More ear tiles

Like I said in my last post, I had more mini domino tiles in process.
This time I glued bigger rhinestones to the side holes. These guys had better silver backings than the ones I previously used.  You can see them reflect the light  in this collage.

Can't seem to stop

I really love polymer, but have not touched it in several months.  I just can't seem to stop inking and stamping every surface I come across.  Well ... maybe I exaggerate ... not EVERY surface, but I am continuously looking for more items to decorate.  So far I have stuck to surfaces I can use to make jewelery, but who knows .... I do have some undecorated picture frames somewhere in my studio stash.

I found some more wooden bead shapes at Ben Franklin, so had to try them out.  The little sparkles are from adding a little glitter to the sealer I use to keep the colors vibrant before adding the resin.

Flitter Dreams

Summer Time Dreams

Flitter Dream Earrings on Display

I found these really cute small domino shaped beads at Shipwreck a few weeks ago.  They are the perfect size for earrings.  The only problem I have is that they were designed to make bracelets with (holes on the sides rather than from top to bottom), I have to cover the holes, so I glued little rhinestones on the side. Tedious and I am not 100% sure I like it.  More experimentation to come.

The earrings title "Mary's Day" I made as a wedding gift to my friend Mary,  She lost her husband a few years back, and was fortunate enough to find love a second time.  She just married Nacho, a widower who lost his wife about the same time.  I am so happy that two great people found each other.

Fireworks 

Mary's Day Earrings

Just wanta have ...

Fireworks on display.  

While at Shipwreck Beads, I also found some bone tube beads. I wondered if they would also take inks and sure enough, they did.  Since I can't use resin to finish them like I would a flat surface, I sprayed them with PYM II to seal the inks on.  It's hard to tell, but the yellow beads have streaks of green,

I then wondered if I could put designs on the beads like I did the dominoes. I inked up a texture sheet and rolled the beads on it.  I found I need to have a very steady hand ... was doing alright till I got to the very end, when I started to shake a bit.  Still, they don't look that bad.

I currently have 12 more pairs of tiles curing.  In a few more days they will be ready to have their holes covered and made into earrings. What I am going to do with them, I have no idea.  Maybe I should open an on-line shop. Now that the new computer system is in a work and I am getting used to the changes, work should become less stressful (cross fingers).

Creative detour

The polymer has been taking a back seat lately.  That's what I get for spending time on Pinterest, I guess.  Found a link to a video on making art tiles, and got detoured big time.

The video showed how to create art tiles from scrabble tiles.  I did not have any scrabble tiles, so I used domino's from my stash.  These 3 were made using the technique shown in the vid.  I found them to be a bit too busy for my taste.

I tried again, cutting out one of the steps.  These were the results.  I have since made them into pendants by added bales.This look was cleaner and more appealing, IMHO, so I decided to leave that step out from now on.

Dominoes are great for making pendants, but a bit too heavy for earrings.  I attacked my stash again and found these great smaller dominoes.    Unfortunately, when I went to Michael's to buy more, I discovered they had been discontinued.  Teach me to only buy one package ... 

Only have had time to make one pair of earrings so far.  Having too much fun just making the tiles. These smaller dominoes were designed to make bracelets from, so I had to come up with a way to disguise the holes in the sides.  Glue and crystals to the rescue.

Finally found a scrabble game at the local thrift store, so went crazy creating smaller tiles. Good for earrings or fridge magnets or pins, what have you.

Then, on a recent trip to Shipwreck beads, I found these round wooden beads that I just had to try the technique on.   This time, I also included the backs in my design.  They were stamped in a white ink and  a bit of mica powder added to the final finishing step to add a touch of  sparkle.

Now I am on the hunt for small word stamps.  Seems like they were everywhere a few years ago and nowhere to be found today.  Any my husband wonders why I hoard stockpile items for future use.

Wednesday in the park with Prince

   I spent last week getting ready for and finally teaching my first legitimate class in domino art.  It was a very positive experience for me.  I did not stutter too much and only repeated myself a couple of times.  The main problem I did run into was time.  I only had a few people in the class, and since it is such an easy technique to learn, I had time to spare.  We spent it decorating more dominoes than I had planned for. I even made a few as demos and had a give away.

Examples of Domino pendants - same stamp, different colors

So, when I was done with the stress of that, I figured my PC muse would return.  No such luck.  Now I have the spring cleaning bug.  I found a used bookshelf that was in pretty good shape at Value Village.  I spent the early morning hunting down and sorting my beading, PC and jewelry books.  Now I actually have some empty shelves in my studio.  Maybe I can actually get some stuff up off the floor  now - LOL.  Maybe I will have it organized by the time Clay Camp rolls around in a few weeks.

Took Prince to the vet today for his weekly shot.  Since the weather was nicer this week than it has been (in other words, it wasn't raining), we stopped on the way home at the community center park and had a small picnic lunch.   We thought that he might enjoy a bit of a romp in the grass. But I guess it was still a bit too cold for the poor skinny boy. All he wanted to do was snuggle close to daddy. (he actually gained a couple of ounces past week - hurrah).

I smell chicken! 

