Back in the Shop

Hello!  I'm excited to share that last week's LoLa Art Crawl was a success- I had so much fun, got to hang out with my sister-in-law, and met a ton of new people!

Now that the art crawl is over, I'm working on adding my pieces to my Etsy shop.  Hop on over to check it out.  So far, I have added my pugs and donut bookmarks, but check back often at the shop or the blog because I'll be adding more pieces each week!

DIY Pug Bookmark

I have been crazy busy lately!  Between trying to get ready for the LoLa Art Crawl and the school year starting back up again, I'm feeling really overwhelmed.  Fortunately, my students are awesome, and when I'm working on my crafting I get to stare at puppy faces all day :)

Here's a step by step on how I make the pugs:

It's a little hard to tell in the pictures the amount of detail on the nose- it's my favorite part though.  I roll the clay out thin with pointed ends, then curve it inward at both ends to make the nose.  Then I add a bunch of tiny little dots to add the puppy dog nose texture.  I think they're really cute!

DIY Ladybug Bookmark

Lady bugs are maybe the cutest bugs around.  They've gotten a bit of a bad rep for being biters, but they really aren't.  The biting bugs are Japanese beetles, adorable imposters who are kind of like the lady bug's evil twin.  But the real lady bugs?  Those I love!  And I love making them as bookmarks- it's quick and easy to do.  I even like making them pink instead of red :)  The only thing to be sure of is that you use an all metal paper clip.  If you use one of the colored paper clips, it will melt in the oven.  Yuck!

DIY Teddy Bear Bookmark

I love teddy bears!  When I was younger, I had heaps of stuffed animals, but my favorite were teddy bears.  I even collected them at one point.  So, it was a no brainer that I was going to make some bear bookmarks for the craft show.  Here is a step by step on how to make your own using polymer clay!

I'm back! (with a DIY bookmark)

Hi guys :)  So, I had a bit of an unplanned and unannounced absence from the blogging world.  I began blogging about my crafts and recipes as a way to motivate myself to keep doing something I enjoyed.  But lately, I found myself coming up with things just so I could blog about them - it was backwards!  So, I'm going to be cutting back on my posts, only blogging when I have a good project to share.

Speaking of good projects... I'm going to be participating in the LoLa Art Crawl this year!  My sister-in-law is the one who is really hosting the booth, but she is letting me display some of my pieces (remember this coffee mug?).  I'm also making a bunch of bookmarks, because what is better than a cup of coffee (or tea) and a good book?  One of the bookmarks I'll be selling is this little octopus guy.  Here's how to make your own:

DIY Rainy Day Bookmark

If April showers bring May flowers, then we are bound to have bunches of  flowers!  I can't complain about all the rain, though, since we had such a mild and relatively low snow winter.  Whenever it doesn't snow much, I always worry about summer droughts, so I'm actually pretty happy it's raining!  Plus, all this rain gave me an idea for a bookmark.

You will need:

• Purple polymer clay
• Plain paper clip
• Pointed tool

Massage your clay until it is soft.  Then, roll it into a ball.  Press and pinch it into a rounded half moon and, using your pointed tool, press indentations from the center downwards to form the wires of the umbrella.  Next, pinch of small pieces at the bottom of the umbrella, in between each line.  Use the handle of your pointed tool to smooth these out into crescents.

Finally, use the pinched off pieces to secure the paperclip to the back of the umbrella.  Bake at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes for every quarter inch of thickness.

DIY Cupcake Bookmark

I think I have a new favorite thing to make: clay bookmarks.  I really liked how my bumble bee turned out last month, so I decided to try and make a cute little cupcake this month.

To make your own, you will need:

• Sculpey or other polymer clay in purple, pink, white, and brown
• Purple paperclip
• Long pointed metal tool or toothpick
• Small paring knife

First, and most importantly, massage your clay until it is nice and soft, then form it into a ball.  This helps make it more pliable, but also prevents it from cracking in the oven!

Once the clay is soft, take your purple ball of clay and mush it down with your finger to make it cylindrical.  Roll the cylinder on one side to shape it into your cupcake wrapper.  Cut off the narrow end to ensure it is flat.

Use your pointed tool to create indentations up the side of the cupcake wrapper, giving it the accordion pleat texture.

It looks like a purple Reese's peanut butter cup!

Next, take a pinch of your brown and a pinch of the white and mix them together. The goal is to create a nice, tan color.  You can probably buy this shade from a package, but it's a color I just don't use enough to buy a whole brick of it.

Once you've made your tan, mush it into a dome shape and press this firmly but gently on top of the cupcake wrapper to make your cupcake top.

Then, flatten your pink ball of clay into a thick disk.  Lay this on top of the cupcake to create your frosting.

Use your pointed tool to press swirls into the frosting, aiming for a peak at the top.

Finally, go back to your white clay and roll tiny little balls to create sprinkles for your cupcake.

Press your paperclip into the base of the cupcake.  Then, remove the paperclip and bake the cupcake at 275 degrees for 15 minutes.  Use super glue to secure the paperclip in place.

I decided on this cupcake because my birthday is coming up :) 

Be Mine: DIY Bumblebee Bookmark

I can't help it, I think this little guy is so cute!!  And super easy to make, too, I promise!

You will need:

• Sculpey (or any other polymer clay) in black, bright yellow, white, and pale pink
• Large paperclip (I found one in pink that I thought was a perfect match to the pink clay)

First, roll out a ball of yellow for the bee's head.  Then, roll out 2 yellow disks (I made one more than I needed to!) of approximately equal size.  You'll also need a smaller, square pyramid of yellow clay.

Next, make two small pink balls for the bee's cheeks.  Press them gently into the yellow ball.  I know bees don't really blush... but he looks pretty cute with rosy cheeks!

Then, make two oval disks out of the white clay.

Now, take your black clay and make two disks about the same size as the yellow disks.  Then, roll out one long, thin snake of black.  Use this snake to outline the wings, add a smile to the bee, and give your bee eyes.

All that's left is the assembly!  Press the disks together, alternating black and yellow, and place the yellow pyramid on the end for the stinger.  Make a small divot at the end opposite the stinger to attach the head.

Press the wings on either side.

Now, stick your paper clip up into the belly of the bee.  If you're using a plain metal paper clip, I think this can stay in while you bake it.  But, if there is any plastic covering on the paperclip, remove it before baking, but keep the slot it makes intact.

Bake at 275 degrees for 15 minutes for every quarter inch of thickness. I baked mine for about 19 minutes.  Finally, glue your paperclip in place.  Ta da!

Will you BEE mine?