Spirit Clay

Burlap Chic

2012-01-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

This week on Cool2Craft TV, the theme is burlap! I wasn't sure what I would do, so I let my imagination go and decided I wanted to try burlap jewelry. I did rolled burlap beads and textured embossing pewter with burlap, punching colored and antiqued coin beads. It was a learning experience! Here's the video tutorial:

If you get the chance, watch the whole show, because Tiffany and EcoHiedi did way cool burlap projects!

2012 The Year of (insert your goal here)

2012-01-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

Click here to watch The Crown Song

The coming year is going to be the year of harmony for Candace the Muse. January's Cool2Craft Creative Play Theme asks you to consider what you want for yourself in 2012. What do you want to work on, embody, attract or do this coming year?
This is my Harmony Crown. It's made from a plastic tote, fuzzy yarn, colorful chain pulls, star garland, gems and my own mix of riot beads. I would so love to see what you can come up with using things you have on hand to create a crown or anything else that represents where you want to be in 2012! Your submission can be a photo of ANYTHING that shows what you desire!
Don't forget that you earn CoolCash for every theme you participate in! Four CoolCash points get's you something handmade from my studio. Last year I gave away some of my favorite projects to fabulous folks who sent me photos of THEIR favorite projects. Some of them have earned TWO handmades! Check out my Creative Play page on our website, cool2craft.com for more details and past theme videos. On the front page of cool2craft.com you'll find a link to see Creative Play Muse Archives. This will show you some Creative Play submissions as well as many of my posts.

This is your year to shine online! Be a Cool2Craft Creative Play Contributor as often as you like and earn my handmade goodies!

Reindeer Remnants

2011-12-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

Some cookies never made it to the cookie trays this year. Without my daughter helping me, I ruined a whole batch of reindeer cookies because they were under done. Those poor, poor cookies.

Merry Happy Jolly

2011-12-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

We wish you and yours PEACE

This was among the first photo ornaments I made for our tree. It's Joe goofing off on our first Christmas together. My favorite from that batch!

Holiday Cookies

2011-12-17T08:32:00.000-08:00

Here is your virtual tray of cookies from me to you. There are the perennial favorites as well as some newbies. The box below tells what each cookie is. My daughter usually helps me, but working 12 hour shifts at the U of U Hospital and nursing prerequisite classes kept her busy this year. We create a theme for the cutout cookies because they are the stars of the show. The baking take about 3 days. We do them each year for our family and friends. Peace is the theme for this year. Have some!

We use the old Wiltion recipe for the cutouts. They added more flour a few years ago. The old recipe uses 2 3/4 cups which can be tricky in the handling, but stays very buttery tasting even to the last roll out. We decorate with royal icing which dries very hard. The reindeer is everyone's favorite. Janice helped me bring character to them with those awesome eyes. She's a wonderful cartoonist! Below are her designs for the tropical Christmas theme we did a few years ago.

That was a turning point for our process. Folks so loved the different designs that it uped our game AND our enjoyment of the process.

It is not in the nature of artists to produce the same thing over and over. It's so much fun to begin the design challenge! Blue crabs for Christmas is a Maryland thing.

My favorite art professor told me that art begins with a problem and ends with a solution. That's how we approach a theme - we ask "What if.." Then the fun begins.

Once we decide on a theme, Janice starts sketching. She's learned the basic decorating from me, but she doesn't have my patience. She'll do the first one, then I do the basics and she'll go behind me to do details.

We look for new recipes to try and edit our collections accordingly.

The year we did these cookies, we were all about bling. We wanted to use melted candy accents where ever we could.

They were lovely, but found that the "work to looks to taste" factors was out of balance.

The Christmas Margarita was inspired. I was psyched to use this cookie cutter!

I can't resist buying a new cookie cutter! I always check them at the craft and kitchen stores. I have a separate set in my studio to use with clay media.

Sometimes you can use a generic shape, like the one above to make a cool new design!
This year I made extra reindeer. I was flying through them so fast that I had a whole pan that was underdone. I lost half of them trying to move them off the tray. Normally that's not a problem, I would set them aside for Hubby to eat. But the carnage was so great that I just went with it. Sooo, Janice got a tray of roadkill cookies, from one warped soul to another. She gets me.

We finally started keeping a cookie book last year. We hope to hand it down to the next generation of cookie makers.

Crazy Aunt Candy Wants YOU!

2011-12-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Cool2Craft Creative Play Theme for This month is "What's Your Word?" What are your plans for next year? What do you want to attract, practice and create in your life? Spoiler alert!!! In January I'll be asking you to send me a photo of a "crown" that represents your word for the new year. It could be a real crown, a drawing/painting/sculpture or other any other representation of the "crown" you'll be donning for 2012!

When I'm in my studio, I feel like a mad scientist. To my family, I'm crazy Aunt Candy toiling away long into the night! Sounds of hammering, the roar of my heat tool, inspired shrieks and maniacal laughter waft upstairs. I am in my element.
When I'm upstairs in the "real" world, I'm less at ease - shy and quiet actually. That's why my word for 2012 is HARMONY! I crave more than balance; I crave harmonious integration! I want to be graceful in social situations. I want to sing myself into BEING!
I hope you'll join me in this journey and declare your intentions for the coming year! Email me so I can post your declaration!

The Mike and Candy Show Chocolate Box

2011-11-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

My latest chocolate box art piece represents my brother's and my inner musical natures. It's full of family symbolism and love!

We come from a musical family. Mom was professionally trained and our brother, Steve worked as a musician. My brother Mike has always played guitar and we have always sung. But we hadn't sung together in 3 + decades until a few years back when we moved close to Mike and his lovely family, as well as my parents. Suddenly there was music again!

I used polymer clay skeletons to represent us because that's an important part of the chocolate box pieces for me - the inside of the box is the hidden treasure laid bare. It's the inside story.
The bejeweled chocolates are polymer clay and there are some small details that represent our family. My mom's pewter bird pins are all about our shared love of nature - Mike is especially fond of birds just like Mom. I set in some small clay beads I made, pearl beads from our grandma's broken jewelry collection and one of a pair of earrings that Dad brought back from Okinawa for Mom. The three smiling faced chocolates represent Mom, Dad and Steve.
The Mike and Candy Show is the name I list our music under on YouTube. Click here to hear one of my favorites!

My Thanksgiving Tea Party

2011-10-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

I collaborated with two dear friends to present a Thanksgiving feast alternative. Herbalist, Candace Liccione and Chef Debbi Dubbs helped me come up with a fabulous and intimate gathering for a small group of family and friends. Featured on Cool2Craft TV.

Click here to watch Chef Debbi's kabocha soup video and recipe

Click here to watch the invitation video tutorial

I Did Not Start My Day This Way! Interactive Art

2011-10-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Some days you feel this way. Life turns you all around and you can't predict how you will end up each day. This whimsical skeleton is a reminder that, no matter where you go - there you are, and no matter what - you are who you are.

The frame back is fitted with crossed hanging wires so that it can be turned any direction. The skelly's head is pinned beneath the glass, but as the frame is turned, the body flops this way and that.

