CreativeCritters Blog

My second entry for the Smooshers Valentines Challenge

2012-01-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

My second entry for the Smooshers Valentines Challenge was certainly a challenge to create! I wasn't even sure exactly what I was creating until I neared the end of the project- LOL! I knew I want to create something around the words Love Birds, and that I wanted to include birds and hearts, but that was about all I knew at first. I started sculpting the red bird first, and was thinking of possibly creating a necklace, but by the time I had the first bird finished I felt that it would be too big for a necklace. I created a blue bird as the red bird's mate next.

I textured each feather and highlighted them with various Pearl Ex powders to add a gorgeous shimmer. I also attached acrylic crystals to the backs of the birds. Once they were baked I started rummaging through my odds and ends looking for something that would grab my eye and lead me in the direction this project wanted to go in. I happened to find a round mirror, and suddenly I knew exactly what I wanted to create with these birds. I saw a mirror wall hanging with the birds on either side and hearts at the top and bottom in my mind's eye. The next component I created was this three layer heart with a beaded dangle attached to the bottom.

Each heart was made from a different shade of red clay and the top one was dusted with Pearl Ex powders. I strung a blue and white porcelain bird bead between a pink and a blue glass flower bead, then added a clear glass heart bead with a swirl of blue color running through. I attached the polymer clay teardrop shape, which was highlighted with Pearl Ex powder, using a heart shaped jump ring.

I made several smaller hearts to adorn the top of the mirror as well. Then I sandwiched the mirror with blue polymer clay and added all the different elements. Here's how it turned out.

One of the things I love about these challenges is how they push me to try new things. For me, there are no rules when it comes to creating. I envision the finished piece, and then just figure out how to make that vision a reality. There were many times while I was creating this when I wasn't sure what my next step would be. So I relaxed myself, not forcing any ideas, and let my muses lead me. I found my porcelain bird beads, heart jump rings, and glass hearts just when I needed to. And each new thing I found in my stash was exactly the right piece to add. I don't know if other artists work like this, but I usually just go with the flow and see where it takes me. Whether it's my muse, my inner self, or just blind luck, I usually end up with a piece that I love. Thanks for spending a little time with me as I share my creations and my creative process!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Smooshers Blog Roll- Hearts

2012-01-19T10:49:00.000-08:00

Smoosher member Kris of Art Asylum, was kind enough to start up the Blog Roll again for the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild. The theme for this week is Hearts, which is just perfect, since most of us have been busy making plenty of Valentines themed items.
This meaningful sculpture from Amy Crawley reminds us that Hope Heals.

The word Hope is carved into the front of the heart, and the word Heals is carved into the back. The heart can even be removed from the hands and carried with you if you choose.

Of course I love this heart necklace from AverilPam- it's purple after all!

Not only do I like the fact that this heart is purple, but I love the effect of the crackled silver leaf on the pink clay.

This black heart flower necklace from Christina Kosinski Designs is very unique and striking.

I love the way the pretty flowers stand out against the black background.

And this heart necklace and earring set from Danas Jewelry Etc is so pretty and feminine!
I love the way she made white polymer clay resemble lace- it adds a dainty touch.

So these are just a few of the beautiful polymer clay hearts that can be found in the shops of the Smooshers! With Valentines Day only a few weeks away now is the perfect time to find a special gift for your Valentine!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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From the bottom of my heart

From the bottom of my heart- handmade collection from the Crafting for Animals guild

2012-01-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

The members of the Crafting For Animals guild love animals from the bottom of their heart, and do all they can to them a better life. To view an item simply click on the picture, and while you're there check out all the great things these talented artists have to offer!

Handmade Gifts

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Dragons in love- unique Valentines sculpture

2012-01-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

The theme for the Polymer Clay Smooshers Challenge is Valentines (appropriately enough) and I just finished my first entry. As always, I wanted to sculpt something different and unique. I toyed around with several ideas before an image of two dragons popped into my head. The boy dragon was offering a pretty heart to the girl dragon, who had a look of surprised delight on her face. Once I had the idea and a rough sketch I got started sculpting the dragons. First thing I needed to do was form the foil armatures for their bodies. I made the boy dragon's armature a bit bigger than the girl's.

Next I covered the foil with clay and added a tail.

I made a custom sparkling pink mix of clay for the girl dragon by combining sparkling red clay with a bit of pink and white clay (even my colors are one of a kind- LOL). For the boy dragon I mixed Cobalt blue with silver, which creates the most beautiful shimmery blue color. I took my time getting the colors just the way I wanted them because they help to define each dragon's personality. She's soft and sweet and feminine in pink, with a little sparkliness (yes, I know that's not a word-LOL!) to her personality. And he's strong and brave and confident- a knight in shining (blue) armor ;-)

I worked on these dragons one at a time, completing the girl first. The next step in her creation was to add a head and belly plates.

I used my own custom mix of purple clay to create her belly and impressed lines across it to resemble plates. Additional work will be done on her head and face, but I made sure to give her a big smile and a happy expression right from the start.

Next I added the arms and legs, posing the hands just so. This helps add to her expression of joy and surprise. I also added a spine of purple starting at her head and going all the way to the tip of her tail.

I used my fingernail tool to add the look of scales . The next step was adding a bit of bling to her spine. I used red, white, and purple beads and secured them with wire and liquid polymer clay. I also gave her beaded horns with a purple acrylic flower at the base. I had a bunch of bead caps mixed with the rest of my jewelry supplies, and the gold filigree cone shaped one looked prefect for adding to the tip of her tail.

Then all that was left was to dust her with purple Pearl Ex powder and add her wings.

I embedded a wire in the center of the wings to make them even stronger and attach them securely to the body. Then I carefully propped her and baked her.

Now on to the boy dragon. He started with the same basic shape then I added his head and belly plates, done in essentially the same way as the female, only in shimmery green. His hind legs were formed in the same way as the girl's, only slightly larger.

Next comes his green spine and his arms. The arms have to be carefully positioned and propped so they hold this pose. I prebaked the heart he'll be holding and glued an acrylic heart jewel to the center. Since the jewel is acrylic I didn't want to risk having it melt in the oven, so I glued it to his hands after the dragon was baked.

I textured him with the fingernail tool to give him scales too. Then I added blue and green beads down his spine and a matching bead cap to his tail. He has a single horn on his forehead made from blue glass beads.

His wings were made in two shades of green gold and also have a wire in them. They slightly larger and a little different from the girl's wings.

And now he's ready to be baked. Of course the dragons were only the beginning of this piece. I had to create a setting for this romantic little scene to occur in. For the base of the sculpture I covered a metal lid (I have no idea what happened to the box the lid came from) with green polymer clay and sculpted flowers in shades of pink and purple for each corner. In the center of the flowers is a purple acrylic flower bead topped with a yellow bead. I positioned the dragons and attached them to the base with liquid polymer clay. Next I stamped the words MY HEART IS YOURS into a rectangle of purple polymer clay and baked it. Once it was cool I painted the letters with red paint and sealed it with high gloss varnish. I positioned the plaque and sculpted tiny pink flowers growing all around it.

After baking the entire piece for one final time I glued the heart in the dragon's hands and glued colorful marble chips to the base. I covered the bottom of the base in green felt and signed and dated the piece.

Now how sweet is that? Love is in the air, even for fearsome dragons ;-)

Thanks for joining me on another creative adventure!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Peacock projects inspired by Christi Friesen

2012-01-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago i came across this tutorial from Christi Friesen on making a peacock necklace http://www.firemountaingems.com/galleryofdesigns/jewelry_design_gallery.asp?docid=940J&sact=search&kwsearch=christi+friesen. (Looks pretty impressive, doesn't it?) I also got her book Birds of a Feather shortly before Christmas. While I haven't sculpted too many birds, the necklace tutorial and the fun projects in her book inspired me to start trying my hand at them. The pictures of the peacocks were just so colorful and striking I decided to start with some peacock projects. My first peacock project was this colorful wall hanging.

The three little mirrors added the perfect amount of sparkle and shine to his tail feathers. I've had these mirrors for years now and was never quite sure what to do with them. This type of project is a great way to make use of all my beads and findings too. I've got a lot of really cool beads and vintage findings but not all of them match. Projects like this allow me to use single beads to add color, texture, and interest.
After working on this somewhat large project, I decided I wanted to make some peacocks that you could wear. So I created these colorful little peacock earrings.

I used tiny glass seed beads and tube beads to accent these fun post earrings. One of the things I love about Christi Friesen is that she always encourages you to take projects in your own direction and get creative with them. I have a tendency to wander off on my own path anyway (or maybe I'm just not good at following directions- LOL). It's all about having fun and creating something that will make you smile.
My newest, and most challenging peacock piece is this necklace.

I must admit, I love this necklace! I've never created anything quite like this before and I really only had a very vague idea of what I wanted to do when I started this project. Some elements of the necklace were inspired by leftover beads and findings. I had four red Swarovski beads left over from another project, and those inspire the flowers. And I always have fun with Pearl Ex powders- they add such beautiful iridescence to the clay. The teal blue Pearl Ex on the body and the bright blue Pearl Ex on the tail add the most gorgeous shimmer. I even created my own polymer clay beads by mixing the leftover clay from the flowers and the peacock. Then to make them even more interesting I added a band of mixed Pearl Ex powders around the center of the beads. To create this unique look I coated the beads with glaze, and while it was still wet (and the bead was on a skewer so it could roll), I rolled the beads through a dusting of mixed pearl Ex powders in shades of red, blue, and purple. Once the glaze was dry I added another coat of glaze to protect the powders. The effect is very unique and no two beads are quite the same.

I think I spent as much time choosing beads and designing the layout of the necklace as I did sculpting the focal peacock, flowers, and polymer clay beads. And it lays perfectly when you wear it too. This is the kind of necklace that makes people say "Wow! Where did you get that?!"
I had so much fun creating these pieces, I'm sure you'll be seeing more birds from me in the future!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing another creative adventure! =)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Video of Ginko kitten playing with Calcifer's catnip toy

2012-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

It didn't take long at all for Ginko to discover the joys of catnip (especially my very pungent organic catnip). Within a few hours of bringing my adorable new kitten home he found Calcifer's catnip sack and immediately began playing with it and rubbing his face all over it. It was so funny to watch! And Calcifer was so good about sharing his toy, although he made sure to keep a very close eye on his new little brother! Luckily I had the video camera handy and was able to capture the cuteness so I could share it with all of you ;-)

Thanks for watching! I hope you enjoyed the show! ;-)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Christmas Gifts I made this year

2011-12-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

I've been giving handmade gifts since I was a child, and it just wouldn't feel like Christmas if I wasn't sculpting sewing and knitting special creations for those I love. I had a blast making this sculpture, which I gave to my best friend.

And you can see that her son enjoyed all the plush toys I made for him ;-)

And since my mother in law collects Santa Clauses, I thought she might like this sculpture.

This cute kitty was for my cat loving cousin ;-)

And this kitty was sculpted for my friend Matt, another cat lover (I seem to know a lot of cat lovers- LOL).

I made this whimsical blue bunny in red overalls for my uncle, who spent the spring and summer trying to keep bunnies out of his garden. It gave both of us good laugh =D

And this one was for my dog loving uncle. It resembles his own dog and he really liked it.

I made this cool dragon ornament for my little brother, who enjoys fantasy and dragons as much as I do.

And last but certainly not least, I made this fun scene for my mom. I figured a dragon opening his presents on Christmas morning would give her a laugh ;-) The boxes are full of beads and findings that resemble gold, diamonds, and gems.

