Amazing Giveaway at CraftechU!

http://www.craftechuniversity.com/

Go to this link to see how you can win fabulous online craft classes with Linda Peterson, Tiffany Windsor and/or Samantha Star!

Origami Snowflake Template

Origami Boxes

My friend Betty brought this fun craft project to our clay group and I've been making them ever since!  It's truly a GREEN craft because you can use ANY paper to make one!  We used calender pages, photos, wall paper scraps - I'll bet you're thinking "Hey, I was going to throw that paper away, but I'll use it to make a box!"
Here's how:

Start with a square of paper - any size, any kind.  Find and mark the center.

Fold each corner to the center point

 

Open it up and fold one point at a time to the center and fold the new edge to the center line.  You'll have to unfold the paper to do this step on each side, because the folds overlap.

On two opposite sides only (I've marked the lines with dots) make cuts along the folds marked, just to the outside corners of the center square.

 

After cutting, you'll have two straight sides and two triangle sides.  Fold the triangle side points to the center, fold the new edge over as you did before.  Find the crease on the sides of the folded edges and fold the outer edges toward the center.

Now fold the straight sides up over the ends of the folded triangle sides.

This is how the completed box top should look.  For the bottom half of the box, start with a square slightly smaller than the top and repeat all the steps.

My buddy Sharon uses 12"x12" scrapbook papers to make boxes for her Christmas cookies!  I miss getting those cookies!  I guess she'll have to bring a box to me in Utah!

Polymer Clay Candy Corn Bracelet

I love October.  The colors and smells of autumn bring my senses to life.  I love to bury my nose in the first bag of candy corn I buy in October.   I open it with relish and pour it into a clear glass candy jar.  That's when it's fall to me!
Three years ago I went to Italy with three friends to take polymer clay jewelry classes with Louise Fisher Cozzi and Donna Kato.  We had so much fun!  
Louise taught us how to achieve an amazing technique to give polymer clay layers of color.  She uses translucent polymer clay and colors it with oil paint.  After it's cured, she adds more oil paint on top of that.  After that's dry, she uses color pencils to give the piece another layer of fabulous color.

Here I've started conditioning translucent polymer clay.  After the clay is fairly soft you can add a tiny bit of oil paint.  An inexpensive oil paint is fine.

Continue to condition until the clay is a uniform color.  It helps to have a piece of the candy corn to look at while you're tinting the clay.  Be sure to add only a dab of paint each time, and do the yellow before the orange.  It's okay to get yellow paint on your orange clay, but not okay to get orange paint on your yellow clay.

                                                                 

The orange roll will be the largest, the yellow is half as large as the orange and the white roll is half as large as the yellow.  Lay the rolls side by side and slice evenly.  Begin by rolling the white piece into a cone, the orange piece an egg shape and the yellow piece into a slightly flattened oval.

Gently roll the pieces until the all edges touch and it looks like a continuous cone shape. 

Flatten the cone shape slightly.  It's a good idea to have that candy corn to look at for dimension.

For the bracelet beads, bend a wire or paper clip to mark where the holes will be.  I made mine to mark both holes just inside the orange part.  For earring beads, you might want to make a vertical hole through the candy corn.  Remember to hold the clay very gently as you pierce it, so you don't squish it.

Bake the clay as directed on the package.

When making a bracelet, I line my beads up against a ruler to make it seven inches long.  The length you use depends on who the bracelet is for.  I wanted this bracelet to look full, so I used three strings in each bead hole and strung smallish beads.  Larger beads would make it look chunky, if that's your preference.

Have fun making your beads and bracelet, and send me a photo! 



Creative Play Theme for October

The Creative Play theme for October is Studio Monsters!

 If your tools, your supplies, your own artwork turned against you...What would that monster look like?  Come up with a studio monster of your own and tell us all about it at the Coo2Craft Creative Play blog on the Hive. 
Remember you can use any medium!  Draw it, paint it, video it, sculpt it, write a Haiku about it, make a costume, write a song about it, or come up with a different way to represent your studio monster!
Have fun!

Here's a link to Elisabeth Latture's Studio demons.
http://www.sparklingsoulstudio.com/
Beth is a fiber artist and part of the art grhttp://www.sparklingsoulstudio.com/oup F.I.N.E., Fiber in nearly Everything.  Here's the link to the group.
http://www.f-i-n-e.com/

October Halloween Art Giveaway





Candy Corn Riot Earrings

This week's Cool2Craft Creative Play giveaway  is a pair of these earrings!  I made them using real candy corns that have been sealed completely.  They are embellished with colorful glass beads and are a must-wear for your holiday parties!

Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win them!  Next Wednesday I'll announce the winner as well as the giveaway for the following week!

The October Tease

Tonight on Cool2Craft Pajama Party Live with host Lisa Fulmer, I will announce the Cool2Craft Creative Play theme for October.  Here's a teaser:

Ooh!  It's so scary!

I'll also be announcing giveaways that will be happening every Wednesday, on the Cool2Craft Pajama Party Live!  Tune in to find out how to win!