Here's the link to him on Etsy

My Inner Misbehaver is Out

2011-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

“My Inner Misbehaver is Out” is a polymer clay articulated skeleton sprawled on top of a 4" x 4" wood frame. Her bones are "tattooed" in purple ink. The frame is worn and decked out with fabulous paper. A handmade ceramic moon charm is suspended from the inside top. There's no back to the frame so your wall will show through. Total height is about 6". Thickness is 2".
Click here to see the Etsy listing

My Art Show at the 30th Street Grounds For Coffee

2011-10-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

I love the space Grounds For Coffee has in their 30th Street location! It's big, but cozy and inviting. It's always hopping with friendly locals and college kids. I have 40 some odd pieces hung there this month.

I have a new series of pieces I'm working on. They feature skeletons in dimensional frames. The piece below is called Noir. He stands beneath a lamp post, holding a lit cigarette in one and and gestures a melancholy greeting with the other, gently touching the brim of his fedora.

Mum and Skull Fascinator

2011-09-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

New on The Bone Tree - A purple silk chrysanthemum with swirly copper wire and handmade ceramic skull, secured to an alligator hair clip. This skullfriend is looking for hair with body =0)
Click here to view this on my Etsy shop - DeliciousMischief

Monday on the Bone Tree - Zombie Coffee Mug Pendant

2011-09-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

Zombies and coffee cups! I know, right?! The fun part is the zombies came FROM the coffee cups! Read all about it on my Etsy shop - DeliciousMischief.

New on The Bone Tree - Skeleton on a Coffin Pendant

2011-09-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

This little earthenware guy is new in my Etsy shop - DeliciousMischief. He's a tiny low relief sculpture on a black glazed coffin. The bail is handmade and swirly. A perfect accent to the little black dress!

It's All In the Cards

2011-09-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

The Cool2Craft Creative Play Theme for September is My Quilt. I made up a set of cards for my goofy video so I could "reveal" the theme as a fortune teller.

This is the card that represents me. I'm looking for submissions from everyone! If you're a quilter, I want to see what you're working on! If you're not a quilter you have a story to tell about what makes up your quilt of life. Madame Yendrovich (that's the Polish pronunciation for Jedrowicz) wants to know!

Here's the link to this month's goofy video Go watch and then email me with your photos and story - candace@cool2craft.com

Bone Tree Jewelry

2011-09-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

Etsy recommends having interesting photos of your product and I thought long and hard about it. This is what I came up with. It's The Bone Tree. It's visually exciting to me! I knew there was a reason I saved those vine wrapped branches all those years! Soooo I'll be posting what's new on The Bone Tree occasionally, just because I like the sound of it! =0)

My DeliciousMischief Etsy Shop Opening!

2011-09-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

I acquired the name for the shop over a year ago. I have finally overcome fear of launching and the Mischief Chocolate Box art piece is the very first listing! Here is the link to the shop - DeliciousMischief

Each chocolate box art piece started life as an actual box of chocolates and is lovingly hand crafted to bring you delicious art you devour with your eyes! The artwork is deeper than the frame, so the glass has been removed.

The Mischief Box -

These polymer clay chocolates look good enough to eat! This is an 8" x 10" Framed mixed media art piece featuring handmade polymer clay tiles. The top and bottom of the box have small wire wrapped charms.

Watch for more chocolate box pieces and some crazy jewelry that will be listed in the Bone Tree Section!

Chocolate Box Mixed Media Art

2011-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with polymer clay tiles on chocolate boxes. I love this new look! It's feels like eating a leather bound chocolate romance novel with my eyes.

Okay, that's a stretch, but I actually assess art like that. Is it a treat for the eyes? And if so, what kind of treat? Or, if not, what is undigestable about it? Yes I do have food issues, but I think it makes life fun. Have you ever consumed a sunset with your eyes? Or more to the point, with you whole being?

I used brown clay for both the chocolates and tiles. I treated the tiles with rubber stamps and metallic paste. The focal point is a tiny heart cut from clay with red crafting foil burnished onto it.

I've been putting words and gems on the chocolates, but I wanted to carry over the sophisticated feeling of the stamped clay on these. I know I've barely scratched the surface of possibilities for design, surface treatment and theme. I have many rectangle chocolate boxes as well. I also have larger heart shaped boxes. So many choices!

Have you made any chocolate art? I would love to share it here! Email me at candace@cool2craft.com with high resolution photos and stories.

Chocolate Scandal

2011-03-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

Oh, good grief!
Look at the mess I've gotten myself into!

CLICK HERE

to see the video that tells the whole sordid truth

2011: A Year In Preview

2011-02-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with making chocolate box art. I started this in December and have added on steadily. It's all about this year. What do I want to invite into my life this year? Oh, romance, travel, adventure, prosperity, the usual. It's going to be a delicious year! What does your year look like?

Amazing Giveaway at CraftechU!

2010-12-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Origami Boxes

2010-11-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

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

More Tootsie roll Crafts

2010-08-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

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

Bone Guy

2010-08-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Coffee Monster

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

Check out Darkness Inspiration's Blog!

Frida Kahlo Inspired Self Portrait

2010-07-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Daisy Makes the World a Prettier Place

2010-07-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Daisy is a fabulous subject. A lovely blank canvas When I read the Cloth Paper Scissors calendar challenge rules, Daisy sprang to mind with swirling, vivid colors around her. I thought about making her pretty, but it became about Daisy’s sense of presence and how that would interpret the theme.

I began by printing her on transfer paper and ironing the image onto an old white cotton pillow case. I took her to the fabric store and held her up to the brightest colors and amazing patterns. When we’d chosen our elements we went to work. I drew the scene on cardstock and cut it apart to use as a pattern. I fused the background fabrics to the work surface, added the throne and seated Daisy.
I gathered a selection of beads, wire, buttons, flowers and gems. I punched up Daisy’s image with colored pencils and gel pens, then burnished her with the back of a spoon to polish her coat a bit. The throne is topped with a ceramic button (I made a pile of them last year to make earrings; ceramic is my first love). The bones I made using polymer clay. Finally, I added the title by printing it on inkjet printable shrink plastic. Even with all the beading, wire wrapping and gem gluing, it’s Daisy that makes it pretty.

Zombie Coffee Magnets

2010-07-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

So, I've been channeling some self indulgent art. I love coffee and coffee cups, they are everywhere in my art! I bent a round cookie cutter into a coffee cup shape and cut a bunch from a slab of earthenware clay.

The tiny angular scraps that cutting the cup shapes left made me think of contorted faces, so I went with it!

I applied them to the coffee cups, fired them, decorated them with wax resist (crayons and black acrylic paint) and glued magnets on the back. I love those little guys!

As I was catching up on blogs this morning I found a site called BRAINS vs COFFEE! So funny!

Here's the link

BRAINS vs COFFEE

Go see it! You'll love it, too!

Sweetie

2010-06-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is Sweetie. She's a handmade clay whistle.

