2107 Polymer Clay Challenge

Once again I am participating in the Polymer Clay Challenge being hosed by Katie over at KatersAcres.

The challenge is to complete one polymer clay project of your choosing per week. This year I am committing to complete one sculpted head each week.I can't wait to see who emerges from the clay this year.

Last year I noticed serious improvement in my sculptures after just a few weeks. Definitely due to constantly working on my skills.

Once I complete my first project I will post a link to my #2017PCChallenge Flickr album. I'll also post pictures here but I am excited to see the changes that I believe will result in my skills and seeing the pictures from start to finish will definitely show it.

Stay tuned! I hear the clay calling ;0)

Debbie

Happy Belated New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope you and your family enjoyed a safe holiday season. I had a wonderful time. My middle son and his family were visiting and I had a 3 year old in the house for Christmas for the first time in about 16 years!! Getting back to my regularly scheduled life has been difficult.

Having a small child in the house, seeing the magic of the season through her young eyes, has been a gift. Sometimes it is easy to forget the joy and wonder of things. I like all of the holiday trappings, the decorations, the music, the food...oh man the food! This year was just a little extra special with my son and his family sharing the days with us. It was great for my youngest son as well as he got to hang out with one of his siblings this year.

Now that January is here and the children have gone home things are slowly getting back to normal. I've set aside time each month to write for my blog so you'll see a bit more of me this year. I am looking forward to a productive 2017 with my art. Details on upcoming plans and projects coming soon.

Thanks for stopping by...

Debbie

Almost a New Year

Wow 2016 went by fast. So much happened, but I had too many obligations and not enough time to write and play. I hope that 2017 will be different. I plan to make 2017 different.


I've cut back on outside obligations though I did go back to school. I realized that while I enjoyed some of the things I had joined in on, I was not working on what inspires me - namely figurative sculpture.


So, with that thought on my mind, I chose to bow out of the major craft fair I have been doing for the past few years. It is (in my opinion) one of the best in the area but I found that while I enjoyed the booth and the people, the things I was making were not what I wanted to work on. I found that I was making small items to fill my booth rather than working on my art. So, though I am sure I will miss it come October, I did not commit myself for the upcoming year. I am taking a break from craft fairs and working on sculpting.


I did finish another sculpture and submitted her for Art Doll Quarterly's County Fair challenge. The sculpture's name is: Grandma Molly's Blue Ribbon Blueberry Pie. Here is a sneak peek. I checked the rules and I am able to share her on my personal blog.

Please excuse the poor picture quality and wrinkled background!!


She was inspired by my grandmother and I think of her as the fisherman's wife (Fish Tales: Check him out here). I haven't heard back yet as to whether or not they want to use her but I sure had a great time making her and sending her off for consideration. I've made it a goal this coming year to enter their challenges and I am already storyboarding my ideas for their next challenge - "I am Woman" which is due in March of 2017.


2017 will bring more posts to this blog. I am setting aside a couple of hours per month to write for my blog. This is something that I enjoy and want to do. I have several tutorials that are just about done and I finally want to share them. I have other projects that I am working on that need to be here :0) I have the results of my first serious batch of wine that I made all by myself - start to finish - and it is drinkable. That story needs to be shared and I still have some amazing vacation pictures to show you.


Right now, I am sitting at work on my lunch hour. I was trying to focus on my current college course - Business Law - but my brain just isn't there right now. My middle son and his family arrived here today, the holidays are in full swing and last night I finally got my house decorated. I am ready to take a break and just enjoy my family and the holidays.

Coffee Zombie...A Fun and Interesting Zombie

Missing Zombie Swap

This year's Zombie swap, hosted by Val over at Yarnigras Swapper Spot, was called Missing Zombie and you were supposed to give your partner an idea for a zombie that you were missing from your collection. My partner really wanted a Coffee Zombie.

When I first read that she wanted a Coffee Zombie, I was stumped. What is a coffee zombie? How do I translate coffee into a zombie doll? I had no idea where to start... so I went to Starbucks for some iced coffee.

Finally, after much fruitless brainstorming, I started sculpting a zombie. I figured I would be able to flesh out my concept as I went along.

Zombies are fun to sculpt, you don't have to really worry if they are pretty, seriously, not at all! Lumps and bumps, no problem (just think decomposing), cracks are intentional, hair can be thin and falling out, lips can be sheared off, teeth crooked and blood stained. The less you worry about them the better they become, at least that is how I look at it. Oh, and adding an exposed brain is so much fun!

I started with 2 zombies, one guy and one girl. I originally thought I would make one holding a Barista's severed arm, which in turn would be holding a cup of coffee. Then I started dressing them.

Leather boots, suede pants, Ralph Lauren sweater (really, I found one at Goodwill for $5 and have been cutting it up for costumes. I LOVE it), hmmm, what kind of zombie is this? Starbucks customer?

 Nope, how about a Starbucks Barista.

The apron was created with the directions I found through Pinterest from this Doll Diaries blog post which talked about making a doll sized coffee shop. Brandy, the guest blogger details making Starbucks aprons for dolls to go along with the coffee shop they are making. Amazing! I got lucky and Michael's had everything I needed.

Coffee Zombie

I also sent along some sweet treats, a skull candle stick and a few ornaments for my swap partner's Halloween tree:

Halloween Tree Ornaments

I had such a hard time sending this sweet (yes I think she is sweet) zombie to her new home. I hope her new mom loves her!

I am so happy to be a part of this amazing swap group. If you like to create you should check out Yarnigras Swapper Spot. Right now she is hosting an ornament swap. You have until October 28th to sign up for the fun.

I am almost ready for the October 14th craft fair... then I can relax and post more things here, like more vacation pictures, the tutorials I have been promising (I really have not forgotten) and more.

Zombie Swap Complete

I sent my swap partner her zombie today. It was really hard to say goodbye. I can't wait to show you what I sent. This one was challenging in subject but totally fun once I came up with a concept. Here is a sneak peek:

It should be delivered Monday or Tuesday, as soon as it is delivered I will share with you the gruesome zombie I created for this year's swap.

Fun Things in my Etsy Shop

Until recently I just haven't had the time to put my jewelry in my Etsy Shop. I have been working hard to get things in there before the start of the holiday season this year. Currently there are several styles of earrings and some embroidered Skull and Cross Bone napkins. I hope to have some mermaids, ornaments and pumpkins in there by the first week of October - fingers crossed!

Here are a pair of the Angel earrings:

They are currently available in Yellow, Blue, Orange, Rose, Pink, and Fuchsia. I only have one or two pairs of each available and they are so cute! I also have Bohemian style earrings and some darling faceted glass fall earrings. 

I have so much to share and not enough time in the day to do it! Next up I'll be posting more vacation pictures.

Have a lovely day,

Debbie

Weekend Sculpting Class with Kate Church

This past weekend I was lucky enough to spend with Kate Church, a fabulous doll artist, sculptor and painter. She is down to earth, soft spoken and just an amazing person. This is the third class I have taken with Kate and it was so much fun. The theme of the class was transformation and we each choose a figure that was part animal and part human so of course I HAD to make a mermaid...

She definitely was made using Kate's techniques and her style. I am thrilled with how she turned out and will be making more mermaids for my booth at the McQueen Craft fair which is coming up October 14-16 - YIKES!

She hasn't told me her name yet but now that she is home I am sure she will soon.