Well...actually it's a molding problem. I love molding clay!!!
I am taking a much needed little break from life, even if it is only for a few minutes to write an entry. I guess when you can't remember your password to log in and write a post then you have been away too long. I know most of you don't know this but my 8 year old decided to open up an Etsy store last November. Little did we know that it would take off like it did these past few months, both online and locally. I believe that we have made over 1000 pencils since February. That's a lot of gluing. Things have slowed down a bit and I can breath a little. We are going to take it a little easy until school lets out and then we will work on updating her store. She has a lot of cute ideas she wants to try: homemade playdough, hand stamped pencils, hand rolled pencils, etc. This should keep us busy this summer :) Fun times! Meanwhile I have started on a new little adventure that I am really enjoying. I have started sculpting polymer clay again. I love that I can work on a piece, set it aside and then come back and work on it some more. You do have to bake polymer clay instead of letting it air dry. I have been studying a lot of youtube videos. There are some really good ones out there. They have tips on which little oven (your kitchen oven works great, too) to purchase, what kind of glazes to use, how to make certain characters, etc. Here's a few of the charms/characters that I have made. Some are from tutorials and some are my own designs.
Clay all nicely packaged, just waiting to be turned into something awesome!!
Clay after it has been conditioned (soften with heat of you hands and then knead it until it is workable about 1 minute). This is the start of Scooby Doo and Gang.
I like to draw what I am making first and then go by the drawing. You can also paint on polymer clay. See Woody's hat in the upper left corner.
Some charms before baking. All of these were made using tutorials. Top left, clockwise, Ralukkuma (Japanese Cat), Molang (Japanese bunny-white), hampster (colored using chalk pastels), mushrooms, rabbit (using tutorial from guinea pig), & a guinea pig.
On baking sheet waiting to go in the oven. Woody bottom left corner, used tutorial on youtube for Woody.
Q-tip (3inches) in the picture to show scale of charms. Panda and two girls are my own design. The house is from Disney's movie UP. It is taking me a while to finish it. The cheese at top is really the dormer for the house. Can you spot the tiny mummy?
Woody, Evil Minion, and baby Stitch.
Isn't this guy hysterical!! His hair is purple wool roving.
Bunny chan and panda chan are my own designs. I think that they look so sweet. Their eyes are tiny pieces of clay.
Hope you enjoyed this little peek of what I have been up to. Now it's off to go and visit/catch up with your blogs,
Holly