I had a great Christmas with my family and enjoyed watching their reactions to the fun presents I made. Giving truly is the best part of the holiday for me. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a Happy and healthy New Year!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Merry Christmas from CreativeCritters!

2011-12-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

Calcifer, Ginko, and I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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My new kitten

2011-12-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

Well I finally got a kitten! I've been wanting to adopt a kitten for some time now. Since Cedric passed away Calcifer has been very lonely, and the house just hasn't been the same without two cats running around. So I went up to PetSmart last weekend where they had the local shelters offering cats and kittens for adoption. Of course I saw lots of adorable kitties, but this little gray and white cutie really caught my eye.

We named him Ginko, after Ginko, the Mushi Master in the Japanese anime show, Mushi- Shi. At first he was pretty shy and skittish, but this is a very loving, cat friendly household. It didn't take Ginko long to realize that no one in this house was going to hurt him. This new kitten was a Christmas/ birthday present for Calcifer, and he certainly seems to approve! From the moment we brought the kitten home Calcifer has been keeping a watchful eye on him. I think he likes being a big brother, and he's so gentle and careful when they play.

Of course being a kitten, he's curious about everything and has thoroughly investigated every room in the house, including my craft room. I made sure to kitten proof the place, because I know they like to get into everything! Calcifer is only two years old, so it hasn't been too long since a kitten was roaming the house. I still have to watch him when I'm sculpting to make sure he doesn't steal my tools!

I think Ginko's taking inventory here ;-)

Of course I have plenty of toys that the cats CAN play with. Ginko has thrashed on all of them already- LOL! The first thing he found, within an hour of being in the house, was Calcifer's catnip sack. Ginko definitely likes catnip- he wrestled with that thing for about 20 minutes! Luckily Calcifer doesn't seem to mind sharing his catnip toys, pipe cleaners, and various balls with his little brother.

And the best gift for me? Seeing the two of them like this.

It didn't take Ginko long at all to warm up to his big brother. And how could anyone not love a creature as sweet as Calcifer? Ginko has a very healthy appetite (look how big he is at only 3 1/2 months old!), loves to play (with both Calcifer and me), and purrs like a motorboat when I pet him. And he does love getting petted! He stretches out as long as he can so I'll be sure to get every spot- LOL. He's still learning his boundaries (couches, chairs, and the bed are OK, dressers and tables aren't), but I can tell that he's smart, and it won't take him long to figure out where he's allowed and where he's not. And Calcifer will help teach him as well. That's another benefit to having two cats- the older one will help teach the younger one the rules (and what he can get away with).

And so I have two happy kitties once more, which of course makes me very happy as well. You can be sure I'll be sharing more about both Calcifer and Ginko! There will be pictures, blogs and videos filled with adorable felines- LOL! Thank you for helping me welcome the newest member of my furry family! =)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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How To Make a Teddy Bear Christmas Ornament in Polymer Clay

2011-12-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas, I finished my first full length video tutorial on sculpting a cute teddy bear ornament wearing a scarf and Santa hat. This is a fairly easy sculpture to make and only requires a small amount of polymer clay and a few basic tools.

This bear is also available in my shop, just click the picture to be taken to his listing.
Thanks for watching! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Dealing with Calcifer kitty's stress during the holidays

2011-12-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Stress affects everyone, especially at this time of year. Being a crafter at Christmas is a lot like being one of Santa's elves, and my own stress level inevitably ramps up during the holidays. And then there's the added social gatherings, people coming over, and other changes in the day to day routine. I recently put the house up for sale as well, which means I've spent a lot of time cleaning and packing things away. Plus my sweet old Cedric kitty passed away several weeks ago. So that all adds up to a lot of change, disruption, and stress, not only in my life, but in Calcifer's life. He's always been a very sensitive cat when it comes to picking up on my moods and feelings, so I'm not surprised that all of this affected him. Normally he's fairly calm and relaxed and not bothered by too much, but a few days ago he started acting strange. His skin would twitch, then he'd frantically wash his shoulder or paw for a few seconds, then he'd run fearfully across the room to hide behind or under something. I couldn't find any skin problems, fleas, or ear mites, so I did a little research online and learned that in all likelihood it's a condition called Feline hyperesthesia syndrom.
The symptoms include:

Rippling of the skin over the back
Muscle spasms and twitching
Twitching of the tail.
Cats may exhibit strange behaviors in response to touching such as tail chasing, biting at the tail, flank and sides, to the point of self-directed aggression. They run, jump, hallucinate, vocalize, and even turn around and hiss.

Some factors that can trigger anxiety include:

moving to a new home
a change your schedule
the addition or subtraction of a family member, including other animals
aggression among cats in the household
moving furniture around
seeing a new animal outside
boredom and frustration

Calcifer had only been acting strange for two days, but I didn't want it to get any worse, so I ordered the Feliway diffuser and spray. I didn't want to see my friendly, loving cat turn into a fearful anxious animal who couldn't relax! Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone, used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure, so I had a feeling this would help Calcifer. While I waited for the Feliway to arrive I did all I could to keep my kitty calm, happy, and engaged. I moved one of his scratching posts under the window in my workout room (one of his favorite places), played with him more, and tried to distract him when I would notice him starting to go into one of his "freak outs".
When the package got here I plugged the diffuser in right away. It didn't take long at all to notice the effect on Calcifer. He lounged on his newspapers without having to leap up and run away, he cuddled with me repeatedly throughout the day, which is normal for him, and as an added bonus he started sitting on my lap while I worked on the computer (that's where he's at right now). He's been more playful and much happier. He still has the occasional freak out, but now it only lasts a few seconds.

When his big brother Cedric was alive he loved rubbing his cheeks against just about any vertical surface, leaving his "happy kitty pheromones" all over the place. Calcifer loved smelling (and even biting and licking) the spots where Cedric rubbed. The thing is, he never could figure out how to rub against corners and things like that. He rubs his chin on horizontal objects, but I don't think it's quite the same effect. With Cedric no longer here to refresh those feel good pheromones, I think Calcifer is really missing out. Which is another reason I plan on getting a kitten for him just as soon as I can. He'll have a little friend to play with and keep him occupied, as well as rub against things the way most cats do when they're happy.
So that's what's been going on with me and my Calcifer kitty lately. I'm just thankful I was able to figure out the problem and find a solution that works. Just seeing Calcifer go back to his normal self has reduced my own stress dramatically.

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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A special necklace becomes a special Christmas gift

2011-12-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I made a new Christmas necklace from hand rolled polymer clay beads and some vintage beads and findings from Gramma's jewelry box. I made the clay beads using leftover red and white clay from some candy cane pens (which can be found in my shop). The teardrop shaped pendant was also sculpted from this red and white mix. I wanted something special for the center of the pendant so I dug through some of the vintage jewelry Gramma had given me before she passed away. Gramma was pretty rough on her jewelry, so many of her earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets were broken. Those broken bits and pieces still work for my purposes though. I managed to find a broken earring with sparkling imitation diamonds that made the perfect centerpiece for the pendant.

The tiny green glass seed beads around the outside of the pendant are from Gramma's bead stash, as are the hollow silver beads, the green acrylic beads, and the white iridescent disc beads. Before her arthritis got too bad Gramma enjoyed beading ornaments, among other crafty things. This pretty holiday necklace is a combination of my handmade beads and Gramma's vintage beads- there's a lot of love and a lot of history in this necklace.
Over the holidays my best friend came for a visit, and as always, she checked out all the new things I had made since she last saw me. She really liked this necklace, and when I told her about Gramma's contribution she liked it even more. She decided it would make a very special gift for her mom, and to make it more special she decided to have her son give it to her for Christmas. That way it would be from one Gramma to another. I'm really glad this special necklace is going to become such a special Christmas gift!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Free Shipping for Thanksgiving and Black Friday from CreativeCritters

2011-11-23T20:53:00.000-08:00

As my way of thanking you for shopping handmade at CreativeCritters this holiday season I'm offering free shipping to the US on Thanksgiving and Black Friday (November 24th and 25th) on select items. The coupon code HandmadeHoliday saves you an additional 25% off your order.
You can find great deals on handmade items like this cute polymer clay elf sculpture

And this necklace and earring set featuring pink polymer clay roses would certainly make a lovely gift!

This pretty little polymer clay covered tin accented with iridescent beads is a wonderful place to hide tiny treasures.

And you can even find something special for your cat without paying tons of money. My catnip toys are very durable and are stuffed with my own organic catnip, which cats just adore!

All the items with free shipping will have an orange tag across the bottom corner which says "Free Ship", making them easy to spot.
So after you've had your fill of turkey and pumpkin pie, kick back, relax, and do a little Christmas shopping at CreativeCritters! Thanks for stopping by! =)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Check out my new Christmas/ Winter category!

2011-11-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

Recently I added a new Christmas/ Winter category to CreativeCritters and filled it with cute handmade dolls and stuffed animals, whimsical jewelry, unique ornaments, warm knit hats and scarves, holiday sculptures, and home decor that looks great all winter long. This is where you can find all my Christmas themed items in one spot.
Kirsten here is one of my favorite dolls. I was inspired to create her when I found just a little bit of green fabric with teddy bears dancing all over it. I imagined the sweet doll that would wear this cute teddy bear dress and created Kirsten. As with all my dolls, Kirsten is a one of a kind creation.

I've also got several adorable and unique pins available. Many of these pins were inspired by an aunt with a great sense of humor. She always wore fun pins and I started making unique pins for her as Christmas gifts. I had so much fun making different whimsical pins, I had to start adding them to my shop!

And of course I've got to have handmade Christmas ornaments! Some are sculptural, like this Singing Cat, wearing a hand knit hat and scarf

and others incorporate glass and polymer clay beads like this set.

And I've always got sculptures!

This is just a small example of what you'll find in my Christmas/ Winter category- there's plenty more where these came from! Better yet, until November 30th you can get 25% off your order when you use coupon code HandmadeHoliday! So stop on by and save on unique and delightful handmade gifts for Christmas!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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12 Days of Savings at CreativeCritters

2011-11-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again- time for holiday sales! While many stores will be having Black Friday sales, and online sites will be having Cyber Monday sales, CreativeCritters will be having 12 whole days of savings! From November 19th through November 30th receive 25% off your order total when you use coupon code HandmadeHoliday at checkout. My shop is filled with handmade polymer clay sculptures and miniatures, jewelry, stuffed animals and dolls, catnip toys, and more. Find unique handcrafted gifts for everyone on your Christmas list!

SAVE 25% Off Select Studio Items

Use Coupon Code:

'HANDMADEHOLIDAY'

during checkout.

Handmade Wedding

Thanks for stopping by, and have a happy Handmade Holiday!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Collection of cute handmade cats

2011-11-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

If you know me at all, you know I love cats! So I was just thrilled to see that my orange cat earrings were included in this cute collection of cats curated by Blue Shed Crafts! To view the listing for any of the items in the collection simply click on the picture.

Cats, Cats, Cats!

Curated By: BlueShedCrafts

Vintage Fashion

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by! =)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Find Stocking Stuffers under $10.00 from CreativeCritters

2011-11-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

With many people thinking ahead to the upcoming holiday season, I thought I would showcase some of my items that would make great stocking stuffers at Christmas. All of these items are US $10.00 or less.
You can find a variety of affordable earrings made from polymer clay and different beads and findings.

I also offer fun magnets and pretty pins that are sure to make you smile!

You can even find cute miniature sculptures for under US $10.00!

And I didn't forget out Kitty either! I have a large selection of catnip toys, along with bags of my dried organic catnip.

