The recent hurricane, Irene, wreaked havoc with many of us along the Eastern corridor, and now that things are slowly returning to normal I can finish up on some polymer commission pieces I am woefully behind on.  The only good Irene did was to aid me with my leaf collection, lol.

While out walking the other day I was gathering leaf specimens and began to think of the strange journey that these beautiful organics have taken me on. Who would have thought that a leaf would foster friendships with people worldwide in places such as Belgium, England, Italy, China, Australia, and across the USA…a leaf could do all this?

Leaves are so complex, yet simplistic in their beauty. The colors, textures, sizes, are all unique and none are identical, much like the people I create my wearable art pieces for.  I am so grateful for the opportunities that have come along…mostly for the wonderful people I have met along the way…on my journey with leaves…

I am also doing a giveaway for a pair of earrings! Not just any earrings will do…how about some “batty” threads for your ears in celebration of my favorite character in the movie, Aunt Francis!! You won’t want to use these Bat Wings in your spells!!

Sculpted bat earrings have a 2″ wingspan and are reversible with hand painted skeletal images. 3 1/2″ sterling silver earring threads allow the bats to swing freely and spin and are accented with fiery polished agate burnt orange rondelles. Optional earring guards are also included to prevent the pesky fiends from escaping!

All you need do is leave a comment and I will choose a winner tomorrow evening!!  Hmmm…with over 200 blogs participating I am extending the giveaway and will choose a winner Monday evening. Thanks for commenting!

   “Leaves are the glowing gems that inspires our art, enraptures out hearts, and enriches our gardens. Once the leaves start falling, they are a wealth of carbon and organic matter to be carefully gathered, and later we take up their nutrients through our vegetables, and make them one with us. You are all Oak Trees, and Maples, and Sycamores, and Poplars.”…David Shane Odom

Click on the photo below to visit Shane’s shop on Etsy and see some of his wonderful masks!

I use leaves as inspiration in my artwork, preferring to spend my time outdoors putting about in the woods looking for treasures like the one’s Shane has collected above. Thank you Shane for the lovely woodland visit today!

Have a fantastic Friday all and share with me your inspirations!

For those starting out or wishing to work with polymer clay I hope this post can save you the hassles of working hard on a piece only to ruin it because of a faulty oven.

The Deni 10400 is a great convection oven for curing polymer clay pieces that are under 4-5” tall and lying down under 10”. Hot air circulates around the clay, cooking the clay evenly, and the non-breakable glass bowl is perfect for allowing you to watch your pieces cure. It also shuts off by itself. The oven includes base with handles, the non-breakable glass bowl, upper and lower racks, lid with timer and tongs for easy removal of racks. Clean up is a breeze with the built-in cleaning cycle. It’s also great for small spaces, studios, apartments. I’ve had mine for 5 years now with no problems at all. Lightweight, I’ve taken mine when I travel or vacation (never know when the mood to create strikes!).

What would make this a perfect oven is if it had a digital readout instead of dials. For that reason I would make sure to use an oven thermometer for accurate temperature control.

Happy Sculpting and as always feel free to contact me any time with questions!

Valerie

With so many mediums available today to explore I have recently added a new one to my ever growing experimentation…beads.  While attempting to not stretch myself too thin, it’s hard to not push the envelope a bit and see where the blending of mixed media will take me.  Sometimes you have to just let go of of a perceived outcome for your true vision to take shape.

The newest pieces I have been creating are a blend of all my favorite things: polymer clay, gemstones, bead embroidery.  These are a few pictures of recent wearable art pieces, a blend of art and adornment.  Each piece has a special meaning and story behind it and as such each piece began with an idea that ‘changed’ as I worked. Funny how that happens.

How do you balance your hats?  Your vision?