[Challenge] Phil. Polymer Clay Guild "Merry Month of May 2014: Polymer Clay Flowers"

The challenge of the Philippine Polymer Clay Guild for the month of May was ti create something new using polymer clay flowers.  I've been making a lot of floral themed pieces, mostly daisies or simple flowers with 5 petals and I didn't know what to do for this challenge.  Then one day, while I was cleaning my craft room, I found a tutorial about "Orchid Pin or Pendant" that I bought from Ms. Penni Jo Couch during the 2013 Lone Star retreat.  The tutorial was simple, well written and well illustrated. 

Polymer Clay "Rhoda Orchid" Napkin Ring

This is my "Rhoda Orchid."  I named it after my mom who loves and grows orchids back in the Philippines.  There are several varieties of orchids but the color combination that I used in making this one are probably non-existent.  It's more of like a fantasy orchid, if you could call it that.  

Polymer Clay "Rhoda Orchid" Napkin Ring

This project made use of Premo sculpey clay.  I also used Ranger alcohol inks in Sunshine Yellow and Butterscotch to add color to and specks on the white petal.  I like how it turned out - very rustic. I'm planning to make "real life" orchids in white like Cattleyas and green Cymbidium.  They will make pretty sets of napkin rings just like this one for weddings or intimate dainty parties.  Stay tuned for that.

Oh, did I mention that it is National Clay Week?  Yes it is!  

See you soon!

♥ michelle

[Scenes] Sunshine, Bluebonnets and Wild Flowers

My husband and I love to go on road trips.  We have developed a system from what vehicle to rent, where to stay, what snacks and drinks to bring, which rest area to go to, and what music to play, etc. On our recent drive to San Antonio, Texas, we noticed pretty patches of colorful wildflowers along the highway.  It took us time to look for a safe spot where we can stop and take photos up close. 

Bluebonnets
San Antonio, Texas

These are Bluebonnets, the State flower of Texas.  They bloom in spring and can be seen along the highways and farmlands.  Oh, I love them!

Bluebonnets
San Antonio, Texas

These red widflowers are called Indian Paintbrush and they may be seen mixed with bluebonnets and others.  Don't they look so pretty together?

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush
San Antonio, Texas

Pretty soon, these wildflowers will be gone and we'd have to wait for next Spring to see them again. This reminds me of a verse in the Bible:

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever."

Have a wonderful day!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Baking] Caramel Cake with Hydrangea Flower Icing for Grandparent's Sunday

We are celebrating Grandparent's Day today!

Here's a short summary on how it came to be.

"The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day."

As a tribute to them, I made this Caramel Cake decorated with hydrangea flowers.  

Caramel Cake with Hydrangea Icing

Oh, I had a lot of fun making this cake.  I love hydrangeas - they are colorful, delicate and so pretty to look at.  

It was my first time to make them and I think they turned out dainty and beautiful.  

I went to this site to learn how to make them.  Look at how pretty these cupcakes by Glory are.  

Hydrangea Cupcakes by Glory

I'm more into cakes than cupcakes but I would like to do this in my next cupcake project.  

May your week be filled with color and God's abundant blessings!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Wilton Wednesday] Borders and flowers

Welcome to Wilton Wednesday!

This is our third class for Basic Decorating and we learned how to do borders and flowers.

Our teacher Ms. Debra taught us how to make the Wilton ribbon rose.  I think the consistency of my icing wasn't right hence the rugged edges but she taught me how to fix it.

There are a lot of icing tips and today, I learned to use more:  Wilton tips #12, 16, 18, 104, 2D, and 233.  I like making scallop borders but I need to practice putting enough and consistent pressure to come up with equal sized scallops.

I brought a small rectangular cake to class - it was the excess batter for the mango cake that I made on Sunday.  Next week is our last day and I will be bringing a styrofoam.  I don't want to bake a cake for now - I just want to decorate. LOL.

See ya next week!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Verses] A Big God for a Small Me!

How are you my friend?

Have you ever thought that you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders?  That there is no end to your hardship?

