Fun with Beads... Polymer Clay and otherwise...

I had some fun this past week making an eyeglass holder necklace for my sunglasses.  It seems that I am always taking my sunglasses off and popping them on my head.  I promptly orget about them and then I bend over... and off they fly!!  So after the ten millionth time that this has happened, I decided to make some colourful beads, combine them with some seed beads I have had kicking around forever and see what I could come up with.   Here is the result:

Judging from the compliments I've received this past week, they are a hit with lots of my friends and neighbours!!  And since, they work so well with my sunglasses, I decided to make a (more subdued) strand from seed beads and little pearl beads for a friend who has a birthday coming up.

Last week I promised to upload the other necklace that I made with the European bead (otherwise known as Pandora beads) style...

And I have saved the best for last.  Here is the watch band that I made with "circus" colour beads I "cooked up".   I just love it... and according to my hubby... it is so ME!

It's been a busy week playing with clay....  I've been having way too much fun.... LOL!!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,

Sharon

A Passion for Purple...

I love purple and I love green.  These two colours find their way into a lot of my creations.  Mind you, I am rather fond of the combinations you can get in what I call "circus colours" too... greens, reds, purples, oranges, yellows.

This past week I had fun creating in both of these palettes in polymer clay.  I have been experimenting with making large (over an inch in diameter) hollow polymer clay beads.  I like that big, chunky look but an oversize bead made entirely from clay would end up being quite heavy.  So I decided to experiment.

I dug around in my stash and came up with some small Styrofoam balls and covered them in clay.  As the clay baked, the Styrofoam held the shape long enough so that the bead didn't collapse.  When the bead was "cured", the Styrofoam ball  had shrunk down to just a tiny ball inside.  It makes for a stunning focal bead!!  Cut the Styrofoam ball in half and you can make a half bead as well.  Give an "organic" shape to some larger flat discs, cut out graduating sizes of smaller discs and you have the makings of an interesting necklace...

I've also wanted to try out making some large, layered beads and some European beads with the large holes in the centers.  However.... I tried at least five times to upload the photo and it just doesn't seem to want to!  So perhaps next week, the 'Net won't be quite so temperamental and you will get to see it along with a watch band I made.

Till then, have a fun week,

Sharon

A Mixed Media Bunny tutorial

Happy Easter everyone! 

Last week I promised to show you the bunny I was hoping to work on this week for Easter.  Since it turned out to be so darn cute and easy to make (less than an hour), I decided I would post the pattern and write up a little "how to" for you as a little gift from the Easter bunnikin!

So let's get started... and take a peek at what she will look like once she's finished.  She is about 8" tall and is a "stand up" bunny that you could put on a windowsill, a table or tucked away in a niche.  She's a real cutie!!

Here's what you'll need for supplies

piece of heavy cardboard 8-1/2" x 11"
Modge Podge or other white glue
Brown ink pad and a piece of polyester batting
about a yard of 1" pink wire edged ribbon
a cluster of small silk roses
something "fluffy" for her tail - I can never remember the name of that furry, fluffy stuff :)
box cutter
scissors
bunny pattern
white paint or piece of decorative paper

Cover one side of your cardboard with decorative paper.  Alternatively, you could also paint it white.

Here's the bunny pattern.  Just click on the link to download it to your computer.  Print it out, glue it to the other side of your cardboard and then cut it out.  Using the box cutter to lightly go round the bunny will make it easier to cut out with the scissors.  

Ink the edges with your brown ink and a piece of polyester batting.  The batting will create a softer outline.  Glue a small piece of the white fluffy stuff to her tail.

Make a stand for the back of your bunny from the leftover cardboard and glue it to the back.

Tie the ribbon round her neck. In the knot (before you make the bow), place the cluster of roses, knot it and then tie a bow.  That's it!  You're done.  Stand back and admire your cute bunny!

Hoppy Easter... may the Easter bunny bring you lots of chocolate!!

Cheers,
Sharon

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

Hopping right down the bunny trail...

I woke up the other day with that song going through my head.   I figure it was my inner art calendar just taking a gander at the date and giving me a "heads up"... in the event I wanted to play and make something for Easter! 

