IPCA Retreat - Chicago

I had a chance to attend the IPCA retreat last week. It was a wonderful experience and I had a great time. This is my first retreat and it sure won't be the last. As you know, I haven't been able to sit down and clay and finish a project as I want to. The first day I was there, I was lost, confused and felt guilty that I left my daughter home. I sat down at the table in the back of the room, next to me was Maureen Carlson, whom I met at Synergy last year and Leslie Blackford.
As people start walking around the room, some familiar faces, some new faces stopped by my table and looked at my rings. I showed everyone how to make it and Christi F. wanted to buy one, then Lisa P. wanted one. I ended up selling and making more rings each day.
I have to admit that I can't sit still or stand still long enough for the demo. There are many artist who demo and shared their wonderful techniques. Most of the time when I saw other artist's works, instead of asking them how they do it, I like to figure out myself. The challenge of trying to figure out how they do it is more exciting.


I finally had time to sit with Leslie Blackford and she showed me how to make these bird. She grew on me. These two lovely birds I made while she was stepping out and told me to do something with it. LOL It is not easy to think outside the box, but I think I got the hang of it.

Speaking of box. Lisa P. gave us a small tin to cover. I just finished the pink and purple ring above so I decided to make some grass with a Dandelion (the official flower of my yard). The beautiful butterfly is a cane made by Scott.

We went out to dinner and I told people that I did not read Dr. Seuss books for my kids when they were young because it did not make sense to me. Maureen was talking about the "Who" so I made a tiny little house for the "Who" under the Dandelion. The title of the box is "The greener grass on the other side of the fence". I won 1st place and received a box full of wonderful things from Lisa P.

It was nice to get away so I can clear my head, gather some thought and feel good about myself again. Driving home during midnight hour by myself was quite a challenge though. So many clay friends who care about me and my daughter just filled up my heart over the weekend. Spending an evening with my best Friend and his mom was memorable. To be able to get out of the house and be sure that Ada will be very well taken care of is a good feeling.

Life is still good.

Wild things are back

Yes, "Wild things" is trying to make a come back. I am able to get more hours for the nurse to come and stay with Ada, so I can sit at my work table longer. There are a few changes even though I can sit and work as long as I can. My table is in front of Ada's room and I am still going in and out as she might needs me. First, I start making cane. Oh yes, if you know me, this is a big one. I am able to make a few flower canes to use in the pendants and beads. Love those skinner-blend and had to use the last piece of it, so I stacked them up. By using Mokume gane technique, I came up with another pendant. This is getting more fun.

Second, I am using the same design or similar one, this way I can make enough beads to finish a necklace or two using the same color palette.

Third, using the same clay so I can get the same color or same hues every time. I started using different clays and had to go back to Fimo because the colors does not blend in together easily. For example. if I run red and yellow through the pasta machine, I do not want orange line between them. Is that make any sense? Fimo is more firm and good for caning.

Hope you like them. More are coming up.

UFO-Unfinished Object

I have some free time today so I looked through my stuff and found some UFOs. Since I had made a whole bunch of small beads fro the bracelet, I am able to find enough matching beads for them.

Those "Bubble" pendants I made a few years ago. They were quite a hit back then. The copper components were made for decoration or using with scrapbook.

The donut pendant is the last stone I bought from Hong Kong. With a little bit of this and that, I finally finished the necklace.

You can imagine my work table is full of beads and things. I work better with everything at my finger tip. Bad habit, I know.

Stone pendant, pebbles, Polymer Clay beads and pendants, Czech glass beads, seed beads, Thai silver beads, waxed cord, copper components.

Pen and Paper

The last time I had to take Ada to visit the doctor , I grabbed a sketchbook and some pens with me. I started drawing a flower and kept on going. Pretty soon, I filled up the page. I used to bring beads to string, but one time I spilled all my beads on the floor. Not good.

These are flowers, not any thing in particular, but I like flower.

