 4

Etsy listing -Love Bites 3

Here's looking at ya!

2010-07-31T08:03:00.006-05:00

What's this? A creepy red eye looking at you? Are you wondering what this eye belongs to? Well ......... I'm not telling! At least not until tomorrow when The Holiday Queen's Bootique is filled with lots of new goodies for you to drool over and buy. So grab your favorite brew, get comfy in your favorite chair and hop on over there first thing in the morning. I know, waiting is sooooo hard but it'll be worth it, I promise. The Bootique

Almost done

2010-07-24T08:42:00.003-05:00

Whew, this fellow has been occupying a great deal of my time but I'm done with the sculpting and will start painting him in a few days. He's drying nicely, the only thing I do like about all this hot weather. I'm so very happy with the way he is turning out, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite pieces. Feels like a little bit extra of my soul went into this one .... :)

WIP Pumpkin head scarecrow

2010-07-15T09:35:00.002-05:00

I've been working on a scarecrow, it has a bit to go but I'm going to try and get all the wrinkles in the jeans legs sculpted today and sculpt a rope around his waste. There's a crow that sits on his head but it kept getting in the way so it's sitting on my work table in my studio waiting to be re-attached.

No, this isn't my studio in this pic, this is me being lazy and sculpting while watching GHI .... lol

Merkitty

2010-07-11T07:15:00.005-05:00

I finally finished my Merkitty and now have it listed on Ebay.

This one was a real challenge for me and I must admit I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I love, love, love working with paperclay. It lets me sculpt more complicated pieces then when I was sculpting in wax and making my own molds. I also like creating one of a kinds because recreating the same piece over and over makes my brain freeze ... lol

You can find my Merkitty here. Ebay.

sleepy

2010-07-08T09:33:00.001-05:00

...took allergy medicine ......must fight the sleepiness ....... have too much to do today ........ can ..... not ..... sleep ....... zzzzzzzzzzzz..........

Halloweens Queen's Bootique offering

2010-07-01T06:33:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited, this is my first offering in Halloween Queen's Bootique. How blessed I feel to be included in this group of very talented artists!

My offering is this lovely barrel bead sculpted in polymer clay with antiqued copper wire for the bail. The size is 2 1/2" from top of copper bail to bottom of pumpkin leaf. Barrel is 1 1/2" long.

Please stop on by the Bootique to see my little corner of the Bootique and while you're there take a peek at the other artist's offerings, they are all fantastic!

WIP - Merkitty

2010-06-26T06:10:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time I use to paint lots of ACEOs or ATCs. I have been wanting to try my hand at recreating them as sculptures. This is the first one and I'm really happy with the way it's turning out. I still have the base to sculpt and it's starfish and pearl necklace to finish but I wanted to show you all a wip picture of what I've been up to. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of the weekend.

Birthday time!

2010-06-24T06:38:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me... Yep, today is my birthday. I've managed to survive on this planet for ...... hehehe, not going to tell how long, you'll have to figure that out for yourselves.

Hubbahubby has something planned for Saturday. All I know is that he and a friend are taking me somewhere I've been wanting to go and that I'm going to have fun. Hmmmmm, I want to go to the moon, nope too expensive ... I want to go ghost hunting ... nah, hubbahubby won't do that ... hmmmmm, been to the zoo, been to the museum, bought new art supplies just a few weeks ago, need new clothes but hubbahubby knows I HATE shopping ... drat, I don't have a clue. Wonder if I can get him to tell me while he's talking in his sleep?

Rough few weeks

2010-06-18T08:09:00.002-05:00

These last few weeks have been really rough on my family. Heck, actually the last few months have been. My lovely daughter, who lives in another state, has seizures and a few months ago she was having them several times a week. Then she doubled over with severe stomach pains and her boyfriend took her to the emergency room. Found out she had a very infected gallbladder and they removed it pronto. So the seizures settled down but then a few weeks ago she ended up back at the emergency room 3 times in a few days. She now has a bleeding ulcer and a very bad bacterial infection in her stomach. Doctor put her on a triple course of antibiotics. She had 2 seizures while in the emergency room and the doctor says they aren't normal seizures and wants her to be tested to see what's going on. (she didn't have seizures as a child, they started after she reached adulthood)

Two weeks ago my hubbahubby hurt his back. Went in for an MRI and it showed a herniated disk so he had to have surgery. He had his surgery yesterday morning and is doing well. Should be home some time today. I couldn't be there with him because a week ago I got sick with some kind of yucky crap that makes my nose run and my throat raw. yay.

