Revisited my past...

I used to make these polymer clay tile embellished boxes all the time a couple of years ago and sold them in local shops.  Then I got burned out on the projects and put the clay aside.  The other day I was going through my art stash and saw all the tiles left over, so I decided to make another box.  It was fun!  Meditative and no pressure whatsoever.  It's like putting together a puzzle with the tiles, and then I paint the box.  Check it out!  I might get the mosaic "bug" back, but right now I'm into art journaling and painting, but the progress is too slow in my opinion.  I rearranged my studio and that felt really good.  If only I could get all the bits of paper and other detritus into some semblance of order....
This box encourages you to dream and believe that all is possible as long as the will is there.  It is available in my etsy shop.

2010 is almost done!

I can't complain about 2010.  I've had better years, but it was a creative year though I spend more time writing than making art.  Very cerebral, not colorful and hands-on, though the fingers fly nimbly across the keyboard.  Had a creative spurt lately in the winter gloom.  It has been too cold to do anything but hunker down in my studio and create.  Also, knitting is a cold weather hobby so I made another knitted and felted purse, more like a tote bag really.  I found some great frames to embellish with my polymer clay mosaic tiles, so here they are, among other things. 

 

Making polymer clay tiles is addictive.  You roll out the clay, stamp, bake, and paint.  A colorful meditation when things are going well.  Sometimes the pieces come together really fast on the frame, and sometimes I really have to dig deep for the perfect pieces to fit together.  Always a happy ending, though... :)

One of those boxes that you've seen many examples of.  I made a bunch of new ones.

Mosaics galore!

There are many ways to skin a cat as they say (what a nasty saying anyway...)  There are many ways to put together a mosaic.  I'm a "controlled" addict of mosaics. :)  Some will mosaic anything as long as it doesn't move.  Christmas is coming so I've been making boxes after a long hiatus, and also some mosaic mirrors.  Some are with stained glass, some with broken china.  The boxes are going to a local shop, and the mirrors are going up on etsy.  Not easy to ship mirrors since they are both heavy and fragile, but maybe?  I need to make more boxes to put on etsy and artfire, but I have to say I've been lazy keeping new things in the shops, due to the writing frenzy that I went through lately.  Well, rewrites are A LOT easier, so I'm on the home stretch with those, and I'm really happy with the story. 
The weather finally "broke" here in Florida and the evenings are cool.  Yay!  It's weird to wear pants again.  It was so nice today that I washed my car and detailed it, yessiree.  I deserve a medal or something. :)  It's something that doesn't happen often enough--car washing.  Never ever received a medal, but I remember a few gold stars.
It was a gold star kind of a day today, no procrastination, no excuses, no whining or swearing, a "just do it" attitude.  Aren't those days great?  They should happen a lot more often.  By the way, my car looks like new!

What a deal!  The small boxes are only $32.  Can be personalized.

Smoky blue....

Live from the heart!

Follow your heart!  The only way to live...

I'm seeing stars...

Did another star mirror with polymer clay tiles, and this one proclaims that You Are A Star! We all are, one way or the other. I've been busy doing anything BUT art lately. I did knit another handbag, this one in reds and yellows. Will post a picture soon.

I had a leak under my washer and it destroyed the subfloor, so now there's a smelly mess in the laundry area... aargh! Not fun, but things happen.

Shabby chic mosaic table

Here's a table I made some time ago, and that I would love to sell. I used blue and pink Willow pattern china and yellow-and-white china in this piece, and it's a square vintage pedestal table. The top measures 18x18" and it's 26" high.

I might put it on etsy...

Boxes up the wazoo...

I've been making lots of mosaic boxes and I'm very grateful that they are selling here locally. Sometimes there gets to be a few too many polymer clay tiles, though. They are EVERYWHERE! I step on them, sit on them, my cat sits on them. They underhandedly sneak into my basket of paper ephemera that lives under my table. And then I can't find some of the lettering. I was looking everywhere for a polymer bar with "heart's desire" stamped into it--actually I was looking for "heart's" and could only find "heart" pieces until I discovered that "heart's desire" resided on one single polymer bar. The word "your" had to be put on extra. Gets complicated, doesn't it? (The picture is a different heart box.)

At some inspired moment I stamped the words like "Life is singing" on a tile. When in the world am I going to use THAT??! It might be singing, but I don't think it'll go on a box any time soon. I also have startling words like "Secrets!" and "Forever" lying around for future projects. Forever is a good Valentine's Day word, isn't it? I could do a "Secrets!' box for someone working at the CIA. Maybe I should make a box with all the left over letters across the lid. That would surely sell...yeah right. So, I'm going letter crazy. :)

It has been driving rain all day and gusting winds, so maybe I can blame it on that.

Cheerio,

Maria

BAILEY SAYS: "LAZY CAT WHO DOESN'T CREATE..."

.....BAILEY ACTUALLY SAYS: LAZY CAT LIKES TO SLEEP"...

Well, at least he knows what he wants. I think he's lazier than Garfield. However,

I have not been lazy this weekend. I created a polymer clay tile mirror and a inspirational box! Bailey slept through the whole thing... Did you know you can use cool buttons to make patterns in polymer clay? Anything that has a dramatic surface makes a good imprint. Sometimes I even embed small charms and figures in the clay. As long as it can be baked safely, the sky's the limit! The paint adds dimension and interest to the surface. You can't go wrong, really, as long as you stay with colors that compliment each other to cut down on the "busy" look that can come from too many mixed patterns and colors.

Creativity strikes again...

CREATIVITY STRIKES AGAIN....

I had a creativity attack yesterday, and I finished one polymer clay embellished box. See above. It has all my favorite colors, blue, turquoise, copper, and a hint of burgundy. Polymer clay is a very friendly and forgiving media to work with. By experimenting you can come up with many great ways to mold it. Perfection some times shows up from a lump of clay... Here are some examples of polymer clay art. Maybe you'll get inspired? I don't use a pasta machine; I roll out the soft clay with a rolling pin, then use a clay blade and various handy tools to make impressions in the clay. It's time consuming, but it's fun to see it grow and turn into a cohesive picture. Color combinations are what make the visual interest.

Bailey is often helping me in my studio by lying right on my work space. His marketing motto for today: Always make sure you're in the center of the action for maximum exposure!

Happy creating! Maria