Thursday, July 8, 2010

Orlando Clay Fandango

It's official, I will be teaching at the 2011 Orlando Clay Fandango. We are excited to have our lesson chosen and for the opportunity to teach a new project that I've been working on for about two years.

Like so many ideas, this one came when I only had a very small scrap of a beautifully colored skinner blend, warm pink to ivory to warm blue and wished there were something I could do to use it up. I began wondering how I might use this small piece of a favorite blend.

Hummmm..(thinking happening here)... maybe I could use slivers, little angled slices from the skinner blend scraps to make a pretty flower with colors blended from light to dark. So I compressed the scrap into a small Skinner loaf, cut off a thin slice, cut the slice into slivers and rolled them into ropes.

The first one was this necklace and earring set using the pink to ivory part of the scrap of Skinner blend. The leaves and vines were made from a green to translucent failed cane. The gypsy in me came out as I was finishing the design with iron on Swarovski flat back jewels inserted into flower centers and other design elements.

I began calling the technique "Sliver Flowers & Leaves" and created some more designs, some with wirework.

On another one, the background was textured to resemble fabric and the resulting design was the inspiration to convert the slivers into verigated silk ribbon for embroidery.

For years I'd tinkered with clay embroidery designs but was unsatisfied with the results. Certainly nothing to write home about. The slices from the Skinner blend scrap reminded me of Ombre or Variegated ribbon so the focus changed from thread embroidery to ribbon embroidery and experiments began.

After testing and developing ways to make the various stitches with ribbon embroidery shapes and movement, I created a clay "Sampler". My favorite stitch is the running stitch with variegated ribbon. The effect is so much fun!

I'll be teaching this faux Embroidery class at Fandango May 19-23, 2011. Students will make a sampler and a pendant/pin project. I'll sculpt a new mold with tiny buttons, borders and other embroidery goodies for this class. Here is a link to more info on Orlando Clay Fandango Retreat.

The pendant to the left is 'stitched' around the edges. The ornament below right is made from the same technique only the ends of the flowers stitches are not 'tucked' in.




More pictures to follow: maybe we'll see you there.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

NEW!! Woodland Spirts mold is on the web!


It is an exciting day for me, the Woodland Spirit mold is finished and up on our web site. After a year of remodeling, moving and getting our mold company up and running, we finally have a new mold finished and ready to sell.

There is a lot of work involved after picking the theme for the mold. Sizes, how many parts in the mold, how to lay out the parts for easy de-molding, etc.

This Woodland Spirit mold came about after I sculpted two leafy lady designs, one large and one small, for a challenge. It was a great deal of work and the quiet feeling of the pieces inspired some designs to go with it. They had to be modified to work as molded parts. After modifications, they were laid out in the mold size diagram and sketches were drawn to fit more woodsy designs into the mold with them. We try to get as many parts in a mold as possible.

The two "Carved" wood spirits were sculpted as old men with beards and wise faces. The owl just seemed to be a good choice to go with the group. The little knot hole can be a bead. Mold two of them and place them back to back on a bead pin or wire. Press gently to bond and bake and you've got a bead that is a knot hole.

Each of our molds come with instructions to make a project from a molded part. This one is no different. Clay buddy Jane and I worked out this beaded brooch. It is simple but very showy. The colors are mica powders but acrylic paint could be dry brushed onto the baked part before antiquing the piece with burnt umber acrylic paint.







Here is the before pic.






Announcing -- a brand new flexible rubber mold by Penni Jo!!

This lovely mold has six openings. Four are pleasant woodland spirits including two leafy ladies, one large and one small; and a "carved wood" old man's face in two sizes.

Also in the mold are a wise, kind owl and a little knot hole. The molded parts can be used to grace your jewelry, fairy doors, and home decor.

Included in the mold are instructions to make this lovely beaded brooch.
http://www.bestflexiblemolds.com/faces.htm

****July 4th Special -- Free Shipping****

Order from July 4 through July 6, 2010 and include PJ034 Woodland Spirits mold in your order and the shipping will be refunded through Paypal.


Anytime is Clay Time!
Penni Jo AKA Claylady43

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