Okay Universe, enough is enough. You kicked my families butt all last year and now you're trying to do it again this year? Nope, no way, ain't going to happen. I'm telling ya right now to cut it out.

Touch the Water- Heal our Land

2010-06-08T07:33:00.002-05:00

I couldn't have said it better.
Touch the Water- Heal our Land

BWAHAHAHAAAAA ... zombies

2010-05-12T10:12:00.013-05:00

Eh hmm, sorry I just couldn't resist. I finally got my Zombie Head candy bowl finished and after 2 days of trying got some photos I'm happy with.

I did a bit of research to find a food safe coating that I could use in my bowls and after chatting with several artists (thank you, you know who you are) and a few varnish experts and checking the FDA's very long list of food safe products I learned something very interesting. Polyurethane is actually considered a food safe finish. It's okay to use on surfaces that come in contact with dry foods. So it's safe to use in my bowls as long as I use several coats (3) of it. I painted on 5 coats for good measure! I'm still suggesting my collectors use wrapped candies only and no sucking on candy then putting it back for later. That's just .........gross.

SOLD Thank you Amy!

Trying Ebay once again.

2010-05-10T13:30:00.002-05:00

I use to sell on Ebay, actually did fairly well there once upon a time. Then I got angry with Ebay, I didn't like all the changes going on, didn't like the feeling that artists were being buried there. So one day I said poohpooh to Ebay, closed my store and moved to a shiny new place called Etsy. I like Etsy, I really do. It has the comfy feel of home but ....... I do know that if I want to expand my collectors base I need to offer art on Ebay again. Let's face it, as much as I like Etsy, and I do plan to stay there, Ebay just has a lot more eyes viewing auctions. More eyes = more potential sales plain and simple. So I'm going to give Ebay another try.

I've just listed my Dust E. Bunny there. You can find the listing by clicking my Ebay badge on the right side of my blog. Here's to hard work and a bit of luck. (Universe, are you listening?)

Yawn ..... too early

2010-05-01T05:07:00.002-05:00

My hubbahubby and I are up early this morning, 4 am. Two cups of coffee and we're off for a 3 hour drive to go pick up my daughter. She's going to spend a week with us and I'm looking forward to it, I'm not looking forward to the drive. Poor hubbahubby, woke up with one ear plugged and a sniffy nose. Kinda reminds me of my dog the way he keeps shaking his head, poor guy. (hubbahubby, not the dog.)

A nice little giveaway.

2010-04-28T08:26:00.002-05:00

Nope, it's not me this time. Not to worry, I will have another of my own soon. This lovely giveaway is by Witchen in the Kitchen. Go check out their blog, lots of nice things to read.

Giveaway

Trying something new

2010-04-27T09:25:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to make some lidded bowls but wasn't sure how to go about it so I'm experimenting with my own handmade paper clay. If I goof it doesn't cost much and the stuff is fun to work with.

I really wasn't sure what I wanted it to be so I just jumped it and decided to let the bowl tell me what it wanted to be. Egads!!!!! It wants to be gruesome! LOL, oh well. Here are some pics of the WIP. I still have half of the brain lid to sculpt and then need to make sure everything is level and dried before I start to paint it.

I can hardy wait to paint this, it's going to be icky, juicy and bloody! BWAHAHAAAAAA!

The Queens are having a giveaway!

2010-04-21T05:28:00.003-05:00

If you haven't visited their blog yet now would be a good time to check out Artistic Halloween Queens. They are having a giveaway you don't want to miss!
GIVEAWAY

Do you live with Dust Bunnies?

2010-04-15T06:48:00.009-05:00

I do and I just caught one! I was doing my weekly cleaning, trying to vacuum under my bed when all of a sudden my vacuum got plugged with something. Great, I just vacuumed up another one of my hubbahubby's socks! Was I surprised to see what the vacuum really got plugged with! Yes, I had caught a sock alright but it was in the mouth of the biggest dust bunny I've ever seen! After I pulled him out of the hose all he said to me was, "What sock?"

You can find this in my Etsy shop

A little peek, a little tease

2010-03-24T12:32:00.005-05:00

Did that line make you look? LOL. Well, it is a little peek and a little tease but maybe not the kind you might have thought of. My oh my, what naughty minds! Teehee.

