Joan Tayler Design

Making Pretty

2012-03-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

We have been busy at the studio. Itstill is an unfinished basement but we have decided to bring out someof our work to pretty it up and if someone passing trough wants toown something – well there it is.

Looking from the fibre studio into my space - still a ways to go.

Actually there has alwaysbeen some work out but it has not so much been on display as it hasfailed to have been put away – I thing that I am more guilty ofthis that Kirsten or Carmen but there are always little balls offluff competing with the little balls of clay. What can I say, we arewell suited to working in the same space. Tolerance of others messesis a prerequisite of sharing a studio space.

Almost finish putting up the show.

On the other hand –today is the first Monday on the Month so I was off to Seymour ArtGallery to help with the installation on a new show. I have beendoing this for the past few years and find it great to see art by alot of artist with out having to attend opening – well actually Ijust enjoy putting up shows and there is always something new tolearn. Today's show with collage and ceramics by Sunshine Coastartist, Kay Bonathan went up fast and pretty. Nice to something withother peoples art.

Kay's opening is tomorrowevening if you happen to be in North Vancouver.

Catching Up

2012-02-29T10:36:00.001-08:00

Week 45 - Blossoms on black

Week 46 - Cinnabar

This has been a very busy month. Getting show applications in is one of my least favourite tasks but Carmen and I refreshed our shared studio and that was fun. We aren’t finished yet – pictures will arrive on this blog eventually.

It was nice to get over to Victoria to hang out with the Vancouver Island group. (Thank you Nancy for driving ) I wanted to give the group there a chance to get buy some of my rubber stamps and texture sheets before I put them up on Etsy. We had a great time ( at least I did). It was good to share ideas and energy.

I haven’t forgotten about the earring challenge. I am including a couple of pairs with this post. I have always liked the idea of the back of object holding a little extra. Sort of a surprise, so I have shown both sides of the earrings.

Now off again to try to catch up.

Both Sides Now

2012-02-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Reversible Shawl Pin

Working in a studio with two fibre artist has had an effect on me. First is was buttons, then drop spindles, then stitch markers and knitting needle. Now it is shawl pins, big shawl pins that do double duty. I make the two sides different and include two pins so a pin can be used with either side facing out. The ring is flat and curves a little in the direction that you wear it but will bend back the other way so you can get a whole different look. I have borrowed fibre to show the two faces of this shawl pin but they will work for hair too.

This is fun! I think that I will made a bunch of them!!! But all little different of course.

Making Lemonade

2012-02-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Week 47 – Drying Flowers

An upbeat friend pointed out to me that having a bad left hand might be a good thing. I like drawing and I have been developing a line of texture sheets and stamps. The bad hand might just get me to focus more on that avenue of creativity. I will soon be unveiling some of my stamps.

And for the earrings of the week I was inspired by flowers hanging to dry. Simple millefiori canes reduced and recombined to give a slightly irregular shape. The stones are natural amber – I really like amber.

Bad Hand!

2012-02-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

I have just received the diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my left hand. Are there any one handed cane makers out there that are willing to share secrets?

I guess this makes this the -

Question of the month for February

Is there a tool or machine that will help someone with limited use of their left hand stretch canes?

Little Bits of Colour

2012-02-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

Week 48 - Candy Swirl

Here is an answer to what to so with all those little bits of clay that result from a big clay sample session. I have used translucent clay between the little bits of colour to make a cane that reminds me of candy. Not my usual thing but it doesn’t hurt to do something goofy once in a while. Usually I just group the greens, yellows and blues and make and all purpose green. The other colours make an all purpose red, brown, or what ever.

Colours an process

What I am trying to do in clay is recreate the kind of colour charts that appeared in my old Graphics Master text from years ago. This book is still available on Amazon but I am not sure that the later versions have percentages of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black that make all process printing colours. My version is 2 and it looks like the publishers are up to number 8 now. Anyway Graphic Master colour charts are fun to look at if you are a colour enthusiast like me. They are well worth picking up at a yard sale or old book shop if you can find them.

Graphics Master one of many colour charts

Its All About the Crows

2012-02-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

Week 49 - Crows

East Vancouver has adopted the crow as its neighbourhood bird.

There is a main daily flight path across the city that runs from the goodies around the harbour to a rookery in Burnaby. Twice a day the sky will fill with birds on their daily commute. For this reason the Eastside Culture Crawl and many businesses have adopted the crow as their bird.

I have been making crow earrings, necklaces and whistle for a while now. They sell at the Craft House on Granville Island and the Craft House Shop Vancouver International Airport.

Crows are great birds to watch, though I know they are hated by most bird watcher. Like humans, and starling they are just too successful. They are still fun to watch. A couple of years ago I saw a great battle between my neighbours cat and a resident crow. The crow won leaving Jeff, the cat, hanging by his little white paws.

Jeff verses crow

Early Morning Full Colour Blues

2012-01-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

This year I will get more control of colour, this year I will get more control over colour, this year I will get more control over colour, …

Enter the Water Dragon

2012-01-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today it is Chinese New Years. In my neighbourhood that is a big deal. Still some of the stores were open and I bought my vegetables at my favourite vegetable store that was ringing in the new year with a broken alarm. I can only home that they will not have to listen to that all day.

Georgia and Gore

I love my neighbourhood. I walked home in a very good mood in spite of the rain – this is Vancouver, and it is the water dragon.

Had to post twice today for New Years!

Coming Clean

2012-01-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

Week 50 - Eagle feathers.

This is the question of the month.

How do you clean up your act?

I mean, of course how do you clean up your hands and tools when your work with polymer clay.

Some to the things that I have heard about for cleaning are:

- Alcohol, not sure what kind or how much ( maybe a glass of wine and then you don’t care any more.)
- Armoral on a cloth for tools, not hands.
- baby wipes for both hands and tools
- olive oil or other oil to dilute the clay on your hands before wiping them off.
- high oil content craft bar soap, seems to dissolve clay, especially good for dark colours.
- Dial soap, for hands I assume ( haven't tried it but I hear it is good.)
- always wear gloves (can't seem to manage this one.)

I am curious about what others have found out. Some other answers are at this Yahoo answer site and some more at Tiny Hands (check out their cute miniatures).

What do you think?

Just Can’t Unbutton

2012-01-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Buttons from hand made stamps

I have been trying to concentrate on making texture sheets and writing tutorials but one has to do research, a lot of research and noodling. I made some button stamp that turn out neat almost uniform buttons. Details in the near future.

Challenge Verses Structure

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Earring Challenge Helps Get the Boring Stuff Done

On one side there are: my business books for the whole year, applications forms for 2012 shows and a lot of general business organization, on the other hand there is: drawing, clay work and general fun work. Which to choose? Do an hour of “A” and be rewarded with and hour of “B”. That’s generally what I try to do but I am lacking structure. I miss the button project from last year. So when I saw a post on Polymer Clay Daily featuring Anke Humpert and the earring challenge, I thought – just the thing to give me a little weekly focus. So here is a start. This year it is a count down.

Week 51 – My classic favourite is indigo and white. These little buds are topped with labradorite and little extra silver.