Just click on the pictures to go directly to the listing. I'm adding new pieces often, and I'm more than willing to create special orders, so be sure to check back regularly! Shop Handmade for the Holidays and get gifts that will be treasured for years to come! Thanks for stopping by!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Animals inspire the artwork of CreativeCritters

2011-11-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

A quick browse through my studio will be enough to tell you that I love animals. My Maine Coone, Calcifer was kind enough to pose as my avatar. And although they've both passed away, my cats Ozzy and Cedric inspired many of my creations and were the original testers of my catnip toys. Calcifer has since taken up the role as Catnip Product Tester. The picture above shows my fluffy kitty after a hard day of work ;) I've had pets ever since I was a young child, and simply can't imagine life without animals. I've shared my heart and my home with everything from dogs and cats to ferrets, turtles, bunnies, and more.
It wasn't until I got Katherine Dewey's "Creating Lifelike Animals in Polymer Clay" that I felt I could sculpt a truly realistic animal though. You'll find many animal sculptures in my studio that were created with guidance from that book.

I now am confident enough with my skills to sculpt many different types of animals, and have created several custom pet sculptures for customers. The sculpture below is Rudy, a Collie/ Irish Wolfhound mix. This sculpture became an integral part of Rudy's memorial.

I also enjoy creating whimsical and fantasy animals- I have several dragon sculptures, a unicorn, a griffin, and more available.

Animals have also found their way into my jewelry. I offer several one of a kind dragon necklaces and bunny rabbits and cats can be found in jewelry sets, earrings, and necklaces.

And then there are stuffed animals, which I never really grew out of. Once I learned how to sew and follow a pattern I made all sorts of stuffed animals, some to keep for myself and some to give as gifts. I love being able to make my own teddy bears and share their cuddliness with my customers!

When I (finally) figured out how to knit, and consequently found some books on knitting stuffed toys, I found a new avenue for my creativity. I'm now able to create my own sewing and knitting patterns, making many of my stuffed animals one of a kind original creations.

And I'm always adding more, so be sure to check back often! Thanks for looking!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Find CreativeCritters on Fiverr

2011-11-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered a site called Fiverr, where you can find a huge variety of items and services for sale, all for just $5.00. Since it was free to join I figured I'd list a few different items on there and see what happened. Within just a few days I had my first order! You can check out CreativeCritter on Fiverr to see everything I have to offer. I decided to start with a catnip mouse, which I will make in your choice of colors (or you can let me decide what color to make him). The pictures are just examples of what your finished creation will look like.

I also can sculpt a miniature cat that resembles your cat, or you can have me sculpt him in your choice of colors.

I can do the same for your dog.

I can also turn creations like this cat or owl into pendants, pins, or magnets- your choice!

So far everything I have listed here is customizable to some degree. Any of these would make thoughtful, personalized gifts that won't break the bank! And as always, they're all hand crafted by me. If you click on any of the pictures above you can read the full listing and get all the details about each piece. And anyone can feel free to contact me about any custom order they may have in mind, even if I don't have anything like it listed. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest creative adventures!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Remembering Cedric kitty

2011-10-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, my sweet 14 year old Cedric kitty was diagnosed with kidney disease a few months ago. He did pretty well with subcutaneous fluids for a while, but eventually even that wasn't enough. I knew that the time would come when I would have to make the very difficult decision to put him to sleep, but until this weekend he was still enjoying life and didn't seem to be in much pain. Friday night things changed though. I was in my craft room and I heard Cedric come upstairs. I was just about ready to get up and give him a drink of water, like I usually did about that time, when he let loose with this meow that was filled with pain. I'd never heard a meow like that from him before. Calcifer and I both raced over to him and I gently gathered him up and stroked his head. I looked deep into his eyes and asked "Is it time?" and he said yes. He said he was tired, and in pain, and didn't want to fight any more. And yes, I got all that from the look in his eyes. I didn't want to act prematurely, so I told my husband that if he wasn't any better by Sunday I'd make an appointment with the vet for Monday. Cedric steadily got worse as the weekend progressed. He wouldn't (or couldn't) eat, drink, or use the litterbox, and he was having trouble walking. But he didn't want to be alone. Normally Cedric was a pretty independent cat and had no problem spending time by himself. Now, though, he would struggle up the stairs trying to find me or my husband, rather than laying comfortably on the bed like normal. So I ended up carrying him up and down the stairs and making him cozy little nests of blankets where ever we were at. Poor Calicfer knew there was something very wrong with his big brother. Saturday night he curled up next to him on the bed and gave him a very gentle bath and warmed him up with his own body heat. There was such a look of gratitude in Cedric's eyes, it made me cry. He hadn't been able to bathe much on his own and he was normally a very clean cat.

Calcifer may be a rambunctious overgrown kitten, but he has a kindness and gentleness to him that touches my heart. When Cedric was upstairs with us I asked Calcifer to sit with him while I did the dishes. You can see him watching over his big brother here. As long as someone was near him, Cedric was able to relax and get a little rest.

Sunday night, when I went to take a shower, both cats followed me into the bathroom. That's not unusual for Calcifer, but Cedric never takes a shower with me. This time he sat on the rug right next to the tub and didn't even mind the sound of the shower. And Calcifer sat right next to him (until I was finished- then he wanted to jump in the tub and play in the water). Cedric just kept getting weaker, and I promised him that I would ease his suffering on Monday. He actually slept between my husband and I that night, something he hadn't done since he was a tiny kitten. I didn't sleep much- I kept gently petting him throughout the night, and checking to see of he was still breathing.

The next day I took him to the vet, something he normally hated. This time he didn't even have the strength to complain. The vet and her assistant were very kind and compassionate and understanding. I looked into Cedric's eyes as he slipped away, and I told him Ozzy and Ziggy and Frisky would be there to show him the way to the Rainbow Bridge, and there would be no more pain. He went peacefully, almost gratefully. It was hard to let go, but it would have been so much worse to allow him to suffer. I made this little video about him the other day.

He had a good, happy life, full of love and fun friends. I'm glad Calcifer had two years with Cedric. I wish it could have been longer, but Cedric helped shaped who Calcifer is, and the kind of big brother he will be. Cedric was one of those cats you just never have to yell at, because he never gets in trouble. His good behavior rubbed off on Calcifer (at least to some extent). Cedric was incredibly patient with Calcifer from the first moment they met, and they grew very close. Calcifer's been looking for Cedric for the last few days. Poor baby. How do you explain old age, disease, and death to a cat? I've been playing with him more to keep his mind occupied, and he's been even more cuddly than usual. We'll be adopting another kitten pretty soon. Calcifer really needs a friend, and it's just too quiet with only one cat around here. We'll provide a safe, loving home to another little kitty in need, and I think that's a pretty good way to honor Cedric's memory. He was a very special cat, and he'll never be forgotten.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Learn about the Close To Home Animal Rescue

2011-10-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm re-posting this from the Crafting For Animals blog. This article tells you a bit about the Close To Home Animal Rescue. From now until October 29th many members of the CFA guild (including me) are offering to donate 10% of the purchase price when customers use coupon code 10CTH-CFA at checkout. This is such a worthy cause, and I'm glad to help in any way I can!

CLOSE TO HOME ANIMAL RESCUE..................by Kathryn A. Gainard of A Dying Art Co.

Res.cue: verb \’res-(,)kyu\

Transitive verb:

To free from confinement, danger, or evil: save and deliver

A simple enough concept… to save and deliver from danger. Or at least, it should be. Upon getting to know some of the founders of the Close to Home Animal Rescue, I realize that it’s not as simple as it should be.

Founded in 2010 by Amy Quinlan, Katie Sojka, Rose Ann Hack & Krista Milford, the rescue was thrust into the almost debilitating surge of homeless animals in Northeast Ohio. The basis for the rescue is simple: an all foster, all volunteer network of people dedicated to saving the abused, neglected and abandoned animals of the area. And the name, Close to Home Animal Rescue, encompasses those ideals. Not only meaning that it works hard to help the local animal need, but also that their adoptable pets are “close to finding their forever home.”

They tirelessly work with the local pounds, trying to find foster houses for those pets on the short list to euthanasia. A sad and harrowing plight, as the need is far out-weighed by the amount of fosters and rescues.

They also offer a unique Senior to Senior program that allows senior citizens the chance to adopt older pets at a discounted rate. Many older pets wait so long to find a home and this really helps with that dilemma as seniors are more inclined to want a pet that’s more docile and easy to manage.

They fight an uphill battle, along with the other rescues across the world. It’s a silent struggle for the most part as animal abuse and neglect is still put on the backburner in most people’s minds. Luckily, they took some time out and answered some questions for me in the hopes we can educate even more people and share the perspective of a rescue worker.

What made you decide to start or be involved in a non-profit rescue shelter?

AQ: I wanted to see a rescue that represented all different types/breeds/sizes of dogs. It was clear that there were many breed-specific rescues. Also my hope was to have a rescue that had a place for senior dogs.

RH: After working as chief deputy dog warden in my county, I felt the need to keep my sanity by involving myself in the “happy ending” part of animal welfare.

KS: There can never be too many rescues. Right? It has been a lot of work and is still very rewarding at the same time.

What do you think is the major issue facing shelters and rescues?

AQ: The lack of laws. Even if we had enough space or funds, without mandatory spay/neuter and without stricter abuse penalties there are too many waiting to come in.

RH: Wow! So many issues… it’s not just rescues and shelters. There are major issues throughout the legal system (lack of laws, lenient laws, no basic guidelines pertaining to rescues/shelters,) ignorance from the public (regarding spay/neutering… and simply ignorance in general.) Rescues and shelters not working together by allowing personal issues to take precedent over animal welfare…

KS: Overcrowding! More spaying and neutering must take place.

What is a major misconception about rescues and shelters that you feel hinders what you can or should be able to do and get accomplished?

AQ: Definitely that the general public does not realize that vets do not “donate their time.” They charge rescue organizations anywhere from 10% to 30% off depending upon the service but that is still a great deal of money when you couple it with our gas, food, monthly flea and heartworm preventative. Breaking even is the best you can for with 80% of your dogs and that barely helps with our senior to senior program or the injured and sick.

RH: One misconception is that the rescue will take any and all animals in need. If we only had the resources to do just that!

KS: Some people think they should just get a dog for free. Adoption fees are “too high” for a fully vetted animal. I’m not sure if they think the vets take care of the animals at no charge.

Do you think awareness is becoming more prevalent or is ignorance still bliss when it comes to animal abuse and rights?

AQ: I definitely feel awareness winning on this one. It seems our generation in the ages of 30-50 are much much more aware and the older crowd is more difficult and/or slow to come around. I see more and more families becoming involved teaching their children compassion!

RH: It seems to me that awareness is more prevalent simply because I surround myself with a population that feels the same way I do concerning animal abuse and rights. However, when I (painstakingly) wander outside of my group of friends I find that people are more comfortable with the “ignorance is bliss” theory. They would much rather believe that someone else is fixing the problem then face the fact that these things are occurring, in many instances, right in their own backyard.

KS: Both! Some want to know and learn, while others don’t want to know the truth of what is happening out there.

Lastly, if you could impress one thing upon the populace about animal rights, abuse and welfare, what would it be?

AQ: Nothing is going to change until the laws do. You can be a part of the change. You should be a part of the change. If we can stop animal abuse we have a great chance of stopping abuse of spouses, children and all living things. Many studies show that animals are the first to be “tortured” and individuals escalate such behavior eventually to humans. If it is not enough to you that animals are being abused then take it a step further and think about your Mom, Dad, son, wife, or brother…

RH: I would impress the fact that people should treat their pets as they would their children… unfortunately, for many children and pets that is exactly how they treat them. I have witnessed first-hand that we live in a very sad society.