Earlier this year I had decided that I wanted to make some little bunny earrings and a necklace for my granddaughter for Easter. Being just seven, I think she'll get a big kick out of wearing them "out and about".  So gramma got out her clay "stuff" and away she went. 

It was pretty easy and quick to make these lop eared bunnies... a couple balls of white clay for the head and the ears, a smidgen of pink for the nose and ears, some fishing line for whiskers, little flowers for the head and two black seed beads for the eyes.  "Cooked" them for 30 minutes and when they were cooled glazed them with Future to give them a nice shine.

So before I package them up to get sent off in the mail, I thought I'd share a photo of them with you...

The necklace was put together with some small white beads and larger pink pearls I have had in my stash forever. However, it was not before I managed to let the beading wire slip from my fingers as I was putting it together and spilled most of the beads onto the floor.  Hubby heard me screech "Oh NO!" and, bless him,  came to help rescue beads as they scattered across the room on the hardwood floor.

Do you have any projects planned for Easter?  Would love to hear what they are...

Till next week, when I will show you some pretty cool polymer clay beads I made this week and what I did with them.  I have another project with "bunnies" that I want to do... and if I get it done, I'll show it to you as well.

Happy arting,
Sharon

Cute as a Button.... and a challenge

The other day I needed a change of pace so I did something that I haven't done in a number of years.... cross stitch!


This little piece, done on 32 count linen,  was inspired by something I saw in a "button" store on a "let's go poking around" day with my friend Karen the last time she was in Victoria.  We both love buttons and we both have large stashes of them waiting to be used for "something".  Many of them are vintage... some have "stories" behind them and some are just ones we have seen along the way that we like!

I have a particular fondness for the old pearl and "bakelite" buttons...  the tinier, the better.  The two tiny pearlized buttons in the photo below (top right hand side) are actually from an old Edwardian vintage lawn dress that was literally falling apart from age (it was about 100 years old).  Every button in the piece is different.

This piece looks big in the picture but in actual fact it is quite small.  The squares themselves are less than an inch.  To give you some perspective... the large button at the bottom is about an inch.

I haven't quite decided how I will eventually frame it... guess I need to take a trip down to the framing store once I get the piece stretched and let the muse decide!!

I really enjoyed the change of pace of doing something different. Cross stitch is such exacting work and you really do have to concentrate on what you are doing.  Discover that you are one stitch off and out comes the "stitch ripper"!

I used to love to cross stitch and do hardanger (a "white work" form of Norwegian stitchery).     I even won many a blue ribbon at the State Fair in Raleigh, N.C. for some of my pieces that still adorn the walls of our house.

 Just doing this "button" piece, renewed my enthusiasm for cross stitch again and prompted me to get my "rear in gear" and finish off a couple of pieces that have languished in my cross stitch box for more years than I can remember!

Here's a photo of the Santa that I finally finished... look how tiny those stitches are!  Thank heavens for magnifiers LOL  Once it is framed, it will look great with the hardanger "Christmas House" I did a number of years ago.  I'll take a photo of the Christmas House soon and show it to you.  It is one of my treasured pieces.  I'm just not sure how well it will show up in a photo as it is "white on white".

What "unfinished" projects do you have tucked away in a bag shoved into the back of your closet or a shoe box that hasn't been opened in a long, long time?

• Mitts that you started that need another one to make a pair? 
•  Polymer beads that need to be sanded, polished and strung?  
• What about that dress you started last spring that never got finished?  
• Or the scrapbook page that needs a few finishing touches?
• What about that book on your shelf you keep meaning to alter?

I challenge you to make this the week to "rescue" an unfinished project from its hiding spot and lead it to the "finishing" line.  Let me know what you re-discover and how you make out!!

Art on my friends,
Sharon

Maxine and me...

And a Happy St. Paddy's Day to You...

I love the Maxine cartoons!  Maxine just tickles my funny bone and  her antics are good for the soul.  Today I thought I'd share a couple of my St. Paddy day favourites with you.  Enjoy!!

