Plan your support!

Earlier this month, I showed you how to create initials out of Creative Paperclay ®.

Easy as it seems, there does need to be some planning on these letters.

Because the A's cross bar is "higher" than the diagonal lines, I created smaller pieces of clay to support it.

One went along the cross bar, while the other two were supporting the curly ends.

Other Letters or clay shapes may also need this sort of planning.

So, think ahead! Creative Paperclay ® not only shines on top...but it can be a supporting role underneath too!

Thanks for visiting us today,

Dawn Mercedes, of Sunnyside Up

September "Tip" of the Month

Today I am supposed to post my "Tip of the Month", but I am completely stumped as to a "tip".  So I am going to take you on a creative journey into my experiments.

You never know when or where inspiration will hit.   Today my inspiration came while looking out the back window of my house at the variety of trees and leaves.  It is a gorgeous Fall day in Virginia and the leaves are beginning to turn...BAM!  I "need" to make a bowl with leaves.  Quickly I run outside to collect a bunch of leaves from one of the trees, bring them inside and wrap them in a damp paper towel until I am ready to use them.

I look through my studio cabinets and find an aluminum bowl...PERFECT mold for the bowl in my head!  I grab a package of PaperClay (about 1/2 the package) and begin squishing it (to mix in a few bits that are slightly dry).  I need to roll it flat so that it will fit around the bowl/mold...my trusty acrylic roller is the perfect tool. 
**NOTE:I know, I know...normally I would go to the pasta machine, but the Paperclay tends to be a bit messy in the pasta machine (trust me, I have tried).  Since I learn from my "mistakes" I think the roller is a much better option than cleaning the pasta machine**

Once flattened, the PaperClay sheet is placed on the outside of the bowl/mold, smoothing as I go. 

 Now to add the leaves.  Pressing them in might work....ummm, no.  I only get the thick veins that way.  Ah Ha!  The acrylic roller will once again be the best tool.  I overlap the leaves around the clay covered bowl and then roll into place, adding additional leaf vein touches in empty spots.  Once the bulk of empty space is filled, I carefully peel away the leaves revealing the patterned clay underneath.

 Looks pretty cool.  I know that it will be even better once it dries and color is added to bring out the details.  Never one to wait patiently, the bowl has been placed in my oven to quick dry the clay (I am baking it at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes). 
What is the plan for when it comes out??  Well, you will have to return next time to see how the project progresses.  Until then, enjoy the cooler weather and the beauty that surrounds you :-)

 

Barbara's Tips and Techniques for September

Hello Creative Paperclay® fans, and welcome back to the blog.  Yesterday was the Autumnal Equinox, signifying the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall.  I am really looking forward to Fall, with that crispness in the air and cooler temperatures.  How about you?

The more I work with Creative Paperclay®, the more fun things I discover, from how to paint it, to how to mold it.  It never occurred to me, until recently, that the thinner I roll out the clay, the more flexible it is when dry.  I also discovered that it is quite strong and does not break or crack, like you might think.  This is a real asset when you want a piece of clay that is paper thin and will wrap around your project, or just be flexible for whatever purpose you choose.

So, don't think you have to roll out your clay thick, like 1/4" thick or so, unless you need it to be.  Think of it as making your own paper out of clay.  It is, after all, paper in clay form.  See my previous post where I made honeycomb so thin, the holes remained intact.  Or how about the "sheet" of music I made to add to any project, pun absolutely intended.

You can roll it out thinly on a texture sheet, a rubber stamp, or even a piece of lace or burlap fabric, to get a ton of various textures.  You can even mold items without filling the mold to get thinner pieces, if you want it to be flexible.  You are always only limited by your imagination.  So, unless you need something stable and strong, then have some fun making "sheets" of Paperclay®.

REMINDER ALERT

Don't forget that we are having a Halloween blog link up on 5 October, combined with a design team call.  What better way to showcase your work and share it with the world!!!  And you never know, you could win one of the prize giveaways.  So go ahead, give it a try.  Create something with Creative Paperclay® products and link up to the blog to enter to win!  And if you would like to try out for the design team, check out the information here.