KS: Not to turn a blind eye. Don’t think that if you can’t foster you can’t help an animal in need. Educating the public is helping an animal. Doing what you can in a way that you can is better than nothing. The innocent need you in whatever capacity you can.

To learn more about Close to Home Animal Rescue or to find your next fur-baby visit www.cthar.org.

Article written by Kate of ADyingArtCo. on ArtFire where you can find many of Kate's creative projects for people and pets, as well as at her website: ADyingArtCompanyLtd.com. Kate is a very active volunteer with the Crafting for Animals Guild and uses her talents generously to help the guild in every way she possibly can.

Kate is one of many members participating in the coupon week now (from 10/23 through 10/29) to help raise funds for the Close to Home Animal Rescue, the spotlight charity for CFA Guild during October in honor of National Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month. Read all about the promotion HERE or the box below, and get the coupon code so you can shop with Kate and the other guild artisans during this week.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Can't live without Tacky glue for my clay projects!

2011-10-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to use when creating my clay sculptures is Tacky glue. I use it on baked and unbaked polymer clay and it stays somewhat flexible even after it dries. For pieces like my miniature house sculptures I bake the walls, then arrange them on a base of unbaked clay, securing the edges with Tacky glue. Next I cover the walls with a thin layer of the glue and let it dry. When I add the next layer of clay (which will be the outer layer of the house) around the walls the dried glue, which is still slightly tacky helps the unbaked clay stick much better. I also find it very useful when it comes to attaching all the vines and tiny flowers to the house, as well as the shingles. I use a fine tip attachment to draw a line of glue where I want my vines to go, then press the clay vines into the wet glue. After this dries the vine is securely attached to the house and I can add leaves and flowers, adding a bit of glue where I need to in order to secure the foliage. If i don't use the glue the vines rarely stick to the baked clay. I wouldn't be able to create these detailed little houses without Tacky glue. And you can bake the glue at 275 degrees without affecting it. I also use Tacky glue to coat my foil and wire armatures so the clay sticks to them better. I just have to be sure there are no air bubbles between the foil and the clay, otherwise I could end up with cracks or large bubbles of clay after it's baked. And when I cover glass or metal containers I "prime" them with a layer of glue as well. I get much better results this way.

With this dragon trinket box I coated the coffee container with glue, let it dry, glued it to the cardboard base, which was coated with glue, then added the clay to the box and the base. The foil dragon armatures were also coated with glue before I added clay and turned them into full fledged dragons ;-)

Nearly every project I create has at least a little Tacky glue involved at some point! ;-)

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My Glow in the Dark Witch Candle holder from beginning to end

2011-10-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

I just love Halloween and have had a vague idea for a Witch candle holder for some time. I figured I'd start with the cauldron and take it from there. I wrapped a glass votive holder with black polymer clay and created a rim along the top edge. Then I dusted the clay with purple Pearl Ex powder. I decorated the edge with a string of glass beads and cut out star shapes under the rim.

To create the flames I used red, orange, yellow, and glow in the dark clay, thinned and twisted to resemble flickering flames. The rocks were sculpted from swirled multi-colored clay. I sprinkled the base with green and copper embossing powder before I baked it.

Next I used a bottle and shaped wire to create an armature for the witch. I wrapped the top of the bottle (her torso) and the head and arm wires with floral tape to help the clay adhere to the bottle and the wire.

Then I added a layer of clay over the whole armature and began sculpting her face and hands. I mixed equal amounts of flesh colored and glow in the dark clay to create a flesh tone that glows brightly in the dark.

As you can see, she still glows just as brightly as she would if I had only used glow in the dark clay. This is the first time I tried mixing it with another color. In the future I'll have to try mixing GITD clay with other light colors and see what happens.

Here I've added some ragged looking robes to the witch and secured her to the base with liquid polymer clay. Her make up is chalk, which I rubbed on paper then applied to the face with a small brush. I also filled the star cut outs on the cauldron with a mix of glaze and glow in the dark powder.

Of course a witch has to have her Familiar. This is the beginning of the armature for her black cat. The wires have been secured in the foil core with glue.

I wrapped the armature with floral tape to further secure the wires in the clay and provide a good surface for the clay. I made sure the cat would fit properly next to the witch. I posed him so that he would appear to be up on his hind legs, looking into the cauldron.

And this is how they looked right before going into the oven for the final bake. The cat has his front paws on the rim of the cauldron and I added liquid polymer clay to the bottom of his feet and tail to secure him to the base and the cauldron. I textured his fur and used glow in the dark clay for his eyes.

I used a fuzzy type of yarn for the witch's hair, and added felt to the bottom of the base. Now this spooky sculpture is complete and listed in CreativeCritters! I included a vanilla scented votive candle as well.

And this is what it looks like in the dark. Pretty cool, huh?

It almost looks like the flames are actually flickering, and I love how brightly that glow in the dark powder makes the stars glow! This took a few weeks to complete, and is certainly a one of a kind creation. I tried some new things with this sculpture, and was pleasantly surprised with the results. Thanks for joining me on another creative journey! =)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Whimsical Fantasy Snail Sculptures from CreativeCritters

2011-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I was sorting through my stash of crafty things I've saved over the years and came across my collection of sea shells. Looking at the shells I had a flash of inspiration and saw them becoming colorful fantasy snails, complete with snail riders like dwarfs and fairies. The first thing I did (after thoroughly cleaning the shells) was to paint them with brightly colored metallic paints. I altered their shape slightly with addition of some polymer clay, which I painted to match the rest of the shell. Even I can't tell where the shell ends and the polymer clay begins. I added some fun stripes and swirls, then began sculpting the body and head. Since these are fantasy creatures, anything goes. For this snail I used blue glass beads for eyes and gave him spiky lashes. He's got a cute smile on his face and his little tongue is poking out just a bit.

To be sure the eye stalks were strong and wouldn't bend or break I sculpted them around wires which run from the eyes all the way down the neck. After the snail was sculpted and baked I gave him two coats of high gloss glaze for a nice wet look. This snail has a dwarf rider who looks likes he's having the time of his life. What could be more fun than riding a snail through the forest at breakneck speed? LOL

My next snail is a pretty purple girl with beautiful eyelashes made from feathers. I used gold beads for her eyes and reinforced her eye stalks with wires as I did for the first snail. To achieve the speckled appearance I mixed white embossing powder with the purple clay. She carries a pretty flower fairy on her back. You can see they've been out collecting wild flowers from the meadow. The fairy even made her pet snail a garland of bright yellow flowers to wear around her neck. A girl always likes to look pretty you know!

These two are obviously have a wonderful day together!

As with many of my creations, these whimsical snails are one of a kind sculptures. I'm never quite sure what they'll look like until I'm finished sculpting. Their personalities develop as I'm shaping the clay. I still have plenty of sea shells left in my craft stash, so I plan on making more of these fun characters. Stay tuned to see what else I come up with! ;-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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A testament to the strength of polymer clay

2011-10-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this story my mom told me about a horse sculpture I gave her for Christmas a few years ago. She keeps the sculpture on the window sill by her bed. She says the weather was beautiful the other night:, windy, but cool (which is very welcome weather in Arizona!) so she had the window open to catch the breeze.

When she got up the next morning morning she looked on the window sill and noticed the sculpture wasn't there. She thought maybe the wind had blown it off the sill so she started looking on the floor for it. She moved all sorts of stuff, even the bed but still couldn't find the horse. Now she's really puzzled and can't figure out where the sculpture could possibly be. Then her neighbor comes knocking on her door. He's holding the horse and asks if it was hers. Apparently the wind had loosened the screen, blew the horse out the window, past Mother's front door, past her front window and lodged the sculpture in her neighbor's doorway! The really surprising thing was that it wasn't scratched, chipped or harmed in any way. Now THAT is a testament to the strength of polymer clay! Mother says she thinks the horse just wanted to experience life a little- LOL. She was amazed that it had survived it's little adventure without the least bit of damage, and very thankful it found it's way back home.
I knew polymer clay was strong (I've dropped my fair share of sculptures without breaking them), but I had no idea a sculpture could survive an adventure like that!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Orange inspirations from the Polymer Clay Smooshers

2011-10-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

This weeks Blog Ring topic is orange and it didn't take me long to find this adorable orange cat magnet from buttonwilloe. I love orange kitties, although I've only had one orange cat so far. His name was Ozric, named after the band Ozric Tentacles, and he was the sweetest little kitten. He got sick while he was still very young, and crossed the Rainbow Bridge far too soon. Every time I see an orange kitty I think of my sweet little Ozric :-)

And then I discovered this unique and beautiful orange and black fan necklace from TonjasTreasures. I love the colors and patterns on this striking piece of jewelry! You'll definitely turn heads when you wear this beautiful necklace!

And speaking of really unique and beautiful jewelry, this pendant necklace from SharpArtbyDawna certainly caught my eye! The crackled silver leaf pebbled inlay has red, orange and yellow alcohol inks applied under a thin layer of translucent clay. It's surrounded by turquoise clay and accented with a Swarovski crystal. I just love how these colors pop!

And finally, one of my favorites from PositivelyCharmingThings, these orange masquerade mask earrings are perfect for adding some "Wow" to your own jewelry creations. These would look great as earrings or as charms for a necklace or bracelet!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my orange inspirations ;-) Be sure to click on the pictures above to read more about these items and browse the shop while you're there!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Join me for a walk in the woods

2011-10-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

I love trekking through the woods in the Fall. The leaves are starting to change color, the mosquitoes have stopped eating me alive, and the mushrooms are starting to sprout all over. I've gotten into the habit of always taking my camera with me when I go wandering. I love taking pictures of all the different mushrooms, interesting plants, flowers, and trees, and any animals I come across. So I thought I'd share some of the cool things I found while wandering through the woods the other day.
These are a few of the more interesting mushrooms I came across. This is a great time of year to spot mushrooms growing under trees and in damp shady spots throughout the woods. I found more mushrooms this year than ever before, and even discovered a few varieties I've never seen before!

And while I was moving some branches aside to get a picture of this funky mushroom I discovered this handsome fellow curled up in a small tree about 3 feet off the ground.

How awesome is this?! I'm fairly certain it's a garter snake, and I'd say it was at least 1 1/2 to 2 feet long- a pretty good size for snakes in this area. It's actually kind of rare to see any snakes around here any more, unfortunately. Too much destruction of habitat along with pollution, added to the sad fact that many people feel they have to kill every snake they come across. I think these creatures are beautiful, and serve the very important role of keeping the rodent population in check. It was pretty cool outside when I discovered the snake, and he was pretty sluggish, so I was able to get some good pictures. Although I wanted to, and I probably could have, I didn't touch the snake or disturb him in any way. As the saying goes: "Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing behind but footprints". Don't disturb the natural balance. I did take the time to thank him for posing so nicely for me though ;-)

I hope you enjoyed sharing my walk in the woods!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Autumn Rain

2011-09-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

The theme for this week's Blog Roll, created by Polymer Clay Smooshers guild member Art Asylum, is Autumn Rain. And that theme is very appropriate! I'm sitting here listening to the Autumn rain patter on the roof right now ;-) This is what I think of as "Halloween-y weather". The leaves are starting to fall and crunch underfoot, the air has that crisp smell and is starting to become cooler. My favorite smell of Fall is the smell of woodsmoke: it takes me back to when I was a kid and we would have fires in the fire pit. My brothers and I would help gather fallen sticks from the woods surrounding our house, then we'd roast marshmallows over the fire. The dogs and sometimes the cats would hang out with us, and it was just such a happy and peaceful time. Sometimes on rainy Autumn nights when I was cozy and dry in my bedroom I'd be lucky enough to see the owl that hunted the woods around my house. He'd sit up in the big Oak tree next to my window. Fall was the best time to spot him, because the tree had lost most of it's leaves and he stood out clearly. This Owl Pendant from Art Fairly Aware reminds me of him ;-)

And I can't think of Fall without thinking of pumpkins. These pumpkin earrings from Blue Morning Expressions are probably the prettiest pumpkins I've seen!

