Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Ode to Aubergine
Just as Julia Childs would say
If she were with us today,
O Aubergine
the colour that is purply black,
O Aubergine
Without you- life would surely lack.
Ok, so there is a reason I’m an unknown poet. Need I say more on this subject?
Helen’s birthday and off to a bead show we went. Armed with $20 I challenged myself to build a showy yet polymer-clay-free aubergine something-or-other from bits at the bead show without going over my $20. I must admit that I’ve seen this style of something on top of something a few places. The unique thing about it is that I made it, and I had enough cash left over for a hotdog, until Helen charged me $1.50 to use a couple of her jump rings. The things we do for jump rings.
mz
Labels: jewelry, jump rings, Michelle Zimmerman, ornament thursday
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posted by Helen Bradley @ 5:09 amNo Comments links to this post
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
The woman’s shape is a prototype of a sculpture I made for Kristine of Krafty Lady Art Moulds. I had some fun with the prototypes and made a couple boxes that I then shipped off to a couple of wonderful people and amazing artists, Debra Quartermain and Marie Browning. They put their one of a kind talents to work and made the boxes their own. This one went to Marie Browning and the box is the happier for it!
Another Dreamer (similar to this but not Celadon!) has been sent as an auction item to the Indiana Polymer Clay Guild’s benefit for Ponsawan Silapiruti’s daughter Ada. The amazing Christi Friesen is teaching workshops at the benefit. For more details about Ada and the workshops go to http://silastones.blogspot.com/.MZ
My Celadon project is a bracelet I made for someone who was leaving North Bay and heading to SF to continue her studies. She always wore cool jewellery so I wanted to make her something special to wear. The flower is a mold that Michelle made and the leaves are Michelle’s designs for Krafty Lady Art Moulds. The bracelet features a Swarovski crystal bead and additional celadon polymer clay beads.
I love these flowers and leaf combinations and I have one in reverse too – pink leaves and celadon flower – it’s funky but I love it too. HB
Labels: celadon, Christi Friesen, Debra Quartermain, Marie Browning, ornament thursday
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:01 am1 Comment links to this post
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
Ornament Thursday requires the use of a special kind of purple (heliotrope) this month and that calls for a special kind of earring. These are made from polymer clay and were made in such a way to show off the mica properties of the clay. One side shiny and one side dark, same clay. A twist is all you need to see both.MZ
My design this month was completed after I raided Michelle’s secret box of beads. You see she and her friend Frank were putting up shelves above her desk in the studio and were busy drilling lots and lots of holes working on the principle that if they drilled enough of them they’d eventually hit a stud! They did but in the meantime they were so focused on the holes they were drilling and playing with the (very useless) stud finder that I had time to sift through her box of beads.
The box is full of clay beads she has made over the years. I turned up this set of polished beads – yeah! a perfect solution to this month’s Ornament Thursday challenge. I combined them with a huge Bali silver bead I had, lots of silver bead caps and spacers and some wonderful dark purple glass beads. It took me less time to make this than it did for them to get one shelf up. Now that’s what I call a productive afternoon in the studio. HB
Here’s what the other Ornament Thursday team has been up to this month:
Heliotrope: Purple by any other name
Lisa waffles on what shade of purple is really “Heliotrope”
Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Check out Linda’s necklace and don’t miss the giveaway!
Heliotrope-Ornament Thursday
Did someone say violet?
Shelly…
Michelle shares a heliotrope layout of her her and her fish!
Labels: Helen Bradley, mica shift, Michelle Zimmerman, ornament thursday, polymer clay
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 3:01 am1 Comment links to this post
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
I just couldn’t stop making Friendly Plastic ornaments. These are nice and round. No edges for the cat to whack her paw on as she helps Helen decorate the tree. These were made using a marbling comb. There’s almost no wrong color combination though I plan on testing out black against black.
Have a safe and peaceful holiday season. Look for more Ornament Thursday posts in the new year. – mz
Recycled trees
My final ornament for Ornament Thursday is made from some recycled rub-on sticks of the kind that you get when you purchase alphabet rub-ons. These are from Making Memories so they’ve got Making Memories actually stamped into the surface of the wood which is why I chose them. The sticks have been painted with turquoise pearl paint and cut to size. I punched holes in them using a Crop-O-Dile and affixed large brads through the pieces to make the tree shapes.