I felt peaceful and calm, almost like meditation. By keeping my hand busy, I stopped thinking or worrying. I have a few more pages and my friends suggested that I make a stamp sheet out of it. What do you think?

Premium recycled drawing paper, Micron01 pen by Sakura; blue. Faber-Castell - Pitt artist pen; Sepia.

My favorite necklace

I bough the orange Lucite beads from Natural Beads a couple years ago at bead&Button Show in Milwaukee. I went a few times with my friends and made friends with so many vendors that they will give me special discount. It is one thing I really missed.
Not sure what to do with the beads, I liked them and bought them any way.
Last week I went to the local Art shows with friends. My son told me to wear this necklace so I did. A few compliments and someone even asked whether I bought it from the show.
I usually don't hang on to what I made but I really like this one.
Mokume Gane technique, Fimo clay; orange gold, brown, caramel and a sheet of foil in between.

Re-strung

This is one of the two necklaces I have. In January I mailed all of my jewelry to Thailand so my friends would auction them off at Class Reunion. It was a hit. Everything went home with someone. It made me feel good that my friends, who were very picky, and most of my classmates still working as Architects, actually like them.

This necklace did not travel to the other side of the world. Call me picky, but I don't like the way it look. So today I decided to re-strung this necklace. By replacing the red cord with the brown cord, The necklace looks lighter and much better.

I haven't make any necklace for a while. I need more time to sit down at the table and gather all the toughs., to preciously execute the technique to achieve the result that I want. These days I just make tiny, little beads for the bracelets and ankle bracelets.

I am not sure anyone still read my blog. I will blog more often and show you what I made. Nothing totally new, but I still clay. Oh I did some drawing too. Will tell you later.

Mokum Gane technique, Fimo clay and Premo clay. Patterns were made with a piece of Medical divice.

Steampunk Chameleon

Here is the Steampunk Chameleon I made during Christie F. workshop. I thought I could spend more time with her, but Ada was sick and had to go to the hospital. It was so nice to meet and said hello to on-line friends who took times to come.

Many had sent items or items for the auction. Kathy and Le Anne were so overwhelmed with the generosity . We had received about 80 items. It turns out to be a big task, so please be patient while we figure out what to do. We will put it on e-bay.

I still playing with clay when I have a chance. Just making simple beads and make some bracelets. It is hard to do big project since I barely have time to sit at my table.

I also make these dangling things. It can be used to decorate the cell phone or hanging on the purse. It is the good way to use odds and ends. Rachael, Ada's friend, who comes to see Ada every Thursday is getting married. I make those for her as wedding favor. I think I need to make about 200. No fear. As for my own wedding favors, I hand-painted 1000 key chains by myself. Oh yes, we had that many guests at the wedding. It was an all day long event, started from 7.00 am through midnight.

Another good new is that I will have a chance to go to the retreat in July. An angle had grant my wish. Thinking about claying all day make me feel guilty, but I do need to leave the house and do my thing.

I am so touch with the kindness and generosity of Polymer Clay community. One group in particular is the "Claypen" at Polymer Clay Central chat room. Every Thursday at 11.30 am., claypens from around the world will come together and share what we make, ask questions, answer questions, and talk about everything. Here is the photo album of what we made and share every week. Stop by if you have time. Log in through Polymer Clay Central. Those girls rock.

A slide show from CF workshop.

Christi Friesen workshop

Christi Friesen Workshop & Benefit April 17-19, 2009 Indianapolis
Christi Friesen has offered to do a 3 day workshop, April 17, 18, and 19th, 2009. Three fun-filled days of generously discounted classes. The Indiana Bead Society can't begin to thank Christi for her help in this event.
This workshop is a benefit event for polymer clay artist Ponsawan Silapiruti 's daughter, Ada. You may know the story: On March 2, 2008, Ada was a vibrant, caring young woman full of life, excitement, and promise. On March 3rd 2008 she was in a coma with brain damage and broken bones. Hit by a drunk driver that sustained no damage. The world changed for Ponsawan, Ada, and their family.
Full details and online registration at: http://indianabeadsociety.org/class-friesen.htm
The Indiana Bead Societ hopes that you'll attend the classes or consider a donation to Ada (and Ponsawan). Ponsawan blogs about Ada's progress at http://dearada.blogspot.com .
Featured work by Ponsawan Silapiruti. "You are the Sunshine of My Life"