Each whistle begins as a hollow ball. To achieve that, you make two pinch pots and join them together. After the ball dries a bit so that it's firm, but malleable, it can be shaped and smoothed. I like to carve, stamp and finish the details before cutting the hole and adding the whistle mouth piece.

When the piece is dry it can be fired. The firing turns the clay to the consistency of an unglazed flower pot. Now, I don't mind glazing, but I prefer the process of wax resist. I color on the pottery with crayons, then I paint the whole thing with brown or black acrylic paint. The paint wipes off the waxy part and soaks in the parts that aren't waxy. Next they heat in the oven to evaporate the wax (the color remains). I finish the piece with colored pencil highlights.

Each whistle has a unique sound and different breath pressure to achieve the sound. If I were an expert whistle carver, I'd be able to control those things, but it is what it is. Sweetie's whistle sounds like a Ghost Train when blown at a medium pressure.

The Tootsie Roll Cheesburger

2010-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

This is a Tootsie Roll sculpture

The little fruit flavored ones come in lemon, cherry, orange, lime and vanilla. And, of course, there's the traditional chocolate. They require some kneading before they can be mixed for color blending and shaping. For the bun I mixed one vanilla, two lemon and half of a chocolate. The meat is one cherry and half of a chocolate. Those are the only color blended pieces, the rest are the candy's true colors.

You can do a lot with them, but they tend to stay soft, so smaller sculptures are best.

And what could be better than sharing cheeseburger and fries with a friend!

Click here to see My grandneice's Tootsie Roll cheesburger

Fairies in My Garden

2010-05-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

Caught these guys this morning.

They were all kinds of pesky! Now I'm afraid to let them out!

Colorful,Over-the-Top, Scary Door

2010-05-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

Here's my C4 Challenge for April. Click here to read what the challenge was.

It's clay decorated with crayon (wax resist) and burnt umber acrylic.T he door knob is a crystal bead from my grandmother's broken jewelry collection sitting on a spacer bead backed by a rectangle of copper sheeting.

Clay Whistles

2010-04-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

So, I've been spending a lot of time in my studio making clay whistles. I'm flying back to Maryland in June to help teach a kid's clay camp with my bff Lynn. We decided one of the projects would be a whistle. Neither of us had made one, we just thought it would be a fun thing for the kids to make. We both went online and watched youtube videos about making clay whistles. We tried it and both of us were successful...the first time. When we tried a few more it was less so. Lynn got the process fairly quickly after a few tries. I spent many torturous hours slaving over my little skulls, trying to get them to whistle.

I'm getting better at it. And now I would like to introduce to you some of my favorites!

Sweetie, Frida and Betty.

Harley, Fool and Pete.

Bone Guy and Mack.

There will be more. Oh yes, there will be more...Moohooahhahhahh!

Candace's Green Sleeve

2010-03-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know I love coffee and Starbucks is a frequent haunt. Last week I was there with my husband. I was mulling over my options for the Green C4 Challenge and playing with the sleeve when I slipped my hand through it and thought it made make a cool bracelet.

So it began.

I've done a few things with coffee logos (yes, I collect coffee logos and photos) and really wanted to punch this up, so I got out my glittery gel pens and Glossy Accents.

I loved the the outcome!

You'll notice I flattened it for the Glossy Accents application. It will stay where you put it if it's applied to a flat surface. The coffee sleeves are made with 60% post consumer recyled material, so I was already pretty green. Then I got out the pieces of broken costume jewelry that my grandmother saved (along with the buttons off of everything she ever wore...sweet!) and made some decisions.

I gathered the green, pink and pearl beads, a hole punch, a lovely corner punch. stretchy beading string (I wanted it to be able to stretch and not tear when I put it on) and scissors. I punched a pattern of holes and started beading. I overlapped the back and corner-punched the top outer corner.

I cut wavy edges and added a few more sparkly spots.

I really should have slipped it on before I atached the ends together, because it's too big for a bracelet, but it's an awesome coffee sleeve!

Tiki Woman

2010-02-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tiki Woman is a self portrait. I love tikis! there's actually a tiki magazine! I bought it when I was in Hawaii. I fell in love with the very cool tiki drawings of an artist called Thor. My tiki woman likes drawing in her jammies.

Ghouls Gone Wild

2010-02-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

This is my interpretation of the February C4 Challenge
Holiday Fusion.

This ghoul has had tee many martoonies and is lifting her sheet hoping to collect more Mardi Gras beads!
She's made from transparent polymer clay, wire, feathers and beads.

Temple Dancer

2010-02-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

I took a wonderful online class through joggles.com in October. The artist was Barbara Schoenoff and the project was a soft sculpture doll - the Temple Dancer. I set it aside for a while because of, well, life, but I just completed her and here she is!

She stands about 18 inches tall and is sewn, stuffed and embellished with yarns, threads and beads. I added wrapped wire and charms. I've never sewn anything like this. So I was thrilled when she came together relatively easily. I had trouble with the hands and ended up sculpting them in polymer clay.

I highly recommend looking at classes offered through joggles.com, especially with this artist! The instructions were great and easy to follow!

The Comfy Chair

2010-01-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Comfy Chair is a dry needle felting sculpture. It's about 2 1/2 inches tall. I started with a baseball size chunk of loose wool and needled it down to the square you see next to it. It takes a while to do it, but it's a lot of fun. You squish the wool as you needle it, turning and shaping with the needles. For this part, I used a needle holder with three needles. You'll notice that none of the pieces are perfect, and that's fine with me.

I made all the pieces I would need to construct the chair before I started assembling it. The two squares are the base and cushion. The other three pieces that have fluffy sides are the back and arms of the chair. I left the fluffy sides to make it easy to attach those bits with the needles.

All the fluffy bits helped to make the assembled chair nice and firm.

I decided that the chair needed a ruffle around the bottom, so I made little bits tapered and fuzzy at both ends. I needled them into place and shaped with the needles, as well.

I love orange, so I chose this fabulous finishing wool to cover the chair. This part happens in layers. If you tried to do it with thick layers, it would change the shape. Thin, multiple layers are the key to a successful piece.

When I finished the covering process, I added details with a single needle. The swirls on the end of the arms and the front edge of the cushion were quick and added character to the piece.

The focal piece was needle felted, as well. It started as a bit of pink finishing wool needled in the same manor as the ruffles. I needled the center first, then caerfully needled the bottom into a point. I say "carefully" because, in order to make a point, you have to press the point down with you fingers as you work. I probably jabbed my fingers twenty times. The other end was shaped into the devided top. The last part was beading the the heart.

It took me a good six hours to make. I'm not a professionl felter. If you are, please tell me if it goes faster the more you practice.

Nightmare Before Christmas House

2009-12-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last December I went to The Avenue (36th Street) in Hampden, Maryland with my daughter and her best buddy. This house was just off the Ave. I want to live here...forever!

My Ghoul Friday

2009-11-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting My Ghoul Friday, you really must check it out. I'm just beginning to explore the creepy goodness of true Halloween aficionados. There are so many!

What Would Fall Off The Roof First?

