Makies - FINALLY!

Yep finally stopped procrastinating with these . . .

My variation on the faceted polymer beads from the tut by Richelle of Shipwreck Dandy.
Don't look at the out of focus! nothing worked. 
Light green translucent clay with metalic acrylic ink. Slightly asymmetrical with wild wire beadcaps. Tempted to keep these. 

More polymer beads this time in translucent peatbog brown with tiny silver flecks.

Jaunty little recycled tin bead caps, red coral and gold utee eye pins and some of my ceramic drops

Next - Swept Ashore

Using my favourite overfired white liquid enamel. Even the ceramic sorta marine creature shape on the right side got a trip through the torch and enamel.

 Cowry shell with embossing powder

and the back just to show you I can be neat.

 Even made some earrings that sorta match

 

Now, when I find the rest of my photographic props, can finish the photos and get them into my shop.

 

Down a Rabbit Hole . . .

My local Art Society are running some terrific workshops this year, a chance to try out new and different mediums with some good tutors.
The latest one was working in pastel.
Have dabbled a little in pastel and found the texture of the pastel paper confronting - like drawing on a road surface. The other thing I found frustrating about pastels is colours. Unlike watercolour or acrylic in which you just mix the desired colour, with pastel I had to constantly think how I was going to get the shade I needed.
So introducing "Teddy Renoir".

   and his friend "Miss Teddy".

I am now the owner of some 'proper' artists pastels and looking forward to working on a larger scale.

Done Something

My metal table fitted into the corner just nicely, but everything I wanted was, you guesses it, the other side of the room. Just about wore a track between the two areas soooooo a re-shuffle was in order.
Moved the tables around and now have a little 'nest' that I can spin around in and I don't have to get out of my chair to get into the drawers and storage. Bonus!

 Along the wall I now have another narrow table. This was the first piece of furniture my husband made, now over 30 year old and has been hauled all over the country, a little worse for wear but now has a new life.

So is this all???? 
No have started on another piece and here is a sneak peek

 

And that's all ima gonna tell ya.

But so as you don't go away disappointed, played with some polymer clay a la Shipwreckdandy's faceted bead technique. I even made a very simple cane something I haven't done for 10 years.

Going into the local art gallery gift shop just in time for the 'grey nomad' winter migration north. 

Where Do I Start?

Where actually do I start???

After a 14 month hiatus this question has been rattling around in my brain.

OK I now have most things where I want them.

My metal corner desk is yet to be finished and clearly I need 3 chairs.

The seat on my venerable vintage office chair had succumbed to a long line of the unceremonious plonking of venerable vintage bottoms (mine included) and the front edge broke. So with a spray of paint, new seat and some fabric I found stashed away the old girl's good to go again.

Ya gotta smile with galloping geckos on you chair.

I could do more organising and design some more shelving. . . or 
perhaps move the drawers around or do some more research on Pinterest or . . . .

Do you detect a smidgen of procrastination happening? Yeah you're right.

I've looked at some Ufo's and for the life of me can't think where I was going with them. I've crooned 'my precious' over just about every bead, and component I possess but

Where Do I Start?

I decided it was better to sorta slide back into things, rather than a full frontal bull-in-a-china-shop attack. But to slide with what?

Had bought a few tutorials during my period of visual impairment so had a look at them and decided that the HEADPIN TUTORIAL from Fanciful Devices was a good place to start.

 Here's my setup. Bottle caps with Utee and mica powder, a scented candle with a bit of aluminium flyscreen for heat and the bonus of the delicious scent of vanilla wafting around. A container of iced water to set the utee quickly and various headpins. 

An hour or so later have lots of headpins. This is just a selection.
Top ones are on seed beads, then next ones that look like

ummmmmmmm ........ well they do!

are done on a little paddle headed pin like this that I got from Patina Queen on Etsy 

 The last ones are made with the same paddle headed pin with a tube bead. Like them ços they look like teeny weeny champagne bottles.

The bottle tops are really too shallow and I just found some olive oil lids, (cold pressed virgin of course) that are deeper and will be much better, plus will be able to add a widdle wire handle.

There, that wasn't so hard and it was fun. Now have some more ideas fluttering around that I will have to try.

 


 

My Poor Tools Take 2

As part of my cleaning regime I decided I had better check my two torches.

Upon lighting, the little BernzOmatiC belched flames from where the manufacturers had clearly not designed them to come from.
WOOAAAAH quick shutdown and no I'm not lighting it again to take a pic to show ya. I'd say that some of it's vital innards have died, probably of boredom.

With that experience in mind I had a good look at the Fireworks torch head and this is what I found.

The mud wasps, in their typical enterprising zeal had filled every available orifice with mud!

Dis-as-semble. Lots of poking screw drivers down the main bore and fine wires into the air feed holes and the torch now function properly.

I wonder what other surprises are in store for me? 

 

My Poor Neglected Tools

All the damp from last year's floods and the steady sifting down of dust, like the layers and layers falling slowly to the ocean floor have wrought havoc.
Rust.

Normally I love a rusty, crusty surface but, perhaps not so good on my tools.
Ok a date has been made.

Several hours later . . . much better!

Half a box of steel wool, most of the can of WD40 gone, and outa fine sand paper. Some anally retentive types even go on polishing so that the light *blings* off the surface. But I am not that enthusiastic.

The WD40 label assures me that I will no longer squeek, my parts will be loosened and so will my mechanisms. Bring it on! 

I also have . . .

Rough nails and rusted cuticles, very little nail polish, ingrained dirt, sore hands and almost no finger prints.

What, you thought I should have worn gloves?
What kinda namby-pamby sissy wears gloves?
My hands have earned all of the above, rather like my wrinkles, trophies to be worn with pride. 

Score!

Today I went to get the electric clutch on the car air conditioner replaced. (The thought of a un-air conditioned car is too much to bear)
While waiting for repair, perused some of the local second hand shops and there it was hiding under suitcases and other stuff. A little desk looking decidedly used with bonus drawers.

Cost? 5 bucks! You bewdey

A new top, which I will promptly ruin, a back board to hang tools, and all systems go.