One of my favorite things used to be sitting out on the dock in the lake and watching the rain fall in the water. Looking across the lake the trees that lined the opposite shore were wearing their beautiful Autumn colors. This Raku pendant from Danas Jewelry Etc. reminds me of the patterns the rain made on the water, which reflected the colors of the trees.

Yes, Fall is one of my favorite times of the year! So enjoy these rainy Autumn evenings and spend some time browsing the shops of these talented artists!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

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I'm the new Polymer Clay Smooshers guild master!

2011-09-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

And how awesome is that?! When I first found out that the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild on ArtFire had been deleted I was really upset. I've been a proud member of this guild for 3 years, and loved participating in the challenges, promoting other members, and sharing all sorts of things related to the medium I love. So what does a girl do when she's totally bummed out? Well she calls her mother, of course! My mother happens to know a lot (and that's putting it mildly) about the internet, marketing, building successful sites, and guilds. My younger brother is a very successful guild master for his World of Warcraft guild, so there's a good bit of experience in my family. Although I initially called just to have a shoulder to cry on, by the time I hung up the phone Mother had convinced me that I could and should become the new guild master and keep the Smooshers going. Luckily the previous guild master made me an admin for the Smooshers fan page on Facebook, as well as the Smooshers blog, and she didn't delete the Smooshers Flickr group. All are still active and all the links still work. Unfortunately the private forums on the zetaboards were gone, which meant I had to set up new forums on a different site. This actually turned out to be a good thing, because Mother helped me get the forums set up on invisionzone, the same site that hosts my brother's forum. This is a paid site (which I was more than happy to take care of), so there are a lot more options available than on the previous forums. The new forums are fairly easy to navigate, allow members to set up a profile with links back to their shop, and allow members to have a blog and post pics to the gallery if they choose. I spent about a week getting everything set up, learning the site, and testing things out. So far things seem to be going fairly smoothly and I'm just thrilled with the response I've gotten. I also dropped the activity requirements that were a part of the original guild. I want to give everyone a chance to participate at their own level. I know some members had left the guild because they simply didn't have the time to be as active as was required. Now those members can come back, and if they can only stop in to the forums occasionally, or only have time to share a post on FB here or there, that's just fine. Of course, the more active you are, the more exposure you get, but something is always better than nothing.
I am so excited about this and have a lot of ideas for making this guild better than ever! And with the help and support of the rest of the Smooshers, I think we can do anything!
And I want to thank ColtPixy for starting the Smooshers in the first place and building it into the amazing guild it is. Without her the guild never could have gone as far as it did. I also want to thank Haffina for stepping in and taking over as guild master when personal issues forced Coltpixy to step down. Both women are amazing artists and did so much for the guild, right from the very beginning. And a big thank you to all the members, past and present, whose contributions helped turn the Smooshers into one of the most popular and active guilds on ArtFire!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Help Support the Close to Home Animal Shelter with the CFA Guild

2011-09-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month and the Crafting For Animals guild on ArtFire is doing a month long promotion to highlight the Close to Home Animal Rescue shelter, and the desperate need for homes and funds for these poor animals. During the last week of October participating shops, CreativeCritters included, will be offering a coupon which will donate 10% of the purchase price to the Close To Home Animal Shelter. Guild members who are accepting this coupon will have this widget in their shop.

The Close To Home shelter is based in Ohio, bringing this promotion close to my own home (I live in Ohio myself). They're an all volunteer group that rescues and fosters cats and dogs, and specialize in hard to place animals. They try to save as many animals from euthanasia as they can from the pounds. Thinking of all those poor animals makes me want to cry. Which is why I'm more than happy to help out with this promotion, and spread the word about animals that need loving homes. Many of my own pets have been rescues, and the few that haven't would have ended up in shelters if I hadn't invited them into my own home. I really HAVE had dogs that followed me home (and was very lucky to have a mother who said, yes, I could keep them).

For complete details and a list of participating shops visit the Crafting For Animals blog. And don't forget to stop by some of these shops between October 23rd through October 29th and use coupon code 10CTH-CFA on your purchase. Thanks so much for helping support this shelter, and homeless pets like Cuddlebug here.

. Just look at that sweet face! How could you resist this loveable little dog? This poor animal has had a pretty rough life and she could use all the help she can get! Cuddlebug, and many others like her, are available for adoption now.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Nothing Gold Can Stay

2011-09-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this collection created by Blessed Earth Designs on ArtFire. It was inspired by one of my favorite poems from Robert Frost, "Nothing Gold Can Stay", which is part of the book The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton. I read the book as a young teenager and fell in love with the characters, and was completely drawn in to the story. I've read it many times since then, and it's just as good as the first time. This book inspired much of my writing as a teenager. Having my Lighted Pixie Tree House included in this collection is a true honor.

NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

but only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

~Robert Frost

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay Gold." ~Johnny Cade

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Curated By: blessedearthd...

Craft Supplies-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Polymer Clay Covered Jars from CreativeCritters

2011-09-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

My latest adventures in polymer clay involved finding a creative way to recycle glass baby food jars. And before anybody starts jumping to conclusions, no I do not have a new baby! I do however, have a cat who needs to take a pill every day. The vet prescribed L-Lysine tablets to help clear up Calcifer's clouded blind eye. I crush the pills and mix them with a little baby food and Calcifer thinks he's getting some gourmet treat ;-) I end up with one or two empty 2.5 ounce baby food jars each week though, and I can't stand the thought of just throwing them away. So I got creative with polymer clay and started decorating the jars and turning them into fun little stash jars. I got my fans on Facebook to help me out with ideas. They suggested things like dragonflies, lizards, and sunflowers. Here's the result of those suggestions.

The beads were a fun, sparkly addition to the polymer clay! And I had a lot of fun with Pearl Ex powders as well. This Fall Leaf jar was dusted with a mix of red, green, and gold Pearl Ex powders. I just love the effect the powders give!

And I just loved creating these Halloween jars! Of course they've got glow in the dark effects, which are practically mandatory for my Halloween items! Naturally I just had to create a Jack O Lantern jar, complete with glow in the dark ghost and a black cat.

And this is what it looks like in the dark.

Spooky, isn't it? ;-) Then I made this Halloween jar complete with more ghosts, black cats, and a spider!

I included glow in the dark dimensional paint along with the glow in the dark ghosts for this one.

Each of these little stash jars measures about 3 1/2 inches tall and would be perfect for storing beads or other small items. And not only do they make handy little containers, they're pretty enough to put on display! I'll continue to create these fun stash jars, since I'm sure I'll have plenty of baby food jars to recycle. And if you have any ideas for different types of jars just leave me a comment- I'd love to hear from you! -Michelle of CreativeCritters

My Mulberry tree and the animals it attracted

2011-09-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

The topic for the Polymer Clay Smooshers Blog Ring this week is Mulberry. First I thought of the color, then my own Mulberry tree popped into my thoughts. I saved that tree, you know. The birds must have planted it right next to the downspout on the house, and by the time I noticed it growing there it was about two feet tall. It was already getting cramped in that small space, and wouldn't have survived another year there. I had no idea what type of plant it was, but it looked healthy and pretty, so I transplanted it to the middle of the yard where it would have some room to grow. It was a fast grower and before long it became a good sized tree loaded with delicious mulberries. This is why I save plants- you never know what they might become!

The Owl Tree pendant from CatsWire

I wasn't the only one who enjoyed those sweet and juicy berries though. Birds of all types flocked to the tree to devour the fruit.

Loving Critters Holiday Tree from ClayCatShop

And the groundhog, squirrels, chipmunks, and other critters would gather underneath the tree to gobble up all the fallen berries. And the berries would rain down every time the birds would shake a branch!

Steampunk Bat Pendant from Desert Rubble

I even spotted bats flitting around the tree at night! I think they were attracted to the insects feeding on the berries. Bats eat lots of bugs (especially mosquitoes!) and they're always welcome in my yard!

Sadly my productive Mulberry tree got sick and died last year :( It's bark started peeling and all the leaves dried up and fell off. My animals friends were very upset that there were no berries this year, but I may plant them another tree next year. I miss seeing some of the different birds that were drawn to the tree, and i know my chipmunk family just loved those berries. My fat old groundhog even climbed the tree to get at the best ones (which was a really funny sight)! You wouldn't think those roly poly groundhogs would be able to climb trees very well. Even if i end up moving soon, I might plant a mulberry tree before I leave. A little gift to all the animals who have been my friends and neighbors in this house ;-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Entwined Vines- Jewelry and Fine Art by Tammy and Tina

2011-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

Entwined Vines on ArtFire.com offers beautiful and unique handcrafted jewelry. Tammy and Tina combine their creative skills and work with gemstones, hand torched lampwork glass, pearls and many other mediums. Their techniques are as varied as their mediums, including Viking Knit, wire work and wrapping, and simple designs. As jewelry designers, they focus more on the artistic side of things, rather than the latest trends. This provides shoppers is a chance to own a piece of wearable art which they are unlikely to see duplicated. As artisans they enjoy creating, as women they like the pretty jewelry; the two go hand in hand for a successful business. Their hope is that clients will find their studio and enjoy their creations for years to come. Entwined Vines can be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and http://entwinedvinesjewlery.blogspot.com/. Below is just a sample of some of the beautiful jewelry available from these talented ladies. Be sure to check out their shop to see everything they have to offer!

Obviously Tammy and Tina made the right decision when they chose to combine their talents and sell their work together!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Collection of Mystical Handmade Creations

2011-08-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this wonderful collection created by E-Soy-Candles. It's full of mystical handmade items from sculptures, to jewelry and buttons, to candle holders and art prints! I'm so happy to have my wizard sculpture included in this awesome collection! :-D

Mystical Things

Curated By: E-Soy-Candles

Hurry in and save on last minute Christm...

Fine Art Photography

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Nothing beats handmade soap!

2011-08-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Julie, of Julie's Treasures on ArtFire.com, has been making soap for more than 12 years. At first she only made it for herself, but for Christmas 2009 she made soaps and lip balms for presents. The rave reviews from friends and family were enough to make her decide to open a shop and start selling her wonderful soaps. She also makes sugar scrubs and bath salts, which have been quite popular. Some of her customers have said, "I love it, doesn't dry my skin like regular soap does", "WOW! This is better than what I pay $25.00 for", and "The perfume oil is wonderful". Julie says, "Making soap is fun. I try experimenting with color, fragrance, & embedding soap & it is a challenge but turns out pretty."
Below is just a sample of the beautiful soap and other bath and beauty products Julie has available for sale.

You can also follow Julie on Twitter . Be sure to check out all her wonderful natural products!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Fall is the perfect time to plant vegetables and herbs

2011-08-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Right about now is the perfect time to plant Fall crops, including those that will be harvested this fall and winter, as well as though planted in fall for an early Spring harvest.