This is still a WIP but I'm having so much fun creating it I just had to share a little peek and a little tease.

Where did Spring go?

2010-03-20T14:29:00.002-05:00

Today is the first day of Spring. Hooray! Trees are beginning to bud, warm breezes are gently blowing across my yard ...... wait ...... what's this? What am I hearing? It sounds like little pebbles hitting my roof? Sleet,(blink,blink) am I hearing sleet? Okay, maybe I just need a cup of coffee to get my old brain going this morning. While it's brewing I'll let the dogs out for their morning romp and ..... whoa ..... it really is sleeting! What happened to the nice warm weather we've had all week. I even opened my windows for a few days to let in the fresh air and blow out the winter stuffiness. Now it's freezing and we have sleet .... and snow? Two inches of snow!

I'm going back to bed, someone wake me when spring really gets here.

Automated voice systems ..... grr

2010-03-18T08:58:00.004-05:00

My hubbahubby is flying to CA tonight to visit his brother and to pick up a car that his brother has given to us as a gift. This morning he asked me to call the airlines to make sure he could actually carry on the new license plates for the car since he was only taking one carry-on luggage and his laptop. Being the loving wife that I am I jumped right in a called the 1-800 # to the airline.

Computer voice: Welcome to our automated voice system. Please choose from the following list. Say Tickets for tickets, say Mileage for flyer miles, say more options for more options.
Me: More options
It: I'm sorry I did not understand you.
Me: Ugh
It: I'm sorry I did not understand you.
Me. MORE OPTIONS
It: I'm sorry I did not understand you.
Me. Operator.
It: Did you say more options?
Me: Yes
It: I'm sorry I did not understand you.
Me: Operator
It: Did you wish to speak to an Operator?
Me: (finally) Yes
It: I'm sorry I did not understand you.
Me: O-P-E-R-A-T-O-R!
It: Did you wish to speak to an Operator
Me: YES, you piece of .......
It: To make sure I connect you to the correct Operator do you wish to speak to a Representative about flights within the USA?
Me: Yes
It: Thank you, I will now connect you to an International Flight Representative
Me: ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Jack B. Rotten ornament

2010-03-17T08:58:00.006-05:00

Jack B. Rotten is my new series of Halloween pumpkins that have a rather rotten attitude. These pumpkins are just plain not so nice and don't want to be anyone's jack-o-laterns. I have several more in the works but wanted you all to see the first one. The title of this ornament is "What Kitty?"

Okay now, no hate mail from cat lovers. I too love the little fur balls but you have to admit that sometimes those fuzzy cuties can be a pest and this pumpkin wants nothing to do with Halloween or those cute little black kitties.

You can find this in my Etsy shop

Who loves a clown?

2010-02-26T09:49:00.007-06:00

I've kinda been stuck in this snowman mood and that seems to be all I've made lately but I think this is going to be the last one for awhile. I've got weird and whacky and kinda cute bunnies in my head and a scarecrow begging to be finished ..... lol poor guy.

This is "Bluebird". I'm not that crazy about clowns but it's what this snowman wanted to be so there ya go, the art wins out again.

I used more of that yummy ribbon my Mom and I found after Christmas. I just love the stuff and can now understand why so many of you use it as well.

Okay, back to work. If I don't start working on that scarecrow he's gonna ...... shutter .......
SOLD ... Thank you Paul!

Join The Queens Celebration Giveaway!

2010-02-22T18:52:00.002-06:00

Join The Queens Celebration Giveaway!

Dancing in the snow

2010-02-22T12:22:00.005-06:00

Although I have been known to dance in the snow this time it isn't me. :) Presenting "Winter's Dance", my newest snowperson figurine.

The tutu is made with some of that wonderful wire ribbon my mom and I found after the holidays. I bought rolls and rolls of lots of different colors and patterns and you'll be seeing it showing up in more of my art. I think it adds so much to the figurine and I love working with it. Thank you Mom for dragging me shopping that day!

Her crown was made from beads I found one weekend at a garage sale. I even got the little crytals there as well. People have no idea what they sometimes just give away at garage sales and I bet some of you are like me, always thinking "What can I turn that into......" lol.

You can find this in my Etsy shop

Runner up winner your prize is waiting ...

2010-02-19T10:19:00.002-06:00

Well, the winner of my pendant never contacted me so I've let the random number generator pick another and the new winner is ....#118, Susan of seasonalwhimsies.blogspot.com. Congrats to my new winner! Susan, I posted on your blog since I couldn't find an email addy to you.

and my WINNNERS are ......

