Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Day 29 Writing Challenge:: AWESOMENESS:: So How Could Not be One Day of:: Pixie Cuteness!!!!

Pixie Cuteness!!!

AWESOME!!

Day 28: Writing Challenge:: AWESOMENESS Easy Peasy Free Tutorial:: How make a puzzle piece out of polymer clay...

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but here's a easy way to make a simple puzzle piece.  There are a lot of variations to this piece.  When you have mastered it, which will take about 1 try, you can add cane, change colors,  add different colors.  I'm keep this simple just so that you can see how easy it is and jump right in.  A beginner can make this puzzle piece.  I am assuming that you know how to condition clay and cut it with a blade and cookie cutter.  Easy peasy.



What you will need::
Small Amount of polymer clay
blade
small cookie cutter


Begin by conditioning the clay, then on the third thickest setting of your pasta machine, roll out the clay and fold in half.  Cut a square or rectangle out of the clay the size you would like the puzzle piece to be.















Using a very small round cookie cutter,

on the edge of your square, cut a partial circle from the clay.

















Take the half circle out of the clay, and place it on another side of the puzzle.  It doesn't matter where you put it, that's the design you create with your puzzle piece. 


You can do this again in your design. 

Gently roll with an acrylic roller to seal the half circles to the main part of the puzzle piece.  Make sure that both pieces are the same width as the puzzle piece.

Poke a hole in your puzzle piece.
Bake according to manufacturer's directions.

Easy peasy.

You. Are. Finished!

Enjoy and experiment.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Day 27:: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: We're almost there!

The critters are almost finished.  (There are four of them finished now.)

This is Chesterton.  He's had quite a life so far.  He's been around for a short while.  He's fully feathered now.  That means he's an adult.  Soon, he will need a new home.  Think about it.  You'll like him!
















This is Cheech!  He's an aging flower child.  His flowers are fading and broken.  The 60's were way too much for him.  His eyes are swirling, too.  I think it's time for him to retire.  What do you think.



















This is Giselle.  She had an accident and broke her foot.  She's fine now, and her foot is healing nicely.  The cast will stay on for a while, but she is fine. 


















This is Rosie.  She's a sweet little thing.  She sings softly.  She preens herself softly.  She's a sweetheart.
What do you think.
























Here's a group shot.  What do you think?  Like them?

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Day 25:: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: Listing Saturday:: Why I Love Fall

1) The colors

2) The Contrast in colors

3) The cooling down of the weather

4) The knowledge that spring will come again.

5) Yellow, Red, Green all in one

6) Leaves that crunch on the ground

7) The smell of fireplaces burning

8) A chance to light the fireplace

9) Sleeping an hour longer

10) Lighting the firepot for a few precious hours outside

11) New jackets

12) Jeans

13) Sweaters

14) The warm weather following a killing frost

15) Flowers that survive a frost

What do you like best about the Fall?

Friday, October 24, 2014

Day 24:: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: Three Beautiful Things This Week

Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.


1) The lovely lady with the red hair, not pink, is Suzanne. 
We met in New Prague yesterday for our afternoon of lunch and shopping.
Now, how fun was that?
It was amazing!


2)  We have had a wonderful, warm week for this time of year.

3) The trees have been amazing this fall.  I don't know how or why this works, but they have been beautiful!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

30 Word Thursday:: The Leaves Have Fallen

There aren't many more days until the first snowfall.
The leaves have fallen from the trees, again.
Season by Season,
Year by Year.
The truth is the same.
Autumn is here.

From Erin's Blog

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...
Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).
Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.
Post it each Thursday.
 
Come Join the fun!!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Day 22:: AWESOMENESS:: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: More Prototypes:: Ornaments

The show will be here soon, so I have to develop my ornaments.  These are the new and improved prototypes.  I'm almost there!

Which one or ones do you like the best?

My favorites are the houses.

The flower still needs some developing,
and I'm almost there.

I'm not sure that the
"wild, wire woman"
will make a good Christmas ornament for a tree, 
but we shall see.

