Denim-Inspired veneer

Monday I started a new veneer...  and here are some works in progress.

Klimt-Inspired Veneer...a Step Along the Learning Curve ...

I think I'm nearing the end of the road on this veneer, and learned a simple technique for finishing the sides better, using a hair's breadth layer underneath, then burnishing to round the edges.  No great secret but I have rarely worked right up to the finish line without curing the clay before, and certain "refinements" are more difficult after the fact.   I didn't use the technique on the outer perimeter of the pendant because I had already veneered it, and didn't want to sacrifice it.  

COOL HINT:  I don't know why it never occurred to me before because I use them all the time for all sorts of things, but 3 hole page protectors are a fabulous place to store veneers!  I found this hint on a post from 2011 yesterday, and even then "everyone" knew about it.  

I Hate Georgia O'Keeffe (sometimes)

Other than skulls and roses, I frankly did not discover Georgia O'Keeffe until 1987, about a year after her death.  Someone told me my flowers and general point of view reminded them of her and showed me her "100 Flowers" book.  I was floored.  A couple of years later I was in New York and started working on some cityscapes.  At MOMA saw her NY book.  WTH?  More like hers than I could explain.  Talking point of view here.  
Then just a couple of weeks ago I was in her country and fell in love with what I called dancing trees.  Cottonwood stands in winter.  We went to a new exhibit at G O'K Museum in Santa Fe.  YEP.    OK mine won't look like hers, but DAMN!  
So here, from Ghost Ranch where she lived is my newest-to-be. .  I know she never painted an embracing cat/raven at moonrise.   
When I'm feeling woo-woo I think a bit of her spirit  found me after her death ....    
That or she was as absurdly far-sighted and maybe amblyopic as I am.  

Winter Birds Move to the Blue Ridge

It appears my newest (Winter Birds) have rebelled and headed for the hills -- the  Blue Ridge, to be exact.   Yesterday was sunny, this morning was cold and raining and I have no idea why other than that.  But I'm happier ...

Winter Birds (working title)

Sketch done last night ..  I was thinking crows/ravens but as often happens they may not end up as such.  I've sketched onto 12 x 10 canvas and have painted in shapes ... roughly here at this point

Right now I prefer the sketch.   It is more lively right now -- hopefully the canvas will catch up.     I'm thinking of working with roughly the same palette as the yellow bird but in winter mode.  We'll see. 

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.

Red Pendant

Busy week; I spent Thursday doing the finishing work on almost everything that needs assembly, sanding, etc. I had hoped to get it all photographed Friday, but weather didn't cooperate, and as a natural light photographer had to wait. Yesterday I was able to get a few things done but didn't allow enough time so the light in my favorite area ran out on me. But this piece came out well and I love it! Hopefully I will get a satisfactory photograph of the coordinating earrings and bangle bracelet today.

Blue Currents Mokume Gane Earrings

Very thin, ultra-lightweight slivers of silver and blue(s). Buffed, polished and glossed on the front, the back is deliberately left somewhat "unfinished" which feels to me like a bit of exotic shell.
Overall length about 2 5/8"; drop 1 3/4"

Tidal Blues Bangle Bracelet

Not exactly leftover scraps, but I had been fooling around and came up with this mixture and then didn't know what I wanted to do with it. After making a couple of pairs of earrings (not yet photographed) and a small pendant (ditto) I decided, being on a bangle binge and all to make this ......

Stropple Cane Inspired Bangle Bracelet

Two forces inspired this piece...one my desire to use up pretty bits and pieces and two, the wonderful technique of Alice Stroppel, Stroppel cane. I don't work with canes, except once in awhile, in the most basic way, but thought it might be possible to cut tiny pieces of lots of colorful scraps, layer them between thin sheets of black polymer clay, squish them all together and then slice.

By their nature, the slices were less complex in design than they would have been had they been canes, but with some careful running through the pasta machine, interesting blends formed. I then sliced the results into thin strips and affixed them to a previously cured black bangle base.

Thank you Alice!

Tiny Squares Mosaic Bangle

As the year approaches its end, I have felt the need/desire to use up as many of my little bits that I felt to interesting or pretty to mush up. This is another bangle designed to help in that quest.

The piece is made entirely of polymer clay, tho' tiny bits of leaf are evident here and there. The squares were built on a cured polymer substrate.

Marbelized Bangle

I love working with leftover bits and peices and know many of us do. This bangle reminds me as much of marbelized paper as anything.
The piece is made entirely of polymer clay; the scrap mokume gane added to a base bangle.

Playing with Cats . . .

While waiting for my most recent cedar cigar box to cure for a total of almost three hours, I decided to play with cats.
I've only done one piece featuring a cat, but know that sooner or later I must find a way to add more of them to my clay work.
I think I will my hand at making some molds and see where, if anywhere that takes us (the cats and I) No matter what happens, or doesn't, this is fun!

Rosy "Ivory" Bangle

Photographing items is often amazingly revealing. I had thought this piece was complete yesterday, after color washing and buffing, but when photographed this morning, I found it just wasn't quite "right", so back to some 320+600 sanding and a lot of buffing on my jeans while I watched part of a really bad movie and did some extra loving on Miles our neurotic but beloved Siamese.
So, now it is finished, looks good on, and is ready to join the coordinated necklace, once I get the toggle finished. (Forgot to colorwash the two beads yesterday when doing the bangle).

Blue "Ivory" Bangle ... Complete!

I was very nervous about starting the color wash on this bangle as I liked it so much as it was. Wouldn't have done it except for a bit of aging had I not wanted a piece to coordinate with the necklace I made this for.
Happily it turned out well...in fact I love it.
This bangle has opened my eyes/mind to all sorts of possibilities -- cannot wait to continue on.

Two Antique "ivory" Bangles in Progress

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I must say I really like the bangles just as they are (with some finishing yet to be done). However, they will be color washed to coordinate with the two necklaces nearly finished. Like many artists, I tend to work sequentially, so no doubt "unwashed" pieces are in my near future.

Two Antique "ivory" Necklaces

These two necklaces are nearly done; final assembly will be done on the four I have completed for the Fat Cat Gallery in Oakridge, NC one day next week.
I'm really pleased with the way they have turned out, and will now get to work on the coordinated bangle bracelets.

Almost There . . .

In some ways this box took control of itself somewhere along the way and morphed into something slightly different...voyage of discovery in terms of design and technique. I’ve enjoyed the journey.

Now just some final tweaking here and there...cleaning up the tiny bits of claydust in the gazillion crevasses and then some final buffing and perhaps a tiny bit of wax or polish here and there.

Day 6: Coral-copper/gold striated veneer applied to center motif......crisis! While the colors looked fine together I expected the coral to deepen more than it did in curing and simply didn’t care for it. After a day of looking at it.....

Day 7: Dremel Stylus to the rescue ....not only did the carving dilute the strong color contrast, but I found I loved the element of additional texture