I am so glad you stopped by today, and I hope you enjoyed my tips.  Please check out the Creative Paperclay® online store, and visit the blog for more inspiration.  If you have any questions about the link up, please feel free to ask me.

Have a wonderful week, and play with some clay for the link up!

Barbara

Feeling Fall by Rachel Whetzel ::a reminder::

Instead of a tip for you today, I have a reminder.
I'm feeling fallish... Fall is one of my favorite times of the year... I love everything about it. The cool crisp air, fires in the hearth, falling leaves, colors, and I love Halloween.
I get inspired every year to add to my "witch's apothecary" with bits of this and that... but once in a while, what I WANT to put there, doesn't exsist.
And THAT is where Creative Paperclay® modeling material comes in.
When the stores don't have it, REMEMBER, you can MAKE IT!!

I'm working on a jar of slugs. :)

Don't FORGET!!

 We'll be having a Halloween Link Up on October 5th, here on the blog!  

Be sure to get your creative juices flowing, and come share YOUR Halloween projects with us!

 

I would love for you to visit me at my "house" too!! Thank you so much for reading!!  ~rachel  

 

ALSO

 check out the DESIGN TEAM CALL!! Throw your hat into the ring! 

Jess B's - Day of the Dead - Sugar Skulls

Hello Everyone 

Yesterday we had a huge rain storm and the power went out!

Enough said. lol

Today I wanted to share my

Hispanic culture with you

In November Mexico celebrates

Dia De Los Muertos

Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead

(Spanish: Día de los Muertos)

 is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place on November 1 and 2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztecfestival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world: In Brazil, Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

First roll out some Creative Paperclay® found this silicone skull ice tray

at the Dollar Tree.  I filled each cavity with Creative Paperclay® and bake according to the

instructions 

 

My gave me a sugar skull coloring book and used that for reference

but of course you can go on the world wide web and find inspiration

 

I carefully designed my flowers and vines with used

Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens and Sharpie Markers and Paint Pens

 

INGREDIENTS

Creative Paperclay®

Small canvas

Sharpie Markers and Paints

Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens

Mulberry Flowers

Puffy Paints - white pearl and gold

DON'T FORGET!!!

Do you LOVE Halloween and Creative Paperclay®?

Well this is the LINK UP Party for YOU

Just make a Halloween Paperclay Project and post it on our Link UP party on Oct 5th on our blog

http://creativepaperclay.blogspot.com/

You will post your project on your blog or somewhere on the internet and 

LINK it up to our blog post on OCT 5Th. 

project MUST use 

Creative Paperclay® and be a Halloween Theme.

There will be prizes...

Lynda's September Creative PaperClay Tips

Hi!  It's Lynda from the design team bringing you some tips for September!  I love using the clay and recently discovered using my scrapbook templates with this fun stuff!  It was a lot of fun to play with, making different shapes as well as letters too!  Not only did I make my sisters album with her name on it, I also made an album for myself also with my name on it!  Working with the clay and templates, I have a few tips to help you along the way!  

• After you have rolled out your clay, flip the template over so you can use the flat side of clay on the bottom when you cut it out versus the top of the clay where it is not so smooth.  
• Use a sharp Xacto knife to cut the letters or objects out.  If edges are cut in to or not perfectly shaped, simply use your fingers to smooth it out.  Make sure you do this when the clay is wet!
• Clean your surface each time you use the clay - to make sure you have no pet hairs, food, or other particles on your surface that can get in the clay!
• Experiment with different types of paint to see what works the best for you as you are working on your projects!  
• If you typically create embellishments for scrapbooking or card making, try to look at this blog for ideas you can start to recreate yourself!  There are great projects and tips from fellow design team members!

I have had more fun in playing with this clay than I thought I would!  I can't wait to show you the projects I am working on now for next month!  Make sure you are following the blog here for more information on the Halloween Blog Hop on October 5th and my regular post on October 8th!  See you then!  