I do like the houses the best.

What do you think?

AWESOMENESS is ALMOST OVER!

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Day 21:: AWESOMENESS:: What I've Learned in this Writing Challenge

Today is Day 21 of the 
AWESOMENESS 
31 Day Writing Challenge.

When I began this writing challenge,
I chose 
AWESOMENESS
as a topic because I wanted to retrain my brain to look at the world in a better way.
I wanted to look at the world more positively.

Today, 
this photo looks more like how I feel than anything else.

It's not that today was a bad day.
It wasn't.
There were many pleasant happenings today than I can count.

Today was just not AWESOME, that's all.
Not every day can or should be 
AWESOME.
Life would be so boring if it were.

However,
there was one thing that happened that I do think was 
AWESOME!

My next door neighbor told me that she wanted my leaves for her garden mulch.
Not only that, she's going to 
RAKE. THEM. FOR. ME.

Maybe the entire day wasn't 
AWESOME,
but that sure was!

Monday, October 20, 2014

Day 20:: Awesomeness:: I don't know if this is awesome or not, but I do Have a question...

So many people are shocked to see Christmas decorations in the stores already.  (They've actually been up since early June, but that's another issue.) As lovely as these ornaments are, I need to make some ornaments
out of polymer clay.  (I'm in a big show in December.)  Here's my question::

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for ornaments?  I need to get to work.  

You're help would be 

AWESOME!

Thanks in advance!

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Day 18:: Listing Saturday:: Things I need to do today

It's Saturday, and it's time to do some much needed things, mostly cleaning.  Here's what I need to do.

If the yogurt turns out, I have to strain the yogurt to make greek yogurt.

Put Italian Bean Soup in the crockpot for supper.

Clean the bathrooms.

Clean the laundry room.

Do laundry.

Clean the kitchen.

Get rid of the plastic containers that are so old.

Vacuum the house.

Make beads and some jewelry.

Eat the bean soup that's almost gone.
 (Do you see a trend here?)

Stop and enjoy the sights and scenery of October.

Make soap.  (I haven't made soap in a year.  I hope I remember how to make it.)

Take Pixie for a walk in the warm, crisp air.

Practice my music for church on Sunday morning.

Breathe.

Crawl into bed.  Relax.






Friday, October 17, 2014

Day 17: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: AWESOMENESS:: Three Beautiful Things This Week




Three Beautiful Things This Week was inspired by a wonderful blog that Three Beautiful Things. Everyday, Clare writes about 3 Beautiful Things that happen each day in her life. It's a wonderful blog! I can only hope to imitate her in a very small way.

1) I just discovered Vegetarian Chicken Nuggets!  They are good and low in calories!  Not only that, they sort of taste good!  Not exactly like chicken, but not like cardboard either.

2) Do you like the cat's paw pendant?  I hope so.  I plan to make it into a gorgeous necklace soon!

3) It's going to cool down soon.  I'm ready for it!  It's time.


Thursday, October 16, 2014

Day 16: 30 Words Thursday:: The sight of these trees


One of the beautiful sights of 
autumn...
Trees on fire.
The sunset reflects on the trees,
and
they ignite as if on fire.
Who knew what these trees could do?
 
 
 
From Erin's blog::

The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...
Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).
Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.
Post it each Thursday.



Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Day 15: 31 Day Writing Challenge:: AWESOMENESS:: More on Beads

I know that for everyone,
AWESOMENESS 
is not found in making beads of any kind.

Creativity comes from using the beads,
painting the beads,
using beads in jewelry.

Others find the 
AWESOMENESS
of beads
just by looking at them,
touching them,
collecting them.

For me,
I am happiest when 
I make beads.

I find that to be an
AMAZING activity.

Look at these polymer clay beads.
I used copper leaf on the outside of the beads.


I made these beads using copper, too.
This time, 
I mixed the copper 
INTO the clay
before I made the beads.

Look at the sparkles!
I love both effects.














Do you see what I mean?
I find this AMAZING
and 
pure
AWESOMENESS!