Week 51

Week 52

Week 52 – My classic favourite is indigo and white. Here I have made a little table shape and finished it with carnelian stones.

Not Dead Yet - but still dyslexic

2012-01-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

The corrected version

I have not disappeared completely. I am here busily working away on a number of different things. I have tendonitis in my left thumb and wrist, have had for the last nine months but now I have decided to give it a rest so it will heal. Now my right hand has to take over for a while, lots of drawing but I will give up on claying completely – just those not as much production work.

So one of the things that I have been doing is working on the computer. One of the little diversions that I have taken was to make a little tool to get the angles right on pentagon or hexagon kaleidoscope canes.

Here is the little polygon for anyone that might find it useful. I cut out this polygon so that I could check the angles of my triangular canes before I combined them into hexagon or pentagon canes. I wonder if anyone else finds this useful. I have corrected the angles since yesterday.

Later the same day - Sorry for anyone who has not been able to print this image out. I was able to print it by doing a control Y over the image and then opening the image in another program. If that fails email me and I will send a pdf file to you. I am not that great at computer stuff so I hope that will work.

Way To Much Fun!

2012-01-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

I have been scanning some of my sketches to make into stamps. While doing this I wondered if I could use the computer to preview some of the ideas I have for kaleidoscope canes. This is the result.

If your don’t have a computer you could just cut and paste but the computer allows you to flip images. This allows you to make more than six different canes to be made from one triangular cane, just like you can do with a real polymer clay cane. Not all of the canes will be satisfying but some surprises occur. I had not thought of the idea of combining three pieces and than cutting them to make a bilaterally symmetrical cane before I did this exercise.

How I can’t wait to make one of the canes and to see how it compares to the computer preview.

I have been using Corelle Draw to do this but other programs might work better. (I am addicted to Corel – I even write letters in it some time.)

A Year of Working Smarter

2012-01-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

Every New Years I set goals. I am too indecisive to have resolutions. The perennials are; lose twenty pounds, get rid of clutter and learn to stand on my head. These are safe perennials because they are never achieved.

On the craft front - Every year I sell my wares at farmers markets, festival craft markets and winter holiday markets. Load that car, haul that tent, pack-up and do it again. Something has to change.

This year will be my year of working smarter. This will manifest itself with regular posts to Etsy – one a week minimum. I will finally get my texture sheets finished and available. I will write a couple of tutorials even if they are just to help me focus.

Barrettes from the past awaiting re-purposing.

Yesterday I tore apart a pile of display boards that I had made to jury for various shows. Many of the items I would never sell now but some were just fine. The good will go to Etsy eventually, the extra interesting will be kept for further development and some will be re-purposed.

I will post a link to my Etsy Shop soon. At the moment it only has one thing in it.

Week 52 – Sheep

2011-12-30T17:58:00.000-08:00

Week 52 – Sheep

The shape, the wire tool and the texture sheep

So here it is almost the end of the year and I have made it. A friend told me that the reason that I had trouble sleeping was because I was counting buttons instead of sheep. These little guys might not be the answer to my sleep problems but they are the last buttons that I will be making this year. Since my buttons are usually used by knitters I thought that it would be a fitting to end the year with sheep buttons.

To make these buttons I used twisted brass wire to make a wooly textures on some bake and bend clay. I used this texture sheet to give the little sheep shaped buttons a little personality. Some of the buttons are antiqued using a little burn umber acrylic paint and the others are simple given a little polish.

Now I am looking forward to a another challenge next year. Like getting my act together.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Week 51 – Strawberries

2011-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

This is it. The sun is on the way back. It is uplifting to think that from now on the days are getting longer. Red and green might be Christmas colours but they make me think of strawberries.

I have used a red and white skinner blend to make the body of the berries, not much white. The tops are three small slices of millifiori leaves that I had in my cane box. I tried to make the seeds by making a little texture plate of polymer clay and pressing into each of the berries. I was inspired by a cookie cutter that I think was a Christmas light. I am determined to think about summer. Only one more button to go and that will be after Christmas.

JOY TO THE WORLD – and all that stuff.

Week 50 – Navajo Blanket

2011-12-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

I decided the I wanted to make a kaleidoscope cane in browns and grays. When in was finished it reminded me of the blankets that my in-laws liked to buy in the American Southwest. When I look at the images of blankets on the net,f the blankets are mostly bright colours but the ones that I have seen have all been muted colours. It must have had something to do with the taste of the buyers. Now I want to make more but it is off to the real December world again.

Here is a link to the back of the button.

A Two Button Day

2011-12-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Week 48 – Dragon Skin

In and effort to finish this project by the end of the year I will have to have a couple of two button days. both of these buttons and the shawl pin were make using my dragon parts texture sheet/stamp. I hope to have “dragon parts” available for sale next February.

Week 48 – Dragon Skin
I have used a mixture of “mud” and variety of reds including just a bit of Fimo soft metallic red. I used to avoid the “metallic” polymer clays with the bigger mica chips but now I think a little sparkle now and then is okay, gives the earth colours a spark. The buttons are made of this earth red with the thinnest layer of black on top. The top layer is cut away to reveal the red.

Week 49 – Black Ginko
I have isolated one part of the “dragon parts” texture sheet, to make these leaves. They could be any colour.

Using the same texture sheet as the buttons, I have made this shawl pin. Again any mokumegane colours would work.

I realize now that I have never shown a picture of the Dragon Parts texture stamp. To late now - I will try again tomorrow.

The Years Last!

2011-12-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Whale tail whistle

Well here it is almost the end of the year. If your in Vancouver drop into the Croatian Centre on Saturday the 17th for the Farmer’s Holiday Market. It is always lots of fun. You will find me at table number #72, next to Royal Herbs’ great body care products and across from Kalley Kandy with their delicious nougat. My studio partner Melonhead Knitwear is over near the near “the seating for eating” – make sure to have a look at hers fibre before your hands are sticky with nougat and other goods. Come and enjoy!

I have new stuff never seen at a market like these whale tail.

Stay tuned, two more buttons coming soon.

How to Turn a Heel

2011-12-11T05:10:00.000-08:00

So this is my little holiday gift for those who occasionally read my blog.

This is an a very simple irregular cane that can not be reduced when it is finished but it is fun. I usually make really little socks as stitch markers but a little larger they serve as decorations. So here we go.

1.) Choose two colours for your socks and roll them to the widest setting. My slabs for this are about 2 by 5 inches. Have some twisted wire loops ready to insert into the top of the finished sock.
2.) Mark of ½ inch segments.
3.) Cut and stack the segments.
4.) You can repeat one colour for the toe or cuff. I have only done this for the toe which I have made white. You can also see the red triangular piece that I will insert to make the red heel.
5.) Trim the edges of your stack.
6.) Cut into the stack half way up to give you a space to insert the heel of the sock.
7.) Insert the heel piece, it might take a little trimming to get it to fit.
8.) Here is the sock cane finished. The toe has been rounded to make is more sock like.
9.) Now the tricky bit. Put the sock foot on the table, slice a little to make a place for the wire, then make another slice to cut your sock away from the cane.
10.) Insert you wire loop and press the top closed.
11.) Make any final adjustment to the sock and …
12.) Off to the oven for baking.

