Another Blog

Hi Everybody!

I woke up this morning to find a lovely email from Cindi who has the fun blog called Clay It Again. It's a super blog with lots of fun stuff. Cindi features different artists form the craft world... not just clay. This time *I* got the lucky spot! Oh boy! So, please go read Cindi's blog. I have to go get the link. I'm such a doof I thought I could keep this page open and go to my book mark page. Silly me. So, now I have to finish this THEN go get her link. I'll never learn. Sigh........... But, when I come back, Cindi's link will be over there>>>>>>> under Polymer Clay Friends. :D

Wine And Garlic

Or, as my friend Pat calls it... Garlic and Vin. Hmmm, I seem to have lots of friends who love wine and garlic. Ok, I got sidetracked... wow, something new. :(

So, tonight we are going to our friend's home for dindin. They are lovely people and lots of fun. They also have this terrific... chandelier? light? hanging thing that gives off luminous rays. It is in a recessed portion of their ceiling. They call it, "The Garlic" . Why? you might ask? Well, they call it that because it looks like a giant mutated garlic! Really. It looks like 3 heads/bulbs of garlic hanging from their ceiling. It's a scream. It is also HUGE!

This appears to be a giant change of subject but it all ties in. I promise. :) I ordered some cool goodies from Boston Clay Works. Great place! One of the things I ordered were some wine stoppers. So, they came and I couldn't wait to clay them. I did this and one came out looking exactly like The Garlic! YeeHAH! What a perfect Hostess Present, no? I just can't wait to present The Garlic for The Garlic. They will laugh and we will enjoy it whilst we imbibe our "fruit of the vine". See? Wine and vin! The only problem I see is this: just exactly WHO has left over wine? And, more importantly, WHY? :D

The orange stopper is the one that looks like The Garlic... even though their light is ...well... garlic colored.

More Kitty Pictures and Fun Stuff From Friends

Our kitties are just so cute. I don't know how they do it... they just keep being cute. So, here are pictures I took today. And some cool stuff from Chris, in Scotland and Gilly, in Australia. Isn't the internet great? :D Chris made this really cool "Ocean" pendant. It had a hole which I made bigger. I just happened to have this beautiful crystal rhinestone and some resin. As Chris would say... "Et voila!" Came out super, didn't it? And funny how that silk ribbon was the perfect color! Hee. I just know Chris wants it back now. NOOOOO!!!! :D

Then Gilly, in Australia, sent me this cool Aussie Opal pendant. I love this! It didn't have any way to hang it, though. So I took some black Art Wire and wrapped it so I could wear it. A little wire, a little Fimo gloss.... perfect! Thanks, Mate! :D

And the raspberry heart I made from the resin that was left over from those big hoops in another post here. I embellished it with wire wrapping and fun beads and I love how it came out!

Customer Service or Not

Ok, Today I asked my friend Chris about soldering. She sent me a site that had some good information. Well, I read the stuff but still didn't know if what I wanted was actually do-able. So, I emailed then and asked. Then I asked what they had that I could buy if what I wanted to do was workable.

I get this response from a nice woman who tells me, 'Well, I don't know anything about soldering but the person who does know is so-and-so but she's at lunch. Why don't you call her?" Then proceeds to give me the estimated time of Lunch Lady's return. And, if that doesn't work then I can call Customer Service. And..."I hope this helps". Really? HELP? She's kidding, right? How can this possible be of HELP?

If she were my employee she'd be in the unemployment line tomorrow. Maybe I'm missing something but isn't the whole idea of Customer Service to HELP customers? Telling them you don't know and to call when Lunch Lady gets back is NOT remotely helpful. Does this person not know how to forward an email to Lunch Lady so SHE can answer my questions? NOOOO! *I* Have to figure out the time difference and call them. Seeing as I most likely will NOT be calling them, do any of you have the answer?

I was thinking I could get a small soldering iron so I could touch the joins of jump rings. Is this something I can do? I know I can buy soldered closed jumps but... can I do it myself? If so, what do I need? Anyone know? Do you know without calling Lunch Lady?
:D

Cutest Kitties In The World.

We bought this soft soft baby blankie for Allie. Is she just too cute for words? :D

Buffalo Blizzard

Ok, you can take the girl out of Buffalo but you apparently can't take the Buffalo out of the girl. :( I was trying to make this "Snowflake Jade" cane that I saw in a magazine. Hers looked like snowflakes. Mine looks like a blizzard. After lamenting my deplorable cane making ability I decided that I really like my blizzard. It looks like blizzard candy or something. Whaddaya think, snow lovers? :D

My Leaf

I found this wonderful book by a terrific designed named Irina Miech. Fabulous book! Here is what I made from her book. She used PMC but I used regular clay. I am SOO happy with this! What do you think?