Cheers,
Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 12

When it comes to "sweets" part of your Christmas tea, this is the time to pick some of your favourite little tidbits!  Choose 3 or 4 different sweets.  Here are some ideas of tasty little morsels to include...
Tiny lemon tarts
Champagne truffles *
Shortbread cookies
Mincemeat tarts
Sugar Cookies *
Date Nut Bars *
Poppy-seed Bread *

*download the recipes here


A Few Words about Tea
*Always "warm the pot" before making tea!  Pour in hot water, let it sit for a few minutes, then empty.  Add the tea and hot water and let it steep before serving.

*Tea leaves are very delicate and absorb moisture quite easily.  Always store your tea in an airtight container.

*One of my favourite little wintertime treats is to store my leftover "Christmas tea" sugar cubes in a little plastic bag filled with cinammon.  The sugar cubes will absorb the spicy flavour.

As you fill the stockings on the mantle this year, think of this "Victorian" rule of thumb for filling Christmas stockings: "something to eat, something to read, something to play with and something they need".


Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas... see you in the New Year!

Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

Today, we'll chat about the second S in an afternoon tea menu - Sandwiches.

I adore tea sandwiches! They are so yummy and given my "druthers" I'd eat them every day of the year. There is just something so "civilized" about afternoon tea sandwiches. LOL

Last week, when I was out for Christmas tea with my Victorian Fashion Group at a lovely tea room here in Victoria, one of the women in our group talked about how, during the 50's and 60's, her mom made dainty little "pinwheel" sandwiches just like we all had on our plates for church teas and special occasions.  I remember my Mom doing that too and she always made them for me and my little guests when I had my birthday tea!

Pinwheels are pretty easy to make... here's a short UTube Video you can watch.  Instead of using bread, he uses a tortilla wrap but you can use slices of bread... just cut off the crusts!

You often hear tea sandwiches referred to as "finger sandwiches".   Whatever!!  They are meant to be small, crust-less, dainty bites and are made with a large variety of fillings:

Egg salad (hard cooked eggs with mayo)
Cucumber  (finely sliced "English" cucumber and cream cheese)
Almond Chicken (chopped, cooked chicken, slivered almonds and mayo)
Watercress (white or rye bread filled with watercress leaves)
Cream Cheese, Celery and Walnut Sandwiches (chop celery heart very fine)
Ginger Tea Spread (cream cheese mixed with ginger marmalade and a pinch of paprika on brown bread)
Pickled Spread (bologna ground up mixed with ground dill pickle and mayo)
Smoked Salmon with watercress and mayo
Tomato slices sprinkled with basil on rye bread with mayo
Cream cheese pinwheels with dill pickle slices or asparagus spears for centers
Salmon salad (red canned salmon mixed with mayo and green onion)

For your tea menu, choose three or four different fillings for your dainties.  Vary your breads between white, brown, pumpernickel, even crisp bread and cut them up differently.  Allow about 3-5  little sandwiches per guest depending on their size. In the summertime, you could even add a flower to the plate.  It's all about creating a "pretty" presentation on a china plate!

What's poured first into a china teacup?  The tea or the cream?

Well we all know to keep our elbows off the table and our napkins on our laps but do you know if it's the tea or the cream that goes into the teacup first?  Actually it really doesn't matter.  Some say if you put the cream in first, the hot tea may scald it.  Others say that if you put the tea in and then the cream, it will cool the tea off!  Sugar, on the hand, should be added once the tea is poured and is offered by the hostess to her guest.  If you are the hostess, be sure to ask your guests, "One lump or two?"

Cheers,
Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 10

Menu Suggestions for a Christmas Tea Party



"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."  Henry James - Portrait of a Lady

In designing a menu for "afternoon tea" in Victoria, B.C. (the most British of all Canadian cities and some say we are even more British than the British LOL) we keep these three "S's" in mind when looking for recipes:

First a Savoury, then a Sandwich followed by a Sweet.

