This and that...

I don't have much free time lately, but there are still some moments I can spend for doing what I like to do. Here are some of the latest things I've made.

Magic Wand Swap

That's my entry for our last swap - Magic Wand. It's polymer clay with glass ball bead at the end and it's about 32cm long.

Swarovski Crystal Beads

Few weeks ago I had a short swarovski obsession. I was making pendants and necklaces. These beads are so nice and shiny, but unfortunately I am not good enough in photography to make pics that would actually show the real beauty of swarovski beads. So, few pics without a real shine! :))

More Cards

Few more cards from the first time I was making them. I don't have time for making new ones, my days are so busy all the time. Tomorrow I am going to vacation for one week, but I don't think I can make cards there, I guess I will just take beads and wire with me... and few books... and I can't wait!! :)

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