2010-02-15T10:40:00.005-06:00

This was so much fun! I've found many new blogs to follow and have seen so many wonderfully talented people! What a fantastic thing this is, bringing us all together from so many places.

I used a number generator to pick my two winners and it selected # 78 and #188. That means PEA has won my pumpkin ornament and Marybeth I. has won my pendant. I've emailed the winners so you two please send me your addresses so I can mail you your prizes. (If I don't hear from them by Friday the 19th I will pick new winners)

CONGRATS to both of you!

Snowman - You Melt my Heart

2010-02-11T11:55:00.005-06:00

Even a snowman needs love and when it happens his heart just melts.

My newest sculpture is a paperclay cutie! I used another one of those wonderful glass icicles I had made. I'm going to have to order more of those cause I like them soooooo much and they're fun to create with.

Hope you all enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

You can find this in my Etsy shop

Steampunk Broken Heart

2010-02-09T14:03:00.006-06:00

Just finished another heart pendant. I'm still not happy with the pictures I'm getting and now I'm wanting to tear down my photo box and build a new one ... lol

You can find this in my Etsy shop

Melting Heart pendant

2010-02-08T10:37:00.006-06:00

Just finished a few heart pendants. This is the only one I got a half decent picture of. Hubby was using my camera the other day to take pictures of the snow in our yard and he changed a few settings. Lol, now I have to remember how I had it set up. Oh well ..... such is married life!

It's polymer clay with sterling silver wire for hanging. The little ice crystal is a real glass bead that I have custom made to use in my art. They are the cutest things and I love working with them.

You can find this in my Etsy shop

ONE WORLD ONE HEART

2010-01-25T06:57:00.008-06:00

This is my first time to participate and I am giving away 2 gifts, a Halloween ornament,

and a pendant sculpted in polymer clay and embelished with real fresh water pearls.

So please leave a comment and make sure I have your email address so I can contact you if you are one of my winners. I hope you like my little offering and I'm wishing you all much luck.

Yum, Yum, Yummy!

2010-01-20T18:11:00.005-06:00

While I was at my folks for the holidays Mom, Pop and I did a lot of cooking together. This is a favorite recipe of ours for the chilly winter months. If you like garlic you're gonna love this soup! Trust me, no flu bug will come near you with all this garlic and Vampires beware.

Garlic Bread Soup with Poached Eggs

Head of garlic - Chopped
Crushed Red Pepper - 3/8 to 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1/3 cup
Water - 3 quarts
French Bread - 8 slices toasted
Parmesan cheese - 1 cup grated
Chicken Bouillon (I use Knorr Chicken Bouillon in powder form) - about 2 tablespoons or to flavor
Eggs - 8

Saute garlic and red pepper in olive oil. Add 3 qts water and bring to boil. Tear French bread toast into smal pieces and add to soup. Blend with stick blender. You want the garlic , red pepper and toast to be well blended as the toast helps thicken the soup. Add chicken bouilon and stir well. Crack eggs, one at a time into a bowl and add each to the soup. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and stir gently to melt cheese into soup. Take soup of heat and enjoy.

This is so good and so easy to make that I make a double batch for Hubbahubby and I to enjoy for several days.

I'm homesick

2009-12-30T07:18:00.006-06:00

I've been visiting my parents since Dec. 21st and will be returning home this weekend ... I think.

I'm homesick. I miss my hubbahubby so much. He had to work and couldn't make this trip. Bleh. I've talked to him each night on the phone but it just makes me miss him even more.

I miss my two silly dogs. Sometimes they annoy the hell out of me but they make me laugh with their goofiness.

I miss my studio. AARRGHHHH ... I so want to bury my hands in some clay and splash paint around. I'm going through withdrawals here folks and it's about to get ugly!

I miss my pillow and my bed. Even though my parent's guest bedroom is comfy and warm it's just not the same. This house makes weird noises at night. I know the creaks and cracks of my own house at night, I don't know the sounds here and they're freaky.

