New Frame

I was not feeling really well in last two weeks or so. In fact, it was really bad with my back and leg - sciatica! I guess I am really getting old, having troubles like that. Yeah yeah, I know, I sit too much and don't exercise enough; but lately I really seem to be alergic to all kind of exercises. After almost not being able to walk, I will more seriously consider making few changes in my life. Guess I became too lazy. Anyway, I am feeling better now and will go back to work after tomorrow. Most of all I am looking forward to being able to create again, which was lately kind of impossible.

I have made this frame before I ended up in bed for quite few days. It is plain wooden frame, covered with a layer of scrap clay and then decorated with all kind of clay in different shapes. On the first two pics you can clearly see the spots that were left on wood from fresh clay - never place polymer clay on wood which should remain clean! And on the first photo is also shown a nice mess that I have on my table every time I work; to be honest, it is left like that sometimes when I finish working, too.

I was really pleased with the final result. I think the frame turned out really good, as well as the picture I put in, which I decorated with different tools in Photoshop. And beside few smaller things that is all I have done in last 2 or 3 weeks. How sad!

New Cane

Another quite hot day, although temperatures were supposed to drop a bit. I haven't noticed that; only one afternoon was better as far as temperatures are concerned, but we had hailstorm with strong wind which broke up few trees in front of our building and made a lot more damage all over - in some places hailstones were as big as tennis balls! I was at work at that time and luckily I've missed hailstorm for few minutes... it would be bad to be in the car with huge ice balls falling from the sky! I experienced that once, few years ago when Nina and I were going from our vacation at the seaside. It caught as on the highway, and although hailstones were smaller, as big as marbles, sound was horrible! Nina was crying and I hardly calmed her down. The traffic stopped and what surprised me most was that I saw few people going out of their cars, holding blankets and sleeping bags over cars! How stupid is that??? Ice falling on their heads and they were protecting their cars. I rather pay full insurance and keep myself in safe place when something like that happens!

Anyway, new cane. As I said, it was rather hot, clay really gets sticky and it's really hard to keep a nice form. Some of the pieces were little distorted, but I think the final cane looks prety well. I was not in the mood to make a new cane for central part, so I used the cane I made the other day. I think I have enough of flower canes for now, it's time to figure out something else. And make beads from all the canes I have at the moment, I plan to put them together to make final pieces when I am on vacation. 3 more weeks to go... I can't wait!