So there you have it. Best I can do this year. You still have time to try it before Christmas if you are inclined.

PS to guild members. I finally figured out how to post this as a blog entry but I will still send your the PDF form.

Week 47 - Northern Lights

2011-12-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

Week 47 - Northern Lights

One line of multi coloured clay feathered into black is easy but I would like to get more control over it. I am looking forward to experimenting and writing notes on this technique but now I am just trying to wrap of the year. Five more sets of buttons to go – well six if you count my missing number two – but I did do double on number twenty eight.

Week 46 – Flower Web

2011-12-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

Week 46 – Flower Web

I was looking through one of my boxes of canes when I came upon one that reminds me of spider webs and flowers. Now I am inclined to make new canes that emphasize the idea of flowers and cob webs.

Week 45 - Sprigged Frogs

2011-12-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

Week 45 - Sprigged Frogs

I just discovered I have been sprigging to years. I have made little molds of polymer clay, pressed clay into them, trimmed it off with a knife and applied it to another clay surface. I have been making beads with frogs as well and star fish as well as ladybugs. Faces with the back log of buttons to complete by the end of the year I found one of my old molds, ( I am not entirely satisfied and I will remake in it in the future but what the hell …) and made a few sprigged frogs.

For a look at some one who really knows her sprigging take a look at Mari Odell’s web site.

Sprig in is the way that blue and white Wedgwood is done. I learn some thing new every day. Here is a Art ways video that makes it all clear.

On the home front, I finally made a shawl pin that I am pleased with. More to follow.

Wave pattern shawl pin

Pica Pica the Polishing Elf

2011-11-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

Polished, Mounted and ready to go.

Here are yesterday’s squares and circles mounted and polished. I am sure that I am disappointing some that this isn’t a larger piece like a little quilt but there it is, rings. Great how a little polish brightens things up
.
Pika pika is Japanese for sparkly shiny, a good name for and elf I think.

Enough fun, now to pack for tomorrow and such.

The Joys of Staying on Task

2011-11-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to do something new. Not finish up earrings, not card pendants, not improve my signage, not organize for the next show. So I decided that a reward for doing these things.

I found some ring blanks that didn’t arrived in time for summer markets. Big chunky rings that might go over well at the Porto Bello West Market this weekend. So my reward was making new rings. I hope to sell them so I can make some more. I am a simple soul.

It’s good getting the less inspiring tasks done and by tomorrow I will have glued and polished some new rings for Saturday’s market. There is a little more drudgery butI will think of a small reward to keep me going. I am excited about doing this market for the first time, and as always a little apprehensive.

Squares waiting to be mounted as rings and polished

Now That was Fun

2011-11-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

Button 52/7 almost done

I was ready to the Eastside Culture Crawl on Friday at 5:00 PM. As usual, I just made it under the wire. My husband, Hugh, stood by in case it got busy but it never really did. We had a 140 visitors in and out during the evening but that is far below what we usually have the first day to the Crawl. We were thinking that this year might be a really quiet. Then Saturday morning it started, a constant flow of people to our tiny living room/studio. It one point there was a tour bus and I had to stand at the door and stop people from coming in till some others left. Too many people!!! Good thing that they were all nice and polite.

By the time we closed up at 6:00 PM last evening, a little over 1,800 had visited. Some for only a few minutes, some choose things to buy, some chatted with us for a while and other opened the door and decided that it was just too crowded for them. There were surprisingly few people who simply looked at the crowd and ran, I confess that I might have run too if I had not been the host.

Thanks especially to Hugh, we survived the busiest Culture Crawl ever. Now to recover and get ready for Porto Bello West Market this coming week-end. That will be the last market for November and then I have some time until the Farmers Holiday Market on December the 17th. Well, as usual, back to work. If I get enough done I will reward myself by making some more buttons.

Walk Before You Can Crawl

2011-11-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

White leaf red wool

Tomorrow is show time. It is snowing now but the forecast is for fair weather tomorrow. Rain of shine, it is fun look at what I have done over the past year. Makes me feel like I have accomplished something. ( Well - I guess it could mean that I haven’t sold a lot but the would be negative thinking – bad joan!)

This is the first time I have had all the buttons from project 52/7 out at the same time. Kind of neat. My neighbour Mayu knit to cowls and and a hat to show of my button. Lovely to have the help of friends and neighbours.

Lots to do tonight and tomorrow before opening at 5:00 PM. I better get a move on.

One side to the room almost done

Neighbou Mayu's Knitting shows off my buttons.

Week 44 – White Leaves

2011-11-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

There is no law against simplicity. I hesitate to make buttons this simple, but why not? Sometimes the simplest answer is the best. These buttons are simply cut out of white clay free hand and the veins incised with a pointed piece of metal.

Simple in also what I need to relax a little while I get the house ready for the Eastside Culture Crawl. This year snow is predicted so it may be a quite weekend with most people sticking to the big buildings with multiple studios. We will see. It is always fun. Two more sleeps until show time.

Full Circle

2011-11-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

Down the escalator at the new convention centre.

Well that's it. They came. They went. We packed up. We went home. I will probably repeat next year. But I am so glad to be living here - even thought it rains A LOT, it is a great place.

Vancouver Harbor - Old convention centre on the right the new on the left.

Almost Ready for Tomorrow

2011-11-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

Adrianna helps put to stock up for tomorrow

Almost there with a little help from my friends. This time before a show is so exciting, so full of potential. One more sleep!

What Me Worry?

2011-11-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

Three more sleeps to Circle Craft Christmas Market. I hope I can sleep. I will have to take a button vacation for a few days. It is the silly season once again. If you are in Vancouver drop by and see me at booth #550.

Week 43 – Pillow Fight

2011-11-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Week 43 – Pillow Fight

I took me a little thought to think of a name for these button, then I had a BWF (blinding white flash) – well not exactly blinding.

I made this cane from two feather canes using the same Skinner. - There a lots of ways to use a Skinner blend in a feather cane. - The two feathers were fitted together like yin and yang to make a round cane. I can’t wait to try this cane with other colour combinations. Sadly I will have to wait until the winter sales are over. Then again a girl has to play a little, so who knows.

November 02 - Day of the Dead zipper pulls

Almost Ready!

2011-10-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Whistle of many shapes and sizes

Circle Craft and the craziness of the winter craft markets is fast approaching. Here are some of my products for this year.

Barrettes large and small

Enro - Made to fit a small USB stick.

Click pens that take a Cross refill

Stitch markers and knitting needles

Trinket boxes bot cute and elegant.

Week 42 - Purple Passion

2011-10-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Week 42 - Purple Passion

In the new year I hope to have time to make more biologically correct canes, but for now simple can be just as passionate.

Uncooked sheet - translucent shows and white

Better Bears for Fred

2011-10-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

When I made the "soapstone" bear buttons for Fred, it was a moment of inspiration and the need to do something. Indeed I made more and more bears as pins and zipper pulls - my way of grieving. I think that they are getting better – thanks Fred.

