Sunday, August 8, 2010

Moving Forward and Upward (hopefully)!

I've been working my behind off trying to increase my inventory.  I also did some serious re-evaluation of some of my early works.  Many just weren't up to snuff and needed to be destroyed - couldn't stand to look at them.  The goal (cross fingers) is to be prepared to hit the craft shows come autumn.  At the rate I'm working, this is a feasible plan.  I just need to keep my focus and not get frustrated when trying new techniques.  These are some of the new pieces I've been churning out. 


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

RE-BITTEN!!!

I'm pleased to say that the polymer clay bug has re-bitten me with a vengeance.  I've churned out about 20 pieces from beads that had been sitting around looking at me for months and I've got about 5 more series in the works - some baked, some tumbled, some polished, some waiting to be made into jewelry. 


I'm really excited about the things that are in the works.  I've got some faux raku, faux agate, and some of the torn watercolor paper technique.

Also trying my hand at some molds with pleasing results.  There were some beads I saw at Michael's a few months back and I just couldn't leave without - a lovely Asian-type flowered cab.  Can't wait for the clay to cool down so I can figure out what I'm doing with them!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Hot Weather + Polymer Clay = Unhappy Clayer


Hey guys.  I haven't been doing a whole lot lately.  Greatly unhappy with my results with the insane heat we've been having in PA.  Finger prints galore, sloppy canes, and molded pieces that only look slightly like what they should look like.  Despite my general unhappiness with my attempts, I have been working on a huge pink flowered series.  I have two sets completed and several more in the works.    The two completed sets are pictured minus the matching earrings.  Some of the incomplete pieces are pictured below.  I'm pleased with the results.  Much more bright and cheerful than most of the work I've done thus far. 



Monday, July 5, 2010

July Challenge - Faux


I have participated in the monthly Polymer Clay Guild of Etsy (PCAGOE) contest.  This month's theme was "Faux."  Here, at my blog, Vixen Blogspot, you can see the creation process.  Here at my Flickr site, you can see all my jewelry from the series and here is my Etsy shop where I sell my jewelry.  Here you can go vote in the Monthly Challenge and with your vote you are entered to win free stuff.  Be sure to list the way you found out about the contest as either VyaKyasha, VixenJewels, or VixenJewel's blog.  I really appreciate it if you would support me in doing what I love most in life, creating art.   Please do not vote multiple times for my piece or vote multiple times at all.  Don't even feel obligated to vote for my piece at all - I didn't.  lol THANK YOU!!!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Inspired By Fabric Monthly Challenge Results!

Go check out the PCAGOE Monthly Challenge results!  The contest is over and my piece based on my father's circa 1970s shirt won first place, as voted by the general public.  A million thanks to those that went and voted.  I'm very proud and pleased.  Thank you all!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

PCAGOE Monthly Challenge (with prizes for people that help with the judging!!!)

I have participated in the monthly Polymer Clay Guild of Etsy (PCAGOE) contest.  This month's theme was "Inspired By Fabric."  I chose to create a line of jewelry based upon a circa 1970s ugly-ass shirt of my father's.  Here, at my blog, Vixen Blogspot, you can see the creation process.  Here at my Flickr site, you can see all my jewelry from the series and here is my Etsy shop where I sell my jewelry.  Here you can go vote in the Monthly Challenge and with your vote you are entered to win free shit.  Be sure to list the way you found out about the contest as either VyaKyasha, VixenJewels, or VixenJewel's blog.  I really appreciate it if you would support me in doing what I love most in life, creating art.   THANK YOU!!!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Last of the Challenge Pieces

These are the last of the Inspired by Fabric pieces.  I'm anxious to move on to something else - a little burned out on these colors and patterns.  I still have loads of beads and large sections of cane but 7 sets of jewelry on one theme is more than enough. 

Saturday, March 20, 2010

First three pieces completed of my Inspired by Fabric series

I've completed the first three pieces of a series inspired by a shirt of my father circa 1970s.  I'm very pleased with them.  And all those beads that I made - I ended up making even more last night because the ratio of beads was terribly off compared to what I needed.  I also created a few more pendants so there are more to come.  :)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

My Building Blocks for the Monthly PCAGOE "Inspired by Fabric" Challenge

Those of you that read my blog regularly know that I chose to base my project on my dad's vintage 1970s shirt.  I am now in construction mode.  All my baking and buffing is complete.  I took some snapshots of my components.  The lighting in my computer room is poor but I was far too lazy to go down to the Lair to use my lightbox.  The textures may be a bit obscured and the colors aren't as true as they will be in a light box, but you will get the idea.
Some pendants.  All the parts that are different patterns are separate and movable.
More pendants above and accent beads below.
Now comes the fun and frustrating part of putting these pieces together.  :)

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I'm not dead.