The bottom of the Christmas tree is a cut piece of one of the sticks attached with Glossy Accents. You really have to love Glossy Accents because it really sticks anything to anything. The design is finished off with some artistic wire which has been wrapped around a knitting needle. I threaded small beads onto the wire and then incorporated them into the twisted design as I made the coil. Remove the strip from the knitting needle and all you have to do is wind it around one of the brads and then through and around the Christmas tree shape and finish it off by winding the other end around the topmost brad. The tree hangs from another piece of coiled wire. -hb
To check out what the rest of the ornament Thursday team has been doing this week, visit: http://www.ornamentthursday.blogspot.com/
Labels: Amaco, Friendly Plastic, marbling comb, ornament thursday
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:59 amNo Comments links to this post
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
What better for an elf to go holiday shopping in than a set of matching heels and purse? Who could resist the glitter of Swarovski cystals and the Pavelka stamp design (from JHB) set into shiny Fimo clay! These are a “Looking Good” addition to anyone’s tree. – mz
Fun with Modge Podge
This week’s ornament is one that I’ve made some time ago but which I really still love. It’s a simple glass ball that has been decoupaged with black Mulberry paper, thin red tissue and some beautiful old music paper of which I had a couple of sheets and which I keep every last scrap of because it’s just so gorgeous. The combination of black, red and old paper really works for this ornament. It’s a simple process to decoupage the papers onto the ornament with Modge Podge and finish off with a final layer of Modge Podge just to seal it. And when the Modge Podge dries all over your hands you get to do that scary kid thing and peel it off like you’re peeling off layers of skin – eeewwww
-hb
Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Make a Confetti Ring to Wear at Your Next Holiday Party!
Holiday Sparkly Fan Pull
Lisa creates a dress up look for a ceiling fan
Linda’s snowman
Some paper, beads, and fabric are transformed into an adorable snow guy.
Ornaments so easy… even a kid can do them!
A recycled idea from last year using pearl UTEE!
Poinsettia Madness
Beautiful poinsettias in glass.
Poinsettia Ornament
Polymer clay and glittery snow recreate a Christmas memory
Shiny Little Things
Felting for the Festivities!
Strands of Beads
Melissa has a quicker than quick snowball pendant for a perfect last minute gift.
Labels: clay, crystals, Fimo, JHB, Lisa Pavelka, ornament thursday, polymer clay, Swarovski
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posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:59 amNo Comments links to this post
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
Melt Friendly Plastic, swirl it around and cut out the pretty design with your favorite ornament cookie cutter. Pop an eyelet in and hang. Tada! A simple recipe for hours of fun. – mz
So, I’m Sewing again?
Continuing in my sewing theme for Ornament Thursday, I have a cute pair of felt mittens. I made my own pattern for the mittens, cut them out of felt and then sewed around all but the top edge and filled with fiber fill. I used some off-white wool roving to needle felt the cuffs.
The mittens are tacked together so that they’ll sit neatly and I used a metal snowflake brad on each to decorate them. An additional snowflake brad is attached to the felted cuff of the front mitten. The mittens hang from a piece of light cord. I really think that even though my first two ornaments this Christmas have been sewn it’s time to look for another medium next week – hb.
Now, it’s time to surf over to check out what everyone else has been up to this week.
Cindy Gimbrone Puts Up Her Xmas Tree!
Fused Glass Xmas tree ornament sparkles from Cindy’s real Xmas tree.
Gingham and beads and buttons, oh my
Counterchanges smocked gingham forms the foundation for this homespun ornament
HHH Enterprises
We are pleased to have this special guest join us this month!
My Favorite Things in an Ornament!
Lisa shares a special gift ornament
New Beaded Ornament
See our special guest’s beautiful creation!
Secret Garden Christmas Tree Ornament
Michelle’s got a special tree from the Botanicabella collection!
Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off a simple winter rose bracelet project this week.
Labels: Amaco, Friendly Plastic, ornament thursday
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:59 am3 Comments links to this post
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
These lovely holiday skulls are all the rage and just the ticket for decorating ye olde cell phones. They’re made from polymer clay and shaped using an AMACO bead roller. Just change the color combo and they make a nifty Hanukkah present as well. -MZ
Felt Ornament
I’m not quite sure what happened this Christmas but I ended up sewing some of my ornaments. Sewing is way from being my strong point but I guess there is just something very tactile about felt that drew me to it this year.