You are the sunshine of my life

Mosaic in Clay

"Five Maids a Laying"


From scarf pin to wall art, one technique leading to another, between changing and feeding my daughter, the desire to paint and making something big enough to hang on the wall, combination of mosaic and quilting, and everything else in between, I came up with this, what-should-we-call-it, Mosaic in Clay.

This piece is 6"x12" in dimension, the small square mosaic pieces are 1 cm. x1 cm. Some pieces were made with canes that I made and some with canes made with my friends. Look closely for the details.

I wish I had more canes but it is not the thing I like to make. Each mosaic was formed by my fingers. Most of them are different but there are a few "look alike". It's perfect for me who "get bored easily and hate repetition, and can't sit still very long". I can work on one color at a time, get it done and start on another color the next day.


I start out by making a small piece, 6"x6", baked and mounted on the board. Here's the pictures of the first 2 pieces.
















After baking, I found out that the colors got darker and all the details in each piece made it looks "too busy". So I decided to try a bigger piece which I ran in to a small (or big) problem of baking it. My clay oven is too small, I have to sneak it in the "real" oven.


I can make each pieces, bake them and glue them together, like a real mosaic", but the way that the pieces fit together gave out the result that none other material can do. I can also burnish them together and it will look more like painting (go back and see the pin from the last post).

Again, this is just the beginning of some thing big and fun that I will be making. Hope you come back and visit more often.
Hugs

P.S. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK.............



Most of the flower canes I used were made by Keila Hernandez, some are from C.A. Therien and some from Scott Mizevitz. The bull-eye and geometric canes are mine.
Before I start, I made up a bunch of little pieces 1 cm x1 cm. with different colors, many from scrap clay, skinner blend sheet, slides from Mokume gane, and many I make at the spor to make sure get the piece with color that I want.


Here is the piece with random color which is more fun and easier to make.

If you have some canes left over or canes ends that you don't ues, you can send them to me. It would make the piece more interesting details.

P.S. I will offer the "Mosaic In Clay" for sale at my ETSY store (Silastones) as soon as I think they are good enough for sale. So far I only finished 3 pieces and not totally happy about them. Different designs are in the process. Thank you

I thought you would never ask

Anonymous said...
With no pins, how do these stay on?:)Thanks.

Finally,

someone had read my blog again. Yeh. Here are pictures of the back of the pin.

I embedded the wire into the back of the pin, and bent it into 2 hooks. Then I tied the elastic hair tie to one hook, wrap the pin and elastic around the scarf (second pic.) then hung the elastic to the second hook. Val la!

The elastic holds the scarf snugly so you can use it with thicker or thinner scarf, and if you lost the elastic, you can easily replace it.

Now, I promise, I will write the tutorial, someday, when I have more time. :)

Pinless Scarf Pins

On the day that I finished my last scarf pin, I burnt my right hand, my stove, the hood, part of the cabinet and almost burnt down the kitchen. But I finished all the pins I want to make, so here they are.

The first set are pins that covered with the sheet of slide canes that I made.

These two were made with the same cane but different arrangement. They look totally different. Amazing!

Now these pins are much more fun because they were made with scrap clay. I was not happy at first when everyone seems to like these pins more than the first set. Well, I spent so much time making canes, slide them carefully and line them up perfectly, but with the scrap clay, I just kinna throw them together. Not fair.

Well, I did enjoy making those pins and people seem to like the idea of this "pinless scarf pin".