Step Away From the Clay

2011-10-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

Pokeweed - Birds dine mammals die

Japanese Anenomes - Just a pretty face

Chayote - A cucumber in drag

Datura - A deadly damsel

Knot Weed - Charming but invasive

Hardy fushia - Pretty and edible

I am trying to get outside every day – even for a few minutes. Family events and trying to make interesting items to sell at holiday markets can leave me so focused on my own interests that I loose touch with nature. After a fifteen minute walk in the neigbourhood I had to run back in side and get my camera. Nature is an inspiration and a balm.

Week 41 – Soapstone Bears

2011-10-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, when my husband Hugh was a child, he found a polar bear carved in the butter on the kitchen table. His father Fred had found something to do while he was having his morning coffee. Creative hands cannot be still.

Last Friday Fred passed away. Sunday he had Thanks Giving dinner with the family and by Friday he was gone. I have been wondering if I should say anything about our loss in my blog and decided that I had to.

Fred Tayler always encouraged me in my art. He was and artist too, though he never settled on one medium. He made – pottery, soap stone carvings, sumie paintings and more.

So hears to you Alfred Maxwell Tayler, a wonderful person, and great friend.

Fred in his kitchen a couple of years ago.

Week 40 – Crosshatch

2011-10-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is definitely a mark one. I should have left more space between the pieces so the red backing would show through. I will revise it when I am not in such a hurry. They do have a certain charm, perhaps I will let them be.

WYSIWYG – Not Always

2011-10-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am always surprised, delighted or annoyed at how much translucent colour change when they are cooked. I try to always cook a sample before I commit to a project. Here is a sample sitting on top of the raw clay from which it was made. Not only do the colours become brighter but what ever you place behind the cane slices changes the look of the veneer. I would like to spend a few days playing with this. - Something to look forward to in the new year. Now back to work.

Week 39 - Stockinette

2011-09-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

Simple but one of my favorites. Now back to work.

Good Little Soldiers

2011-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

As I put a tray loaded with a couple of days work into the oven, I can’t help thinking of the clay pieces as soldiers in another battle on the road to completion. All of these pieces have been cooked once before, and they will be cooked one or more times after this before completion. Every time I wonder if they will come out unscathed – even with my new oven I worry. Each time they are cooked the number of hours I have invested grows. I am a general in the war to complete my craft and I worry about my soldiers. Maybe I’m loosing it.

Week 38 – Duplex

2011-09-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Duplex buttons are double sided buttons. When I started making buttons, all of them were like this. I like the idea that the back or lining of items being just as interesting as the front. (Most of my earrings have a different design on the back for just this reason.)

These buttons give the knitter a chose of which side to use. They are lightly curved – I bake then on a curved surface but I don’t push down the corners. I have used my Dragon Parts texture sheet on one side and my Japanese wave patter on the other.

A would really like to offer some of my stamps for sale but I have not found company that will do it ata reasonable price. Anyone out there who can make a suggestion of give me a link will earn my gratitude and a texture sheet if the lead works out.

Now back to production. The more I work the less I blog. I will try for a big reveal at the end of October.

Week 37 – 1950’s Modern

2011-09-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Week 37 – 1950’s Modern

These are a variation and the extruded cane technique that I used for the Pipeline back in week 16 my button project. This time I used translucent clay with thin levers of opaque white. I use a lot of translucent to dilute that translucent colours which I find too intense it the are used by themselves. The variation in colours in achieved by make a rainbow skinner blend and using it as a base for the layers that I feed into the extruder. The extruder has a lot of potential for making canes. Perhaps I can work into my production schedule. Now back to work – little time to blog until Christmas shows are over.

Week 36 – Bone Flower

2011-09-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Week 36 - Bone Flower

These buttons are make with a hand made stamp. First I made a single petal and used it to stamp a circle of five. Once I had that as a base I could poke in the ring of dots and crisscross the centre with a needle tool. It is amazing how many of your own tools you can make from polymer clay it if you do it in stages.

2 steps in making a stamp

Week 35 – Sand Dollar

2011-08-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

These buttons are made from a cane that I really enjoy. It is about time that I make it again with some improvements. This is the first time I have used it to make buttons before it’s use has been limited to earrings, pendants and boxed – I think that it is about time that I try other applications. If anyone has been following my blog for a long time they may remember seeing and earlier version of this cane in High and Dry in Penticton back in 2009.

No More Fear of Frying!

2011-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I haven’t got buttons done on time but there is other news that I must convey.

I am in love with my new oven. He is expensive and sport but he is really dependable. I may have burned my last bit of polymer clay. In the past there have always been accidents. Things will be going along beautifully then a temperature spike and I am left crying and cursing over hours of work. I always want the oven as hot as possible to get the maximum strength but have always had the problem of possible destroyed items, usually on the third or fourth cooking. But enough! Let me introduce you to Breville.

My Breville loaded with the second baking for some enros.

This is simply the best toaster oven in the world. Before I could dedicate it to my art my husband and son had to make perfect toast and bagels. Now it is mine, all mine and it will not see another slice of bread in its life! I can’t wait to make some more buttons.

Week 34 – Bug-Eyed

2011-08-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

33 Week - Bug-eyed

Yesterday was sunny, hot and a little windy at Kitsilano Farmers Market. Good thing the market was not today. It is raining big time. This year we have seen a lot of rain here on the Wet Coast. Usually the summer is the dry season but this year summer didn’t really arrive until the beginning of August and now it is pouring again. Yesterday was a blessing. Canadians talk about the weather too much.

New Bug-Eyed Dragonfly Whistle

Bug Eyes come from on of the canes that I use to make my dragon fly whistles. I usually have some of the cane that I make for the dragon fly’s compound eye left when I finish making some whistle. I have been using them to cover various things so why not buttons. Some of these buttons owe some of there character to the fact that they got a little to hot. Every once in a while my oven will cycle over 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a nasty sense of humour.

Back to the Coast Tomorrow

2011-08-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Okanagan Valley from The Giant's Head in Summerland.

Tomorrow we are heading back to the coast full of energy and new ideas. British Columbia is really a great place to be.

33 Week - Golden Bamboo

2011-08-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

33 Week - Golden Bamboo

Our coop is full of bamboo. Not just nice polite bamboo but bamboo that come up through that asphalt and pushes the concrete aside and popping up between the walkway and the houses. In spite of this I do like bamboo. I would show pictures of its persistence but I am away from home at the moment but I will still post more buttons.

The design on these buttons is from five little tools that I made from polymer clay. Using these I can make each button a little different.

Tuesday my daughter and I will be travelling bback to Vancouver. I am actually looking forward to getting back to my studio. I am not great at this relaxing thing. I have brought jewelry to assemble while I am here but I am also enjoying visiting family and the occational visit to the bench.

Week 32 – Quail Feathers

2011-08-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

We were back from Sechelt Sunday evening. Tired but happy to be home. Any night without motor cycles outside your window is a good night. In spite the lack of sleep we had a good time and another new venue under ourbelt.