2009-11-08T23:12:00.000-08:00

My brother's grandkids are a hoot! They're all quite shy until they get to know you. My husband is a big guy, and they pretty much steered clear of him for a long time. He kept trying to break the ice, and finally figured out that they love to be challenged with questions! He would ask them simple math questions and trick questions like "Which is heavier, a pound of rocks or a pound of feathers?"

They love it! They can't get enough of it!

We had Halloween dinner at my brother and sister-in-laws house and it was the kids' turn to quiz my hubby. This is the best question ever posed, and please, if you know the answer, leave a comment:

"Uncle Joe, what would fall off of the roof first, butter or a giant watch?"

Warped

2009-11-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

My family is warped. And I admit freely that I am a special sort of super warpiness. Last summer my mom decided to get a couple of white-haired wigs. She thought her hair was too thin to be beautiful any more. When they began to feel hot and itchy, she was easily won over by our reassurances that she was still beautiful.
Her will stated that she would be cremated, and, since I'm a ceramist, I decided to make the urn myself. I'll be doing one for my father's ashes as well. So the least expensive container for the ashes is a heavy duty, black plastic box. As I was gathering her lovely clothes to take to charity, I saw that she had kept the wigs. Well, it occurred to me to place one of them on her box so we could smile at her instead of feeling sad each time we saw the cold, impersonal box.
My daughter, who may someday get her PHD in super warpidity, suggested that I put googly eyes on the box. I thought Mom would find that hilarious, but was concerned what visitors might think. Not really, actually, if I had the googly eyes, I would have done it.
My nephew, bless his heart, is a big warpy soul. One of my fun Halloween things is a big plastic knife that plays the screechy shower scene music from the movie Psycho. You can this where this is going, right? As I was out front preparing for trick-or-treators, he ran out of the house with the wig on holding the screeching knife high. I screamed and then I had a good belly laugh! I'm still chuckling about that. I think Mom would have appreciated that.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful Halloween it was! The weather was perfect! We had a party on Friday, just the family. We made kooky treats for dinner, Mummy Pizza, Mummy Dogs, String Cheese Fingers, Bread stick Bones and Apple Bites. Most of the recipes and instructions came from this year's Better Homes and Gardens Halloween magazine. And I made way too many cookies, but that's just me. The kids each got a witch's hat and wand - A sugar cone covered in chocolate (I used a pastry brush to coat the cone in melted chocolates) and a chocolate covered pretzel sticks, both sprinkled with confection stars.

I LOVE the picture of my niece, Adrienne with the Apple Bite in her mouth! It really tickles me! The sunset Friday night was so amazing! This is the view from our deck.

And Halloween was just the best! It seems like it's been a long time since I've had that much fun. We all needed it.

This is me ready to greet my trick-or-treaters. I was so excited because I lived on a semi-rural road in Maryland. I haven't seen trick-or-treaters for five years! These are two of my grandnieces and my grandnephew. So cute!

This is Evalyn, my first granddaughter. And, next is my youngest granddaughter, Alessia. Then, My oldest grandchild, Alex. This one is from the year before last, I just love it! I miss them so much!

The next door neighbors carved some Nightmare Before Christmas pumpkins! They're really wonderful!

Then, there was this house...

Yeah, I want to live there.

Day of the Dead Shrine for My Parents

2009-10-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

This is a ceramic sculpture box I made last year. I love Dia de los Muertos! It's a Mexican Holiday that celebrates ancestry. This quote really speaks to me...

“The Mexican flatters death and woos death, he sings to her, dances with her, he laughs at her. Finally he challenges her and in the challenging, death loses her power to intimidate him. Once he knows death intimately, death is no longer wrapped in a cloak of mystery or causes him to fear the darkness

Once the fear of death has been defeated, the clutch she has on the hearts and minds of the living is lessened once and for all. Death’s morbid side is buried under music and remembrances, while skeletons laugh and dance and sing as Mexico celebrates life in its embrace of death.”
Judy King

So, the Crafty Chica (http://www.craftychica.com/) had a Day of the Dead Shrine contest and I was so excited about it! I knew I would enter, but had no idea where to start. My dad died in May. He was a rocket scientist, so I had visions of rocket ships and skeletons. I just kept mulling it over. Then, last week, my mom passed away in her sleep. The ceramic cake box jumped into my mind while I was laying in bed on a sleepless night.

I decided to use a photo of the cake as a place to start. I printed three different sizes and pieced it together on foam core board. I used printable, white and clear shrink plastics for the photos of my parents, the candles, skulls and angels as well as a photo of a beaded Virgin of Guadalupe. I did the beading with some instruction from my buddy, Beth. Check out her web site, it's awesome! (http://sparklingsoulstudio.com/default.aspx).When the glitter came out, that was all she wrote. It's everywhere now. I'm not sure I'll ever get it cleaned up. I'll be blowing glitterboogers for a week.
The finished product is below. I shouldn't say "finished" because I'm sure I'll come across things now and then that remind me of my parents and I'll just have to add on. But, for now...

Terrorific Tuesday 2009 Week 4

2009-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat!
Frame and post it note holder dressed for Halloween

Costumed Kokeshi Dolls
Try out a Halloween idea for a traditional Japanese doll with Crafterella

Halloween Mask
Phyllis Dobbs created a fun and easy Halloween mask - great for adults and kids!

Fun Halloween Lanterns
Stephenie Hamen accessorizes plain paper lanterns with her paper punches.

Black Widow & Bloody Necklaces
Pattie Wack uses 3-D paint to create chokers that will creep out your party guests!

Tutu Cute Halloween Wreath
Vanessa creates an inspired wreath made of tulle!

Mad Scientist Party
Amy of Living Locurto shares a slew of fun ideas to host your own Mad Scientist Party.

Halloween Zombie Dolls
Crafty Chica shows how to add some zombie love to your decor!

Halloweenies!
Boopsie Daisy shares some of the wonderful Halloween dollies that she dreams up!

Crafty Chica's Ghost Story!
Kathy Cano-Murillo shares a haunted crafty tale!

Halloween Cone Witches
Make these cute little paper cone witches for Halloween!

Halloween Leftovers
Mel takes the leftovers from last week's project and makes a cool Goth choker!

Brenda Pinnick Halloween Owls
Seasonal Owls for Scaring or Delighting Trick or Treaters

The Impatient Crafter
Margot creates another spooktacular mixed media necklace with a bite.

Halloween Batty Windchime
Heidi Borchers creates a super cute windchime with personality!

Kitschy Kitschy BOO
Add some Halloween flair to your day with this cute kitschy bracelet and earring combo!

Simple Halloween Gift Tags
Studio Mama makes a strong impact with these quick and easy tags!

Strands of Beads
Melissa once again gives some pretty flower beads a Gothic makeover with this simple earring design

Costume Fun
Sharron Westerfield shares her passion for costume-making and the joy it brings her grandchildren.

Return of the Birthday Zombie
Candace is cracking herself up with this ghoulish gift box idea

Doodle Pumpkin
Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield shows you how to make a fun pumpkin on the fly!