Lynda Jeffs

Creative PaperClay Design Team and Memories in Tyme   

Mark it with an A!

Creative Paperclay ® can be used to personalize your room.

Today, I'm going to show you how to create an initial out of this modeling airdry clay.

Once you get started, you will see many possibilities!

Supplies:

Creative Paperclay ®

Papers and dew drops from the Robin's Nest

Glue Dots ®

acrylic paint

gesso

brushes/tools

embellishments as you see fit

a shadow box

A few weeks ago I was just playing around with the Creative Paperclay ®.  What better way, that to make snakes!  Yeppers...go old fashioned clay snakes! But as I was musing and working with it, I realized I could use these long thin lines to create initials. 

*Be sure to roll out extra lines in case you make a mistake.

*Work on a piece of plastic wrap or on a plastic frisbee so that you can pick up your modeling clay easily

to flip it as it is drying.

*Think about what sort of font will be appropriate for the style/theme of shadow box.

Here, I created an A with lots of curls and swirls, because I am making a shadow box

for a little tweener girl!  Let it dry.  Seal it with Gesso.

Paint with acrylic paint. You  will want to give it a few coats.

One trick I use when I am painting is to paint the bottom first. 

Then, paint the edges and sides once that bottom is dry.  That way, you won't have your piece sticking

to your work surface. 

After it was dry, I sealed it with Mod Podge. 

Again, back first, then front.

Then comes time for the fun and bling and embellishment!

I used various sizes of Glue Dots ® to adhere the dew drops to the primas, and 

the primas to my shadow box.

Remember, more layers can me more interest!

Glue the Creative Paperclay ® Initial on top of the shadow box.

Remember to think about the edges of your shadow box as well!

There is going to be one happy girl once she receives this pink and green and zebra striped 

shadow box...with her initial!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Dawn Mercedes, of Sunnyside Up

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary....

I have fallen in love with Mixed Media pieces!  They allow me to use a bit of THIS and a bit of THAT accumulated over the years in my studio.  Last week, after a visit to our local Farmer's Market such a piece was born. 

 I fell in love with these flowers.  The fuchsia pink with bold orange centers screamed to come home with me.  Come home with me they did, BUT (as we all know) cut flowers only stay with us for so long :-(  Why not extend their life with a custom piece of art??  An idea began to formulate in my mind (do you hear the cogs turning??)

I went first to the Delight Airdry modeling compound to create some beautiful flowers, just opening pods, and green leafy components.  I rolled a piece of the clay through my pasta machine to flatten (for those of you without a pasta machine, 2 Popsicle sticks and a rolling pin will work just as well).  Then I used teardrop shaped Kemper cutters (2 different sizes) to start my petals. 

To shape each petal I pinched the edges between my fingers to thin and then used a needle tool to create veining down the center of each.  As each petal was complete, I placed them next to each other on my work surface and the flower began to take shape.  **Please note: pinching the petals gently together or overlapping a bit will help your flower to stay together as you build.**

After one layer of petals was completed I began with a second and then a third (note: 3rd layer used a smaller teardrop cutter), stacking layers as they were completed.  A final touch for my flower reproduction was a vintage glass button pressed into the center.  Once completed, the flower was set aside to dry (about 24hrs). 
I began work on the pod in the same way, but with a much smaller teardrop cutter.  I created the leaves first, pinching and veining just as with the flower petals.  I then rolled a ball of Delight clay about 3/4" round.  The top edges were shaped and veined with the same needle tool until I was happy with the look.  The pod was then pressed into place on the leaf ruffle and set aside to dry with the flower.

 

What to do while waiting for the flower components to dry?  Why work on the canvas, of course!  I sponge painted the canvas using 2 or 3 different green acrylic paint colors.  I used the edge of the sponge brush to add some gold veining.  Never known for letting something be so simple/plain, I knew it needed something more.  Time to pull out the Paperclay!!

