April 23, 2010

• Bad blogger. Bad, bad, blogger!

  But I have been claying up a storm!  Let’s get right to it, shall we?    (I sound like my 5th & 6th grade English teacher, Mrs. Caldwell.)

  First, I’ve been making canes. Canes.  CANES!

  Here’s the pile:

  

  The leaf cane was from a tutorial posted in the Guild’s newsletter some time back.  It worked well.  Haven’t used the leaves yes, but I will.  The plaid is from a tutorial that Carolyn Good of 2 Good Claymates posted on their blog.  I just made a small trinket box using that cane this morning – photos after it’s baked. 

  The Moorish tile one (that’s what I’ve been calling it) is one I made some time ago.  I don’t remember when.  I just found it when I was putting these others away and decided I like it. I think I didn’t like it before.  (No one says I have to be consistent, do they?)

  The next three are “Klimt” canes made with my clay extruder, using leftovers from the tulip cane next to them.  I like the Klimts, not so sure about the tulips.  I love tulips – my favorite flower.  The three tulips looked fantastic until I put this goofy border on it:

  

  I don’t know what I was thinking, but after I sliced off a few pieces, one of which I used to make this keychain, I hacked off all of that wild border and settled on the plain two colors as in the first photo. 

  I also finished up a necklace I’d started some time ago – I’m going to list it in my shop this afternoon:

  

  I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.  Here’s a closeup of the large bead:

  
  And another closeup, this time of the magnetic closure I made for this necklace, by inserting rare earth magnets into two beads:

  

  I was playing with some scrap clay and made a teeny cane from which I made a few things – the nicest of which is this barrette:

  

  Also, using the Klimt canes, I made this ring:

  

  And another tiny box:

  
  It’s cute, but it has several imperfections so I won’t put it up for sale.  The cutter isn’t completely square, and the riveted joint where the thing is held together caused a bump, but it’s cute and I like it.

  But most of my time for the past several weeks has been spent on my entry for the Monthly Challenge of the PCAGOE for May, a steamer trunk:

  

  It’s just less than six inches wide, and a bit under 4″ tall.  The theme for May’s challenge is “Historical Event”.  I had a very difficult time narrowing my subject matter – I love history and couldn’t focus on any one event.  But I wanted it to be personal.  This trunk represents the losses my great-grandparents suffered in leaving Germany after year after year of massive flooding along the Rhine ruined farm land and killed stock, leaving entire villages on the edge of starvation.  35 families left Neuburg am Rhine to make their way to Williamsport, Pennsylvania – imagine!  Two of those families contained my great-grandparents. 

  I began to imagine how it was for them, probably selling off most if not all of their real valuables as year after year left them with less and less of a harvest.  By the time they decided to head to the USofA, they might not have had much left, but they’d want to take every last scrap with them.  But one trunk for an entire family of 7 children (with one on the way) means that they’d have to make hard choices when it came time to pack.  Which of our remaining treasures can we take?  We need our pewter plates, and of course the family Bible, but Grandma’s vanity set?  We have no other comb or mirror, though.  But the Christening gown?

  Here’s the photo I submitted for my entry:

   

  And a closeup of the Christening gown:

  

  I think from start to finish, trinkets and whatnots including the gown and bibles and such, it made about 8 trips to the oven. 

  I’m happy with it, overall. Of course, I found things I’d have done differently, but it’s a learning process!

  We’re doing well – my feet are still making me nuts – was in and out a bit this morning hanging out a few of our hanging baskets and this afternoon my feet are cracking again.  So gross! 

  So, don’t forget to VOTE!!! in a few days (after May 1.)  I’ll remind you again next week.

  me<><

  • 4:21 pm
  • 2 Comments