Although there may not be much time left until the first frost, you can still get a good harvest of certain crops in the next month or two. You'll have to be sure your seedlings get plenty of water, and they may need some extra protection from the sun, but once the plants are established, they'll thrive in the cool Fall weather.
Johnny's Fall Planting Calculator is a handy tool to help you figure out the dates crops need to be planted outside without season extension products. By growing your plants under row covers, your planting dates can be later than the calculator advises. You can find different weights of row covers, from lightweight to heavy, that offer different levels of frost protection. Some covers protect down to 20 degrees!
Some plants you can start growing in the Fall include Basil, beets, Broccoli Raab, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, kale, endive, cilantro, onions, spinach, radishes, and Swiss Chard. I like to plant lettuce in the Spring and again in the Fall. All of these plants enjoy the cooler Fall temperatures and more regular rainfall. Planting in the Fall also helps make me feel better about the summer crops that are starting to \fade. I enjoy replacing those dried up and yellowing cucumber vines, summer squash plants, and other warm weather crops with bright green little seedlings that will fill the garden with color (and food) right up until the first frost, or even longer if you use row covers. Plus working in the garden is even more pleasant when it's a comfy 60- 65 degrees, versus the 85- 90 degrees of July! So get out there and get your hands dirty- you'll reap the rewards of your labor in no time!
Happy gardening! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters
Find my e-books on Smashwords and Amazon

My book What To Do With Extra Zucchini is now available!

2011-08-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to say that I am now a published author! My very first electronic book, What To Do With Extra Zucchini, is now available for sale on Smashwords and Amazon. I've been an avid gardener for many years now, and have grown LOTS of zucchini. In this book I share tips on how to plant and grow zucchini, tips for growing zucchini in small spaces, and include delicious recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts. I've also included some fun facts, along with helpful nutritional information, as well as some very creative uses for this prolific vegetable. I know that right about now gardens are starting to overflow with zucchini, and many people are searching for new and interesting ways to use it. It's my hope that this book will offer up a few new ideas you may not have thought of before.
If you want your zucchini to be all that they can be, from artistic design expressions to community zucchini racing and zukapaults, this is the book for you.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for new books!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Find me on Smashwords

Polymer Clay Smooshers Fall Challenge

2011-08-19T23:22:00.001-07:00

Because of the hot weather last month I was unable to sculpt an entry for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Beach themed Challenge. I love participating in the Smoosher's Challenges and really regretted being unable to sculpt for about a month. Polymer clay can get very sticky and difficult to sculpt when it gets too warm, plus I didn't want to add the heat of the oven to the already hot house. The weather has cooled off a bit in the last week or so, though, so I have been able to get back to sculpting. I had plenty of ideas for items I could create for the Fall themed Challenge, but eventually settled on a Fall Fairy Maple Leaf wall hanging. I've had an idea like this for quite some time, and this seemed like the perfect time to sculpt it.

The red, green, and gold Maple leaf measures 9" tall and 11" wide. I drew a template for the leaf on cardboard, then traced around the leaf on the clay using an exacto knife. I made the leaf even stronger by using wire for the leaf veins and covering them in clay. The fairy was sculpted from the same clay as the leaf and is meant to look like part of the leaf. The really fun part came when I started adding red, green, and gold Pearl Ex powders to the unbaked clay, then covered the entire leaf in Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel. This is the first time I've used the embossing enamel, although I do frequently use embossing powders in my work. Because the embossing enamel is crystal clear I was able to add a thick layer, adding to the depth of the piece. I baked the piece once, and liked the look so much I wanted to add another layer of color. So I dusted on more Pearl Ex powders, and another layer of embossing enamel, and baked the plaque again. This is definitely a one of a kind creation! And I think it's perfect for the Polymer Clay Smoosher's Fall Challenge. Autumn always seems to bring on a burst of creativity for me, and I have quite a few Fall themed items available in my shop. Over the next month or so I'll be adding a variety of new items inspired by the upcoming Fall season!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

How To Preserve Tomatoes in the Freezer

2011-08-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

In my neck of the woods the tomatoes are producing like mad right now. I have quite a few tomato plants in the garden, including Roma tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, a few types of red cherry tomatoes, and a few larger unknown varieties. With all the rain and warm temps we've had over the last few months the vines are absolutely loaded with fruit, and I pick a good sized basket full every day now. I've already used some of the larger tomatoes for chili and a chicken dish, and I munch on the cherry tomatoes like they're candy. I still end up with more tomatoes than I can use before they go bad though. I know many people like to can tomatoes, but the thought of adding even more heat to an already hot house isn't very appealing to me. Several years ago I discovered that you can preserve tomatoes very simply by freezing them. Just place your washed and dried tomatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet (I put a towel on my so the tomatoes don't get bruised) and put the sheet in the freezer. Use the best tomatoes you can for this. Try to avoid freezing tomatoes with bruises, spots, or other damage- use those fresh and just cut out the bad spots.

Let the tomatoes harden up for several hours until they're frozen solid. Then you can just store them in a freezer bag and pull out what you need as you need it. To thaw the tomatoes you can put them under running water. As the tomatoes thaw the skins slip off, which is very convenient. This works for any size or type of tomato. Don't try to put them in the bag before they're frozen because they'll probably get squashed and it will be a mess when you go to thaw them out. (Trust me, I'm speaking from experience- LOL). I usually end up with enough preserved tomatoes to get me through the winter and following spring. And when you freeze them at the peak of ripeness like this that delicious flavor (along with all those healthy nutrients) is preserved beautifully. I turn my tomatoes into pasta sauce, chili, tacos, and all sorts of delicious things. They blend beautifully with the garlic, onions, peppers, eggplant, and fresh herbs from my garden.
I just wanted to share this useful little tip for preserving tomatoes- it's saved me a lot of time and tomatoes!
Thanks for stopping by! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Leopold the Loom Knit Lion

2011-08-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today I want to introduce Leopold the Lion, one of many stuffed animals I knit using round looms. I created my own pattern for this cute lion as I went along, making him a one of a kind creation. I discovered loom knitting a few years ago and have had a lot of fun making a variety of stuffed creatures with the looms. Using the round looms makes the knitting go a lot faster, and I find it very relaxing. I plan on writing an e-book on how to make stuffed animals using round looms, and Leopold the Lion will be one of the projects in that book. Some of my loom knit critters available at CreativeCritters include this cute unicorn

this whimsical monkey

And of course Leopold the Lion

With some of my animals I use a combination of loom knit pieces and traditionally knit pieces, depending on the shapes I need. Figuring out how to turn a ball of yarn into an adorable animal with lots of personality is challenging and enjoyable for me. And I want to be able to share that enjoyment with others, which is why I decided to start working on a How To Make Loom Knit Animals e-book. My own book shelves are filled with How To books on all sorts of crafts, and now I'm ready to write some of own. I've honed my skills over the last several years and am ready to share what I've learned. So not only will you be able to purchase these cute stuffed animals from my shop, you'll be able to make your very own. These toys are wonderful for children, since they're very soft and cuddly, and just the right size for hugging. As always, be sure to keep your child's safety in mind when purchasing any toy. Some of my creations have eyes which are sewn on very securely, but very small children may still try to pull off.

Stay tuned for future updates on new stuffed animals and the progress of my e-book! Thanks for stopping by! :-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Composting Has Many Benefits and is Easy To Do

2011-08-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

There are many benefits to composting and just about anyone can do it. It's a great way to recycle kitchen scraps and yard debris, and keeps a lot of waste out of the landfills. You might be surprised at what can be safely composted. Everyday household items including cardboard tubes, newspaper, eggshells, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and leaves can be composted. Compost enriches the garden soil and provides essential nutrients to plants and eliminates the need for adding chemicals. Compost improves all types of soil, whether you have heavy clay like I do, or coarse sandy soil. In clay soil compost helps loosen up the soil and in sandy soil it helps the soil retain water better. Compost can even help prevent some soil borne diseases. Using compost in your garden reduces the need for additional fertilizers, pesticides, and extra water. I've been adding compost to my garden, which started out as hard packed clay with virtually no worms or insects, for the last 5 years and have seen an incredible improvement in the texture of the soil and the quality of the plants and vegetables. I now have a thriving earthworm population, and all sorts of other beneficial insects that call my garden home. Composting replicates nature's system for feeding plants by turning organic waste into rich hummus. Below is a basic recipe for making compost. With fall right around the corner, you'll be finding plenty of ingredients in your yard for compost.
Green plant matter includes: lawn clippings, old vegetable vines, weeds that haven't gone to seed, hedge clippings, vegetable and fruit skins and trimmings.
Dry plant matter includes: fallen leaves, straw, small twigs, cornstalks, and black and white newspaper.

To make your compost:
1. Combine your ingredients in a compost bin (I use a Compost Tumbler, which works well in the suburbs). You want your mixture to include both green and dry materials. To speed up the composting process you can chop or shred the materials and add compost inoculant (available from most organic gardening sites).
2. Moisten the pile with the hose, but don't saturate it. You want it evenly moist, but not sitting in water.
3. Turn the pile at least once a week. I usually turn mine every few days to keep everything well mixed. This allows air to move through the pile so the microbes get enough oxygen to break down the materials quickly.
4. Allow the compost to cook. You want the pile to get nice and hot (I've had mine up to about 120 degrees) in order to kill any pathogens and weed seeds. Check the pile regularly, especially during hot weather, and water as necessary to keep it moist. In about a month you can start checking for finished compost. When it's ready to be used in the garden it will be dark, moist, and crumbly. It won't smell rotten, but will actually have a sweet earthy odor.
Happy gardening! :-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

My kitties

2011-08-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

You know, I just realized that it's been a while since I blogged about my cats. I believe the last time was when I discovered that Cedric had kidney disease. The good news is that with subcutaneous fluids just a few times a week he's doing MUCH better. He's even felt good enough to play with Calcifer, which makes Calcifer a very happy cat!

Cedric has claimed the orange tennis ball as his, so of course Calcifer wants it. If Cedric likes something, it must be a good thing! Cedric's been enjoying his big red catnip toy too. He looks so funny laying on top of it, I can't help but laugh whenever I see him flattening it out ;-) I make him even happier by sprinkling it with fresh catnip.

Sometimes he'll even share with Calcifer. I am so glad these two get along so well. They never actually fight, although occasionally Cedric has to remind Calcifer that he's the dominant cat in this house. Usually that only happens when Calcifer's being really obnoxious and pestering the heck out of Cedric. Then Cedric just takes one front leg, wraps it around the younger cat's neck and shoulders, and in one swift move puts him on the ground. He doesn't hurt him at all, just reminds him who's the boss ;-)

Since Cedric got sick I've switched from feeding the cats primarily dry cat food to giving them canned food everyday. I still leave high quality dry food for them to snack on, but their main meal is the canned food (with lots of gravy). This works well for a few reasons. First, there's a lot more moisture in canned food, which helps keep both of them hydrated. Plus the canned food has a much stronger smell, which encourages Cedric to eat more. Sometimes if he doesn't seem interested I'll dip my finger in the gravy and put just a tiny bit on his nose. He smells it and licks it off, and usually decides it tastes pretty good and he'd like more. He's been eating about 1/2 to 3/4 of a can of Friskies a day, plus nibbling on the dry food. He's lost some weight, but that's not really a bad thing, since he was a bit overweight before. He looks really good now. And he seems happy- he's fairly active and his interest in everyday activities has returned. He watches the birds with Calcifer, bathes, plays, gives headbutts, and loves his cuddles. Words can't really convey how thankful I am to have my cat back, healthy and happy. I know the day will come when I have to say goodbye to my furry friend, but that day's not here yet. And Calcifer is thrilled that his brother is feeling better. He was very sad when Cedric first got sick ( and a sad kitty is just about the saddest thing in the world!), but now they can hang out together and just enjoy each others company.

These two are a huge part of my life- they're my furbabies. I know that all you other animal people out there understand that connection, and the joy that pets bring to our lives. I hope these pics make you smile too. I love being able to share these special creatures with you! =)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

How To Knit Using a Round Loom

2011-07-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Loom knitting is fun and easy. All sorts of things can be created using looms, including hats, sweaters, doll clothes, and stuffed animals. I made this How To video to show beginners how to use these looms. Different sized looms make different sized tubes. Many of the knit stuffed animals found in CreativeCritters were made using various sized knitting looms.