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Day 13:: Writing Challenge:: AWESOMENESS:: Beads

This blog is called
"For the Love of Beads,"
and 
I would be remiss if I didn't talk about my favorite subject.

I've been making beads for almost 9 years now.  
Those are the glass beads that I have been making for that long.  
I have only recently started making polymer clay bead.

There have been issues that forced me into polymer clay because I needed the creative act of bead making to help me through some very difficult times that continue.

I have now fallen in love with polymer clay and all it's possibilities.


If you look at this pile of beads, 
you'll see what I mean.

I've sorted out most of the beads.

There are birds of a feather, but of different colors and sizes.























I don't care if it's glass or clay,
I love making discs.
These discs will fare well in the jewelry that I envision with them.




















Then there are focals.
Each one is unique.
(I can't seem to make two beads alike no matter how hard I try.
Glass or clay,
It doesn't matter.)



















Soon, I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back to glass, but I don't know when that will be.
It doesn't matter,
Glass
or 
Clay.

AWESOME!!

Monday, October 13, 2014

Day 12:: AWESOMENESS:: A Gift for You

No, not the teapot.  That's mine!  More about it in a later post.

I do appreciate my readers.  I don't say thank you for reading this blog and commenting, so as part of the

AWESOMENESS,

You are awesome!  I decided to give you, my dear readers, a small gift.


Now, is the time for the disclaimer.
I can tell you how to save and image on a MAC, but I don't remember how to save an image on a PC.  That information, you will have to google.

Image, you say?  What image is she giving us? 

I have a banner for you to use on your Facebook page.  It's a Halloween banner that I made.  Feel free to use this banner.  Please don't claim it as your own work.  If anyone asks, you can share it with them, but give me a bit of credit for it.   Thanks.

Now, to save this image to your computer on a MAC, simply, right click> save image as> name your image> hit save.  Easy Peasy.  Now here's your Halloween banner.  If you check out my FB page, you'll see it fits.


Feel free to PIN this post, too.

Thanks.  

This is Day 11 of this writing challenge.  To read more articles of the 31 Day Reading Challenge click
Look at the categories.  Click on the category of your choice.  Scroll down and click on the button of your choice.  You will see hundreds of blogs to read.
 
 
Index
 
 
 
 
 
  Day 5: I Heart Macro: More Awesomeness in Color!
 
 
 
 
 

 


Sunday, October 12, 2014

Day 11:: Writing Challenge:: Awesomeness:: I Heart Macro

Look at the beauty of this dried leaf.

AWESOME!

This is Day 11 of this writing challenge.  To read more articles of the 31 Day Reading Challenge click
Look at the categories.  Click on the category of your choice.  Scroll down and click on the button of your choice.  You will see hundreds of blogs to read.
 
 
Index
 
 
 
 
 
  Day 5: I Heart Macro: More Awesomeness in Color!
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

31 Days Writing Challenge:: Day 11:: Awesomeness:: Things that Aren't so Awesome

It's listing Saturday. 

I know.  The idea of this writing challenge was to learn to look at life in a different way--to be able to find the good, even in a difficult situation. 

However, I do think we have to be realistic.  There are some things that just are not awesome.  That's just the way life is.  So, here goes. 















1. Punch 

2. Beets 

3. Liver 

4. Road kill 

5. Nightmares 

6. Mice 

7. Snakes 

8. Shoes that hurt my feet 

9. A hair in my food 

10. Slipping on ice 

11. Falling down the stairs 

12. Breaking a bone 

13. Sour milk 

14. Foot cramps 

15. An empty refrigerator 

What do you think?
If you tell me that you think punch is AWESOME, well, I really don't know what to say!

This is Day 10 of this writing challenge.  To read more articles of the 31 Day Reading Challenge click
Look at the categories.  Click on the category of your choice.  Scroll down and click on the button of your choice.  You will see hundreds of blogs to read.
 
 
Index
 
 
 
 
 
  Day 5: I Heart Macro: More Awesomeness in Color!