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

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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Polymer Clay Covered Jars from CreativeCritters

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                  

The Steampunk Pirate Cat sculpture gets a paint job

Sculpting the cat himself was only the beginning of this little polymer clay adventure.  I am very thankful that my pirate cat has survived every trip in and out of the oven so far.  I added a lot more more fur, black paw pads, and glow in the dark claws since I last shared with you.  This is how my furry Steampunk Pirate looked after his last bake.
 
I love the way Calcifer's mane looks, and tried to imitate that look in clay.  And while I adore Calcifer's cute kitten face, I wanted the sculpture to look like a more mature cat (and trust me, Calcifer is anything BUT mature- LOL!).  Here's a tip for sculptors adding things like teeth, claws, or horns to their creation.  Bake the claws first, let them cool, apply a drop of TLS (translucent liquid Sculpey) to the end, then press them into the unbaked clay of the paw.  This is so much easier than trying to attach those tiny unbaked pieces of clay without distorting their shape.
Now that we have the body completely baked, it's time for his paint job.  I started with a light tan wash, since that's the color of Calcifer's undercoat.  I wish I could replicate his coat exactly, but I just don't think it's possible.  Each fur has at least 3 different colors on it, and his coloring is different depending on the light.  So, I'll do the best I can and make good use of artistic license.  This is how he looks after the first wash of color.
 
There will be many more layers of color added before this piece is done.  Then of course I still need to add the details that will make this creation Steampunk.  I've been thinking hard about those wings I was planning (while watching things like Dr. Who to spark my imagination), and I think I have a pretty cool idea on how i want to do them.  I'll be adding an eye patch too (he IS a pirate after all!), as well as his gun, and possibly other accessories.  I'm in no rush, so I'll just feel my way through and add what seems right.  Pieces like this have a timetable all their own, and they can't be rushed, or forced (not if I want to end up with something I'm proud of).  Thank you for continuing to share my creative journey! =)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Help me choose a new avatar for CreativeCritters

I'm trying to come up with a new avatar for CreativeCritters and I need your help!  I know I want my Maine Coone Cat, Calcifer to be my avatar, but I just can't decide which picture to use.  Calcifer said he'd be proud to be my avatar, and even spent about 40 minutes posing for different pictures.  In the process I discovered my cat is an absolute genius- LOL!  He was easier to train than some dogs!  I used his treats as a reward every time he did something I wanted.  He now knows how to circle around (dance, if you will), sit, back up, stay, lay down, and look up.  He learned all this in just over half an hour, AND while I was trying to take his picture at the same time.  I just love my smart kitty!  These are the pictures I want to choose from (out of the millions I took- LOL).  You can vote for your favorite by leaving a comment with the number of your favorite picture.  Thank you so much for helping me with this!
picture 1

picture 2

picture 3

picture 4

picture 5

picture 6

Once again, thanks for any input you have to offer!  Your help is greatly appreciated!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

A kitten, a box, and a milk jug ring

This video shows Calcifer's creative side.  I was sorting through boxes for Christmas presents and he decided he liked this little box.  He moved it to the middle of the kitchen floor, then went and found one of his plastic milk jug rings (best cat toy ever!).  He challenged himself to first get the ring in the box, and then get it back out.  He makes up little games like this all the time.  He also plays fetch like the best trained dog!

Thanks for sharing my kitty's creativity!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Merry Christmas from CreativeCritters!

Handmade Halloween at CreativeCritters

This is a collection of handmade Halloween themed items from CreativeCritters. Everything from jewelry, dolls, masks, sculptures, pens, and candle holders can be found here.

Handmade Halloween from CreativeCritters

   Curated By: CreativeCritt...

ArtFire.com

Unique Gifts

Thanks for sharing in a little Halloween fun!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Don't forget Fluffy or Fido this Christmas!

They've been good (or TRIED, at least) all year long.  Don't your pets deserve a special gift (or 2) for all that effort?  That's why I put together this collection of handmade toys and treats for cats and dogs.  Perfect for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, or any other occasion, your pets will love getting any of these special treats!

Handmade Christmas Stocking Stuffers for...

   Curated By: CreativeCritt...

ArtFire.com

Handmade Soap

-Michelle of CreativeCritters