My Pajama Crown

This crown theme is just too exciting! I decided I needed a special crown for Wednesday nights's Cool2Craft Pajama Party! It took me all of forty-five minutes to make. I started with a glittery foam crown from a craft store, made some quick polymer clay coffee cups and doughnuts. After curing them in the oven for twenty minutes (included in the the total time) and glued them on! Then I stuck on some jewels and it was perfect!

Be sure to tune in to Cool2Craft Live Monday at noon EST for a crown cupcake sleeve demo!

Halloween Giveaways at PFATT

You have got to go see this web site!  Who knoew there were so many Halloween artists! 

More Tootsie roll Crafts

The last time my grandnieces came by we made these Tootsie Roll and pull-apart licorice robots.  This one is mine.

This is Vanessa's robot.  He has an Elvis wig!

This is Ana's robot.  She has bunny slippers.

This is Lauren with her robot.  She has a fancy hairdo and polka dot mittens!

Cakeronauts from Cakeron 7 Have Landed

These Cakeronauts came all the way from Cakeron 7!  The team of Admiral Skrimpmonius Hershdessert and Dr. Osmo Poptartiarity entered a planet wide contest on their home world to make the best cupcakes.  The prize was exclusive rights to come to planet Earth and spread their cupcakes.

 

 Dr. Poptartiarity, a Doctor of Cupcakeology, had this to say

 "We come to you with our delicious cupcakes!  We are in no way attempting to take over your world with our delicious cupcakes!  Have some!  You really must!  Moohooaahahhaaaaahh!"

My New Role

I am about to take on the roll of Creative Play Muse for Cool2Craft!!! Tomorrow at noon, Eastern Standard Time, I will fill you in on all the details! Check out the Cool2Craft Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=342077966832&ref=ts#!/Cool2Craft?ref=ts and scroll down to the Cool2Craft Live button on the left to tune in!

I'll be presenting a monthly Creative Play theme for you to run with. You'll send in your entries which will be posted on the Cool2Craft web site at
http://cool2craft.com/
AND on the Hive at
http://creatingthehive.com/group/cool2craftcreativeplay
 Play on!

Pumpkin Moon Pendant

This is a mixed media pendant that I made for a reader challenge in Cloth Paper Scissors.  It wasn't chosen, but I learned a lot in the process of designing and making it.

The first step was creating a hinge and clasp from copper wire.  Then the polymer clay pumpkin was formed around the wire frame.  The little paper clay moon was polished with Perfect Pearls and nested in a bed of the beautiful yarn that I used for the necklace and detail.

The pendant measures about three inches long.  I so love a challenge!

Meanwhile Over at Art Forty-Two

I joined this artist's site called Art Forty-Two.  Members host swaps and round robin art projects.  I checked out this one with Twinchies.  Ever heard of Twinchies?

They are 2" x 2" Artist Trading Cards!

The one above is my Grandmother and her friends.  Marie Moon was a photographer and painter.

She took some wonderful photos of her friends goofing off!

The next one is my Grandpa, Warren Simmons and his brother, John.

This one is my Dad on a transport ship.  He was in the Army Air Corps.  He's in the front row, all the way up on the right.

This is my mom when she was eighteen.  What a looker!

My dad went to college in Boulder, Colorado.  He made this smoking robot for some kind of engineer's event.  He went on to work on the space program and finally in robotics.

 

This was taken on my parent's honeymoon.

One of the cool things is that you can put a surprise decoration on the back that's only for the person who receives it to see.  So, the idea is that I send in these seven twinchies and I get back seven twinchies by other artists.  I can't wait to get them!  They even have Inchies!  Who knew!?

Illusive SaniTea

This is The Illusive Sanitea clay whistle.  With a light air pressure, it sounds like a distant foghorn.

Bone Guy

This is Bone Guy, the clay whistle.

He's a warped little dude with a clear whistle sound.  With medium air pressure he sounds like a steam boat.  Play on, Bone Guy, play on.

Harley

This is Harley, the clay skull whistle

Harley is a tough guy that doesn't need to make a ruckus.  His whistle sound comes from a light air pressure that makes the sound of a distant ghost train.

Darkness Inspiration's Monster Challenge

Coffee Monster

Yes, this is what I look like before my morning coffee.  It's an inch and a half tall it's made of white earthenware clay and colored with crayons and black paint.

Check out Darkness Inspiration's Blog!

Frida Kahlo Inspired Self Portrait

Last week The Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano Murillo, challenged her blog readers to paint a Frida Kahlo inspired self portrait to honor the artist on her birthday.  I don't really paint, but I loved the idea.  So, I started with a box of chocolates, which I happily ate.  Then I sketched the portrait to go on the top of the box.  I cut it out, put it on, added colors, inks to age the box and attached some dangly earrings.

Note the uni brow and hint of moustache! Very Fridaesque.  I decided the piece would be about my inner artist, so the inside of the box would have to reflect the joy of creating art!  I love sculpting food!  Especially chocolate and coffee!  I used polymer clay to make the skeleton bits and chocolates.  Of course I had to add jewels and wire work.  Those things bring me joy, as well.

Then there's the Sacred Heart that my ribs can hardly contain.  That's all about my spiritual life.  You can't see it here, but I lined the inside of the box with a sparkly ribbon.  I do love to have sparkle and brilliant colors around me.  They feed my inner artist.

If you're not familiar with Frida's work, click here to see her work and read about her amazing life.