My Parents

2009-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

This is my parents' wedding picture. That was 1949. My dad passed in May, just short of their 60th anniversary. Mom passed this week. They were wonderful, loving parents and we will miss them.

Date Night at the Mayan Adventure

2009-10-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is date night for my hubby and me. Last night he surprised me with dinner at the Mayan Adventure in Sandy, Utah. It's a very cool theme restaurant with temple carvings and cliff divers.

It's hard to tell from this picture, but all the tables are in view of this cliff set up. When the divers are doing their bit, there's water falling all over it. When there's nothing going on you can see a face carved in the stone, with glowing eyes.

Here's our dessert. A chocolate explosion cake! Yum!

Terrorific Tuesday 2009 Week 3

2009-10-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

Spooky Spider House
Silvia creates a miniature haunted house that is spooky and oh-so fun!

Witchy Embroidered Postcard
Sharron Westerfield brews up a whimsical witch postcard

The Impatient Crafter
Vintage plastic owls become the focal point of a charming necklace you can wear for Halloween and all year round!

Pumpkin and cat felt treat bag
Felt bag that can also be made as a wall hanging or door hanger

Cheryl Ball's Halloween Door Hangers
Create these door hangers from inexpensive gloves for Trick of Treaters

My Big Mouth
Make a creepy wire tree just in time for Halloween!

Mel's Day of the Dead Necklace
Linked chain, skulls and spiderwebs for Dia de los Muertos

Crafty Chica's Matchbook Shrines
Adorable little folding shrines that fit in your pocket!

Paper Pumpkin
Make a plump paper pumpkin from some strips of paper plus a little Halloween craftiness!

Polymer Clay Zombie
Candace's diabolical plan to populate the world with zombies continues!

The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreate
Make a retro style styrofoam ornament into a fab Halloween Party centerpiece! Madge shows you how using iLoveToCreate products!

How to Make a Spooky Spice Rack
Come make a spooky spice rack with Crafterella, she's sharing her unique labels with everyone!

Halloween Treat Tote
Conjure up a quick Halloween cupcake basket using new ScoreBoard dies!

Brenda Pinnick's Halloween Banner
A little scary, a little fun, this delightful banner celebrates all things Halloween. Made using Brenda Pinnick Sizzix dies, glitter and ribbon.

Creepy Candlesticks
Pattie Wack turns mini pumpkins into a boo-tiful Halloween lighting idea!

Strands of Beads
Melissa explores the holiday possibilities in a black and white checkered bead

Glow in the Dork Wall Hanging
Turn off the lights and have a laugh with this goofy wall hanging from Alexa Westerfield!

Picture Perfect Pumpkin
Vanessa Coppola turns a traditional pumpkin into a decopauged masterpiece!

Return of the Birthday Zombie

2009-10-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

DVD Gift Box

This is a polymer clay zombie that I made for my dear friend, Beth. She and her family love zombie movies, so I came up with an idea to make the gift as cheesy as a great zombie flick. I made the zombie using polymer clay. See the Polymer Clay Zombie blog entry from last week's Terrorific Tuesday post to learn how to make your own zombie. I made him one half of an Origami box to stand in, but you could use any box. I used some Photoshop techniques on a photo I'd taken of a graveyard for the background. I tore the edges and browned them up with a sienna stamp pad and glued the pieces to the back and sides of the box.

Next I composed the following letter to go with it. If you're a zombie officianado you'll see where this is going. If you're not, I'll say this: George Romero made the first zombie classic Night of the Living Dead - It takes place in a small town in western Pennsylvania - If you're bitten by a zombie, you become one (some consider this the Zombie Virus) - Where ever zombies go there is mayhem - The most famous line from the movie is "They're coming to get you, Barbara".

Here's the letter:
Dearest Beth,

I was looking on line and found this killer cake decorator, Barbara, who makes these fabulous cakes. She works at a place called Romero’s, in a small town in western Pennsylvania. I called her up and told her about you and the kind of things you like. I was so excited! She said she’d make something spectacular for you. So, yesterday I got this strange email from the owner of the bakery:

Dear Candace,
You should know there’s been a terrible virus going around our town. None of my staff showed up at all today. Barbara started your cake, but couldn't make it in either. There are several fires in town and things are a mess. I called my delivery guys, who said they could go pick her up. I called her and said “They’re coming to get you, Barbara”, and she screamed and hung up. She never showed and I can’t get hold of the delivery guys, either. I’ve finished the cake myself and will deliver it personally. I hope it will meet your approval.
Sincerely,
George

So, in the process of moving to Utah and, yes, that's my excuse - I missed Beth's birthday. As I was putting together ideas for Alexa Westerfield's Terrorific Tuesdays, I printed photos of the birthday zombie and made them into earrings. See the SugarSkull Bracelet & Bats in the Belfry Necklace, and Candy Corn Riot Earrings blog entries, if you want to use this idea. They have all the directions you might need for shrink plastic and earring making. With one exception - to make your earrings from a photo, you'll need the inkjet printable shrink plastic.
I figured I'd send along a note set up like a movie poster and title it:

RETURN OF THE BIRTHDAY ZOMBIE.

Now, I was looking around the house for a box to send the earrings in and then it hit me - I had some old DVD cases that I'd been saving for some scathingly brilliant idea, and finally I had one!
Here's what I ended up with...

The front cover says:

Return of the Birthday Zombie

Send in the Clones

The movie that no one wanted to see made

Has been Made!

See the zombie clones arrive late for Beth's Birthday!

Well, they had a really long way to walk and zombies are slow anyway!

You laugh! you’ll Cry! You’ll hurl!

The back cover says:

This film has not yet been rated

Void where prohibited by law

Do not put on these earrings while driving

No zombies were harmed in the making of these earrings

Do not wear these earrings while squeezing your head through your stair rails as they are large and might sustain damage Here's what you'll need to make your Zombie (or any kind of) Movie Gift Box.

A DVD case

A DVD
Photos that you can size appropriately

A heavy duty hole punch

Glue

Double sided craft tape

A scrap of card stock, any color

Scissors

If you don't have a printer at home, make copies at the library or neighborhood copy store. Make extras for good measure. Speaking of measuring, you'll need the measurements of the DVD case. This can be done easily by taking the paper out of the DVD cover and measuring it. Easy peasy!

I did mine with Photoshop, but I could just as easily done it as a collage. Just make sure that the collage will easily fold to slip into the DVD case, if you choose this option.

For the DVD, place a disc on your extra copy and trace around it. Cut the copy giving a bit of extra margin to trim. Now smear a thin coat of Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue on the disc and put your cut image on it. Trim the edges with a craft knife and cut out the center hole.

Punch two holes to put the earrings through (if you're doing that) and tape the backs, so the earrings won't slide out. Ohh, I just had an idea! Since the center of my DVD that got cut out was a cake, I decided to add it back.

I got another copy of the photo and cut loosely around the cake. Next I used a double sided craft tape to stick the cake to a piece of card stock. Then I cut the cake out and used a sticky craft dot to attach the cake to the image just below the hole. Since the earrings are taped on the back of the disc, I want Beth to be able to take the disc out of the case. She'll press on the cake to release the disc!
Now, go! Go make your DVD case gift box! You're welcome to use the zombie letter and figure ideas, if you like!

