Aud Design Stamps

As I said, I got new stamps the other day from Aud Design. They are lovely! Yesterday I had some time and made these cards. I haven't tried all the stamps yet, for now just a few. Text on the first one is Clever Cut Stamp Away and beckground for the second one was made with Kaiserstamp, all other stamps used here are from Aud Design. And btw, I have a blister on my finger, from all that cutting! :) But it was worth it, I am pleased with the result.

Stamping

That's my new obsession, stamping. And I just love it. Possibilities are endless and I am having a lot of fun making them.

First card: girl and wings/leaves - MyStamps from Australia (thanks again, Stu!), punched flowers with Rayhers glass beads.

Others: leaves - MyStamps, flower - Clever Cut Stamps Away, swirls - Tuscan Rose.

Slowly, my stamp collection is getting bigger. I still have them all unmouted, I have to figure out how I will solve this. I guess the best solution would be a cling foam for rubber stamps and then I can use them with acrylic block just like all the clear acrylic stamps I have. But first I have to see how long this obsession will last :).

Yesterday I got 2 sheets of unmouted stamps from Aud Design and I cut them yesterday, so today I can start playing with them. I just can't wait!

Clay, chain and wire

I was playing with beads that I had left and new chains I got recently. I've made few things, here are two necklaces. I think I spent more time with Photoshop work than with putting necklaces together :)

I also tried few things with clay the other day and these two pendants turned out best. I made few more, but they are not as nice as these. I was not trying much to make this technique work properly as I was too busy with making cards (stamping and scrapbooking), but more about that next time.

Sofa Pin Cushion

I've made this one for the Pin-Cushion-Swap. Since I don't really sew, I was kidding that I am going to make my pin cushion of polymer clay and of course the girls were laughing. When I was trying to find an idea for what to really make, I remembered what I've said and had to try it. Of course now I have quite a few other ideas for such cushion, but I guess I will forget about that before I find time to realize them. I am too busy with stamping, scrapbooking and card making lately. You'll see some of the things soon.

Polymer clay, stamped with rubber stamp; cushion is filled with fiberfill and glued to baked polymer clay.

Swaps

Now and then I participate in swaps - which is a good thing, as this way I do things I would probably not do. And it forces me to create something even in my lazy and no-real-inspiration times. Here are the last two things I've made for swaps: jewellry hanger and scrapbooking page for the outside page of recipe file. This altered way of scrapbooking is something I am still learning and something I really really love!

Inks, Powders And Alcohol On Polymer Clay

I saw this technique in the last issue (Winter 2006/07) of Polymerclay Cafe and had to try it (demonstrated by Laurie Prophater) - to make a mess on polymer clay with metalic powders, inks and alcohol. I am having too much fun with that and I just can't stop! The results are quite unpredictable but so nice, at least in my opinion. I just love how colors blend and how they fill printed parts (which can be made with rubber stamps).

The first two pics are showing two different pieces with all that mess drying already. The second row is the same piece before it dried completely and after it dried and was run through the pasta machine to get smooth surface. That is the final result. In the last row is another example and few pieces made out of another one, ready to be put together with some beads to make a nice necklace.

It really is a messy thing to do, but with a proper protection of your surface and your hands it's not that bad at all. And the results are amazing. Thanks Laurie, it really is a great technique!

Something To Hug

I made these a month or so ago when I was staying home and I had to rest because of my sore back (again!!!). It was sooooo boring and I just had to do something. Since making huggies is quite popular here lately, I had to try to make one myself, too. It was quite fun and I was rather surprised that I was able to put it together, because I am not really sewing much (in fact, I don't sew at all). I ended up with two finished and another 2 half done... and a month later they are still just half done. That is so typical for me, starting something and never finish it. I have quite some half made "projects" waiting for my attention; not to mentionl the things I got all the material for and have never even started. No wonder my flat sometimes looks like a warehouse! :)

Quilling

Until two days ago I have never heard of quilling. I don't even remember seeing anything like that before. Then I heard about it from my fellow craft girls and since I didn't want to be completely ignorant I surfed the web to find some pics and possibly some instructions. I didn't find much, but just enough to get general idea about what quilling is and how to do it.

This was my first try and I am quite pleased with it. If by any chance someone who knows about quilling reads this post, I have a question: When you glue pieces together, how do you glue the composition to surface? Do you glue complete surface and put it on or put glue just on paper parts? Maybe with some more practice and different glues I will find that out by myself, but asking doesn't hurt, does it? :)

A New Statue

This is our new statue. Cute, isn't it? Well, in fact it is a "she".

I never thought I was a cat lover. Obviously I am, since this is the second cat that found a home here. Nina wanted a dog and was bothering me with that for years. Then we made a deal that we would have a cat since we can't afford to take care of a dog because we simply don't have enough time. We agreed we would take some time to gather information about how to take care of a cat and find a cute little one with a pedigree... well, we didn't have time for all that because my friend found a cute little one in her garden. We went there just to take a look; but of course we fell in love with the small black fur ball immediately and took him home.

