It's so easy to get addicted

to Peg's Polymer Play Days!  LOL!!!  We had one last week when Colleen was here - I'm just quite lazy about blogging these days. But I couldn't resist sharing her fabulous technique for making these San Diego look-alike flowers.

Now, you must know that Peg and I both lived in Chula Vista on the south side of San Diego.  I swear that about 1988, I took my son to her music store to buy something for band.  I have a feeling we met in "that life".  But the fun is that we are now both in Colorado and both playing hard in "this life".  :o)

click to enlarge them.  I made this first star, it's about 2 1/2" across.

Peg made this one.

 Colleen decided to marble the background and make calli lillies

Isn't this one gorgeous?  It's another of Colleen's

Colleen's - like the black background

Peg did this cross

and the earrings

I did an olive branch.  Those olives must be 1/2mm in diameter!

Gotta love the layered flowers

Got this one full up!

I don't know if I like full or sparse the best.  Maybe just the variety of it all

So here they are all together.  Not too bad for a "productive" play day, huh?

If you live in the area and want to play with Peg, look for her every Tuesday at the Bead Lounge in Longmont.....or check out her Saturday classes up there.  I'm so blessed to have her as a friend!



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The "babes" were here.....

And they sure know how to play!  Peg made up a ton more of her fabulous clay.  Here's what Chari made:

domino tiles work great!

That darn Susan "stole" one of my 7 gypsies tabs and look what she did!

Now remember, irl, these are just about 1" square....so she's working with some pretty small charms:

and then I had to do some more the the layered patera blanks.....I just love them!

Peg taught us her tricks and we all expanded on them.  I think I have 4 dozen pendants made now....all to give away!  Just have to let the envirotex set up and turn them all into necklaces.  3 whole days left - plenty of time!

I just love it when the Basement Babes come to play - so much fun!!!

Altered polymer clay art

I do not like polymer clay. I do not like anything about it. But I fell in love with this strand of polymer clay beads made by Peg Harper.....who is fast becoming a dear, dear friend!



So, yes, Peg, you may just get me to do something with "your" clay one of these days. After all, you managed to get me to join the local polymer clay guild....but I'm going to work to get you to change the name to something more generic....take the poly out of it! LOL!!

I took Peg's beads (and yep, I do want to learn how to make them) and added fine silver diecuts to the sop and dangled swarovsky crystals from the bottom.



So as long as Peg makes the beads and I can aler them....I think I've found a new love.....Peg's poly beads and my fine silver diecuts:



I'm telling you.....northern Colorado is just full of amazing artists! I keep meeting new ones all the time and am beyond impressed with all of the incredible talent that surrounds me!!!

So Peg.....what would happen if I altered the steampunk heart?

LOLOL!!!

My funny superbowl story "I Won!!!"

We only had 26 people over at our house on super bowl Sunday. The kids and I made beads and jewelry with polymer clay:

OK, you do know I define "kids" without any age limits!!!

I think every inch of our house was packed with people...or food. I covered my stove top with a craft mat (how clever is that??) and used the island to serve just the appetizers!  The pizza was on the kitchen table, dessert was over on the kitchen desk and the other countertops were loaded with chips, dip, condiments, bread, crackers, utensils, plates,cups....all the drinks were out on the back deck or in the fridge in the garage.

We brought up 2 rows of chairs behind the one sofa - you couldn't begin to walk through here:

Obviously, I didn't get to watch much of the game at all - not sure I could have handled all the noise with each touchdown!  But Kerry asked if I wanted in the pool and I said, "sure"!

 It was $20 to enter and each quarter was a $100 payout with an additonal end of game payout of $100.  OK - yes- they had to explain to me that the end of game was in case it went into overtime and there was an additional score for the overtime "quarter".  Yep, you got it, I'm NOT a huge sports fan!

I decided to join the group for the last 2 minutes of the game.  They started looking at their grid and someone says, "who is JL?"  I immediately raised my hand - not bothering to even consider that someone else might have my same initials!!!  LOLOL!!!

You guessed it!  I won the final quarter pool AND the end of game pool!  $200.00!!!  And I only watched TWO minutes of the game!!!

You know, I just might have to enter the pool twice next year!   Now, Kerry and I rarely have parties at our house.  OK, we rarely have small gatherings at our house outside of my Basement Babes group that meets once a month.  Last weekend was just so much fun and I'll have to confess, I'd do superbowl Sunday all over again!  

A special thanks to all my artists who came to play with me over the weekend!  You truly brought joy to my heart!!!

Kaleidoscrocks!

Oh yes, another new word! As in Kaleidoscope rocks. LOL! Hey! If photoshop can make up a word like spherize, then I guess I can make up a word like kaleidoscrocks!!!

I'm working with Fimo clay today. Making my entry for the Bottles of Hope project. Now, my first suggestion is that you go watch all 3 of Linda Peterson's videos on how to make "rocks".

Then take some black Fimo and make a few beads. I happen to just love my new #8 bead roller set! I also used a # 1 set.




I'm also mixing up my artistic mentors a bit today. When I was at the Metal Clay World Conference in Las Vegas last August, I made this kaleidoscope smooch cane with Lisa Pavelka. Yep, I made this cane in August and am just now using it!



There's more than enough...I just slice it into paper thin slices (well, on a good day they would all be paper thin!!!)



And then I tear off bits and pieces of the slice and layer them over the tiny little beads that I made with the # 8 roller. Leave a little bit of black for a different kind of look:



On the larger, oval beads, I decided to go for a more patterned look:



Stuck the wires through them and placed them on the baking rack. Just 20 minutes in Amaco's clay oven and they are done!



OK, this is NOT my final project...but I just laid them out on the table so you could get an idea of what these beads look like:



And a closeup of the center beads:



The Bottles of Hope project requires an amulet in the center and I've got a fun idea for that! I'm going to incorporate some metal clay, some silver wire, some Swarovski crystals and who knows what else. It will be an altered kaleidoscrocks project. My next step was to paint each bead with a couple of layers of a polymer clay hardener. That's drying right now and I will start in again in the morning.

Kaleidoscope Smooch canes with Clay Cafe Rocks!!! My new Kaleidoscrocks!!!

Can I just say that kaleidoscrocks ROCK!!!!!