Skirt buttons, round 1

A few months ago I found Emily a cute, denim skort at a second-hand store. It looks new except for one missing button. (there are 3 total) I knew right away that I would make 3 new PC buttons for it. I mean, WHY spend 5 minutes on the button isle at W@lmart when I can spend days or weeks experimenting w/PC buttons, right? :)

Recently Mossy Owl blogged about all her fabulous new button creations and it inspired me to finally stop procrastinating and make those 3 buttons. I decided on light blue buttons that I would white wash. I wanted cute but understated so that the skort could be worn with any color shirt.

I really like the buttons, but they don't look good on the skort.

The white wash didn't work for me either. So that had to go. But the buttons came out really cute, I think. I may put them in the Etsy store b/c I don't sew, so they certainly won't get used at my house. LOL!

First soldered pendant

I have a tendency to 'jump in the deep end' when I try a new hobby. When I first picked up polymer clay I did so with the intention of making caned beads (for my hemp jewelry). So I picked up a copy of Nan Roche's book on ebay and with my SIII I made a ladybug cane.

Actually, I think I made a spiral jellyroll cane first. But this was my 2nd cane ever, so I didn't wade in the kiddie pool for long. :)

My first seed beading project was the same way. I went to the local bead shop and bought Creative Bead Weaving, a bunch of delicas, and went home to make this square stitch bracelet.

I even drew my own geometric patterns on graph paper and used my original pattern. That sucker took me forEVER. I never wore it. It's way too big for me. But I keep it for sentimental reasons. :)

Now for the subject of this post. My latest *buy a book and attempt the hardest project* project. LOL! The lupin pendant from Silver Threads.

It has been complete for several months now, but just today I saw it and decided to photograph it. It's not bad for a first big soldering project, I think. I made a little faux stone cab for it. Today I realized that I need to sand and buff the cab more. It's not nearly shiny enough. But the mica powders still give such a cool iridescent effect.

I have not glued the cab into place yet. As a matter of fact, it fell out several times while I tried to take pics. I may make a totally different cab for it yet.

The pendant is 2 1/8" tall by 1" wide. Do you think I should oxidize it?

I'm saving up my pennies (a.k.a. Etsy sales) for a tumbler. Once I buy one I will try more solder projects. I'd like to get it for polishing AND strengthening the finished pieces. Until then I think I'll just stick to my trusty clay. I'm getting too fat and pregnant to be jumping off the deep end right now. ;)

Rainbow group

Rainbow group
Originally uploaded by ~Christie

I've had these guys sitting on the happy table over a week now. I think I'm the slowest clayer ever. LOL! Didn't I say, not too long ago, that I was not making lady bugs anymore? They are so cute I couldn't resist. Besides, I *cheated* by painting on all the spots. I still made 24 tiny white clay balls and 24 minuscule black clay balls for all the eyes. :)

All these little guys are going to be new sets of stitch markers. They should make the etsy store nice and colorful!

Rainy days and Mondays

I almost waited too long to make this post on Monday. The afternoon and evening just got away from me.

Anyway, here's a new pair of earrings appearing in the Etsy store today.

This is one of those rare times the creation materialized almost exactly like my mental image. Woohoo! :) I really like these earrings. They are shiny and sparkly and whimsical but not too weird to wear. At least not in my opinion.

While I made them I kept humming Winnie the Pooh's song...oh I'm just a little black rain cloud hovering over the honey tree. Except I sang blue instead of black. :) It was after I'd grown tired of that song that I started humming The Carpenter's song. LOL!

I used some of the fabulous glittery white Fimo in the blue mixture. (I think ALL colors of clay should come in that fantastic glitter version. I love that stuff!) I love the glitter but Fimo Soft is like working with butter. So frustrating. If I ever make more cloud earrings it will be w/out Fimo Soft.

The swirly cloud design is a revisited idea. A little over a year ago I experimented with fun wire and TLS to make this magnet for a weekly Claypen chat.

The clouds and the rainbow are just TLS inside wire borders. Then I raised them off the yellow background with tiny clay spacers. In real life it gives a nice 3D effect. Anyway, I like the swirly cartoon clouds. They are a reoccurring doodle in my idea notebook.

Leafy stitch markers

I rediscovered these leaf canes in my cane box and decided to reduce them and give them new life as stitch markers. I so enjoy leaf canes. I'm sure it has something to do with my love for trees.
You know, the blue and purple leaf canes were an unfinished idea of mine. (90% of my ideas end up that way) I had planned to make a cane of each primary color and make a rainbow tree! Except it was going to be this elaborate 3-dimensional sculpted tree. *sigh* It has the potential to be really cool...if it ever comes to life someday. :)