That there is no hope for you at all?

Well, I felt all of that last week.

I have this knee-jerk reaction sometimes when challenges come my way and instead of facing it head-on, I tend to withdraw.  

And sob.  And cry... as if it would do me good.

Thankfully, God's word, His promises, the prayers of my husband, family and friends lifted me up.  

It's amazing how God speaks to us through His word, the Church, people and circumstances.  The theme of KHCB's broadcast last week was about worry and anxiety (and me).  Oh yeah, I believe that it was not an accident.  Nothing is.  

Friends prayed for me.  They are truly God sent.  

It's nice to pray together.  Try it if you haven't yet.

Finally, it was and will always be a comfort to know that my husband assured/s me with these words: 

"♥Don't worry, I will take care of you.♥"  

Awwwww....

Then he shared with me this passage of scripture that he read during his Thursday devotion.    

Oh what a comfort to know that God will never give us something that is beyond what we can bear.

He is a BIG GOD for a small me.

Amen.

Have a blessed week, my friend!

Drop me a note and I can pray for you too.

Or better yet, we can pray together.

♥  michelle  ♥

[WIP] My Clay Fantasy Polymer Clay Inchies

Welcome back!

Do you remember the Polymer clay Inchies that I made for the Phil. Polymer clay guild last year?  That time, we were asked to do 4, but I ended up doing 8 because the first batch got lost in the mail.  

Read more about it here.

This time, I made 2 sets of 12 equals 24!

Oh yeah... Crazy fun!

I finished making it tonight however, I can't reveal these cute little ones yet.  I made 2 different sets with the using 2 different canes and techniques.  

These will be revealed sometime in soon.  I just have to mail them this week so they could be received by August 16 for sure.  

See ya!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Focus on Life] Week 28: Pretty Patterns

It's the weekend again, time for Ms. Sally Russick's Focus on Life.  

It's Week 28 and its all about Pretty Patterns.

Let me share with you the card that I made for a friends special birthday.  My friend has a nice garden with different kinds of roses, hibiscus, and fruit bearing trees that her mom planted when she visited from the Philippines a few years ago.  It's her birthday and I wanted to make her a card full of flowers.

What do you think of this card?  Isn't it pretty?  I used a from Hero Arts rubber stamp H5481 Classic Bloom that I bought during last week's trip to the craft store.  I stamped the image using Versafine in Onyx Black several times on a piece of yellow cardstock to make a pretty pattern of happy flowers.  

Hero Arts H5481 Classic Bloom Rubber Stamp

I colored the petals with a combination of yellow and orange colored pencils and the center with shades of brown.  The sentiment is from TPC Studio's "Everday Greetings Stamp" that I heat embossed using Versamark and Judikins black opaque embossing powder.  

Finally, I added Mod Podge Dimensional magic on 2 of the flowers to add a little interest.  I love the gloss!

Did you notice the chevron pattern on the background of the photo?  

Can you guess what that is?

It's the car seat cover.  We were running late for our birthday surprise so I took a last minute shot of it.  Pretty pattern, right?

Thanks for stopping by to see my pretty patterns.  Let's head over to The Studio Sublime and check out other pretty patterns.

Have a wonderful weekend ya'll!  

See you soon!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Tutorial] Dimensional adhesive and Brass Stencils

Happy Monday and 1st of July!  We are halfway through Year 2013.

Do you like texture and dimension?  I do.  I love doing dry embossing either with my Vintaj sizzix bigkick or manually using  a lightbox and an embossing pen.  Few years ago, I went to the CHA where I learned about using dimensional adhesive and stencils.  I bought the adhesive and a couple of brass stencils but rarely used it until recently.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to do it.