So let's start with the first S today!  What qualifies as a Savoury?  Something salty or spicy. Soup. Scones.   The whole idea of eating a savoury first is to wake up your taste buds.  Include two or three "savoury treats" in your menu plan.  Here are five treat suggestions to choose from:

Savoury Cheesecake Bites (similar to quiche)
Cheese Savoury on Crackers
Butternut Squash Curry Soup
Bite size quiches (you can purchase these in the frozen food section at your local grocery store)
Herb Scones with Lemon Curd and Mock Devonshire Cream

I have also included my Apple Cream Cheese Scones recipe (my Christmas morning specialty. which can be included in the "sandwich" category for afternoon tea)

You can download all the recipes in a zip file here.

Tomorrow:  Sandwiches ... including those lovely little cucumber ones!

Enjoy!  Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Focus on the true meaning of the season - celebrate with a Friendship Tea or Punch Party

Christmas is a season of giving. Instead of spending a lot of money on gifts this year, why not focus on the true meaning of the season with a Christmas Tea or Punch Party for your friends!  You could make it a themed "costume party" Dickens style and ask your guests to come dressed appropriately... bonnets and caps, gingham dresses, fancy dresses for women and long scarves, top hats and round spectacles for men... or just a simple afternoon of merriment with your closest gal friends wearing the fascinators you made following yesterday's blog post.

Over the years, I have held numerous Christmas teas for my friends!  What fun they are... planning and participating in. Sometimes they were before Christmas but most often I scheduled them between Christmas and New Year's.  Remember, you can have an "afternoon tea" held during the day or "high tea" (which is at supper or dinnertime) so it could be an "after work" party.

Most of my teas had a "theme" of some sort and were held at home.  Some years, they were "potluck" (I supplied a list of things they could choose from to bring) and other years I supplied most of the "goodies" and my friends brought the wine, made the punch or brought Christmas cookies.

One year, we read passages aloud from our favourite girl books like Jane Austen's Emma.  At another tea, we took turns reading each other's tea leaves (NOW that was a laughter filled afternoon).  One year, we decorated a Gingerbread House and gave it to a local after school program.  Another year, we read (or told) our favourite Christmas stories.

Of course, every party needs invitations so once you have your "theme", take a few moments to write out the particulars on a piece of paper... i.e.  time, date, place, how to RSVP and, if need be, get the link to yahoo maps or map quest.

Here are some places you can go to create and send invitations to your friends online.  Some of the online "party planning" sites will require you to sign up for an account with them in order to use their service.

http://www.punchbowl.com/
http://new.evite.com/
http://anyvite.com/


Drop by over the next few days for some menu ideas and easy recipes for your tea party.

Cheers,
Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Make a "Duchess of Cambridge" Fascinator

Imagine having a Christmas afternoon tea party with some friends.  Well, the first thing you'll need are your own fascinators!  It's a fun and easy project... and you can find the instructions here.

Have fun... Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 7

5 Quick Gifts You Can Make for Less than $5.00

Raid your fabric stash or head to the nearest before Christmas sale at your favourite fabric store to sew up a storm with these easy, quick projects that use a yard of material or less.

Quick and easy, this table runner measures 10" x 24"
Make it for yourself, a friend or relative with this pattern!
Make a set of placemats to match your runner. Here's  the pattern

Make a set of padded hangars to spruce up any closet using these instructions!

Sew some book covers for a journal, favourite book or photo album!

Make some boxer shorts.  Pattern does not come with hunky guy :)  But if you make some for a girlfriend, you could always tuck his photo (pasted on cardboard) in the package! LOL





Have fun...

Sharon

The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 6

Let's get thrifty!

Some of the most popular and visited posts on this blog are the thrifty art tips I put together awhile back (with a little help from my online friends!).

These pages are visited often by long standing blog friends who know about them, but I suspect many newcomers to the blog might not be aware of them!  There are just loads of wonderful tips for recycling different materials you can find around your house, in your neighbours recycling bin (LOL) or in your junk drawer along with some great ideas for storage.

Now the links to all these posts are accessible to everyone who visits.  Look, over there on the right hand side, under the "Recently Viewed Posts" box.  There  is a whole tip list of great stuff for you to discover!

Cheers,
Sharon