Then Nina wanted another cat so that Lin would have some company when we are not at home. I said when we find a white one with a long fur, we will take it. I thought that will take few years or maybe... like never! I was so wrong again. Soon after that my co-worker informed me that they have a white cat with long fur that needs a new home. Well, what should one do in a situation like this? We went to see her, and of course took it home immediately.

She is really cute and we can pet her whenever we want, which we can't do with Lin. Right now, as I write this, Nina is sitting on a sofa with Liza in her lap. And with white cat fur all over her nice brown shirt. That is the bad part of having long fur cats and that part is driving me crazy! Our flat will never be clean again! But I love them all the same, I guess, and Nina is a happy and responsible cat owner. Cats seem to be happy too, so everything is fine. Who cares about a mum who gets upset now and then because of all that fur?

Back

It's hard to write a post after such a long time of no writing, specially if one doesn't have any good excuse for being absent. And not much to say about the time that passed. Not that I feel I need any real excuse for being away from this blog, but I know there are some people coming back to see if there are any new posts. They are the main reason I've decided I will keep going. I like to write and sometimes I just have to write, but somehow I've turned this blog into craft-oriented blog and somehow I just didn't write when I didn't have something new to show. Which is rather stupid, and I will change that now. So, from now on I will write more. About everything that is going on. About my days, sciatica problems, Nina, cat fur around the flat that is driving me mad, about the cake I made, about what my friend said about the other friend, about thoughts that are going on in my head and so on. At least I will try to. It's not January 1st, which is usually the best day for making new resolutions :), but it will have to be ok all the same.

That's it for now, I guess...

Happy New Year

Recipe for a Happy New Year

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time. Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve and all the best to you all!

Elf Dance

I saw this on Karen's blog and I just had to try it myself too. It's so much fun!! Just perfect for this time of the year.

Watch Nina do Elf Dance! She is a cute elf, isn't she? :)

Hope you are all having a wonderful time!

Merry Christmas

Winter Flower

I made this one for the "clay-pot swap". I was not really sure what to do with my pot, so I decided for a safe version of polymer clay and napkin technique. I got some other ideas while I was making this, but it was too late to change my mind. And then I saw all other things, made of clay pots... and like every time, I was amazed at so many different ideas and techniques used on the same object.

Girlish One

Hi Liz! Hi Malcom! Hi Stu! Hi Mr. and Mrs. J.!

And Another Brown

More Brown

New Necklace

When The Sun Goes Down

Yesterday evening (it gets dark at 5 pm, which is kind of depressing) Nina and her friend were painting some pots for the school christmas bazar when all of the sudden they both rushed to the window and started to yell how nice it is outside. I joined them and it was really beautiful - sky was pink and violet and it seemed like that pink light was all around. It lasted just for few minutes and I am glad they noticed that so we could enjoy in that wonderful game of evening lights. It looked like this, but in real was much much nicer.

Pendant for Stu

Halloween Party

Our party was successful, and we even got a pumpkin after all :). There was no time to cut it, but we have one, so it was a perfect party after all and we all had a great time until late night when kids almost fell asleep standing up. Nina said that it was the best party ever... but there are more to come!

Pendant

Red/black/golden pendant for one of my witches. I like it, maybe I will keep it for myself :)).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are having Halloween party today with few friends. Of course it is going to be witch party with dresses, but unfortunately we don't have a pumpkin this year. They were either too expensive or too ugly. Oh well, guess we can have party without pumpkins, we have enough candles which will just have to do. Here are pumpkins I made last year:

Looking at this pic made me want to make one! Maybe I even find it somewhere before evening...

Happy Halloween!

No Title!

Few of the things I've made lately. I was not really in the mood for doing my crafts for quite some time, but now I am full of new ideas and energy for working. But as you can see, I have improved slightly in taking shots of my work and in Photoshop handling. It looks pretty cool, huh? Btw, most of the things here found their new home in Australia.

Wooden box, covered with polymer clay with metalic wax and powder. The top is covered with different shapes from home made molds, the sides were made with "Dancing Spirals" texture sheet.

Some of the beads, ready to apply varnish.

First beads with salt texture.

Pendants.

Art dolls - I was just trying them out. I still have to work on faces.



P.S. Can someone please tell me how to get rid of the borders around the pics? It looks fine in a preview, but they appear after post is published?!! Please?! And thanks! :)

Currently Reading...

Susana Tamaro, Follow Your Heart

"The entire book is an enchanting letter written by a loving Italian grandmother to her granddaughter. It’s simple, short and beautiful."

I read it already about 2 years ago and bought it yesterday from the machine in the clinical center while I was waiting for my therapy to start. I love this book, it's a good reading, exploring all kind of different themes; youth and old age, love, relationships, loss and regret, joys of life... everything told with a lot of wisdom, teaching universal thruts about life.