Polymer Clay Zombie

2009-10-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Oh no! The zombies got to Earl the Squirrel while he was in his day job clothes! Earl would be mortified if he realized...you know, he always thought he'd be a cool looking zombie with his mullet and ACDC t-shirt. But, no. No cool zombie image for the Squirrel.
My buddy Cindy turned me on to a book by Maureen Carlson called Fairies, Gnomes and Trolls. The instructions and tutorials are awesome! So, I was doing a polymer clay class for my friends, Laura and her way cool son, Tommy. I think we were making canes. Anyway, at the end of the class, Tommy made a tiny Freddy Krueger from the leftover clay. We decided they should come back and do a zombie making class! We used the same methods that Maureen Carlson shows in her book and it was way too much fun! We were joined by fellow zombie enthusiast and dear friend, Beth. I had made a birthday zombie for her which I'll feature in another blog. Standing in the back ground here is the Elvis impersonator zombie.
Supplies:
Polymer Clay - black, white, green and as many other colors as you like for clothes and such
Two 18" pieces of floral wire for each zombie
A small amount of aluminum foil
A knitting needle or other tool for smoothing the clay
A craft knife
A red gel pen for blood
A means for baking the zombie - a toaster oven reserved for crafts or a conventional oven that you only use for crafts occasionally.

Begin by folding one 18" piece of floral wire in half and in half again. Twist an opening in the middle of the wire for the head, a little further down twist an opening for the body and fold a small amount of wire on the ends for feet. If you can make it stand on its own, you're off to a good start. If you can't, don't worry the clay feet will still work.

Crumple bits of foil and wrap around the head, body and legs.

Fold the other piece of floral wire the same way you did the first piece and wrap it around the neck a couple of times.

Condition your polymer clay by squishing, folding and rolling it with your hands until it's very pliable. If you haven't worked with polymer clay before follow these rules for the best results:Hold the piece you're working on as though it was a baby bird - any pressure you put on it will change the shape,

AND

Smooth the clay with a very soft touch as though you were petting a fuzzy Caterpillar

Mix bits of black and green clay into a ping pong ball sized piece of white clay until you have the skin color you want. You can always reserve your zombie skin color for later, but it's not easy to match the color if you run out.

Take a marble size piece of skin color rolled into a ball and flatten it to about an 1/8 " thick. Wrap it around the head of your zombie starting under the chin and around to the back. Don't worry about how the back looks, unless your zombie doesn't have hair.

Follow the same steps to cover the neck and chest area of the body, assuming of course that you're going to have an open collared shirt.

Smooth the neck where you join the two pieces by very gently rolling a knitting needle over the joint until it's no longer visible.

Earl's wearing his day job suit, so I started covering the frame with a basic shirt shape and pant legs.

Again, it starts with marble size pieces. Roll each one into a ball then flatten into the shapes you need. Smooth the joints.

Use the same method as before to make the sleeves.

Take a large marble size of the color that will cover the back, flatten and gently press into place. Take a bit of the shirt and pants colors to make a collar and waste band. Flatten two marble size pieces of pants color into elongated tear drop shapes. Attach them to the front of the jacket, narrow end up and smooth the joints.

Now add bits of the shirt color in the the ends of the sleeves. Stick two balls of your shoe color onto the bottom of the pant legs.
The hands and face are the most delicate so I save them for last. Here's where I add some gore. I pushed some flesh color on the belly and add a bit of shirt color to look like a torn shirt.
Use your craft knife to open the mouth
Roll a small bit of white clay that's wider in the middle than the ends. Press into place with the back side of the craft tool and define the teeth as well.
Use the knitting needle to open eye holes. Press in then wiggle a bit to widen. Roll tiny bits of white for the eyes. Place them gently into the eye sockets. The idea is to add eyelids without squashing the eye.

This is how Maureen Carlson lays out the facial features. I just love it! It makes it so easy to understand the face. Make these pieces smaller than you think you'll need them. You can always add more clay, but it's hard to take it away without distorting your work. The only thing missing are the upper and lower eyelids.

The eyelids are very small and should not cover too much of the eye. Again, very gently put them into place and smooth with the knitting needle. If they begin to cover too much of the eyes, very carefully remove clay with the craft tool. Add the forehead piece and smooth.

Now put the nose, lips and cheek pieces on and smooth. Take your time with this, it really gives the zombie character.

Now is the time to consider the facial expression. Is he snarling, or do you want his jaw slack? Are there cuts on his face? Maybe he's missing an eye, or even missing one side of his face? Zombie it up!

Now make holes in the ends of the arms to attach hands.

The hands start as mitten shapes, then use your craft knife to separate the fingers. The Elvis impersonator zombie is missing some fingers. That's okay, too. Body parts fall off. It's a fact of zombiehood.

Add hair and then ears. I made the hair colored clay by adding a small amount of white to brown clay. Then I conditioned it, rolling, folding and twisting, until there were tiny stripes of white. It didn't start out to be a mullet, Earl just wouldn't have it any other way. Plus, I have hair issues. Who knows, the next one could have a comb-over.

Bake according to the directions of the clay you're using. If you bake him in a toaster oven, lay him down for baking so his head doesn't burn. Ideally, he should bake standing up, but, if you do that, put a Pyrex cup (or other heat safe props) in front and back of him. After the zombie cools, you can use a red gel pen to add blood.

It's ALIVE!

It's not uncommon for slight changes to occur in baking that make it hard for your zombie to stand on his own. Do not despair. Glue him into a deep frame with a ghoulish background, like so...
This is just half of a folded paper box. I printed a background, tore the edges to fit and marked up the paper with an ink pad.

Have fun!

Terrorific Tuesday 2009 Week 2

2009-10-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Another week! Another helping of Halloween goodness. Check out what the fabulous crafters from all walks of life are up to this Terrorific Tuesday for the second week of October!

This little lightLight up the night with this cute pumpkin votive holder from Kat the Fearless Crafter.

Sugar Skull Bracelet & Bats in the Belfry ChokerCandace is having way too much fun with shrink plastic! Check out these fun and charming crafts on the Spirit Clay blog.

Dollar Tree Decorated Lights TutorialCome and decorate some Dollar Tree Skulls with Crafterella, don't forget your sharpie markers!

The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreateWhip up a Halloween Invitation that's a real 'hoot' with Madge in this project for iLoveToCreate!

Spooky Halloween CoastersCheryl Ball of Still Crafty After 50 shares some fun, funky, and spirited coasters!

Halloween Treat BowlCreate a fun and festive treat dish with Inspired at Home!

Strands of BeadsMelissa creates a whimsical seasonal necklace based on the theme "pushing up daisies".

Basic Black Box Meets Pumpkin PatchWhip up Halloween favor boxes in minutes with brand new Sizzix ScoreBoard dies.

Mummy MannequinCreate a mummy that will be a memorable accent at your Halloween party with Pattiewack!