I recently purchased a Delta stencil (Checkerboard Medley) and knew that would add the perfect background for the flowers.  I mixed a bit of the Creative PaperClay with some water to make a soft paste.  With the stencil placed on top of the painted canvas the paste was smeared into the open spaces.  Be patient...a light touch will lead to less frustration than a heavy hand.  Work the palette knife back and forth scraping paste into and out of the stencil.  Add more paste as areas need it.  Once all open areas are filled the stencil can be removed to reveal a raised texture.  WAY COOL!!  (**please note: the stencil cannot be replaced once removed without much smearing!**)
Set canvas aside to dry.

Flash forward 24 hrs...
...the flowers have dried and now it is time to paint!  Painting the flowers tends to be a messy process.  Normally I use Pinata inks and rubbing alcohol for this, but I wanted the flower color to be a bit more intense.  In my box of inks I found my Color Box Crafter's Pigment Ink Refill in a gorgeous color called Peony.  I mixed a little of the ink refill with rubbing alcohol and began to paint.  Areas where the color was too harsh were softened by going back over it with a bit of plain rubbing alcohol.  During this process my layers began coming apart :-(  Bummer!  No worries...as each portion was painted they were put back together before drying.  Be sure all areas are painted: top and sides especially.  The bottom will be glued down to the canvas eventually, so it really doesn't need to be painted...just a time saving thought. 

 

The process was repeated for the green leafy pods using Color Box Ink Refill in "green".  As I looked at the color, it was a bit brighter than I wanted, so I mixed a bit of Pinata Color in "Burro Brown" and added that on top of the green.  The brown seemed to soften the bold green.  A few dots of "peony" ink refill placed directly onto the pod center finished the look.

Placing the flowers on top of the canvas I waited for it to "speak" to me...Please, do not call the white coats yet :-)  The canvas asked for a few things: something along the edge, wording, some additional texture, and a few polymer clay components (you didn't think I would get through a whole project with out at least one, did you??)

Back to the studio to search....
...where I found some beautiful decorative leaf components, multiple alphabet rubber stamp sets, and a FABULOUS Mrs. Grossman's metal "Fall Vines".  The vine edging was the perfect touch both in size and color!! 

Woohoo...I placed a few leaves behind the flower and placed the green pod in the corner...Hmmmm, something not quite right.  I added a few decorative leaf accents behind the flower...getting better, but still something not quite right.  Hmmmm, I think some words are needed.  To the clay and stamps I go....

Perfect.  But still something is not quite right.  I searched through my polymer clay components and found a beautiful butterfly and a flower.  I finally realized that as much as I like the painted leaf pod, it just wasn't working the way I wanted.  Remove the pod, add the butterfly and polymer clay flower, plus some more wording...FINALLY!!! 

Use tacky glue (I use "The Ultimate" from Crafter's Pick) to affix everything to the canvas (note: Vintage glass button made need to be attached with super glue rather than tacky glue).  Let dry, the hang and ENJOY.

Materials list:
Delight Air Dry Modeling compound, Creative PaperClay modeling material, Kemper cutters, stretched canvas, acrylic paints, Color Box ink refills, rubbing alcohol, Ancient page ink pad, Mrs. Grossman's "fall vines", Delta decorative stencil,  Crafter's Pick "The Ultimate"glue, palette knife, q-tips, small mixing cups, miscellaneous components

 

 

Birds and Bees Coaster Tiles Wall Hanging

Hello Paperclay® fans, and welcome back.  It is so hard to believe that the Summer is almost over and Fall is just around the corner.  It is plenty hot here, so it still feels like Summer to me.  And there are plenty of bees buzzing around, so I wanted to do something cool (no pun intended) with the honeycomb pieces I showed you how to make in my last post.  If you missed it, you can click here to see it.  This project is so easy to make, "even a caveman can do it".