Two for one

I missed blogging last week.  I had the crud that has been making its way around our work place. Here I had congratulated myself on NOT getting it.  Shoulda kept my mouth shut. Oh well, at least I got it after I visited my mother.

And I had to spend most of today getting ready for my first real teaching gig next weekend. I am going to be teaching a class on domino art at Letter's of Joy, a yearly conference sponsored by Write On Calligraphers held at Edmonds Community College.  This will be my first time attending and I am really nervously looking forward to it. I am not a Calligrapher, but the person who approached me about teaching there tells me that they are always looking for new art mediums to apply calligraphy to. I can completely understand that. i know PC artist that put it on everything that doesn't move.  I have seen pictures of PC on furniture, splash guards, fireplaces and even cars.  But I do worry, as I am not a teacher.  I think I will try to Channel some of Christi Friesen's teaching technique ... can't go wrong if I try to emulate her.

I am also two weeks behind in my posting in the 52 Earrings Project.  I haven't had the engery to make any new beads so picked through my stash for some to make up.

These are a pair of beads that I made by just elongating a round bead covered with a small bullseye cane.  The background color was obtained by mixing left overs for bead guts. I kinda liked the color and used it as background.

These beads were made using an extruder and bead roller technique.  I am thinking about posting a tut on my blog on how to make them.  I have not tried doing that before but getting ready for my up coming glass has me wondering if I shouldn't  be expanding my horizons more. What do you think?

Domino Fever

For a few days there I was hardly able to get any sleep. I was too busy making domino pendants.  You got to see the tray of them drying in my last post, and I promised I would show them in greater detail as soon as I was done with the Artisan's Show.  So here they are (warning, this is a long wordy and picture heavy post)

Anyway, the wolf on the left I like so much that I decided to keep him for myself. I really like how there is a suggestion of a moon behind his head. The cool cat is my first domino.  It is hard to tell, but those 3 blobby things are crystals.  They kinda stick out, which I am not sure I like.  The dominoes were colored using alcohol inks.

 One of these days, I am going to figure out how to control where pictures go. I swear they have a mind of their own.  I did exactly the same thing with these two as I did with the first two pictures I posted and look how they are in different spots. Anyway, here are two cats (can you tell I like cats?)  The one on the left, there was a smudge of ink in the right corner, so I covered it with a little sticker.  These two were colored using Stazon ink pads.

 These three lined up with no problem... maybe I am getting the hang of it  (or being forced to use Chrome isn't as bad as I thought it would be).  These three birds I colored using Smooch Pearlized Accent Inks.  The glittery highlights on the owl are obtained with Stickles.  These were colored using Alcohol inks

Then I entered my green phase.  Playing around a bit more with adding words to the pendants. But I think of the three, my favorite is the simple one in the middle.

The fish was very popular.  I took the tiles into work to show them off the day before the show and one of my co-workers wanted it.  The dancer on the right - the coloring is a combination of several attempts.  I didn't like what I did first, attempted to remove the design unsuccessfully. I ended up putting another color on top of it which combined to make this very unusual color.  It is truly one of a kind, as I doubt I could every recreate it.

What are pendants without florals? Smooch Ink was used to color in the petals and as a highlight. These were also colored using Ranger Alcohol inks.

My last two pieces that I have pictures of. The face on the left I really did not like at all, but a co-worker fell in love with it and wants it for her daughter.  And the phoenix is from a Christi Friesen stamp. Her stamps are wonderful and I can't wait till I have more time to put them on tiles.

 I can't believe it but I can not find the pictures I took of the domino pendants that I sold.  One was a really cute little frog hanging on a branch, tagged "smile". The other was a wolf pendant similar to the one above only in green and yellow - looked like it was in a forest.  That will teach me not to have my camera with me at all times.

Works in Progress

Looks like the Muse back with a vengeance.  I have been working like mad trying to make some domino pendants before the Artisans show this weekend.  Little sleep (up till 5 am last night) but I have a fair collection started.  They are still drying and after that I will glue on the bales.

The tiles as I originally found them

And here are the dominoes after a few alterations. I must apologize for the quality of the photograph, but am in a hurry.  Hopefully I will have time between now and the show to take good, individual photos of each piece.

There are a few I am thinking of keeping for myself/

 

Distractions I don't need

Hubbie and I went to Goodwill yesterday.  I was looking for a light colored scarf to display my pins on at the upcoming NWPCG Artisan show.  I always browse the aisles while there, you never know what you will find.


I really got lucky..... I found an Atlas Pasta Machine!  Unfortunately it did not have a crank. That did not stop me .... I took it to the counter and was able to get a 50% reduction from $24.99 to $12.50.  The great thing is that  when I got home I found that I have a crank that fits it .... Now I just have to determine if it is in good working order. That will have to wait until after the show though.


The other big score was a box of dominoes - the good kind, not the cheap plastic they make now days.  I have seen (and own) some wonderful transfers onto dominoes, so I been looking out for them every time I visit a thrift store.  There were 72 of them in the box for only $3.99 .... I am waddling the two step with my happy feet on cloud 9.


 So what am I doing today?  I should be getting ready for the show.  Instead, I am trolling You Tube and finding so many ways to decorate dominoes besides picture transfer ... maybe  if I finish my tagging I can try one of the techniques out.