Damn it all! I missed the first snowfall this year. I didn't get to wake my hubbahubby up with the first snowball on his tummy while sleeping snugly in bed. Sigh! Don't worry babe, I'll make up for it with the next snowfall. :)

It's been a good trip. Got to visit my youngest brother and his wonderful wife. Love my sister-in-law, she rocks! Caught up with a few old friends. Met my cousin's hubby, super nice guy, funny and a smartass. Ate lots of really yummy food, my parents can cook like no one else, yum yum yummy. Got to see the town, lots of new stuff but still a lot of the old around. Today mom is driving me to Victoria to go to the big craft store. That woman is pure evil I tell ya! She's trying to drive me over the edge with temptation. I have a feeling I'm going to blow my Christmas money today.

Here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Now get back to work and create new wonderful must haves for this year. I know I am going to.

Let it Snow! ornament

2009-12-18T14:23:00.005-06:00

I just love the expression on his face, so content and happy with the new snowfall. I had some custom glass icicles made for me to add to my sculptures and I think this one looks wonderful hanging from his nose.

This will be my last ornament for this Christmas. I'm getting on a jet on Monday to fly to my folks for Christmas and New Years and Mom and I will be baking up a storm so I'll be too busy playing in flour with no time to play in clay. I will bring a sketch pad though, just so I don't lose what's left of my mind. I already have new designs swirling around in my mind and if I don't get them down on paper I'm pretty sure I'll drive my folks bananas and that really is the last thing I want to do. Mom may be much shorter than me but she can still put me in my place ... lol

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you! May you and yours share goods times, love, laughter and an extra slice of pie!

Sold
You can find my art in my Etsy shop.

and the Winner is ~~~~

2009-12-17T06:18:00.003-06:00

The winner of my very first giveaway is ~~~ (drum roll please)

MagikalSeasons

Congrats and thank you all for entering. This was fun and I plan on doing more of them in the new year.

1000 Visitor GIVEAWAY

2009-12-09T05:12:00.004-06:00

This creepy little blog of mine just reached it's first milestone. 1000 unique visitors! How cool is that! To celebrate I decided to have my very first GIVEAWAY! YAY!!! The gift is this Santa pin that I cast from my own original design:

Here are the ways to enter, with each one you do you get an additional entry in the drawing. Leave me a message on this post telling me which ones you did, please include links so I can take a peek.

1. Become a follower of my blog - 1 entry
2. Post on link on your blog back to my giveaway - 1 entry
3. Post a twitter about my giveaway - 1 entry
4. Post a link on your facebook about my giveaway - 1 entry
5. Become a fan on my facebook fan page - 1 entry
My fan page

The contest begins today and ends on Wed., December 16th. Hope you all enjoy my giveaway and Good Luck to All!

Snowman with cardinal all snug in his hat.

2009-12-05T18:21:00.005-06:00

This is my favorite snowman ornament so far. It's really going to be hard to send this one on it's way when it sells.

You can find this ornament in my Etsy shop.

PFATT Blog Christmas Giveaway

2009-12-04T21:23:00.002-06:00

You all should hurry on over to Primitive Folk Art Talk and Tea EBay Group blog for their wonderful giveaway. So many yummy gifts you really don't want to miss out on. PFATT Blog Christmas Giveaway

Snowman ornament.

2009-12-04T16:30:00.008-06:00

I'm on a roll today. I just finished this snowman ornament. This one even got a comment from my often quiet hubbahubby. He likes the detail on the hat, said it looks like real knit. Love that man! He does love my art but admits he's no artist so mostly I get, "That's nice" When he picks out a detail it just about knocks me over.

It's sculpted in paperclay, is about 4" tall with wire. Can any of you tell I'm getting hooked on paperclay? I call this one "Fa La La"

You can find this and others in my Etsy shop.

New Snowman and Cardinal ornament

2009-12-04T09:17:00.006-06:00

Just finished my newest snowman ornament late last night. I just love the way it turned out. It's going to be hard to let this one go. My hubbahubby loves cardinals and I love snowman, it's what inspired me to start making these. Everytime I make a new one I just want to tuck it into our collection. But I know in my heart I was creating it for someone else.

You can find this and others in my Etsy shop.

Nice voice

2009-12-03T05:35:00.006-06:00

Was chatting with a new facebook friend when he let me in on the fact that he sings. He even has his own youtube page. I thought you all might like to hear him, he has a really nice voice and he's cute to boot! samme kedeman

Okay Sam, sing your heart out for us!

My art is in Etsy's Storque!

2009-11-27T21:09:00.002-06:00

OMG!!! Etsy's Storque has my Owl and pie as the lead photo on there page. I'm so excited!!! Etsy Storque