Supplies Used:

Creative Paperclay® modeling material
Delight™ air dry modeling compound
Three 4"x 4" square coaster tiles
Six 4" x 4" squares print paper (Close To My Heart-Buzz and Bumble)
Push Molds (Mod Podge)(Premo)
Flexible plastic texture sheets - Music Background, Honeycomb (Carolee's Creations)
Distress ink (Wild Honey, Black Soot, Vintage Photo, Tarnished Brass, Brushed Pewter, Antiqued Bronze)
Acrylic Paints (Folkart Yellow Ochre)(Ceramcoat Charcoal)
Twinkling H20's (Mandarin Citrine, Golden Monarch, Ginger Peach, Mystic Blue, Iridescent Blue, Key Lime, Golden Jade, Rose Petal, Jasmine, Wild Plum)
Cropadile
3/8" gold metallic eyelets (8)
4 large jump rings, 2 small jump rings (Tim Holtz)
Decorative hanger (Melissa Frances)

Directions:

Make a 4" x 4" template from a scrap of printer paper, fold in half, and punch a hole through both halves near the edge, as shown.

Use this to mark placement of your holes for hanging your three coasters together, as shown in photo.

Cover each coaster, front and back, with the CTMH print papers, reversing the patterns, as shown.  (TIP:  Re-punch your holes each time you add the paper so you can find them easily.)  Now is a good time to distress ink the coaster edges.

Add eyelets to each hole, not only for strength, but to also finish off the holes.

Paint the honeycomb pieces first with Charcoal paint, then hit the tops with Yellow Ochre.

For the music background, spread a very thin layer of Paperclay® over the texture plate, the same as done for the honeycomb.  Allow it to dry before removing from the plate.

I was going for an old parchment paper look, so I added a very watered-down wash of Yellow Ochre, dabbing with a paper towel to get the color variations desired.  

Hit the high spots (the music notes) with Charcoal.

Next, I had made quite a few embellishment pieces using the Delight™ modeling material and various push molds.  Delight™ dries more flexible, even when it is a bit thick, so I used it for my embellishments in case I needed the flexibility.  So I laid out my three coasters, arranging my tiny pieces to see how I want to place them.  Nothing is glued down at this time.  

Color the various pieces to your liking.  I had a blast coloring these, and my inky fingers were a testament to that fun.  I colored the pieces using not only the acrylic paints, but also the distress stains and Twinkling H20s.  If my colors were too bright to my liking, I added a light coat of Vintage Photo distress stain.  That always tones down the brightness of colors.  And if you look carefully, you can see that the bird on the branch is so delicate and it broke apart into three pieces.  I am still going to use it and I am going to show you later on.

Now the fun of seeing your piece come to  life begins.  Adhere your Delight™ pieces in a pleasing arrangement, as shown on each of the three tiles below.

Add your jump rings through each of the eyelets, as shown below.  The larger jump rings go through the eyelets, then a smaller jump ring is used to join them.

Here are some close-up views of the pieces.  Don't you just love this little bird nest?

My cute little bumble bee.

And how about the rusty look on this key?

I was going for a bit of a rusty wrought iron look on these flourishes.

And remember the broken branches on this piece?  Normally, this would be my little secret, but I really wanted to show you to never give up because so many things in our art work can be "fixed" or "covered up".

Here is an example of where I layered one piece on top of another.  I love how the tiny pink flowers add to the piece.  I used them as fillers to bring all three coasters together.

These flowers and leaves were a bit too bright for me, so this is an example where a light coat of the Vintage Photo distress stain toned down the brightness.

Whew, I know this is a long post, but I have to admit, I had a blast making this piece.  I absolutely love working in mixed media, and Creative Paperclay® and Delight™ are certainly going on my list of mixed media to use for my altered art.   So, what will you make with it?  Well, you have a chance to show us.  

We are having a Halloween blog link up on 5 October.  What better way to showcase your work and share it with the world!!!  And you never know, you could win one of the prize giveaways.  So go ahead, give it a try.  Create something with Creative Paperclay® products and link up to the blog to enter to win!  

I am so glad you stopped by today, and I hope you enjoyed my project.  Please check out the Creative Paperclay® online store, and visit the blog for more inspiration.  I would also love it if you could visit my blog at Black Hole Art Studio.

Have a wonderful week, and play with some clay for the link up!

Barbara