Whats happening?

[fantail]

Not happy with the front of the pattern but it might still work ok
I've tweeked it so hopefully it will work better next time
now to finish it off
Have fun Donna
How did the bake go Blue

[blue]

morning ladies. just flying threw ; )

the bake went well-ish . i had one toe snap and repaired no problems baked them on fiberfill and just clipped it turning the limb over......groan sanded till my fingers just about fell off and realized the top of one foot which shifted in baking needs to be sanded down more somewhat but i think after that it will be ok. unfortunately i do have a little filling to do just a couple of spots hmmmmmmm

still learning a lot with every sculpt tho which is good. but i think im slipping into the habit of over critiquing myself and being more negative than positive . just have to be realistic about where i am in my skill base so to speak. its easy to get frustrated when things dont match the picture in your brain you expect to see and in clay the differences can be urg.

anyhow will get this little sucker filled in today ( after non clay workings ) and then ill give the painting with tls a go. my only concern is that i will loose some fine finger detailing etc oh well we will see what happens with it.

hope you all have a fabulous weekend


xR

[fantail]

Sorry to hear you had some trouble when you baked
what if you make something else and do a test piece before trying the paint tls mix on the limbs I did hear that you can loose finer detail
I love how smooth the baby's head is, I do get to keep her right and the cute little face - /i'd like to make different type of clothes
Sometimes we do have to back off when we gwt too critical
although its useful for growth too critical and you don't get to enjoy sculpting and thats why you do it in the first place
Hope you get to like the limbs again for what you sculpted and not for its likeness as well.
I too get discouraged when I can't capture the picture in my head

Ooh I found I do have a dodgy box but its filled with early work an some uncooked heads that I will never touch again because I know I can do better now, its full of odds and ends too though so I don't put any current work in .They go in smaller containers of their own till I have time to get around to them.

[BLL]

proud to say I got reports in on friday (4 days ahead of deadline - yay).
Feeling better but antibiotics course runs until tuesday. I am having trouble remembering to take them now.
Desserts eventually turned out ok for dinner last night (had to double-bake the brownie).
Rental is now listed -woohoo. www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=333383227 if you're nosey ;D
Working on the stoopid tutu skirt now. grr. how do you sew organza petals over tulle petals tied onto elastic waist band without having them rip when the elastic stretches??
Gardens still a problem. One thing at a time eh? Clay not even on the radar darn it.

[Donna]

;D Hello creative girls, everyone is busy on all their different projects and all seem to be experiencing the usual trials of striving for the perfect outcome.. lol.

Bll, great to hear you're getting things sorted. I'm nosy so I'll have to check out your rental haha.
I could probably help you with the sewing but would need a bit more info re elastic. If you use a zig zag stitch on the tulle/ organza it will allow the fabric to give more.

Fantail, I smiled through a vision of you there with your little baby, making clothes and dressing her/him up... I think we all might be 'little girls grown up" at heart.

The reason you all have such beautiful work is the heart and soul you put into it. Your strive to achieve your vision, to meet your highest expectation is what makes you all so talented.
Learning from you is a privilege, however it means my personal bar is set high now, I'll never finish anything ;D

Some times I wish I could just let it go, lets face it.. who has perfect symmetry to their face, nostrils, ears, leg length and
everything else.

I made 12 flourishes from the moulds to try out on the crosses last night. I didn't like ANY of them and squashed them all this morning. haha. I'm now going to have to sculpt all my own adornments ... yep I think it will be a Christmas gift .

Hope you're all having fun..

[anubis4]

Making a tree person or two. Its soooooooooo good to play with the clay again.

[fantail]

Soon Bll, soon you will be able to sculpt again

Stretching the elastic while you sew will help, and the zigzag stitch as Donna said

Beautiful words Donna - I'm sure youwill and are teaching us as much if not more then you can learn from us. You are brave and make many things I don't think of.

Will Love to see your tree people soon Anubis

[Donna]

I can't wait to see the tree people either.. hope you're having heaps of fun with them Anubis.

Well I've got a cross 3/4 finished. It's definitely not what I had in my head, but I think it will suit her better anyway. In the end I picked two moulds and squished them around with a knitting needle. Then I just rolled up strips of clay and made roses. A lot of short cuts, but it's fine. I'll made the next one differently.

I'll show you when I finish...

How's everyone...?

[BLL]

Thanks for the sewing tips. I think its says a lot about me not taking direction well (or maybe too well?) when I have my own ideas about things. I would have done it that way too (stretch and zig zag) but we we told not to sew onto the elastic and to hand sew underneath the knots. There would have been issues with keeping the petals even anyway. After taking it along to rehearsal yesterday, just pinned, i discovered that nobody really knows what they are doing. If I had done it their way, it would have been a disaster! I ended up tacking each leaf to individual petals. We'll try it out this morning. Now just 40 dior roses to finish making and sew on.

[fantail]

Eek 40 roses, hope it stayed on, and that you can get through those rose swiftly

[Donna]

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great day.

Bll the tutu sounds like it will be a bit of work but well worth it. I'd like to see it finished.

Heres the cross I made, not earth shattering lol, but sister-in-law thought it was nice. It went with YSL perfume and a magazine.



Anyone else get a chance to do any creating?

[fantail]

Beautiful cross Donna thank you for sharing the photos
Just more tying off of threads - takes longer then the garment did

[BLL]

Love the cross Donna.

[blue]

morning ladies.

Yes Yes and YEs .... dead right thank you. All about Balance petals isn't it.

love LOVE the cross that is gorgeous Donna.

tails...... has a dodgy box WELL I NEVER !

