Lego and clay

At last I can get round to explaining my impending excitement in the last post. I was waiting to get this little baby.  Tah Dah !!!!   My toaster oven.

I know to some it may not be the most exciting purchase, but I love it.  I was feeling uncomfortable about using my domestic oven for clay all the time.  (apparently you have to CLEAN it!). So I managed to persuade Mr G for the family's safety and my sanity that I needed this. Luckily he agreed and home it came. Unfortunately the reflection shows the mess my kitchen is.

I  also love to collect vintage/retro china and glasses and thought I would show you the shelf above my new baby, with some of my bits and pieces. My dresser is full to bursting and it doesn't help I keep picking up bargins.

However instead of concentrating on trying to make lovely canes (which I really need to do) I have been somewhat sidetracked making these little trinkets. I would blame my lovely teenager as she likes to snaffle the things I make and loves fun quirky jewellery, but I have to take the blame, I like fiddling about making little things. Perhaps I am putting of trying to make canes that I feel will just squish. 

Well I am glad it is a last half term. Possibly not as glad as my Menace (who has told his teacher he likes nothing about school and only wants to be at home playing with his lego) at which I have to say he excels, a future Chief Exec of Lego in the making I think.

 Clone Wars Troop Transporters

Lets hope we can all enjoy the late sunshine. I hope you all have a lovely week. 

Till next time x

Felt not Clay

I haven't really made anything with clay the last few days. Partly it think because I have felt a bit in awe of some of the really great blogs I have been looking at. But I am going to practice and use this great book as well as the tips and tutorials found online. It will be interesting to see in the future how / if my attempts develop. I am very excited (well its exciting to me) about getting something for my clay later today will reveal all soon.

 I realised I hadn't actually made any brooches lately and for some reason the recent chill in the air  made me want to try to make an autumnal brooch. So here it is.I made it from a felted scarf and added some embroidery and buttons, Mr G though the buttons blended too much, but that's what I wanted.

Then having got in the brooch mood,I decided to use some lovely purple and create a more abstract design (possibly a bit big but I think its ok) kind of based on a paisley shape.

I have discovered 2 lovely blogs today. Particularly excited as they are in Norfolk. One has the name of my lovely daughter  Planet Penny   (Penny not Planet) and has such beautiful needle felted items on there. I especially love the xmas robins (needle felting is something I have wanted to try for ages, after using felt for brooches - but somehow polymer jumped in the way - but I must try it soon) and moobaacluck who makes wonderful personalised wooden decorations, plaques and lovely illustrated cards.

Hopefully going to the boot sale at Hunstanton later, if I can get everyone moving. Hope I find some treasure.
Will let you know.

Wow

I knew having read craft blogs for quite some time before taking the plunge myself that people in the craft community seemed to be really friendly and supportive. Well I have found out that is truly the case.
Thank you so much to the lovely people who have been in touch and commented on my blog. Some I was aware of, others not and it is lovely to hear from you all.  
Thank you to Cara Jane, looking at the wonderful things she has made with polymer clay as in the picture below makes me realise I have a long long way to go.

                                                                  Made by   Cara Jane

Her pieces are marvellous.  The trouble is, I kind of expect that I should be able to do things straight away - and I cann't. I am realising this is going to be a long process of practice and trying to achieve better results.

Like Cara Jane I too had a top I wanted to make some jewellery to go with. Bringing some clay home from my workshop with  Karol, (someone else who is a master of Polymer clay jewellery ). I tried to make a flower cane in order to make a bracelet.

 Ooops not quite as easy as I thought. I don't know what quite happened with the flowers so I mixed them with some bullseye canes which went a bit squishy as well.
 However I was quite pleased with the overall result, it looks okay from a distance and I have worn it.

Well I intend to enjoy, what I can see turning into a polymer clay addiction, and already have enjoyed meeting some lovely new people.

Thanks all.   Lorraine xx

At Last!

I have finally got around to using my Kaleidoscope canes (seen in last post) as beads in a couple of bracelets. I used a mix of small and large beads in one bracelet  and black bead spacers, both on elastic. I have worn them already and am really pleased with how they turned out.

I also made bracelets for a friends' 2 daughters One was my favourite Allsorts (unfortunately  the real ones are also my favourites - hence 1/2 a pack disappearing last night) and also I made a Dolly Mixture version. My friend thought they were lovely I just hope her girls do.

I have also tried to make another flower cane. It didn't turn out quite like I envisaged but I think the beauty of polymer clay is most things can look pretty cool. (Well that's the line I am taking) Will show it on my next post.  xxx