I haven't made a post in a while but I wanted to assure you all that I'm not dead.  Been working my butt off on the project the last few blogs have been about.  I'm almost finished with the preliminary work.  I have enough accent beads and focal beads to make 5-10 complete pieces, maybe more.

I've started working much more assembly line style - creating batch upon batch of coordinating pieces - so that when I sit down to start putting things together, I have loads and loads of options. I'm pleased with the results I'm seeing and hopefully either tomorrow or the next day, I will be able to post some photos of my components.  Right now I'm putting together a few more fun accent beads just to be certain that I have enough visual interest going on in my final pieces.  Fun, fun.  Happy claying, all!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The Reduction of My Canes for the Monthy PCAGOE Challenge

Okay, the suspense has peaked.
(Unreduced)


(Reduced to a workable width that will get reduced further most likely)

(POT OF DOOM - I did the risky playdoh-packing reduction method to get a cane without a background color.  What a pain, but I thought it was worth the suffering.)

(Reduced but not cleaned of the wretched playdoh or scrap clay)

(HOURS later, cleaned and ready for use)
(Finished daisy - a poorly cut scrap - approximately .5 inches diameter - not the smallest or the largest of the cane sections.)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Inspired By An Ugly Shirt

Okay.  First off, let's just get this straight.




<-----This is an ugly shirt.




That doesn't preclude that what comes of it shall be in any way ugly.  I finished the two major canes that will be the basis of my piece for the Inspired by Fabric monthly challenge of PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Guild of Etsy).

BUILDING THE DAISY CANE
(Each petal was its own skinner blend to give each petal different shading.)


BUILDING THE BACKGROUND CANE



THE FINISHED CANES (PREREDUCTION)


Tune in tomorrow for what they looked like reduced.  They are finished but I want to build the suspense.  lol


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Inspired By Fabric

I've begun work on my entry in this month's PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Guild of Etsy) Challenge.

The subject of my design is this.


This is my father's shirt circa 1970ish.  From what I've been told there were some ultra stylish gray corduroy bell-bottoms involved (yikes!).  I wore this shirt all through out high school (as well as his army shirts and jacket from Nam and several pair of bell-bottoms that I made by patch-working together multiple pairs of his pants to accomadate my huge butt). The shirt is one crazy mess with brown abstract designs and these dreadfully silly huge gray-blue flowers. It's made of that weird stretchy silky crap fabric that would probably burst into flames if I stood next to a heat source.

The side story to the shirt is that I lost it for years. I got really, really heavy toward the end of high school so it stopped fitting me (like it ever did - very unattractive cut now that I'm wearing it again).  The shirt disappeared. I didn't know if I donated it, threw it out, or packed it up. I moved in with my mother when I was 19 and thought I'd gotten everything that was mine out of my dad's house. About a month ago, my dad decided to empty his basement of the loads and loads of crap that had accumulated between me, my 3 sisters, and my step-mom. I helped him clear it out and thought to go up to the attic to see what was up there. In the attic I found 6 huge rubbermaid totes of my clothes from high school. I took them downstairs and set them in the garage to be emptied into the dumpster. And then I thought, you know, I should probably just check to see what's in there. I found the shirt and stood in my dad's garage bawling my eyes out. This shirt is so special to me.  It is a reminder of my high school days, and it's extremely sentimental to me because it was my father's (also makes me giggle to think of my big, burly, biker dad wearing a shirt with flowers).

Sunday, March 7, 2010

My Very First Etsy Treasury


The Etsy Treasury is an ever-changing, member-curated shopping gallery of handpicked items. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme or just whatever they like.  They are temporary showcases, and this one will only be around till Wednesday so check it out soon!

Fe Fi Faux Fun was created by Miss Michele of MichelesArtJewelry to showcase some of the fine "faux" creations offered at Etsy.  All these pieces were created using polymer clay to mock precious stone, bone, wood, metal, and/or dichroic glass.  Some tremendous artist are pictured here and I feel humbled to have one of my pieces shown beside theirs.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Rainbow of Swirl Beads


This was the last of the unfinished projects that hadn't been baked.  28 of each color = pain in my butt.  I'm hoping to get the last of the jewelry made up this weekend so I can start the monthly challenge.  These are sanded but not polished.  I'm not so concerned with getting them polished right away.  Having them baked satisfies my need for order.  I'll annoy my husband some night this week while we are watching a movie.  Lord, does he love the sound of a dremel while he's trying to watch a movie.  >:)

Friday, March 5, 2010

Making Some Beads

I've been making a LOAD of beads lately.  Trying to use up my canes and clean up the Lair so that I can work on next month's PCAGOE challenge.  I can't stand having half-finished things laying around.  Here are some of the things that I've made. 



You'll see that they are listed in my shop currently.  If I'm brave enough to approach my local bead shop, they may disappear from Etsy.  Pray for my bravery.  The Vixen needs some cash.  lol