A Whale of a Time...

...Splash!  I painted these little whales on an old piece of wood.

which was inspired by the little clay whales I have been making. 

 

 

I just love them.  I know the more I make the better they will get. It's been a while since I played with clay. I made cold porcelain clay from this youtube video... CliCK Here to Watch. - (sorry the video will not embed)  I, however, used Elmer's Glue-All, mineral oil and a jar of cold cream from the Dollar Store... 
1 C Cornstarch
1 C White Glue
2 TBS of Mineral Oil or Baby Oil
2 TBS of white Vinegar
1 tsp tempura paint - optional - (I omitted)
Cold Cream for kneading
 

This cold porcelain clay air dries very hard but still needs a good top coat of clear acrylic.  I tried putting it in the dehydrator just for fun and that did speed up the process and didn't crack either, just an FYI if you are in a hurry.

I made this step by step video of how I make these whales.   I haven't fully decided what I am going to do with these yet...maybe on a bottle I have previously covered in clay?... possibilities.. Frig magnets, hair barrettes, pendants, ornaments, gift tags, ... 

 

 

I hope you try making this fun clay and the little whales! I'd love to see them!

Blessings

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'...

...Clay that is! I've been playing with clay all day. Thank goodness polymer clay doesn't go bad because I haven't touched it a couple of years. I expected it to look like forgotten Playdough, all crusty & dry, but a few kneads between the fingers and it's like brand new! How does that work? I have an array of almost every color thanks to my sister. Crafty gifts are the best aren't they?! She is making beautiful jewelry now so I am making her some beads. I love making beads, sculpting faces, working with clay, but I don't enjoy making jewelry (or stained glass but that's another story!) I've tried to get into jewelry making but it doesn't take long before the supplies are on their way to my sister. I can't close a jump ring right to save my life. To be good at it you have to love it, invest time & practice, I don't love it enough to spend the time to practice at it. I love these little faux turquoise nuggets though! I am going to redo the holes before I bake them. They are a mixture of teal, light turquoise, tan, white & black. My favorite ring that I inherited from my husband's grandmother is a brilliant Alexandrite set in a gold Fleur de lis setting. The stone changes from cobalt blue to violet much like amethist. I can never predict what color it will be when I put it on. It's like an expensive mood ring. Anyway I'm going to make some beads inspired by that ring.

My sister has been telling me how nice Cold Porcelain Clay is to work with so I took a break earlier and ran out to purchase some baby oil. I also splurged on a bead roller at Michael's. It's so cool! I'm sharing this instructional video by Sangeeta Shah. She makes it look very easy, her flowers are amazing and her accent is adorable. She has some flower tutorials on her website. The porcelain clay is an air dry clay, no baking needed and it shrinks about 30%, so I am using eye pins instead of holes if I make beads with it. What I have in mind to make is an angel inspired by my clay jug I found in May. I can't wait to get started. I hope it turns out! A tip that my sister gave me is to let it rest for a day or so before using. If you make some too please share how yours turns out and what you made with it!

I'm so lucky! I won these beautiful earrings by Lisa at Alterity Button Jewelry in her give-a-way and received them this afternoon. I love her whimsical button jewelry and she is really making me want to pull out my sewing machines. You must see her adorable 40's sun dresses she plans to take to the beach. So cute! The earrings are beautifully constructed and they match my eyes. *lashing fluttering* Thanks so much Lisa!

A Big Shout Out & Thanks! goes to Schemata & Collagical for including my art in their Etsy Treasuries! Click on their names to be taken to their wonderful shops.