Mrs. Pepper - A Work in Progress

I am sorry if I haven't got the time to blog about my claying adventures this past few weeks. I have been busy preparing for a special moment in my life and it's driving me crazy!!! I also decided to make handmade souvenirs for some special people who will be celebrating it with me. Well, good luck to me...

On to my topic...I have been an avid fan of Ms. Doreen Gay Kassel's works and hoped that one day I could try and make something, even remotely, similar to hers.

This week, I bought some egg shaped ceramic salt and pepper shakers in Living Well and decided to make creatures of fantasy out of it. Well, it did not turn out the way I was envisioning it. I did try and make a Doreen-creature but I was inspired by my ginger kitten named Tuki. I decided to make him my muse.

It's still a work-in-progress but I love how it turned out. Although I still need a lot of practice in sculpting.

Mrs. Pepper (front view)

Mrs. Pepper's rear side :)

Oh, I also bought myself a new coloring medium which I used with Mrs. Peppers. It's a bit expensive but definitely so easy to use!

Now, back to my creative hole! :)

Swellegant Experiments

What is swellegant?


These are cool collections of metal coatings, patinas and dye oxides developed by Ms. Christi Friesen. (For more information, visit http://store.cforiginals.net/swmecoco.html)


I waited two months for these and it's all worth it! Although me and these babies are in the "getting to know" stage in our relationship. Nevertheless, here are my initial experiments using the product:

BEFORE : I made this focal bead using white clay then bake

AFTER: I finished it with Brass Metal Coating and Rust Patina

BEFORE : Sculpted wings in silver clay and mica powder

AFTER: A coat of Copper with Carribean Blue dye oxide

Can't wait to try more of the combination possibilities between the metal coatings, patinas and dye oxides. I will be posting more soon! This is truly a swellegant product!

Art Bead Scene: April Challenge

This month, the challenge for the Art Bead Scene comes from an inspiration of a painting by Boreas by John William Waterhouse named Boreas (For more information on this challenge, please visit http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-monthly-challenge.html).

Boreas by John William Waterhouse, 1903
Oil on canvas
68.8 x 94 cm

With this beautiful painting, I decided to make a bracelet. Using polymer clay and filigrees, I created a focal bead with a blue background and white miniature daffodil flowers.

Work in Progress: Focal Bead

I also made lentil swirl beads reminiscent of the flow of air blowing through the blue veil of the woman in the painitng.

Work in Progress: Lentil Swirl Beads

String them all together and this is the result:

"Daffodils" Bracelet

When worn

Key Chains

Last week, I made these key chains for a client. She said that it will be a gift for her parents.

Bride and Groom Key Chain

The bride

The Groom

I had fun creating these two! :)

More Carved Cuff Bracelets

I can't seem to get enough of the carved cuff bracelet tutorial of Ms. Rocky Villegas-Antonio. Last weekend, I decided to try my hand in creating cuff bracelets.


For my first creation, I used the leaves and vines push mold. I just read the Percy Jackson book series so I was very much inspired by Greek mythology in naming this piece. I called it Demeter's Garden. I used translucent clay with alcohol inks and acrylic paints.




On my wrist :)



Closer view of the front detail



View from the side details

For my second creation, I named this Monoliths. I used the Tribal faces push mold to form the black clay and finished it with inka gold cream paints.




On my wrist



Front view detail



Left side view detail



Right side view detail

 Would be making a lot more of these over the Holy Week vacation!

Black and White Bead Challenge

The Philippine Polymer Clay Guild had our first challenge last year. It was a swap challenge wherein we have to create a bead using black and white polymer clay. These are the beads that I got:

Different kind of beads from the fabulous clay artists of our guild

Today, I had the chance to string some together to make it into wearable art.

I made a bracelet from the beads of (From Left to Right):
Reizl An Carpio of Xander's Gift Shop, Paula Esguerra of Kinkclay Arts, Mary Ann Limjoco-Decastro,
Gin Rose Caballero of Aquamaze,Ling Buhay of Thought of You
and April Grace Bola of Shape n' Bake 

Necklace from the beads of (from bottom to top):
Angeli Del Rosario of the Beadlady, Melody Manalaysay of
Crafting Time and Jennifer Cruz of Purpleluggage

I still have some stash left and will transform them hopefully soon! 

Art Bead Scene: March Challenge

This month, I am entering another piece to the Art Bead Scene March Challenge. And for this challenge, inspiration from one of Van Gogh's paintings:

Street Scene in Montmartre: Le Moulin a Poivre by Vincent Van Gogh

Oil on canvas

34.5 x 64.5 cm.

Paris: February-March, 1887

Getting the color palette inspiration from the Art Bead Scene blog, I decided to make earrings for this entry.

Victoria

All items are hand made with polymer clay and metal findings and filigrees by me. These earrings are fit for a queen.

Hope you like them.