327 Years and Counting

Just back from a road trip down the Eastern Seaboard from Georgetown SC (a very sweet town) to Key West, less sweet but pretty cool.

 I'm somewhat obsessed right now with turquoise (waters).  I'm always somewhat obsessed by turquoise, but that's another story.

Also, fresh from a vacation, or perhaps I should say a break, since road tripping that distance in just over 2 weeks with six people isn't exactly relaxing, no matter how much fun it might be. 

And it was.  Exhausting.  Fun.

So, upon returning and spending two days doing cat laundry, our laundry, and remembering the most basic of Things Which Must Be Done Daily, I returned to the worktable determined to use up every bit of  clay, beads, findings and assorted I've held on to through several destashings, gifts to local school arts teachers, etc.   This is either before or commensurate with the painting supplies, canvases, oils, watercolors, acrylics and colored pencils, papers, canvases, brushes etc. 

If I opened an art store tomorrow, it would rival Cheap Joe's or Blick's  for at least a week. 

This is where the 327 years come in. It will take that long, at least, as long as I do not buy anything other than fill-in to finish this or that.  Ear wires.  Chain.  The once a year 2 oz block of orange I like.  

That sort of thing. We live long in my family, but this may be pushing it. 

The focal in this piece, as well as the two triangular beads in earrings, were made about 6 years ago.  I made a statement necklace which I then couldn't part with and these remained. (pictured) There are still 3.    The faux faux amber (I wasn't trying to make amber, just the color) are from the red bird pendant I made earlier this year,  the turquoise ovals and heishi from The Stash.  I used 20 including the 2 large beads.  Okay, make that 479 years. 

They don't look like Florida so much as they feel like it, at least to me, and my friend Sheila who is lucky enough to live in St. Augustine, says I got that right. 

Micro Mosaic Pendant, Southwest. Mexican Hat, Utah. Unisex. Wearable Art.

 

  It isn't that I haven't been working, it's that I'm out of synch with myself.   Since that annoying hip replacement thing a year ago ....   

This is a pendant I made in 2009 and have never offered before.  I have a number of these pieces that I learned a lot from.  It isn't that I don't need them or love them any longer, but it is time to move on and I'm running out of space. 

It is currently in my Etsy shop  "Pati Bannister" ...

It was inspired by my love of the Southwest, more specifically the area around Mexican Hat in Utah. 

The pendant is polymer clay and slightly trapezoidal in shape. It is a tiny bit under 1 1/2 inches wide at the top and an equally small bit under 1 3/4 inches wide at the bottom. It is 2 3/4 inches long including the bail. Two coordinated beads, also polymer clay, finish the toggle closing. It is 18-19 inches long, not including the pendant length. 

I made four small batches of marbleized color, the channels were extruded and each piece was placed on the cured backing before curing.   

http://www.etsy.com/shop/patibannister

Comments and questions welcome. 

Ivory Keepsake Box

I am in the process of pulling things together for the "Misadventure" box, so took the opportunity this morning to photograph a box I completed about two weeks ago.  
I am very happy with the flow of the design, which reminds me of the sea .... it is quite elegant and feminine in feel.
This box is cedar, and covered in textured and carved pieces of  white-ecru polymer clay.  Graceful curved areas were left and then filled with handmade circular motifs, also carved.  In some, tiny aquarmine beads were inserted for delicate contrast.
The interior of the box as been antiqued, as has the bottom.  The underside of the lift-off lid has been signed. 

Cedar Faux Ivory Cigar Box

I am so pleased with this box, and as often happens in such cases, I've held onto it for a long time. I made it out of a white-ecru mix which I textured, then cut into I don't know how many narrow strips and covered the entire exterior, including the bottom. Once that was done, and the box cured, I sanded and buffed and then applied a glaze of raw sienna and burnt umber. A striped agate bead I especially liked was then fixed to the top, a narrow black bezel created and the piece was cured again to fuse the glaze and cure the clay bezel. I've left the interior natural to allow it to be used for proper cigar storage, and cut a removable dark brown suede piece for the base. The box is 5 3/4 inches long, 4 1/2 inches wide and 4 3/8 inches tall. The entire exterior of the box is covered, including the bottom. I have signed the underside of the lid.

My Cat Bookmarks and Polymer Clay Daily

I was so happy to see my bookmarks featured in Polymer Clay Daily on the 20th of this month...of course, if I had even thought this could happen my blog would have been more up to date. That said, creating this little family as well as others who are in various stages of completion has been such fun, allowing me to combine my love of cats, carving, painting and polymer clay into something whimsical and even useful.