When I first got my looms I had a hard time finding a good tutorial on exactly how to use them, which is why I made this video. I hope it can help others learn this fun variation on knitting!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Get in on last minute deals on ArtFire with Christmas in July sales!

2011-07-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

There's only a few more days to get Christmas in July savings on handmade gifts from the talented artists on ArtFire.com. At CreativeCritters I'm offering 10% off all my items until the end of July. Check out the deals from some of these other shops as well!

Christmas in July Sales from the Polymer...

Craft Supplies

Get your shopping done from the comfort of your air conditioned home and avoid the crowds this holiday season!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Andrea Designs offers Scarves, Shawls, Jewelry, and more

2011-07-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

AndreaDesigns on Artfire.com creates beautiful and colorful capelets, jackets, needlefelted jewelry, scarves,a nd shawls. Andrea loves to knit and design scarves, ponchos, shawls, baby clothing, and more. Andrea is skilled in hand knitting, machine knitting,crocheting, needlefelting, sewing, and beading. She learned to knit in high school, and is also a knitting machine instructor. She taught herself needlefelting and loves this technique. She is also in the TKGA Master Hand Knitting Program. Andrea is also the guild master for the ArtFire Crazy Train, and does an amazing job promoting all the shops in this guild. You can find Andrea Designs online at http://andreawdesigns.blogspot.com/, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Designs/261799940252, http://twitter.com/#!/AndreaDesigns1, and http://www.youtube.com/user/AndreaWDesigns. Below are a few of my favorite items from her shop. Be sure to stop in and find a few favorites of your own!

She's even offering free shipping on all items until the end of July! Hurry in and save!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Blue Pink and Green- Handcrafted Jewelry

2011-07-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Abigale, of Blue Pink and Green, on ArtFire.com really enjoys beading and finds it very fun and exciting. She says, "I am really active and do not like to sit still. I always have to be doing something and beading keeps me occupied. Its really hard for me to sell a lot of my stuff because I love it so much, but I know I should sell it so I do not get too attached. My beading is in many different styles but most of it is very modern style, the style I like the best, and very pretty. I love to be outside so I get a lot of my inspiration from nature." Become a fan of Blue Pink and Green on Facebook, and check out her YouTube channel too.
Not only does she sell her handmade jewelry in her shop, but she also offers handcrafted beads, like this colorful set made from the Sunday comics. How cool is that?!

You can also find beautiful necklaces like this.

And I just love these purple and white earrings!

And this blue and green bracelet is very reasonably priced- beautiful and affordable!

And there's a lot more where these beauties come from! She's even offering free shipping when you use coupon code FREESHIP during checkout. Be sure to check out everything she has to offer!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Staying cool during the Dog Days of summer

2011-07-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

This week has been a hot one, and there's no doubt that we're well into the Dog Days of summer. You know those hot and humid days that just make you want to melt. Here in Ohio this week has officially qualified as a heat wave. We've had temperatures at or above 90, with plenty of humidity to raise the heat index near 100 or more. Like so many people, I do all I can to save money, and try to avoid running the air conditioner any more than absolutely necessary. To keep the house as cool as possible I keep the curtains (which have thermal backing) closed during the day to block out the hot sun. I also try to avoid adding any extra heat to the house, especially during the hottest part of the afternoon. Unfortunately I no longer have a grill, so I can't do my cooking outside, but I do try to cook as little as possible, and use my electric skillet rather than the stove or oven. The skillet uses less electricity and generates less heat than the oven. Not only am I concerned about excess heat in the house, but I don't want to use more electricity than necessary and add extra stress to the grid. When too many people are using a lot of electricity (think running the AC, cooking, pool filters, fans, etc.) you can get brown outs like we did yesterday. The system simply can't supply all the power that is being demanded and large areas can lose electricity. Ours was out for 4 hours yesterday. To keep cool the cats and I stay down in the basement (which is partially finished). I workout to exercise videos late in the evening downstairs, and if it's really hot that's when I'll turn the air conditioner on for a few hours. At that hour fewer people are using electricity and the AC is more efficient and doesn't put as much of a strain on the system.. I also avoid doing anything that will add heat to the house, such as washing dishes or clothes. I'll wash dishes at 1am, and sometimes even do my cooking (enough for at least a few days) then. I'm up at that hour anyway, so it's not that much of an inconvenience.

Of course the garden needs more water when it gets this hot. I'll use the soaker hose either very early in the morning or late in the evening to minimize evaporation. To conserve water the flowers get watered with rain water I save in buckets, or gray water from rinsing the dishes or the final rinse when I wash clothes. The vegetable garden gets a deep soaking about once a week, depending on how much rain we get. For me, conserving electricity and water has been a way of life for years. Do what you can to beat the heat and stay cool!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Recipe for Low Fat Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-07-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect recipe to cool you off in the hot summer temperatures. Better yet, it's low calorie, low fat, and satisfies sweet, crunchy, and chocolate cravings all at once. And the dark chocolate is full of good for you antioxidants. I got this recipe from Self.com.

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup light vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt), softened at room temperature
24 vanilla wafer cookies (1 1/2 inches in diameter)
1 oz dark (or bittersweet) chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), finely chopped
PREPARATION
1. Line a shallow storage container with waxed paper. Put a small scoop of ice cream (about 2 tsp) on a cookie; top with another cookie. Roll sandwich in chocolate so chips adhere to ice cream. Place in container. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 12 mini ice cream sandwiches. Cover container and place in the freezer to set for at least 30 minutes, or freeze for up to 1 week.
Nutrition facts:
220 calories for 3 sandwiches, 8 g fat (3 g saturated), 35 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein

What a great way to cool off! ;-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

The Custom Dog Sculpture is Complete!

2011-07-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been following my latest work in progress, you know that I've been working on Rudy the Irish Wolfhound/ Collie mix sculpture for quite some time now. At the end of my last post he was ready to be painted. Rudy has a very unique coat and it took many layers of paint to achieve the right look. After two months of work I'm happy to say that Rudy the dog sculpture is finally complete! He sits 7" tall and I protected the painted surface with matte glaze.

It wasn't easy getting the different colors to blend smoothly, but by using a combination of washes and dry brushing I achieved the right effect. The white blends into the tan, and the tan into the black gradually, with grayish white hairs showing through the black and tan fur. The painting alone took several days. I wanted to recreate Rudy the dog as close to the real thing as possible. Since this will be part of a memorial display it has very special meaning.

Rudy was a much loved member of the family with a great deal of personality and I tried very hard to capture that in polymer clay. He's been very carefully packed up and will head off to his new home tomorrow.
After spending so much time on this piece, I'm not exactly sure what I'll make next. It will almost seem strange not to be working on Rudy. I hope the customer will be as happy with the real thing as he was with pictures. Thanks for following this creative journey through to the end with me!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Lean Legs Workout from Shape

2011-07-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

This is the latest workout I'm loving from Shape. I've only done it a few times, but I can already see and feel a difference in my legs.

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Celebrate Christmas in July with Sales from the Smooshers!

2011-07-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Many of the Polymer Clay Smooshers have joined in the Christmas in July promotion going on right now on ArtFire. At CreativeCritters I'm offering 10% off every item in my shop for the entire month of July. I put together a collection featuring some wonderful items on sale from some of my fellow guild members. To see a list of all the Smoosher's shops participating in this sale, check out the list at the right side of the Smooshers Blog.

Handmade Jewelry

And this is only a very small sample of the wonderful artwork on sale from the Polymer Clay Smooshers. Be sure to browse the shops and find a few early Christmas gifts. Beat the holiday rush and save some money!
Have a very Merry Christmas in July!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

My garden

2011-07-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough spring for my vegetable garden, but those plants that survived the cold and wet weather are now thriving in the summer heat. My cucumbers are doing quite well, loaded with pretty yellow flowers and little baby cucumbers. I think this is the best year I've had so far for cucumbers. Most of the plants survived and are now producing vegetables.

Eggplants are slow growers, and only about half the plants I started with survived. The survivors are getting bigger now, and their flowers should start opening in the next few weeks. Even if this plant didn't produce a delicious vegetable it has beautiful purple flowers and large soft fuzzy leaves. Like many garden plants, you could grow it for looks alone. ;-)

I'm also starting to get tomatoes. As usual, once the temperature warmed up the tomato plants grew like crazy. For me there's no such thing as too many tomatoes. What I don't eat fresh off the vine I turn into tomato sauce which I use in recipes all year long. When I harvest more tomatoes than I can eat I wash them, place them on a baking tray, and stick them in the freezer until they're firm. Then I seal them in plastic bags to store. When I want to make sauce I thaw them out and the peels slip right off . I think it's the easiest way I've found of preserving tomatoes.

The Bell peppers are also growing nicely and will be getting flowers any day now. These seeds were mixed colors, so I could be harvesting, red, yellow, orange, and purple peppers soon. I don't care for hot peppers, but I do love a nice crisp sweet Bell pepper.

And this is the first baby zucchini of the season. I spotted a few more little ones today, and should have some yellow squash mixed in too. Most of those plants look pretty good and they all have lots of flowers. Zucchini and squash plants are usually pretty tough, and one plant can produce many vegetables. I've got all sorts of delicious recipes for zucchini, and I enjoy it fresh from the garden in a salad.

And I just harvest some of the garlic I planted early last fall. Like many bulbs, garlic divides and spreads: each of those little cloves can become an entirely new bulb of garlic. I started with just a few bulbs several years ago, and this is what I harvested the other day. And this isn't everything I planted either- I left some of the bulbs to grow larger, and may have another harvest again in the fall.

And I would have beans right now if the bunny hadn't eaten every single bean plant in the garden! But it's hard to stay mad at anything this cute.

So I just fixed the holes in the fence and had a stern talk with the little rascal about not eating my vegetables. The beans are actually getting leaves again, so I may get a small late season harvest.

This is always the time of the year when the results of all my hard work in the garden start to show. These fragile plants I started from tiny seeds are now big, strong, and vibrant. I'm still amazed that huge plants like tomatoes (mine will be taller than me soon) start from a tiny little seed. These resilient vegetables have battled harsh weather: rain, wind, hail, and frigid temperatures, insect attacks from bean beetles, cucumber beetles, slugs, and more, and animals stripping their leaves from the stems. And yet they continue to grow and most will produce nourishing vegetables until the first frost of fall. A garden is so much more than just some dirt and plants- it's a life and death struggle, sometimes on a microscopic scale. I can get lost in the beauty and magic of my garden. Thanks for stopping in and sharing some of that garden magic! ;-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

My entry for the Polymer Clay Smooshers Moods Challenge

2011-07-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

The theme for this months Challenge from the Polymer Clay Smooshers Guild is Moods. I had a lot of different ideas for this challenge, and I even thought I had settled on moody magnets. However, when I picked up the clay and started smooshing, my muse took me in another direction entirely. I ended up sculpting this whimsical purple elf holding a puppy wrapped in a blanket.

