Sunday, February 12, 2012

Ooops! I laid an egg! A really hard boiled one...

Ok, so I'm having a ball here! Or an egg, really... This was a superduper fun project, and I will be making more of this stuff!

This is something anyone can do. You don't really need a room full of equipment and stuff. A roll of aluminum tape from a hardware store, a pair of scissors, and an object to alter (like a metal or cardboard easter egg, a frame, a box, your hubby's old boot, or whatever...) and something with a little texture to stamp textures on the faux metal plates. I'm sure you have something in your stash, in your kitchen drawers, or in the garage.

I used some old eyelet setters and timbles to stamp texture into the foil tape. Worked great. 

I watched RachO113's video tutorial on youTube, and got so inspired. This is super easy, and super fun. Check it out! For more great ideas on how to use your roll of cheap fun, check out Linda's video here (I will be doing this next)

And imagine your hubby's happy face when you propose a visit to the DIY/hardware store! ;-)

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Polymer Book Cover

In search of my mojo, I've realized that I need to try new techniques and new styles. Yesterday afternoon I watched Linda's video-tutorials on polymer clay over at her blog liveartnow.blogspot.com. Luckily, I had a large box of polymer clay stashed away in my closet (surprise!), which enabled me to get to work straight away (some of you may know that I've been playing with clay earlier...).

Linda made this totally amazing steampunk mini album - you should really go check it out! I was lucky to get to see it in RL, and it absolutely blew me away! Polymer clay has such endless possibilities, and it's so much fun to work with :)) Please check out her tutorials and her work, she has a channel on youTube, and you'll find the links on her blog.
 
I wasn't really sure what to create - I wanted to do something quick at first, not some large project that would probably end up half done. I made a few accents and then I made this book cover for a cheap notebook I had on my desk. It was done in a few hours, and I love how it turned out.

The polymer image was made as one large panel, and then glued on to the book cover when cured. It's best to glue it down while still warm. It may bend while cooling down on it's own, and it will break if you try to flatten a cold piece.
 
I pierced an old dragonfly brad into the clay. I still find these really pretty :)
 
I sprinkled some blue microbeads on the background, and pressed them gently into the clay, but they didn't really stick very well. But varnishing the piece with crackle accents when cured, did the trick.
 

My next project should be a larger one. I do have a lot of clay to get rid of...

Thanks for visiting! :))