Munchkin Mama's Crispy Peanut Butter BallsMunchkin Mama has a great recipe for no bake peanut butter balls that the whole family will want to make!

Witch Parking!!Make a "Witch Parking" sign on the Mucky Finger's blog!

Vintage-Inspired Halloween Tree TopperShannon shows off her new Halloween tree topper, inspired by vintage crepe paper crafts!

The Impatient CrafterMake a whimsical and elegant Halloween necklace with Madge!

Jack-O-Lantern WaterfallsStudio Mama shows you how to make some fun and festive earrings for the Halloween season.

Glow in the Dark JewelryUse glow in the dark polymer clay and rubber stamps to produce eerie Halloween jewelry.

Crafty Chica's Paint Drip Pumpkin!A loca idea on the fly turned out muy fantastico!

Free Printable Halloween Cup SleevesYou’ll be a hit with these labels for hot beverages at your Halloween party.

Scarecow SweatshirtSharron Westerfield shares a cute scarecrow sweatshirt she made from a fun downloadable pattern from Janome!

Halloween Ribbon Brooches and FascinatorsAlexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner whips some quick and cute Halloween accessories!

R.I.P. Skeleton in CoffinGuarantee a spooktacular Halloween Party with a skeleton in a coffin treat filled centerpiece!

Happy October KewpiesFind inspiration in this colorful and cute candy corn Kewpie photo from Boopsie Daisy!If you would like to join in the fun next week, e-mail Alexa at swelldesigner@yahoo.com and put in your subject line "Terrorific Tuesday". She'll get you added to the group!

Sugar Skull Bracelet and Bats in the Belfry Choker

2009-10-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Supplies

1 pack of assorted shrink plastic, including white and black
scissors
Dowel (about 1/4 inch) or other instrument to wrap wire around
Fine point permanent markers - black, pink, orange, green & purple
Stretchy beading string
Needle nose pliers
Colorful seed beads
Assorted beads you might want on your bracelet
Pewter cross charm
24 Gauge wire, any color
Hole punch
Acrylic spray sealer

For the Bats in the Belfry Choker you will want to add these as well

Opaque gel pens - white and any color you want for the bat's eyes
Orange and purple narrow ribbon
Narrow black cord

Shrink plastic is a wonderful medium for turning hand drawn elements into jewelry. I love the holiday Day of the Dead! It happens around Halloween, but it's a celebration of ancestry. I'm so inspired by the colors and imagery. The humorous skeletons represent our loved ones doing the things they loved to do in life. Sugar skulls are a popular treat. This project was designed to honor the artistic and spiritual women in my family line. Below are a couple of ceramic skulls I've made.

I used white shrink plastic for the skull charms and punched them out with Martha Stewart's skull punch (you can freehand skulls and cut them out yourself if you prefer - more about that below). I used fine tip permanent markers to make a design that I drew on both sides of all seven skulls. I only used five skulls for the bracelet, I saved two to make earrings. So let's get started!
Create your sugar skull design and bake the shrink plastic according to the directions. Don't forget to punch a hole in each skull BEFORE baking. After baking, protect your designs by spraying the skulls with a sealer
To turn the skulls into charms, you'll want to do some wire wrapping. The wrapping I do for bracelets is fairly large so the charms will move easily. Start with about six inches of 24 gauge wire (any color), wrap twice around a 1/4 inch dowel (or anything you can find that's about that diameter - I used a chopstick). Twist to secure. Slide the double loop off the dowel.
Beginning close to the double loop, wrap the wire around once and slide it off the dowel without twisting.
Pick out some colorful seed beads and slip three or four on the open loop. Slide a skull onto the loop and add three or four more beads onto the loop (you can use more or less if it suits your fancy). Put the loop back on the dowel (this helps your loop keep it's shape) and twist.
Wrap around and around to make a big messy middle on the charm. Repeat for as many skull charms as you want.
The bead charms are just a little different. Make your double loop. Thread the long end of the wire through a bead . Wrap the wire around the bead, back to the middle and make your messy pile. Take care to tuck the end of the wire in as close as you can with needle nosed pliers so it won't snag your clothes
Cut a ten inch length of stretchy bead string. Lay out it out with your charms on one side and several possible bead choices on the other side. This makes it easy to begin stringing the bracelet. It takes me many tries to get the look the I want at a length that works, so don't be disappointed if you don't get it just right the first time.
This is how the knot should be tied, according to the the stretchy string people.

Bats in the Belfry Choker

Along the same lines as the sugar skull charms, you can draw funky skulls and bats to make into charms. I used permanent markers on the white shrink plastic and opaque gel pens on the black shrink plastic for the bats. The pictures below show the size of the skulls and bats when I cut them out and their size after baking. You can get a variety pack of shrink plastic that includes the white, black, brown and frosted shrink plastic for about $5 at Michael's. Don't forget to punch holes before baking and spray with sealer after.

For the choker I used glass candy corn beads and strung the whole bunch on on purple wire. I made loops on the ends of the wire and tied bits of black cord and purple and orange ribbon to tie around the neck. I left several inches in front, fraying the black cord and then added some shorter pieces of the ribbons. I braided the long ends to make them easier to tie.

Needle Felted Pumpkin

2009-10-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm doing an online class through Joggles.com. It's a needle felted pumpkin class! I just finished the first lesson and it was awesome!
The instructions are easy. There are plenty of pictures so you know what your wool should look like at each step.
The only draw back is that you don't know what the cost of supplies will be when you buy the class. The supply list is emailed to you one week before the class begins. Joggles.com sells the supplies, sometimes as a class kit. The kit for this class cost as much as the class. In my case, the kit was the best option because I have no knowledge of felting. But I might not have signed up for the class had I known the cost in advance.
Anyway, it is very cool and I can see all kinds of applications for needle felting.

Terrorific Tuesday Week 1

2009-10-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

Studio Mama Blog
Creep out your friends with this Leatherface-esque collection of eyeballs strung on hardware!

The Impatient Crafter
Halloween is right around the corner and Madge kicks off the season with a stunningly spooky mixed media necklace and a bonus short story sure to send shivers up your spine!

Living Locurto
Kids will love dressing up this cute doggie in different costumes with this Halloween Doggie Dress-Up Free Printable!

Sharron Westerfield
Create an adorable jack-o-lantern baby bib for your favorite little one!

Crafterella
Join Crafterella in making you own spooky Mantipi specimen jar (with tutorial) using polymer clay.

The Fearless Crafter
Welcome your guests with this cute and creepy Spooky Spider Wreath wreath!

My Big Mouth
Craft a mini Halloween candy dish that looks like Frankenstein

Strands of Beads
Melissa creates a simple skully necklace to celebrate the season.

Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping Guide at About.com
Create a Halloween pyramid box perfect for use as a Halloween favor box or as an unusual decoration.

Allee Marderosian for iLoveToCreate
Take your look to the Darkside with these Twilight Romance tees, perfect for Halloween festivities or everyday adventures!