I call this sculpture Puppy Love, and I remember that mood so well! I was 18 when I got my first puppy (one that was truly MINE, not just a family dog). Randi was so sweet, and I used to cuddle with her in bed at night when she was a puppy so she wouldn't be lonely. Heck, even housebreaking her wasn't that bad. She learned quickly, and always wanted to please. Of course I had to add a little extra whimsy to the piece by making it an elf with his first puppy ;-) And during the entire month of July this sculpture, along with everything else in my shop, is marked 10% off for my Christmas in July sale. Thanks for stopping by my whimsical world of critters! ;-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Work in Progress- Rudy the Dog Gets His Fur

2011-07-04T12:21:00.001-07:00

This custom dog sculpture has been a bit complicated and is taking more time than I anticipated, but after some changes I'm happy with the progress up to this point. And even more importantly, the customer is happy with progress. When I last posted, this Irish Wolfhound/ Collie mix only needed some refinement to his basic body shape and the layers of clay that would become his fur.

Before adding a new layer of clay I covered the sculpture in a thin layer of Tacky Glue and let it dry. This helps the fresh clay adhere much better. This is the sculpture after it's been completely covered. I've started to texture the belly and back paws. When adding fur texture to animal sculptures I usually start with those hard to reach places first. This allows me to hold the piece without distorting anything. Generally I'll texture the back last, because I can usually do this without touching any other part of the sculpture.

Next I start adding fur texture to the front legs and chest. I added more clay as needed to fill out the chest and shoulders. I used various sized knitting needles and Christi Friesen's Gotta Have It tool to create all the texture on this piece. Rudy had many different textures to his fur, so I had to change tools and strokes for the different parts of his body.

It took about a week to completely texture the entire piece. I ended up cutting off the original tail and creating a new one as well. The more I looked at it and compared it to the pictures, the more i realized it was going to be too thick as it was. The ears were added after I had textured the head, and I tried several different pairs of ears before I was satisfied. Rudy's ears are very important to his expression, so I had to be sure I got them just right. Once the head and ears had been textured I was able to move on to the back and hips. Here you can see me texturing the back of the dog, nearing the end of this stage of the sculpture.

And here is the handsome pup ready to be baked. I also repainted the eyes so they were both looking in the right direction, and this little change really perfected Rudy's expression.

The next step will be to paint him with acrylic paint. And then I believe I will be able to call this project complete. By now I feel almost as though I knew Rudy. Working on a big project like this one brings me very close to the subject being sculpted. Some part of my mind is constantly thinking about not only the sculpting process, but the animal himself. Pieces like this help to keep a beloved pet's memory alive. Stay tuned to see the final results of more than a month of work! Thanks for sharing this creative journey with me!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Christmas in July Comes to CreativeCritters

2011-07-01T06:37:00.001-07:00

It's time for Christmas in July on ArtFire, and once again CreativeCritters is participating in the promotion. From now until July 31st everything in my shop is 10% off, even items that were already on sale. I made a special Christmas in July category where you'll find ornaments, Christmas and winter themed sculptures, knit hats and scarves, and whimsical holiday pen sculptures like Chris Moose here.

My other categories include Fantasy Sculptures, where the fairies, wizards, unicorns and other fantastic creatures can be found, Animal Sculptures, where there are lions and tigers and bears- oh my!, Miniature House Sculptures, full of one of a kind detailed miniature houses like this whimsical lighted Boot House

There's also Polymer Clay sculptures, with vampires, birthday mice, scarecrows and more, Pen Sculptures, where you'll find cat pens, dog pens, gnome pens, and other fun pen sculptures, Housewares, with candle holders, wall decor and trinket boxes like this fantastic Dragon Family box

Then there are the Stuffed and Knit Animals and Toys with teddy bears, soft knit animals and dolls, and assorted stuffed critters, Cloth Dolls with one of a kind hand sewn dolls any little girl or doll collector would love, and the always unique Plush World of Warcraft Characters, created from my own original patterns, like this female Tauren.

You can also find Organic Catnip and Catnip Toys for your cats (cats deserve Christmas presents too!), Holiday Themed Gifts with items for Easter, Halloween, and Valentines Day, and Jewelry and Magnets where you can find magnets and a wide variety of unique jewelry like this cute one of a kind kitten necklace.

Even the low prices in my Clearance category have been reduced by 10 %! So get your Christmas shopping done early and save some money while you're at it! Thanks for stopping by, and have a very Merry Christmas in July! :-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

My Cedric Kitty is Sick

2011-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged much lately because I've had my hands full with a sick kitty. Last week I noticed that Cedric, my 13 year old cat, wasn't eating or using the litter box. My first suspicion was that he had a hairball he couldn't pass. That's happened to him a few times, and I was usually able to give him some Petromalt and get things moving. After two days of not eating and looking very listless and ill I called the vet. Something was definitely not right with my kitty. The fact that I was able to get him into the cat carrier without a fight shows just how bad he felt. Blood tests revealed that he had kidney disease, which I believe was the cause of Ozzy's death only about a year and a half ago. The vet said that we could try giving Cedric subcutaneous fluids to get him rehydrated, Pecid for the ulcers that the come with kidney disease, and antibiotic drops to combat whatever infection he was fighting. She gave him his first dose of fluids in the office and showed me how to insert the needle under skin. I don't like poking my kitty, but I'll do whatever I can to help him feel better. After we got home I opened a fresh can of food to see if he would try any and was very happy when he ate about 1/4 of it. Drinking is also an issue- he needs to get as much liquid as possible to help his kidneys flush the toxins out. The problem is, Cedric's always been a little weird about drinking. I've had to get creative since he doesn't like to drink out of bowls. For years now his water bowl has been a glass measuring cup- it was the only thing he would drink out of, other than the toilet. Now I've been taking glasses of water (and it has to be in a glass) to him wherever he's laying in order to encourage him to drink. Calcifer helps by taking a few sips to show Cedric it's good. It works too- Cedric sees Calcifer drinking and he wants it too. We've been doing the same thing with the food. Calcifer takes a few bites, then sits back and lets Cedric eat. Calcifer also gives moral support while Cedric's getting his fluids. He sits nearby, nice and calm, and watches over his big brother.

He's a very calming influence for all of us! When I give him his fluids I put Cedric in his round cat bed with high sides so he feels safe and comfortable and doesn't squirm around while the needle is in. First I tried simply doing it on a table like they did at the vet's office, but he kept trying to get away. The cat bed works out so much better. I've seen a huge improvement in him the last few days. He looks healthier and more alert, has an appetite again, and is pretty much following his usual schedule, including watching the birds from the back of the couch. It's so nice to see him interested in things again!

Calcifer has been amazing and so gentle with Cedric. He's just 1 1/2 years old, but so full of love and understanding. Hopefully he can have his big brother around for as long as possible. I'll continue to give Cedric fluids and Pepcid, and I'm looking into Azodil as well. If he starts to decline in spite of this, I'll have to trust that I'll know what to do when the time comes. I knew when Ozzy was ready to pass away (he told me, in that special way cats have), and he actually passed away shortly before the vet appointment. Cedric isn't ready to go yet, but I'm sure he'll tell me when the time comes. Until then I'll enjoy every moment I have with my very special cat.
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Barb's Designs for Mom and Kids

2011-06-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

At Designs by Barb you can find children's clothing, crocheted household items, cowboy boots, shoes, and hats, along with afghans. Barb has been involved in some sort of craft work most of her life. She's owned and operated a handmade clothing and lingerie shop as well as a ceramic and porcelain doll shop where she taught ceramics and porcelain doll making. She also did oil paintings for a few years, but no longer has time to do it all. Barb has been sewing for over 50 years, and all that experience certainly shows in her adorable clothes for kids! Barb's Designs can also be found online at http://togs4tots.blogspot.com/, http://www.flickr.com/people/togs4tots/, Facebook, and Twitter. Below is just a small sample of what can be found in her shop.

And there is SO much more available in her shop! Be sure to spend a little time browsing Barb's wonderful handmade items for kids and moms alike!

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Learn how to make amazing videos with Video Magic for Non Techies Artists and Crafters Edition

2011-06-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Many of you may not know that when I'm not making sculptures, cat toys, and other crafty things I'm making videos. A few years ago I never would have believed that I would be able to make really cool videos (for some pretty big clients, too!). I jumped in with both feet, even though I knew nothing about videos. My mom taught me a lot, and some things we learned together. She's very familiar with the craft world and has made stained glass, wooden decorations and toys, and pewter figures, which she sold at craft shows, flea markets, and renaissance fairs. She's also spent 30 years teaching people all thing tech related, and let me tell you, she's one heck of a teacher! She and I took all we learned about making videos and put together an 8 part course in video and PDF format to teach other crafters how to make their own awesome videos, without spending tons of money on video editing software. Video Magic for Non Techies gives you The Who, What, Where, and Why of Video Marketing, the How of Making Videos, Gathering Images for Videos, Using an Online Video Creation Site, Using the Best Online Video Creation Site, Sound and Final Production, and Tips and Tricks to work around common problems. This course was created specifically for crafters and artists, and is priced with the starving artist in mind. For $9.95 you get everything you need, and nothing you don't need! Some video courses have SO MUCH information and options, you just get completely lost. We made it simple and included just the information you need, and put it in an easy to follow format that anyone can understand. Remember, when I started making videos I was absolutely clueless- LOL! So if I can do it, anyone can do it. Just click on Video Magic for Non Techies, check out the page (we try to give you as much info as possible, so you know what you're getting) and click the Buy Now button at the bottom of the page to purchase this program. You won't regret it! And you'll be amazed at the awesome videos you can create. Videos are one of the best ways to promote your work- Google loves video ;-) There are also 3 sample videos I created on the page to give you some ideas of ways to use video, and just what can be done using these techniques. And if you have any questions there's an email link at the bottom of the page and your emails will be answered promptly. I'm so happy to be able to share what I've learned with my fellow artists and crafters!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

How to fix mistakes in baked polymer clay

2011-06-14T06:22:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a custom order dog sculpture for a few weeks now. You may have read some of my Work in Progress posts on my blog or Fan Page. The sculpture was coming along quite nicely and I emailed the customer pictures of my progress so far. Everything was just fine except for one little detail- the dog's head and tail were facing the wrong direction! When we first discussed the sculpture the customer said he wanted the dog looking to the right. He also sent a lot of pictures of the dog in a variety of poses so I would know what he looked like from all angles. I think I was looking at the wrong picture when I positioned the head and tail. And to complicate matters a bit I had already baked the sculpture. This is what he looked like yesterday.

I plan to add another layer of clay which will be textured like fur. The customer graciously said that it was all right if I couldn't change the sculpture, but I really want to do the best job possible on this order. So after some thinking and looking at the piece I decided I could safely cut off the head and tail and turn them to the right. Polymer clay is an amazing substance, and after working with it for many years I've learned a few tricks to repair mistakes. I heated the sculpture in the oven until it was just warm. When the clay is slightly warm it's easier to cut through it. You don't want to get it too hot because you have to be able to handle it and you don't want the clay to be too soft either.

I used a serrated blade to saw through the thick clay of the neck and base of the tail. Then I used an exacto blade to carve away some of the chest and narrow the neck. I don't want that area to get too thick after I start adding the raw clay. I've also used this method to repair or replace faces on my sculptures, or carve away misshapen or burned areas on sculptures. Before putting the head and tail back on I coated the wires with liquid polymer clay, which acts as glue when baked. I also put some liquid polymer clay on the neck, head, and tail. Once baked this will become a solid piece again.

With the head and tail in the proper position I'll add thin ropes of clay to completely fill the gaps and more clay to cover the neck and head and base of the tail. While I was working with the tail I decided I wasn't completely satisfied with the way it looked, so I carved it down a bit and reshaped it some.

And this is what the dog looks like now, You'd never know he'd had his head and tail chopped off!

The next step in this project is to add more clay which will be textured to look like fur. Accidentally sculpting the dog looking the wrong way could have been a real problem, but with a bit of creative thinking I was able to fix the problem. Stay tuned to see how he looks with his fur on! =)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Dog Days of Summer