This first ornament is two simple circles of olive green felt which have been sewed together and filled with some fiberfill. I tacked some gold and white trim around the edge of the circles and used a flower brad which I think is from K & Company as a decoration. One simple bow at the bottom of the ornament and a loop of matching ribbon at the top and — well — I have something that’s not only very simple to make but which I also think is kind of cute. HB
Check out the work of the rest of the Ornament Thursday team here.
Labels: Amaco, beading roller, cell phone charm, ornament thursday, skull
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:59 am1 Comment links to this post
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
When I was a young thing I fell head over heels in love with the neighbor’s cat. She drooled a lot due to an injury but the soppiness was easily overlooked because she was loving and grateful to be loved.
When she visited I sat out on the stoop, groomed her with my hairbrush (mom never knew that part) and gave her treats from our fridge. Occasionally she’d arrive with treats for me too – like live mice and lizards. We spent many stolen hours together on that stoop – some of them with me screaming!
She was a great cat and I offer this in honor of her attitude of gratitude. I’ve taken the liberty of making sure the mouse used in the piece was NOT alive but made of wood. -MZ
If you’d like to see what the rest of the Ornament Thursday folk are up to this month, here they are:
Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy’s grateful for Ornament Thursday!
Gratitude Screen
Michelle’s grateful for OT!
Linda shares her expression of gratitude
Of course there’s a story behind Linda’s shadowbox on the BeadStyleMag.com blog
Lisa looks at the meaning of the word
Just some reflection this month
Ornament Thursday – Gratitude
I am grateful that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Journals
Check out Brandi Lung-Gill’s site too.
There are so many ways to say thank you
Our own Helen Bradley at http design puts wordle.net to work to create these earrings which say thank you in so many ways.
Labels: Attitude of Gratitude, Michelle Zimmerman, ornament thursday
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:05 pm5 Comments links to this post
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
I have a new love, Wordle.net. Visit the site, type a few words and click a button and you have a fantastic word cloud created for you. You can choose your fonts and colours and you can use your word cloud wherever you like.
I took a Word Cloud I’d made using the word Thank You spelled out in some languages of the places I have visited recently or will be visiting, like French, Spanish, Thai, Italian and printed the cloud at a small size onto Shrink Plastic front and back.
Punch a large circle from the plastic and then make a small circle for hanging and heat to shrink. I finished my “Gratitude” earrings with some chain and findings. Too much fun. – HB
If you’d like to see what the rest of the Ornament Thursday folk are up to this month, here they are:
Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy’s grateful for Ornament Thursday!
Gratitude Screen
Michelle’s grateful for OT!
Linda shares her expression of gratitude
Of course there’s a story behind Linda’s shadowbox on the BeadStyleMag.com blog
Lisa looks at the meaning of the word
Just some reflection this month
Ornament Thursday – Gratitude
I am grateful that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Journals
Check out Brandi Lung-Gill’s site too.
Cat’s Attitude of Gratitude
Our own Michelle at http design has a fun take on gratitude – think about it – what do cats give you when they love you? Mice!
Labels: ornament thursday, Wordle.net
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 7:03 pm3 Comments links to this post
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
I bought a big (to me) screen TV and was singing along with Wizard of Oz while pondering the brew project. Then my favorite character the beautifully green Wicked Witch of the West was before me in 31.5 inch HDTV widescreen glory. I wanted to BE her! I offer you this lovely lapel pin that isn’t a doorknob and which strangely looks a lot like me, but with green and oily skin.
From now on
I’ll be history,
I’ll be his…,
I’ll be history
And OT will glorify my name!
I will be a bust,
Be a bust,
Be a bust,
In the hall of fame!
Tra la la la la la la la la la la
Tra la la la la la la
Tra la la la la la la la la la la
Tra la la la la la la
-MZ
Now check around and see what the other OT members have “brewed” for you this month:
BeadStyle & Milwaukee’s heritage
Linda shares her Amber Bock Bracelet
Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
New Beads are Brewing…
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble…
Joolz by Lisa has a “Hairy” Twist on OT Brew.
The Art Bead Scene
Jennifer’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Bracelet
Brew’in up a few Witches
Witches born of glass
Strands of Beads
Something wicked is brewing at Melissa’s place
Swelldesigner
Alexa stirs it up with this retro witch wall hanging!
Labels: clay, Michelle Zimmerman, oil paint on polymer clay, ornament thursday, polymer clay
Categories:Uncategorized
posted by Helen Bradley @ 2:19 am5 Comments links to this post