Tools and Materials:

     Brass stencil

     Dimensional adhesive (i used Tessler dimensional elements clear embossing gel)

     Chalks

     Paper

     Painter's tape

     Spatula

     Warm soapy water in a bowl

Instructions:

1.  Clean your brass stencil with soap and water or alcohol.  Dry completely, lay it on the paper and secure all sides with painters tape.  I just used a little because I'm stingy, lol.
3.  Color the open spaces using chalks and a cotton applicator or small brush.  Put a manageable amount of the paste on one end of the stencil.
4.  Hold the spatula on an angle and in one sweeping motion, spread it across the design.
5.  Check for missed areas and apply adhesive if necessary.
6.  Gently lift the brass plate by removing the tape on 3 sides first and the top tape last.  Dunk the brass stencil and spatula in a bowl of warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
7.  Allow to dry.  It took the design above about 10-15 minutes to dry.

I like how the design turned out.

You can use these for your handmade cards - I made bookmarks that I gave to the group of seniors  citizens at church to put in their Bible.  Adhere the embossed design on a piece of colored cardstock, punch a hole in the center, add a ribbon and done!

dry embossing and Tessler dimensional elements

Stencils allow you to be creative with your color pattern and it's exciting to see the whole picture once the stencil is lifted.  It goes really well with floral designs too - yup, that's me!

May your day be filled with blooms!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Card] Thinking of You

Happy Friday!

I just wanted to let you know how much I care.

Have a blessed and safe weekend, my friend!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Focus on Life Week 7] Beauty of Flowers

Flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Welcome back!  This week's Focus on Life by Ms. Sally Russick is about the Beauty of Flowers.

Chicago Botanic Garden

I love walking through lush gardens lined with beautiful and colorful flowers.  This photo was taken HERE on my first visit back in Spring 2009.  As an artist, I am often inspired by nature  particularly by flowers.  I am amazed at how vibrant and well coordinated the colors are and it makes me think of how great and awesome our Creator is. 

As you enter the garden, you will be welcomed by a row of flowers and a sculpture of Carolus Linnaeus.

Here's a brief description of the sculpture from the Chicago Botanic Garden Website:

Carolus Linnaeus

Robert Berks, American (b. 1922)
Bronze, 1982
Heritage Garden
A gift from Mrs. Arthur C. Nielsen, Sr.

This figure of Swedish physician Linnaeus (1701-1778) looms large in the history of science and is appropriately placed in the Heritage Garden. Linnaeus established binomial nomenclature, the international system of naming plants and animals that is still in use today.

He is shown reaching eagerly toward the plants in his path with a collector’s enthusiasm. The prominent bird in the sculpture — a golden plover, which can fly for thousands of miles — refers to the many students of Linnaeus who traveled the globe collecting plants for him to name.

We had a wonderful time strolling, talking and taking lots of photos - bless his heart for being so patient 

in carrying the tripod and waiting for me to set-up.  Those memories are forever etched in my heart and mind - 

HHWW (holding hands while walking) and memories of sweet nothings whispered in each other's ear.

Kinda cheesy, huh?  Well, lets make everyday Valentine's day.

Let's see some more flowers HERE.

Take care!

♥  Michelle  ♥

[Deco Clay] "A Peony for Your Thoughts"

Welcome back!

Tell me what you think:  Does this look like a peony or a wilted rose?

Oh well... this was my first attempt in making one with the help of YukikoMiyai's instructions.

Obviously, I need more practice and lots of clay.

What's keeping you busy?

♥  Michelle  ♥

[HPCG] Bottles of Hope

Hello friends!  Welcome back.

Have you heard of "Bottles of Hope?"

 The Bottles of Hope is a project that was started in 1999 by Diane Gregoire, a cancer survivor and polymer clay artist.  She used her skill and talent as an artist to create art that would cheep up the lives of cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy, as a symbol of hope

The Houston Polymer Clay Guild, of which I am a recent member, regularly share these bottles.  

This is my first bottle of hope.

The process in making this project was fun - I thought of the person who will be receiving this, that she would find hope and be reassured that everything will be ok.

Stay tuned for more.

♥  Michelle  ♥

[P3] May Challenge: ATC Inspirations

The Philippine Polymer Clay Guild had its 1st ATC Swap today and it was fun!

The participants were asked to create 3 Artist Trading Cards 

measuring 2.5 x 3.5 inches inspired by a polymer clay Artist.