Resin Fun

Well, I finally got into my resin again. I mixed Perfect Pearls powder into it and this is what I got. I love this raspberry color. Then I got my new canes from Seana and made this orange and turquoise pendant. And these earrings. More resin goodies are calling me. :D

Roses and Other Fun Stuff

I had this left over clay that wanted to be messed with. :) Really. It was laying there yelling....DO something with me!!! So, I got out my Pinata inks and Chili Peppered it. Then I decided flowers would be good. I only had enough clay for 2 flowers. Now, do NOT ask me how these flowers got oak leaves for their leaves. Just seemed like the thing to do, yanno?

Then I made this necklace because I just love bright cheerful stuff. My clay pal Sue Castle made these canes. I love them!

And my clay pal Melissa in Alaska sent me some Alaska quarters for a friend of my sister's. Melissa has a mega good sense of humor, no? She cut out and colored all those little wine bottles and the glass. I died laughing when I got this card. D

Slap Chop Issues

Ok, who doesn't love Vince? He's so much fun. Sham Wows and Slap Chop. And a free Gratey. So, yesterday B and I went to the Home Show here. Well, they had made it into the Home Show, The Garden Show, The Solar Panelling Show, and The Miscellaneous Crafts Show. All in all, a weird conglomeration of people. Massage chairs and paving tiles. Go figure.

But, there were a zillion people there so it was fun. Doesn't everyone find it raucous good fun to get repeatedly run over by mothers with baby strollers who aren't paying one bit of attention because they are busy having a free sample from a bowl of glop that 4000 dirty fingers have already dipped into? Gross. Meanwhile, the kid in the stroller is gnawing on my knees.

Or waiting in line for an open toilet? Or being accosted by someone who desperately wants to sell you solar heating? And does NOT understand the word "condominium"? I had to fend off several overly enthusiastic people who were just dying to make sure I had roof top solar energy panels. The fact that we live in a condo did not stop them. Amazing. WHAT did they think I was going to say? SURE, Toots! Come on out and I will buy our entire condo building solar heating? WHAT color is THEIR sky, do you suppose? Jeez.

So, anyway, here we are strolling around looking at all the odd things on display. Solar panels, solar windows, solar garden lights, solar garage door openers, solar grass..... whereupon I decide I am thirsty and need water. Solar water. So, I toddle off to the solar water seller who sells me a small bottle of 79 cent water for $2.75! This is worse than a movie theater! It is so cold it practically cracks my teeth. No doubt they have a solar dentist hiding in the back room ready to leap out and fix my teeth with his solar instruments. So, I tip the nice old solar guy who sells me the water and venture back into the fray.

I am happy now. Thirst is quenched and I have gone 36 seconds without being solarly accosted. So, I round a corner and lo and behold! There is a not-Vince selling Slap Chops. So, I hustle on up and we discuss Vince for a while. He has the Vince Slap Chop ad running on a small TV. Now... the kid selling these things is about 23 years old and tells me... Vince has so much energy! I'm thinking... how does a 23 year old not have energy? Anyway, we go back and forth and manage to draw a crowd. All are having fun. I decide I MUST have a Slap Chop.

When we get home my Hunnibunni says... look... it doesn't say Slap Chop. Oh no! It says... Smart Chop. And my cute little Gratey? It says Cheese Mill. Blood is shooting out of my eyes, to quote a TV pal. So, I thinks... it is the same color, works exactly the same, has all the same features, blade shape, etc. It must be the same thing under a different name. Just like Sham Wows sell in our hardware store under a different name. Ok, that's fine.

So... we stop at the grocery store so I can get chop-able things. We go home.

I get out my "baby carrots". I am going to slap chop those little suckers into oblivion. I put three of them under the plastic thingy and go to town. WAIT! My carrots have disappeared! WHAT is going on? Where are my carrots? I pick the fake Slap Chop up and find that all my carrots are stuck in the wavy blade. We are NOT amused. So, I gingerly pick them out so I don't slice off any fingers. Ok, that's good. I try again. They keep getting caught. Then, after numerous tries, I finally get some highly irregularly chopped carrots but about 13% are stuck on the plastic thingy.

So, I says, Self... just use your finger and wipe them out of there. Ok. No problem. It's merely a plastic circular thing. So, I do that. Like you were getting frosting from a bowl, right? Hah.

All of a sudden I have this awful pain! I am now bleeding onto my carrots. Oh boy. There is a nasty plastic protrusion. A SHARP nasty plastic protrusion which rips my finger open. Good thing carrots are washable, yanno?

So, my fun Slap Chop experiment turned into the Slap Chop Fake Out From Hell. We are SOOOO not amused. I am writing to Vince. And I'm not going NEAR the fake Gratey. :(

Fake Out Angel Kitties

Now just look at these two. Can't you just SEE their little halos shining and angel wings flapping? You'd never believe that Ipo (the tabby) is also called Destructo Kitty, would you? Allie, the black and white, is just as adorable as she looks. I saw them snoozing away so peacefully and just HAD to show them to you. You've all read the Tales of Ipo. This is her at her best. :D

Dragons and Other Stuff

Well, I just love dragons. So, upon occasion, I make them. Here is one I made a while ago but still love. Cutest little face you ever saw! And here is a cool set I made with polymer clay and brass. And then... here is this blue and yellow. Did you ever have this idea that you would make this particular thing? So... you toddle off and make it. I did this with this (now) pendant. I love texture, I love yellow and I love big jewelry. Ok, I think... I will make a really cool big fat focal for a bracelet.