Among my projects yesterday was to keep up with my button project. I looked at my canes for inspiration an found one that I had been thinking of recycling. It was a detailed cane of a quail. I was not crazy about it when I make it and storage had not improved it. It might be a little of a cop-out but I decides that it this could be and opportunity to kill two birds (quail in this case) with one stone. A little cut and reassemble and voila! Look at your scrap boxes and those less that satisfactory canes. There is probably a little magic there. I would never have thought to make these buttons if it were not for that old cane.

I love spectral colours!

Sophie on the ferry back

New Market – New Product

2011-08-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Just before I left for Vancouver Island and the Filberg Festival last week I received and order of ring blanks. Some customers asking me why I didn’t make rings so I thought that I should give a try. Soon as I arrived home on Tuesday I got busy making rings. Since I have a lot of canes and molds I was off to a running start.

This week end I will be at the Annual Hackett Park Juried Craft Fair. New and exciting but I real am looking forward to getting back to the studio and working out a few new ideas.

A change of topic and icing on the cake - my Ladybug Garden buttons were chosen to by Polymer Clay Dailyhttp://www.polymerclaydaily.com/. It is always a treat to have my work features there.

Week 31 – Ladybug Garden

2011-08-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

We are back in Vancouver as of an hour ago. The Filberg Festival in Comox was the best ever. No rain, happy people, good food and terrific music. My daughter Sophie and I are exhausted. Friday we are off to Sechelt for the Hackett Park Market. This is a market that I have never been to but when I talked to other crafters I found out that there will be lots of people that I know selling there. We’ll see soon how that goes. I am going to be super busy for the next two days making more stock.

Before I left Vancouver last week I finished up some new buttons. I have done this kind of thing before in whistle, boxes and pendants, but this is the first time for buttons. They are faux stone with milliefori slices, flowers, leaves and shaped ladybugs. A brand new old favorite.

Now off the pasta machine.

Week 30 – Moku Leaves

2011-07-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Week 30 – Moku Leaves

This Weekend is the Filberg Festival, my biggest market of the summer. There is a certain air of agitation that takes over, and broken glasses or “necessities” being out of stock that would tip me over the edge until I think of how soft we have it in Canada. That doesn’t mean that I am not going to scream and run around like a squirrel.

Strictly speaking these buttons were made last year, but what would life be if we can’t put a few nuts away for the days when we really need them.

For these buttons I have cut out a leaf in a sheet of thin clay. Once it was cooked I used it to make impressions into a mokumegane layer. When I cut back the surface the leaves took on new character.

If you are on Vancouver Island drop by Comox and see me a the Filberg Festival, space #16. I will be sharing with painter, Jennifer Harwood.

Week 29 – Old Owl

2011-07-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

I was making owl necklaces and earrings for the Craft House on Granville Island and I thougth – Why not owl buttons. This spawned new earrings and pendants but they will have to wait. I am still not ready for the Ladner Village Market tomorrow so this will be a short entry.

The owl buttons a all hand sculpted but I guess I could make a mold – but it is to much fun watch and each owl emerges from the clay.

Week 28 - Harlequin Star Revisited

2011-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

I was playing around with scraps left from the Harlequin Star buttons and I came up with some thing that I like better. By expanding the original veneer by adding sheets of clay on the back and running them through the pasta machine, I made the slices of the veneer thinner. The thinner veneer of tinted translucent shows the colours much better. Might be and idea to try this with brighter colours – so many ideas, so little time.

Week 28 - Harlequin Star - Mark 2

I admire the loyalty of shoppers that come out in the rain to farmers market. Last week end it poured all day the Westend Farmers Market in Vancouver but still they came. Some of the produce venders sold out. Wonder of wonder, I did okay too.


Westend Farmers Market at Mole Hill Community Vancouver

A quieter moment between rain drops

My neighbours for this market was Celyddon Farms. Nice people who had me paint a cotton banner for them a few years ago. Still looks okay. I may be doing something new for them in the spring.

One Little Adventure in Few Words

2011-07-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

I take some work where ever I go. When Sophie and I went to the UBC Dairy Centre in Agassiz . I sent up a little studio space at a shady picnic table.

It is hard to imagine that many mosquitoes at mid day but there they were ready for lunch. I was lunch. Nothing can stop me. I worked on while Sophie toured the farm and sat in on a lecture.

It is a beautiful setting and I collected many tree photos that I will use as inspiration. I also collected mosquito bites.

We stopped at Farm House Cheeses on the way home. Farm House Cheese is my neighhbour at Ladner Village Market this year. That it where the car started to act "funny".

I had never ridden one of those big flat bed trucks that are used to haul cars when the distance is too far for a regular tow truck. It was kind of neat but not the kind of adventure that I need to repeat.

My out door studio spaces at high noon.


Tools at the ready.

The beauty before the break down.

Our car taking a ride.

Week 28 - Harlequin Star

2011-07-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

"The busier I am, the behinder I get." to quote my late mother. When life gets interesting my blog gets even more boring.

I find these buttons a little boring, but technically kinda neat. Translucent cane work over white. To get the subtle colour I have added less then the thought of translucent colour to translucent clay.

And off I go again.

Week 27 – Rainbow Nautilus

2011-07-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is and oldy but a goody. I have been making these buttons for a couple of years but that is not reason that I can’t include them here. They are make from a simple translucent cane. The shape is simple but getting everything just right is a bit difficult. If there is any secret, it is just how little translucent colour it takes to make a rainbow, and of course all the little things that make this cane a challenge.

This time of year is always a busy blur. Two markets this weekend. I will be ready!

Week 27 – Rainbow Nautilus

week 26 – Dragon’s Eye

2011-06-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Week 26 -Dragon"s Eye

I have used my Dragon Parts texture sheet to create these button. A simple mokumegane stack with a red and gold center makes a simple but effective button with enough variety to keep it interesting.

Sunny Ladner

The sun was shining the band was playing and all was right with the world at Ladner Village Market yesterday. After such a rainy spring the crowds were out and enjoying the sun.

My tent in the sunshine


Sun glasses and no umbrellas

Doing a sundance

2011-06-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the second Ladner Village Market. It has been a very wet June, but tomorrow is suppose to me sunny. We can only hope. I have completed a bunch of barrette pairs to keep a unruly hair in check. If you were looking for them at my tent two weeks ago, you are in luck tomorrow.

I am looking for ward to delivery a bunch of rosemary and bay to Luke of Royal Herbs, the maker of wonderful soaps, lotions and such. Makes one feel more a home at a farmers market if you can deliver something from your garden once in a while. One thing about all this rain, it has made everything grow like stink.

Button Back Revealed

2011-06-22T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here is the answer to what kind of back I use. For the buttons in the 52/7 project all have a polymer clay loops on the back. I bake the front and the back of the buttons separtly and bake the two parts with a third piece of polymer clay.

For small buttons metal backs are available from House of Orange .

There on page F 410 just above the bottom right corner. It is easy to miss them.