These were my entries:

"The Renaissance" - this ATC was inspired by Ms. Lisa Pavelka.  

I used one of the images in her Waterslide Transfers and sealed it with Sculpey translucent liquid clay.  It was my first experience to use such medium incorporated in my work.   I laid the image on an ecru/pearl polymer clay mix and added petals and leaves.  I used acrylic paint in burnt umber to distress the piece.  

Finally, I sanded and buffed both sides of the ATC.

"The Renaissance"

 I call this next piece is "Tapestry" and was inspired by Ms. Julie Picarello 

and her book "Patterns in Polymer."  

I used one of the color combinations in her book.  Her techniques make use of mokume gane and I made my own modifications.  After slicing the clay thinly as, I layered it on conditioned black clay.  I added texture using a texture mold before baking.  Gold acrylic paint was added to highlight the image after which the piece was sanded and buffed.

"Tapestry"

 This next ATC is "Flora" that was made using Donna Kato's component caning technique.

I layered the petal canes on a leaf green base and added yellow extruded clay.

The background texture was free-handed and accented using gold acrylic paint.

"Flora"

There were about 15 participants and we had to comment "MINE" in Faceboook on 3 different photos at a designated time.  All the cards were beautiful and very creative - some whimsical and charming.

I am totally excited to receive 3 special creations from different Filipino artists who are making their mark in the world of polymer clay.  My "guild mates" are all inspirations to me.

Can you believe that it's almost mid-June already?

Ayayay!

Happy crafting!

♥  Michelle  ♥

[Deco Clay] Air Dry Clay Roses

Hello friends!  I previously wrote about my new Martha Stewart kit - you can read about it HERE.

I asked the opinion of some of our guild members on using air dry clay and most of them stated that it cracks, can be friable and too delicate to work with.  The only way for me to find out was to try using it.

I can say that my experiment was very rewarding.
 I combined white and red clay to come up with a light pink color - the clays were easy to mix and a little red clay went a long way.  I formed tiny balls and gently formed the rose petals.  The flowers that I made took only a few hours to dry since they were small and  I intentionally made the edges thin to see if they were indeed friable.
When the roses were completely dry, the edges were soft and not easily torn.  I placed floral wire on each rose and covered it with floral tape.

I was able to make a dozen roses measuring 0.5 inches in diameter.  These roses came in handy as I wrapped my Mother's day gift to a dear friend.  I got 3 of the wired roses, joined them using floral tape and laid them on the abaca twine.

Ohhhh... how I love the shabby chic color palette.

I will make more and bigger flowers and make a nice bouquet out of it.

To all my readers who are mothers as well, I salute you!  Happy Mother's Day!

♥  Michelle  ♥

Book: " The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques" by Donna Kato

How was your weekend? 

It's been snowing where we are and to keep me warm, I thought of the beautiful flowers of spring.

I spent the weekend reading Donna Kato's book,

 "The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques" and was able to make a floral cane.

Millefiori, if translated from Italian literally means "thousand flowers." 

Many polymer clay artists make use of the technique in their art and jewelry. 

The technique looks very complicated and is definitely not for the fainthearted. 

This is actually my nth attempt on this technique.

I decided to follow Donna's instructions in the book in making this daisy cane.

It was really a challenge that needed patience and time.. lots of it.

I had to condition several colors of polymer clay then, made a Skinner blend... rolled... reduced...  cut... reduced... until finally, the petals were formed.

The assembly was fun - I started using 6 petals but figured that I had to use 8.  After some more

reducing, the cane looked pretty decent.

Donna's book was very informative and well-illustrated.  Definitely a good, if not a must-read for the

beginner polymer clay artist.

You know what they say, practice (and patience) makes perfect.

Have a great and creative week friends!

♥ Michelle ♥

Materials:

Premo' Polymer Clay:  Translucent, White, Cadmium Yellow and Black

Amaco Polymer clay conditioner

Sculpey rigid blade

Ceramic tile

Ruler