Anubis...... now dont you be teasing about tree people ; )

Bll it is helpful for one to learn how to hold stretched elastic between toes of left foot and teeth while stretching in a split type movement while holding separate pieces to tulle to elastic and pressure foot in armpit zip it all threw at high speeds in a karate kick type movement . bobs ya uncle

xR

[blue]

BTW Im so looking forward to Friday......ROLL ON !!!!

[anubis4]

I have learnt that its been wayyyyyyyyy to long since I had a good sit down with clay.

Why cause I made two tree people and baked them but they both imploded kinda LOL ..... to much air trapped and not enough of an armature.............

So I have started again that will learn me for not being one with the clay for so long........... so far so good.....

Anyway I do love the cross donna well done.

Well Im off to mutate some more clay.........

[fantail]

LOL Blue you make it sound so easy

Anubis enjoy the clay mutation ;D

I know this is late but can we make it from 12.30- 3.00 I'm not sure what time I need to be home but I want to help with babysitting niece and nephew. I tell you this year and well laid plans ...
Anyway can't wait but need to get the clothes finished and figure out what to bring

[blue]

Any time Tails is perfectly fine honestly.
just do as you please just leave some room in your pack encase you find some treasures that you NEED to take home with you. muhahahaha


anubis........OMG gasp......... !
crikey dickens fem ya blew up the trees.
DO NOT BE DOING THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


and yer sewing machines and sewing it is something that does not come easy for some me included.

usually hold tongue out one side of mouth - pins perched between teeth hopeful like Hades things dont clog up underneath and catch sending the needle threw the same hole 50 times URG which it usually will at some stage. or the cat standing on the foot peddle as your actually lining something up URG.
my fav is turning corners WHY will the corner just sink in groan.
you ladies that can sew have my absolute admiration.

[fantail]

Turn them clay blocks into amazing tree people with no further implosions.
Thanks Blue
I'm still getting to understand the sewing machine sorry in advance for all the wonky sewing lines- why did I use white thread? Ouch my finger tips are feeling a bit raw at the moment - only the first press stud sewn on

[Donna]

;D Hehe you guys are sooo funny...

imploding tree people, oh no..

wayward petals and roses.. I don't know that I would take Blues advice on techniques for that, hahaha karate kicks...

I'll bet everything in fantails dodgy box is fantastic and wouldnt be in there if it was anyone else... hehe
have you finished thread cutting yet?

I'm excited about Friday too, while any time we get with you will be so great Fantail, we are going to have to talk and play at top speed, the time just flies. ^A^

Morgan (Jesse's girl) will have to stay this week for family reasons, and her correspondence work is on it's way.. so meanwhile I'm giving her Art class today. Lol, yep its polymer clay sculpting. She is working away and seems to be having a great time. She has made an Artist Bear (from a book) for her Mum and he's baking now . She's now working on two valentine bears for Jesse. I'll show you when shes finished.
BLESS...
She said she'll cry if I let him burn so I'd better go keep my eye on him...

[fantail]

Do keep an eye on those bears - fantastic getting the girl into polymerclay - go you!!
Nah my dogy box has dried out scuper sculpey sculpts and broken bits in it

still sewing on press studs - onto the third baby suit (you can tell me what you call it on Friday)
I don't think I'll get any sculpting done - I wouldn't know what to make in such a short time
maybe a few bitty bears there with ya

[blue]

well im done with limbs.......
any minute mark im gonna leave as is IT IS DONE. and i diddnt end up using the tls either but ill experiment with that for sure. just have to sculpt on the end rings and fretting whilst baking.oh then theres dinner but that can wait ....muhahaha things might change yet tho whos to know...

and yer.. exploding trees.....i feel for ya anubis honestly... i had a face peel / crack open once right before my very eyes as my nose was pushed upto the oven door watching it happen. there would have been air and it just blew it out YIKES>... so yer... darn clay darn air !

and no i seriously cannot recommend karate sewing
the visual amused me for a while tho having twanged myself in a few fairy tutus in my time groan it isnt easy.

maybe ill brew up a strong coffee on friday so we can play and talk at warp speed and attempt to get everything in while your here tee hee hee CLAY TALK SONIC BOOM !!!

donnas apprentice sounds delightful ; ) what fun

ok im off to poke clay.....

[fantail]

Best of luck for the final limb back after you've added the flanges glad you didn't have to use anything in the end Yeay!!!
Scary those cracks the dragons eye cracked in front of my eyes - shudder

[blue]

diddnt get threw it.... non clay matters got in the way...lmao got all but one bit on tho.

but yer.cracks.......gasp there are just times for no reason, dispute all odds and best intentions they just happen. URG its just one of those things unfortunately a. never to mind tho. hazard of the job really.


have a terrific eve ladies.

xR

[Donna]

Hiya.. ;D

Well I hope I never experience imploding, exploding, cracking in half, splitting wide open...sculpts of any kind. Would be impressive tho', but no thanks.

Well I'm getting more and more excited about Friday now. I'm not bringing the marionettes 'coz I don't have time to fix them up more.. and I'm sure as heck not showing you as they are.. think "Woody" from toy story..with boobs. I think I'm sussed with what needs to be done for the limbs, but it will take some re-working.

My little apprentice, haha! blind leading the blind...
I was only involved in conditioning the clay, Fimo by the way, aargh!!! even with clay softener. A few tips but she did it all herself. She had sooo much fun and was so proud of her little bears.. it was a delight..

Have a peek...