Week 25 - Sunflowers

2011-06-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

Week 25 - Sunflowers

Tomorrow is summer solstice. this is one of my favourite days of the year but there is always that tinge of sadness that from now on the days will be getting shorter.

I decided that sunflowers would be a proper button for the solstice even thought it will be a while before they will grace the garden. A simple 12 section millefiori cane and a few minutes cutting away the extra from the petals and "Bob's your uncle". Now I will have to make another sunflower cane. Hum, thinking about different colours. Consistency is not my strong suit.

Some colours from the garden

Saturday Market at Trout Lake

2011-06-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

I spy and earrings

It was a rainy one but still they come. This time it was not sissy rain but the real thing. There were puddles on the tent tops and the umbrellas were in bloom. Luckily by the end of the day we were all nearly dry. People got vegetables for their table, plants for their garden and some left with barrettes, earrings and pendants. So every one was happy.

My next Trout Lake Market will be July the 9th. My only Trout lake Market for that month. This come Sunday I will be at Ladner Village Market. I am looking forward to that.

Rainy one but still they come.

Week 24 - Dragon Impressions

2011-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

The more that is happening the less I write. Even the buttons have suffered, so it is time to catch up.

These buttons are made from a texture sheet that I am developing called dragon parts. The oval buttons are impressions of that sheet antiqued in gold and copper.

The First Ladner Village Market

The first Market at Ladner was great. The pavement looks wet in the picture but it was only a little sissy rain. The kind of rain that were you can tell the non natives as the only ones with umbrellas. I didn't even remember the rain that day. Green and busy and full of fun. The next Ladner Village Market is June 26th. Come on down!!!

Seymour Art Festival
We are in the gallery, and lest our art is, until this Sunday when we will have a great windup. There will be demos by some of the artist and a great jazz band. Company B Jazz Band is not to be missed. They will be preforming between 1:00 and 4:00 PM this Sunday, the 19th.

Tomorrow I will be at Trout Lake Farmer's Market. Might see you there too.

Ladner in the almost sunshine

Matthew Freed's pottery in the foreground Nicola Morgan's and Ellen Scobie's paintings in the background

My little bit of wall captured on my cell phone. Polymer Clay takes flight.

Seymour Art Festival and Jazz

2011-06-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

Seymour Art Gallery is where the action is for the next few weeks. Our Arts off Main group show will be on from June 14th to 19th, with some really exciting musical performances on both opening and last day. Do please come, I am sure it will be very special, and make sure you say hi!

There will be music! At the opening Tuesday the 14th from the guitar accordion duo, Dave Taylor and Tyson Naylor will recharge the gallery viewers for 7:00 to 9:00 PM. On Sunday the whole Company B Band will may you what to dance or at least tap your foot.

Come on you can't miss this event! See you there.

Return from Creative Chaos

2011-06-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

Olga's bunny

We are back from Creative Chaos in Vernon B.C.

The weather was great. There were a few less shoppers then last year. Who could stay inside when the weather was so great after a long cold spring.

For me the best thing was meeting another polymer clay artist, Olga Osnach. She manages to make creatures with so much personality that you expect the to bound or hop away. I bought a little red rabbit from her and it watched over my table when my daughter Sophie was not holding it. Take a look at her web site Madre Olius.

Our booth

We left Vernon Sunday after noon to spend two days and three night on a friends farm near Pinantan, north of Kamloops. It was wonderful to be out in nature.

Looking west - Paul Lake

Looking East - Paul Lake

Week 23 - Sakura - Cherry Blossom

2011-05-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cherry blossoms are finally over but I just made a cane for another project and I got the idea of cutting slices, backing them with a translucent sheet and trimming to the shape of the cane. I textured the centers with a little straw. It might be fun to make a texture sheet that co-ordinates with a cane. Got to try that soon.

Getting Ready to Take Off

2011-05-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Birds for Seymour Art Festival Show

It has been a really busy week though I am hard pressed to say where the time all went. I get in a bit of a flap when I am getting ready for an out of town show. Just the thought that if I don't pack it, it is not going to be there. Well it is not there, I won't sell it, so that's easy.

The show, Creative Chaos will not be until next Friday but my daughter and I will be leaving Monday or Tuesday to have a little family visit in Penticton on our way to Vernon. so it is a road trip. A run for the sun, away from the wet coast.

When I am back I will be to put the finishing touches on my work for the Seymour Art Festival. The birds pictured here are a sneak preview of a acrylic and polymer clay painting that I will be showing at the Seymour Gallery.

I made stamps out of flexible polymer clay which baked and then used to make black polymer clay birds. I painted with iridescent metallic acrylic paint. Simple but close to the look I wanted.

Week 22 - Fire and Ice

2011-05-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Only the picture today, have to run.

First Day at Trout Lake Farmers Market

2011-05-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Just another rainy day in paradise. Here in the Wet Coast we love the rain, we love the sun too but today that was to be considered. In spite of the weather there was an enthusiastic crowd buying yummy food and bedding plants. Soul Food on my right sold out to the their taste urban grown greens and radishes and next to them The Apple Barn was resplendent with green house heritage tomatoes, yum. On my left Stephanie wowed the crown with beautiful copper patina jewelry, and there were a few quiet too. And so begins the season.

Stephanie at work during a quiet moment.

Week 21 – Fire Bird

2011-05-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

It seem the more I am doing the less I am blogging, but it is all about the pictures anyway. I have been spending my clay time making whistles. Finally I have a dragon fly whistle that works.

The canes that I made for the red milliefiori evolved into my Firebird buttons. If you are less than happy with a group for canes making them into a kaleidoscope cane nearly always makes you feel better.

Week 20 – Windows for Beginners – Less is More

2011-05-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

These buttons are simple mokumegane. The light and dark are the two sides of the same stack of colours: black, gold, blue and white. The rust coloured lines are stripes placed between the two faces of the mokumegane. Later I tried the same technique including more brighter coloured lines. A failure I think. Some times less really is more.

Green on Green

2011-05-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes and outrageous colour combination is just to good to pass up.

Vancouver Airport is for the Birds

2011-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

My bird have been chosen for sale at the CCBC Craft House Shop at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). I assisted them in their flight on Tuesday but it will be a couple of weeks before they have nested in and be ready for sale. Nine other artists have been chosen and the shop keeper is waiting for all of them to bring in there work, then there will be a major shuffle and my birds will be among the new offerings.

I know that is it is Cinco de Mayo in Mexico and Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day) in Japan but for me it’s YVR Day because not only have my birds been chosen but today I am off to the airport again to meet my daughter who has been off in Guelph at University since last the middle of last August. It will be so good to have her home.

Some Many Pictures so Little Time.

2011-05-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Once or twice a month I volunteer to help with an installation at the Seymour Art Gallery. It is always a bit of a challenge and a good time. Today the challenge was a one week show with hundreds of unmounted pieces of work by student from local schools. I think this is a record for the number of pieces to be put up in one day.

Week 19 – The Power of Black

2011-05-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

There was a plan but when I got to the studio I realized that I didn’t have any blue clay there. The plan is postponed so I improvised. there were some nice spring colours and a little black. Not a lot of black but enough to separate the colours in a kaleidoscope cane. I have never used black in quite this way and I am amazed at how it takes over – I really didn’t use very much. Better think about this.

