CreativeCritters Blog: polymer clay smooshers

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Saturday, May 19, 2012

My entries in the Smooshers May Flowers Challenge

The theme for the next Polymer Clay Smooshers guild Challenge is May Flowers, and I was able to come up with two pretty awesome entries. I had decided to make a floral trinket box first, since I've been having a lot of fun creating unique trinket boxes lately. These trinket boxes are also a great way to recycle all the aluminum cat food cans that would otherwise be thrown away around here. I start these by thoroughly cleaning and drying the cans, then I cover them with tacky glue. Once the glue dries the clay sticks much better and I have fewer issues with air bubbles. For this particular box I mixed a custom shade of purple from blue and purple Premo clay. I use Premo just about exclusively now, and I always seem to mix my own custom colors, making each creation truly one of a kind.

Purple Pink and Blue Polymer Clay Trinket Box with Flowers and Birds

The next step in the creation of this piece was to stamp pretty designs into the clay. I've fallen in love with flexible rubber stamps and polymer clay over the last year or so. Then add a bit of Pearl Ex powder (in this case Sky Blue mixed with Reflex Violet) and you've got something magical! Then I went on to create the pink flowers.
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They have textured petals (each shaped by hand), and are attached to a metal filigree finding. I spent a lot of time digging through my bead stash to find the perfect beads for this box. These are my last two ceramic bird beads, and also the last of my red glass butterfly beads.

All the beads are secured with wire and liquid polymer clay, so there are no worries about anything coming loose. The lid is made from polymer clay with reinforcing wires baked into the clay. The large flower was rubbed with blue and purple Pearl Ex powders for a gorgeous color variation.

To finish the box I covered the bottom with felt and lined the inside with felt as well. I'm really very happy with the way this turned out. I may have to make one of these for myself to hold my favorite jewelry ;-)

My second entry is a necklace I call Mai's Flowers. Christi Friesen's book on sculpting dragons helped inspire this one, as did the Irises blooming in the front yard. Irises are some of my favorite flowers and I love sculpting them. The first thing I did to create this piece was to sculpt the Iris beads.

These took many hours and four separate bakes to complete. Although they look very fragile, I used the green leaves behind the flower petals to add strength to the flowers. Each petal was carefully sculpted and textured, then I dusted the center petals with blue Pearl Ex powder and the outer petals with purple Pearl Ex. Each flower was sculpted individually, and just like in nature, each is unique. Once the flowers were sculpted it was time to move on to Mai the dragon.

Isn't she sweet holding her favorite flower? I used glass beads to embellish her and add a bit of bling (if you're familiar with Christi Friesen, you're familiar with this technique). She even has blue glass heart beads on her head, since she's such a loving little dragon ;-) She's named after Mei from the movie My Neighbor Totoro (my favorite Myazaki movie of all time), who is also a sweet, fun loving little girl.
To make this necklace even more special I used blue, pink, and purple Swarovski crystals. Nothing sparkles quite like Swarovski!

I absolutely adore this necklace, and I might just have to make one for myself! I definitely see more Christi inspired dragons in my future- sculptures, jewelry, trinket boxes- there's no end to the possibilities!
Both of these items are available for sale in my shop. Just click on any of the pictures to be directed to the listing.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing another creative journey with me!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Celtic fairy sculpture for the Smooshers Celtic Challenge

The theme for the upcoming Polymer Clay Smooshers Challenge is Celtic, and at first I had a hard time figuring out what to make. When another guild member suggested Googling Celtic Mythology I started finding images of gods, goddesses, and fairies, which is familiar territory for me. Eventually I decided to sculpt a fairy dressed in green. This is how she started out.

I wasn't just sure how I wanted to pose her, so I sculpted her in pieces and pierced holes in each limb. After I baked the parts I inserted pipe cleaners secured with super glue.

Then I sculpted some rocks for her to sit on. This is one way I use my leftover bits of clay. I just blended them all together and ended up with a nice mottled gray color. Now I could pose the fairy and decide how she would look best. Once I settled on a pose I filled the elbow, knee, and neck joints with clay to create a solid sculpture. I added a dress made from strips of green clay and I used green acrylic paint to give her slippers with thin strings of clay for laces..

I sculpted her wings and baked them separately. I created a millifiori cane using shades of blue and green clay wrapped with glow in the dark clay and shaped slices into ruffled wings.

At this point I wasn't sure where to go next with the sculpture. I felt as though it needed something else. After a bit of thought I checked to see what animals were native to Ireland- animals are always a good addition to my sculptures ;-) I chose to sculpt a cross fox, which I learned is a color variant of the red fox. I liked his black mask and cross marking on his back, and I thought he'd make a good friend for my fairy.

Irish Celtic Fairy in Green Sitting with Cross Fox OOAK Sculpture

I added some glow in the dark yellow flowers, gave the fairy black polymer clay hair and attached her wings.

And here's what the back of her wings look like in the dark.

This one took a while to complete, but I'm very happy with the way she turned out. And I think the fox was the perfect addition. I ended up learning quite a bit about Celtic mythology while I researched this project, and I have quite a few ideas for future projects inspired by the figures of Celtic mythology.

Thanks for sharing another creative journey! =)

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Smooshers Blog Roll- White

The theme for this week's Blog Roll is White. Many things come to mind when I think of white. There's the beautiful pure white of fresh fallen snow for one thing. When I was a teen I lived in the country and the woods and lake were just magical after a snowfall. And there were no other people around to mar that perfection. The only prints I saw in the snow were those of the birds and animals. I had fun trying to identify the different prints and often followed their path for as long as I could. Our dog Bill loved playing in the snow and joining me on my winter treks through the woods and across the frozen lake. The ice of the lake held it's own beauty, and often had swirls of color trapped in the frozen water. That's what this necklace and earring set from Danas Jewelry Etc reminds me of.

Blue and Off White Necklace and Earring Set

My brothers and I used to love it when the snow was wet and heavy and perfect for packing. We'd build snow forts and have snowball fights, and of course we made plenty of snow men. We'd play outside in the snow and cold until we couldn't feel our hands anymore ;-) These snowman earrings from WyvernDesigns remind me of those fun afternoons spent playing in the snow with my brothers.

Of course white has always been a symbol of purity and goodness. The good guys in movies wear white, the bad guys wear black ;-) And of course there's the white wedding dress, symbolizing the bride's purity and innocence. I think of white unicorns, magical and so pure, only creatures pure of heart can approach them. I've loved unicorns since I was a little girl. They symbolize strength, beauty, and absolute purity and devotion. I love this sweet unicorn pendant from Positively Charming Things!

And as I write this post white snowflakes are falling fast and furious outside my window ;-) So I leave you with a bit of winter white from the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild.

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Friday, January 27, 2012

My second entry for the Smooshers Valentines Challenge

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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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Smooshers Blog Roll- Hearts

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!

Pendant Necklace Handmade Polymer Clay Heart Purple and Silver

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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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Dragons in love- unique Valentines sculpture

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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Friday, October 7, 2011

Orange inspirations from the Polymer Clay Smooshers

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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