"And through the eyes of a woman nearing the end of her days, we come to understand what life experience has taught her: that no matter what the stakes, we must look within ourselves and gather the courage to follow our hearts."

So, follow your hearts!

Nina In 4th Grade

After two months of summer vacation kids started to go to school on September 1st. Nina is in 4th grade now. Until now, I was taking her to school every day and picking her up on my way back from work. Well, unless when Dajana picked her up which was rather often for some time as she was not working, or my parents and sometimes her father. But still, going to school in the morning and after work again was somehow my daily routine.

Now, she is going to school alone. And back from school too. She wanted that for quite some time but I just couldn't let her. Not that I don't trust her - but she is not even 9! One hour alone at home in the morning and about half an hour to one hour in the afternoon. We were talking about that, set the rules and all that and she was ready. Not nervous or scared at all. I was.

I was talking about that with other mums who have been through that already and they all said about the same thing: "Don't worry, she will call you at least 5 times before she leaves and then again every 3 minutes when she comes back, so you will know what she is doing". Yeah, right! Not my kid, she has no need to call me and report her every move; because I've already told her everything about 100 times, as she told me later.

Anyway, I woke her up before I left to work the first day. I told her again when she has to start washing and dressing and when she has to leave. There were other girls from our building waiting for her. On my way to work I had my phone on the passanger seat just in case she calls. It was so hard not to call and ask how she was doing! Not that I was having any particular fears in mind, I just felt very uneasy and nervous. In that 20 minutes time, that's how long it takes me to drive to work, I had phone in my hand few times and wanted to call. I didn't... I didn't want to infect her with my nervousness. She didn't call and that was making me feel even more uneasy. Finally, when it was about the time she leaves, I gave up and checked. She was fine, got everything ready and was about to leave.

"What if she didn't go to school?". "What if something happen to her?". "What if....". I gave up again and called Dajana later and she saw Nina going to her classroom. Huh, what a relief!! I was even able to do some work. Until about 2 o'clock, when nervousness started to spread all over me again. I was watching at the clock constantly, Nina was supposed to go home at 3, so she should be at home 3:10. Of course I called at 3 and she was not there yet (I don't let her take her cell phone to school, though it would make me feel better). Minutes were passing by so slowly and my phone didn't want to ring. 3:05 - I checked if it is working, if batteries are full. No call. 3:10 - no call. 3:15, just before leaving work I gave up again. She picked up the phone finally.

Me: Hi honey!
Nina: Hey Mum!
Me: How are you doing? How was school? When did you come home? Was everything fine? Why didn't you call when you came, you know I am all worried since this is your first time and w...
Nina: Sorry Mum, I forgot to call you. I started doing my homework as soon as I got home.
Me: Ohh, I see. That's great. I'm leaving work now and will be home soon, will you be ok?
Nina: Take your time Mum, you don't have to hurry. I am fine!
Me: Well sure, but I will be home soon anyway. How was sch...
Nina: Bye Mum!
Me: Ummm... bye honey! See you soon.

Sometimes it feels our roles are switched... sometimes she acts more grown up than I do. When I came home she was sitting at the table and eating milk with cereals. Huh, she made her own meal? I tried not to act too surprised. She said she would do some housework when she is home alone and have time, like dusting or cleaning bathroom. Huh?! Fine with me, kiddo!

By now, she did that too already. She is still not calling in the morning, but I do to remind her when she has to leave. I am not nervous as much as I was any more, but still am a little. She calls when she comes home. Now I know she is doing fine without me, that she can be home alone and she actually likes it a lot. And I know she is a great girl. Sometimes it just makes me sad that she is growing up so fast and needs me less and less...

Pendants

Few of the pendants I made during the summer. These ended up in Australia as an exchange gift for what I got from there. Thanks again, Stu!

I was playing with brushes in Photoshop and made those that are used on this pic - it's a great thing! I just have to explore it a little further. Summer is ending, days are getting shorter and there will be more time for such things. It is about time I start playing with this blog and make it look better. Not that I know exactly how to do that, but I will figure out something :).


It's 8 am now. Nina left to school. I am at home, having a sick leave as I started with therapy for my back. Electric massages, stretching, aqua therapy, exercises - hopefully it will help! I started yesterday and it was quite ok, I was just very tired afterwards and pain was stronger for quite some time. I took a pill and it made me sick again... but I still hope this therapy will have some good results. Keep your fingers crossed, will you?

Brown flower cane

Finally I've made something I actually like. I was so not in the mood for working lately that it took about 2 weeks to put it together, reduced it and made about 40 beads. I am just sorry I used all of the first square cane for petals. Not that I have any clear ideas yet what else to do with it, but I like it and it could be used in varous ways. Maybe I will have another one in next month or so if my working speed remains the same ;).