Meanwhile out side spring is springing all over the place. I have almost got my taxes in – as usual at the last minute but next year.

I am yearning to get out in the garden.

Week 18 – Nest Egg

2011-04-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter.

These eggs are nestled in a batt of wool, silk and perhaps angel dust (or some thing like that). The eggs have to have to move quickly before there nest is spun into another marvelous skein of yarn.

The design for the eggs comes from a texture sheet “Sun Balloon” that I designed. I have just begun playing with it and mokumegane eggs seemed like a good start. I hope to have the texture sheet available for others to play with soon.

In the yard the fibre is in full bloom. Soon it will be spun into yarn and be knit hat and such then it will be time for buttons. All in good time.

Egg buttons in a bat

Fibre in bloom

Week 17 – April Showers

2011-04-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

It is beautiful out and the sun in shining, but it’s Vancouver so this will not last. Love that rain though, fingers webbed and boots on out I go. Well I love it now when I don’t have a soaking wet market tent to load into the station wagon. Rain on please now, not on August weekends and such.

This buttons come from a texture sheet I made using different sizes of tubes. Some times simple is better. A home made texture sheet and gold, blue and white sheet for mokumegane and Bob’s your uncle. Is there anyone out there that doesn’t have an uncle Bob? or Rob? or you know.

Week 16 – Pipeline

2011-04-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why I am calling these buttons Pipeline but the name is stuck in my head. Perhaps it is because the are all made with extruded canes that always remind me of pipes. Can’t quite figure that out either. These are simple but kind of fun.

I haven’t had a chance to do any clay work this week at all. Love my new space but it takes time to nest and I had forgotten all about the tax man. I believe that is why “April is the cruelest month”. It is not the paying taxes that gets to me but my aversion to clerical work.

Among the delights are getting a new texture sheet back – more about that and soon as possible.

Week 15 – Vanhana – Vancouver is in Bloom!

2011-04-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Van for Vancouver and Hana for flower in Japanese.

I was brought up near Steveston BC which was largely a Japanese-Canadian Community in the 1960s. In the seventies I lived in Japan so I sometimes think that I am part Japanese by osmosis. I have always loves traditional Japanese design. It is part of how I draw and handle materials.

These buttons are all made with the same cane. Simple for those who make canes but it is fun to look at the same design in different ways.

It has been a busy week. I am still undergoing the euphoria of having a new studio. Lots of do – looking forward to next week.

Week 1 – Indigo

2011-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

Today my studio space expanded unexpectedly. I can actually spin around. I can invite others to come and work with me. Space the final frontier!!! This is so exciting! I have no pictures yet but I had to post something so I will post my favouring patterns. Indigo.

I started with white and navy about ten years ago when I started with polymer clay. I still love it.

Week 14 – Garden – Happy Equinox

2011-03-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy week though I am hard pressed to think of what I have accomplished but I did get at new texture sheet to play with. My design made by a friend – thanks S.

The texture sheet

Week 13 – Resurrection

2011-03-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I made some buttons that I was not happy with. I didn’t even take pictures of them. I held on to them because I hate admitting defeat. Since I have been making veneers and generally playing around I decided to cover the buttons with a thin veers and here they are with the added advantage of the edges covers in rather a neat way. Now I am thinking of making buttons to cover with veneers. That might allow me to do something that I hadn’t thought of before.

Embrace your mistakes. It’s your mistakes that teach you. I have a lot of learning opportunities. Lucky me.

The studio is cooking these days. Beautiful fibre every where. Well almost every where. Carmen’s 355 project is going beautifully and I am dazzled by her productivity. Kristin is spinning and knitting up a storm. It is great to be surrounded by such positive energy.

Skinner blend and beautiful wool

Gingko Dream

2011-03-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

When make a cane using a Skinner blend I can’t resist making a series on of booked (or Natashia ) beads or buttons. This is so simple, but it is a natural bonus for the work that goes into the blend. People who don’t work with polymer clay are always impressed and even when I make this kind of button over and over each, slice is a little like opening a present. I guess the primate mind just loves symmetry.

Week 3 – Cinnabar

2011-03-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

I have been holding back on these buttons for a couple of weeks. I am not sure why but I guess I just wanted to keep them to myself for a while. I have using this technique on enro and vases but this is the first time on buttons. The technique is simple but a little time consuming. Cutting applying and sculpting. What could be easier than that? As usual, the devil in the details and I am still working those out.

So why did I send these out today. Well I have noticed that there seems to be a few people out there that keep dropping in to my blog and I didn’t want them to get bored. - Hello out there.

Life at the studio these days is sweet. Lots of spinning, knitting, dyeing, crocheting and such. The only fibre work I do is gently remove stray strands from my clay, but it is worth it to be able to work in such fine company.

Life Between the Buttons

2011-03-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

This past week I have had a cold which left me lying in a heap making noises that my husband describe as those of “a small motor boat” (that was when I could make any noise at all). The rest of the time I worked my way through an order for olives and bar fruit, played around with bas-relief vegetation and sketched while listening to the radio. So all in all it was not an unproductive time and really makes me value my good health which is so rarely compromised.

Sometimes being given a little time out is not a bad thing. Now if I can avoid it again for the next year of so I will be happy.

Week 11 – Gingko Bug

2011-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have made these buttons in the past and since they are a favourite I find myself making more every once in a while. I have included them in my year of buttons not because they are new but because any record of my button making activity would be incomplete without them.

When I sit at the kitchen table in October I look out and see our Gingko about to drop yellow leaves any minute and I can’t help but think of how Gingko trees were around with the dinosaurs and we humans are just the new kids on the block. Sort of makes me feel like the tiniest speck in time – to small for a speck actually.

Kicking the Tires on a Pasta Machine

2011-03-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

Recently I have bought a number of inexpensive pasta machines with an aim to give classes, where I would supply the equipment. I found that many of these machines were not wel assembled and would not be serviceable as clay machines or for pasta for that matter. Here is my check list for buying an inexpensive ($35 or under) pasta machine. Most of the machines that I bought were Amaco, some of which I had to take back, because I had not checked them thoroughly enough in the store.

So here we go. Don’t be shy. Get the sucker out of the box and put it through its paces:

    1. Does the knob to adjust the thickness settings to move smoothly and
    click into the setting notches? I found this a common problem and a
    number of machines didn’t pass this test.

    2. Are the rollers parallel? Check just by looking, or slide a piece
    of card or a coin back and forth between the rollers to see if they still
    seem parallel on all the thickness settings.

    3. Are the rollers smooth, without dents or pits that will transfer
    to the clay? I didn’t find any machines with this problem, but I have
    heard of it.

    4. Are all the little rubber feet on the bottom of the machine
    accounted for?

     5. Does the crank turn smoothly without difficulty? To test this,
    find a little counter space and hold the machine down with your left
    hand and crank it with your right. This is the step I missed the
    first time around.  When I got home and tested the
    machines clamped to the table, I found that one sounded little a handful of
    sand was a major component in the assembly and the other refused to
    crank at all. You might be able to live with the sound of sand but
    the other was completely useless.