I does. I makes this focal. 2 holes and everything. I used really pretty PearlEx and 2 textures. I'm happy. So, I Spend days wire wrapping the sucker. It is all done and I have the best bracelet ever. Sure. The flipping wire it too soft. (notice how it is the WIRE'S fault?) So, I have this great bracelet that I can't wear. Sigh..... what good is this, she asks? None. :(

So, I Put the focal aside thinking one day I will find just the right beads. Barring that, I will make just the right beads. One fine day I am perusing the Pure Beads site. And what do I see? Blue beads with a metallic yellow coating. Yay! They should be perfect! I run off and email Caleb to order. The beads come and guess what? They match! OMG. Does life get any better? So, here is the end result. :D As always... the real thing is way prettier than the photograph!

My Talented Niece

I have the world's most talented niece! Really. No, I am not prejudiced! Well, ok... a teensy bit. But... go check this out... www.colscreations.blogspt.com. This bracelet is the very first thing she's ever done in polymer clay! I am astounded! Not only did she make a really cool cuff but took old icky scrap clay and painted it to make it wearable! Heh, heh. Clayers of the world!!! We have a new addict! Hooray! You did great, Col!

Fixing The Watch

Ok, here is the new version of the watch. I could NOT fasten it by myself. Poor Brian had to do it for me. He said I should put a note on my Etsy and Art Fire that said... "Gentleman Not Included" so people would know they had to get their own help to fasten it. :D So, I changed it to a stretchy bracelet type. Now I can put my own watch on!

And here is my faux pearl necklace. It took me hours of brain damage to figure out how to do this. I am happy with it. :D

Polymer Clay Smooshers

Is this a cool name, or what? I just joined this guild and I'm all excited to get going on it. In honor of this new place, I have 2 fun things to show. Now, I gave up wearing watches when I left working downtown and became a massage therapist. But I saw this watch face on Fire Mountain and just had to have it.

And Chris, in Scotland, made these cool range flower beads. I love them and this pendant I made just happens to match perfectly. Serendipity!

Thinking About Escapades

Well, this past Memorial Day I was thinking about other Memorial Days which took me into the mists of time when I was young and stupid. :) My then husband and I went on a camping trip. THAT'S how young and stupid we were. I mean... we willingly went out and slept with the mosquitos and ate gruesome crap out of rusty old iron frying pans. It's a wonder I'm not dead. Luckily, I have grown out of that and now think camping is any time I have to sleep at a resort. Yanno? The Grand Hyatt Wailea in Maui is my current idea of camping. Room service, bars, like that. :D

Anyway, here we were, camping in South Dakota. It was almost Memorial Day. Like 2 days before. So, we get to Wind Cave National Park and there is this sagging chain across the entry way. Now, this chain is about 2 feet off the ground. There is a sign that says the park will open on memorial Day. Well, that's in 2 days, I think, what could be the problem with just stepping over this chain and climbing to the top of the hill? This very big hill. It's a beautiful day and there's no one around so over the chain I goes. I am SUCH a moron.

I happily climb to the top of the hill. As I crest the hill I find that I am staring into this HUGE red eyeball. Oiks. On the other side of the crest is this giant lumbering bison. He is about 1000 pounds of shaggy, shedding-my-winter-coat, red eyed, wide horned brute. He is chomping on new grass and is NOT pleased to see young stupidity wandering into his meal. Oops. He swings his 300 pound head my way. I am the proverbial frozen-in-the-headlights bipedal creature.

Naturally, in times of great peril one thinks the most ridiculous things. I immediately think about soothing music as this animal looks pretty savage to me. I start singing. "If I had a haaaammer....' BAD idea. The bison is NOT amused and shakes his gigantic furry head. This movement send large clumps of winter coat, which is lice infested and crawling with flies, into the atmosphere. Of course this is funny and I start to giggle. Mr. Bison is now most displeased with this 2 legged idiot. So, he snorts and takes a step in my general direction. Oh shit.

I start explaining that I just wanted to see what was at the top of the hill. Mr. Bison sends little buffalo thoughts that say, "ME! *I* am at the top of this hill and YOU are disturbing my lunch!" So, I keep talking and take a step backward down the hill. This, naturally, just about sends me rolling down the hill as the hill is very tall and very steep. Anyway, for each step backwards I took, the bison took another step forward. I don't know what to do as I am in serious doubt that the 2 foot sagging chain will keep out a rampaging bison hell bent on trampling a human.

Lucky for me the bison wanted to eat more than he wanted to chase me as when he got to the lip of the hill, he stopped and snorted. Then he let out a large bison growl just to let me know not to come back.

Now... what do the park rangers do anyway? They herd those things off to somewhere else in 2 days when the park opens or do you just get let in and take your chances? I never did find out. It took me about 40 years to recover.