Candace Jedrowicz - Spirit Clay
These sparkly Candy Corn Riot earrings are made using real candy corn! No kidding!

Brenda Pinnick
Brenda uses her Sizzix Die to create a batty neck piece you'll want to sink your teeth into!

The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreate
Madge shows you how to make a super cute Halloween tote in this week's I Love to Create post!

Crafty Chica
The Chica, ILoveToCreate & Craft Zine have teamed up for a skullerific Dia de los Muertos Shrine Contest!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Inspired by her love for True Blood, Swelldesigner takes a stab at bloody white pumpkins!

Logan Canyon

2009-10-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

My honey and I took a drive up to Logan Canyon today. We were told the colors would be fabulous this weekend. We were not disappointed. We just didn't know where we would end up.

It turns out, we came out at the top of the mountain in the snow.

It was beautiful! The road ended at Bear Lake in Raspberry, Utah. We decided to drive around the lake instead of going back through the canyon.

That drive took us

through corners of Idaho and Wyoming and back down over another snowy mountain and into the Ogden Valley.

At one point we had to stop for a couple of cowboys trying to move their herd across the canyon road. The cows were boisterous and misbehaving. Finally one of the cowboys hollered obscenities at the last misbehaver and they were all across the road in a hurry.

No telling where we'll end up next Sunday.

Candy Corn Riot Earrings

2009-10-01T12:52:00.001-07:00

These fun funky earrings are made with real candy corn!

I love the smell of candy corn! It's the smell of autumn for me. I got the idea to try this 15 years ago, and I still have the original pair. They are quick and easy to make, but you'll need several hours to condition the candy corn. Here's what you'll need to make these earrings:

Candy Corn (about $1.50 for a bag)
1 Spool of 24 Gauge Wire , any color (about $1.30 for 17 yds)
1 Pair of Earring Wires (about $1.30 for 6 pair)
Tacky Glue (about $2.50 for 4oz)
Assorted Beads
Any Kind of Acrylic Spray Sealer (about $2.50)
Small Wooden Skewer

Joanns has the next three tools for $20 in a pack

Needle Nose Pliers
Round Nose Pliers, the Wooden Skewer can be used in place of these
Wire Cutters, or Old Craft Scissors

1 Place several candy corns on a newspaper and in a well ventilated area spray them lightly with sealer. Let dry completely. Turn the candy corn over and repeat. Turn and repeat. Turn and repeat...You get the idea. You'll want to coat each side ten or more times. If you try to spray a heavy coat of sealer, the colors will run, so patience is key.

2 Cut about 2 inches of wire for each piece of candy corn. Fold about one third of the wire over the wooden skewer. Use the long end to wrap around the short end, keeping the short piece as straight as possible. What you end up with looks something like a screw with eye at the top.

3 Put a drop of Tacky Glue on the end of the eye screw and screw it gently into the top of the candy corn. You may also want to put a tiny drop of glue where the eye meets the candy corn. Let dry overnight, if you can. You should be able to give the wire a gentle tug and have no movement.

4 Now comes the fun part! Cut a three inch length of wire. Make a loop around the skewer not quite in the middle and don't twist it. Choose an accent bead and slide it on the wire. Now make a loop on the other side of the bead.

5 Slide the candy corn onto one of the loops and holding the loop with needle nose pliers, twist the straight end between the loop and the bead. Twist at least twice, then cut off the what's left sticking out.

6 Cut five 5 or 6 inch wire pieces. Choose one accent bead per wire. Thread one wire at a time through the loop below the bead. Slide the bead on and give the wire one complete twist so it won't work itself out of the loop.

7 Holding the wire on the bead side close to the pointy end of the skewer, wrap the wire around the point to make a coil. Slide it off and repeat with the other end of the wire. I repeated this with three different colored beads on the loop.

8 Slide the untwisted loop onto the loop of an earring wire and holding the untwisted loop with needle nose pliers wrap the end around to close it. add two more beaded wires and wrap the ends on the skewer point. The coiled wires can be arranged any way you like for maximum bling.

September Snow, no kidding!

2009-10-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I took a drive into the Ogden Valley. We could tell that the rain we'd had in the morning had brought snow to the upper elevations of the Wasatch range. The old road to Snow Basin (I posted photos from that road a few days ago) was was getting a dusting of snow. It made the autumn colors that much more brilliant! This is twenty minutes from our house!

Everyday is a surprise here. I so miss my friends in Maryland, but I am awestruck by my new home. It is bittersweet.

First Snow of the season

2009-09-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is too much fun! This is our first autumn in Ogden, Utah. Yesterday the temperature was 85. Today it won't even reach 45...AND there's a possibility of snow tonight! I love it!
You know what else I love? Some of my neighbors actually beat me to the Halloween decorating! Yes! They beat Halloween Candy to the punch! SO now I have to get busy and show them what I've got...Moohooahhaahh ahh!

Midnight Mooing

2009-09-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Living in a semi rural area of northern Utah we pass a couple of farms everyday. They're just down the block from us and we often stop to talk to the cows, bulls and horses. Last night as I lay in bed with the window open, I could smell the hay ever so slightly on the cool breeze. What surprised me was that I could here the cows mooing! I've lived here for three months and have visited at all times of the year, but I've never heard our hoofed neighbors at night. I'm going to look for crop circles today. There could be, you don't know.

Color on the Mountain

2009-09-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Joe and I took a drive up into the Wasatch Mountains this morning. The fall colors are at their peak! Back in Maryland we wouldn't see these colors until late in October. This was taken on the old road to Snow Basin Ski Resort. The road is off limits between December and March. Did I mention fall is may favorite season? Uh huh.

Happy Coupon Girl

2009-09-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just got back from using my coupons at the craft stores and my treasures include various sizes of paper punches to use with shrink plastic, a variety pack of shrink plastic, some Halloween stamps and a fabulous book called "Mixed Media Mosaics: Techniques & Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments" by Laurie Mika! It's way cool and gives me more ideas for Alexa Westerfield's Halloween challenge!

The Old Fake Boogar Trick

2009-09-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous morning in northern Utah! We bought some pizza pans last night. I was getting ready to wash them for use tonight, when I noticed they used that really sticky goop to adhere the paper to the pan. Now, this is something I've done many times, but it gets my husband every time! I carefully stretched the goop out and stuck it to my face just under my nose. Then I sat down beside him casually. Bless his heart, he said, so gentlemanly, "You..you have something..." as he touched his upper lip. I raised my eyebrows innocently. Then it hit him. The old fake booger trick! Aaah, it's too much fun to be immature when he least expects it!

Autumn

2009-09-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Autumn rocks! It just does. The colors are amazing. Before my husband and I moved to Utah, we used to drive from Maryland up to Hershey, PA, To find pumpkins, see the colors.
Fall is officially here now that I bought my first bag of candy corn. The smell of candy corn ushers in cool, crisp days and hot mulled cider nights.
Halloween is my favorite holiday! Sooo...I'm going to participate in Alexa Westerfield's Terrorific Tuesdays Challenge!
I need to get to work planning four Halloween projects for the challenge. Yes!