I added the curly-q from the thin strip of Skinner Blend sheet as my signature on the pin. For you; Susan Lomuto.

Oh, I do have another thing on my list to do for 2008; I want to make big, wall piece. I actually start working on it, so, hopefully, I will get it done by 2009.

I won't be able to clay for a while. I hope I sold all the scarf pins. All of the necklace and bracelets will be sent to Thailand for the auction at the class reunion. We will get a new kitchen and I hope next year, things will be better for us.

2008 New Year's Resolution List

It is almost 2009 and I finally have a chance to look back at the list of things I want to do in 2008. It was the same list I had for 2007. First, I promise to learn to make canes. Not that I don't know how, there are so many tutorials out there and lots of advice from the experts who always laugh at me because I don't make canes. Second, I want to make Scarf pin. Third, I want to get into more art shows.

Last month I saw a tutorial on-line. It is different. Not a flowers cane but more like geometric design. I gave it a try, with a twist, I came up with these cool designs the I am excited about. I am not going to take any credits for it. I'm sure someone out there had done this before, but, the point is; I am making canes.

And here they are.

I cut them up into thin pieces and put them together.

Now the scarf pins. I have been thinking about the design for a while. The object is to make a pin with no-pin, but will hold the scarf together, light weight and look like a piece of artwork. And here they are.

The flowers on the pin are from canes that I bought from Keila Hernandez. The white flowers are mine. Not bad, ha.

About the shows, oh well, I'm sure you all know what had happened to my daughter, but I do have one show coming up this Saturday at Eitlejorg Museum.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the love and supports that I got from the Polymer Clay community. Instead of turning out the light and cry myself to sleep, I pick up the clay and play with them, make something . I also go on-line, check out other artist's works which always gave me an itch, to Clay.

Passage through Hong Kong

This summer I had a chance to visit Hong Kong for a couple of days with my friend, Angkana. You can read about my trip HERE. As we strolled along the narrow steps from street to street, we came upon the vendor who sell souvenirs near the Antique Dealer district. I stopped and looked. An old couple greet me with smiles. It is the Eastern traditional amoung the street merchants that the first customer is very important. Buying or not, this will dictate how yours day will be. So as a first customer, I always buy something, which mean I can make a bargain and also get a good price. Angkana was waiting patiently while I sort through trays pendants, ran my fingers through tray of beads, picking and looking. For me, it was like a treasure hunt. I must get the best one. An hour passed and I realized that Angkana must had enough of looking at the stone. She must be curious and wanted to knows what would do with a pile of stone that I bought that day. Well, my dear Angkana, this one for you. I had turned them into beautiful necklaces.
Thanks for being my friend.
My new collection, using stone pendants, metal pieces, loose beads that I bought from Hong Kong, and my own polymer clay beads, as well as "stuff" that I had from years and years of making jewelry. Some of the necklaces are half way done. My friend said I must have spout hands to be able to work on top of taking care of Ada 24-7. This is what I do when I can get away, to enjoy myself, to relax and to forget about the horrible things that happen to my life. I need to use my talent so I will not run out of creative juice.
I hope you like them too. I am selling these necklaces at "Twisted Sisters" and if you want any of these, just email me.

My "High Flying" Son

My son, Archie, is specialized in defying gravity. Since he was 5 years old and got his first lesson in Gymnastic, he had put his strength and ability to the limit. Almost humanly impossible sometime.
This past weekend, Archie, the B-Boy, was invited to perform his dance at the new, International Indianapolis Airport and he actually gets paid to do that. Isn't that sweet. he came back home with dislocated shoulder and a sore hand that will need surgery next month, but he is happy and I am too.
I am working on my new collection, using materials that I bought from Hong Kong. Please come back at the end of this month and help me celebrate.
Since we had to remodel our home to make it suitable for our daughter, I have a space near Ada's room where I can work and be near her. I think she like to watch me while I am working and I'm sure she is happy that I can find time to do things that I like. It's the way I cope and keep my sanity.