    6. Keep your receipt because your never know!

So that’s the list. If you can think of something to add, please comment and I will revise.

If you find a machine in a thrift store, lucky you. If this is an older machine it may be better than the ones that are being produce now.

Week 10 – The Dragon’s Garden – Linking Past and Present

2011-02-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

Last week a friend make a stamp for me out of a drawing that I did many years ago. The drawing was originally done as a promotional piece for me as an illustrator. I did do some illustration, graphic design and mural painting before I discovered polymer clay and know I can bring the two together. I have been inspired to do more drawing and try out some texture sheets.

The Dragon’s Garden was never intended as a texture sheet but I could not resist trying it out on some clay. These are the buttons that resulted.

Atlas has gone to the Spa

2011-02-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

On Vacation for Upgrade

My Atlas pasta machine left for West Virginia yesterday. West Virginia is advertised and being frost free and full of history but that means nothing to Atlas. He is visiting Mona Kissel who is going to modify him so he will be leaner, cleaner and not longer retain clay.

I didn’t think that I was especially hard on pasta machines but I know have two that are beyond Mona’s healing touch. My 7” wide Makin has lost it’s ability to work on the three thickest settings. I have been told that this is because I conditioned clay on these settings and wore out the gears. Seems that you should not condition clay on wider settings. The other machine that I destroyed when I was cleaning it and removing the fenders. Seems that not all Atlas machined are put together with springs, nuts and bolts. Some are held together with a little plastic think a ma bob that breaks before allowing disassembly of the machine for cleaning. If you have such a machine and have solved that problem of cleaning and defendering please share. I am sure there are others that will befit.

So now I wait for my Atlas to come home. I will report on how he is after the operation. I think that perhaps it would have been better just to have better to have just bought a modified machine from Mona K. With out the cost of the machine it cost me $97.50 with the postage to send my machine to be modifies. A new modified machine from Mona K. would have been $106 for an Atlas 150 (5 3/4”) or $110 for an Atlas 180 (6 7/8”). Makes me feel pretty dumb. I how my machine appreciate my loyalty – well in truth the expenses just snuck-up on me.

I will report on Atlas when he gets hope. I was so impressed with Barb’s modified machine at Horizons last weekend I can only hope that my machine is as well behaved.

Week 4 - Another Week Filled in - Blue on Blue

2011-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

I found some inspiring pictures on the net. I already had build a blue cane and I was wondering what colour to put in the background when I spotted a little vase. It is not typical but it is lovely.

"Iznik is a tin-glazed pottery, brightly decorated in turquoise, green, blue, and red, originally made in Anatolia, and dates as far back as the 16th century. Prized by sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Iznik tiles were used to decorate the walls of old imperial and religious structures. Iznik is still being made in Turkey."

Horizons is Over Till 2013

2011-02-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

I'm always willing to give it a try

Horizons is over until 2013. It was a blast. Helen Breil and Eugenia Chan guided, inspired and booted us on to create glorious pendants – most more glorious that mine. I always lack focus at events especially when I have a hand in organizing them as well as being a participant.
Besides the main event Lawrence Smith did demo of photo transfer. Jem gave us a fresh look at mokumegane. Barb Alexander did a colour demo that makes me want to get right in there and mix, match and organize. I did a clay conditioning demo and texture sheet demo. Unfortunately we ran out of time so the Nancy Quinn will share the secret of hinges with us at the April guild meeting. Nancy has also generously offered to go to Vancouver Island to give the same demonstration to the Island guild.

The Park Inn provided a great venue once again. It has one of the greatest views in Vancouver and they gave us 24 hour access to their Oak room (our groups clay studio for the weekend). Besides the night owls being able t oworking late into the night, it gave people who get up before 5 AM a place to hang out.

I always learn new stuff just watching my fellow clayers and I had a couple of eureka moments. I am already looking forward to 2013. For more about Horizons go to the Horizons blog.

from a sixth floor windon of the Park Inn

Week 9 - Harlequin Gold & Evidence of Fingerprints

2011-02-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

There are always things to learn. I discovered that having your clay to firm can lead to finger prints. Unusually I don’t have much trouble with finger prints, generally my finger prints are sanded and polished off and by using the sided of my fingers as much as possible I have dodged the finger print bullet. When I made the last batch the clay was a little to stiff so I found that I was poking at it more that usually when I placed in on the curved surface to cook. The results are more finger prints than I would like to admit to. Trust me they are there – a dirty little secret.

I still like these buttons a lot. The are first cousins of Harlequin Romance ( see week 5). I think that I will be doing a lot with layered translucent canes this year. It will be interesting to try them out in a combination with mokumegane – but maybe that will be too much.

Tomorrow is Horizons

2011-02-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

Pinched Leaf Necklace by Helen and Eugenia

I am looking forward to Horizons tomorrow. Last year the British Columbian polymer clayers met in Victoria and we had a great time.

This year it is our turn to host a get-together so for the second time in the short history of our guild we will be gathering at the Park Inn watch and do demonstrations. A work shop that will given by Helen Breil and Eugenia Chan where we will get to try out Helen's Pinched Leave technique and use Eugenia's wire work technique to finish a stylish necklace.

A New Twist on an Old Tie

2011-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

I always fall back on slip notes and cord when I am making pendants. I really like the idea of being able to adjust the pendant to whatever neckline I choose to wear. This time I have used double holed beads which I originally make as netsuke like closures for my enro pendants. Not sure if this is a good idea or not but it looks kind of neat.

Week 8 Button - Costa Azzurra

2011-02-13T19:57:00.000-08:00

Week 8 - Costa Azzura

At this time of the year it is easy to dream of the Mediterranean. I love Vancouver. I even love the rain but here are days when I would love to feel a warm wind blow up from Africa.

The Bumble Bee Dance and All

2011-02-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

left overs

When I am really happy and excited I do the bumble bee dance which consists in rapid foot stamping while turning in tight circles. This is what I did when one of my blog followers congratulated on being featured in Polymer Clay Daily. Very nice! Thank you Cynthia, curator of polymer clay art, and all her blog readers who congratulated me. What a great place to see just what can be done with my favourite medium.

Back to more bumble bee dancing.

Filling in for January

2011-02-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

Week 5

Harlequin Romance

This is a buttonacious week so as I have promised myself I am posting a new set if buttons to make up for my slow start in January. Last week I spent some time making translucent canes. As I played around with them this buttons immerged. For once I didn’t have to search for a name. They are Harlequin Romance. Even before they were baked their character was clear. They are not styled for bodice ripping but the name seems just right.

More Enros

2011-02-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Enro pendants with two hole beads on the top.

I love making these things! This time I have strung them together as pendants. When I made these pendants in the past I put the cord at the top through a regular glass bead. This would allow the pendant to swing around back to front occasionally. By making a two hole netsuke type bead at the top the pendant will naturally swing around to face the right way. This is not traditional, but then polymer clay is not a traditional material.