Recycled Jar: Abstract Flower Vase

Items used for this project:

Creative Paperclay

Acrylic craft paint

A jar

Gold Leaf

I started by making the "lattice" part by rolling out some small snakes with the Creative Paperclay.

Then I applied the snakes to the jar and flattened them out.

Next I made some circles for the flowers.

Once everything was dry I painted the "lattice" green and added accents with some gold leaf.  Then I painted the flowers blue and pink and adhered them to the lattice once the were dry.

Annie's Quick Tip for March

Did you know that you can use rubber stamps to stamp into Creative Paperclay? Before the Creative Paperclay is dry you can stamp into it with rubber stamps to add letters, designs or texture to your project.  You can also make some pretty cool embellishments for just about any project using this technique.

Kokeshi Inspired Art Doll

A Kokeshi Doll is a traditional Japenese doll.  It is normally made out of wood with a simple trunks and an enlarged head.  It has no arms or legs and the details of the "dress" are hand painted onto the doll.

My art doll is inspired by the Kokeshi Doll, it is pretty simple and straight forward with just a it of my personal flair.

I started out with a cardboard tube and a Styrofoam ball.

I covered both with Creative Paperclay and let them dry overnight.  Once the two pieces were dry I adhered the head to the body using E6000.

Then I painted the head with a flesh-tone acrylic paint and the body in turquoise   I sanded the Creative Paperclay before painting.

I added some shaggy black yarn for hair.  I also added the eyes and nose with a thin brush.

I added the mouth once everything was dry and instead of hand painting the detail onto the doll I wrapped it in some sheer fabric.

Quick Tip for February

Ceramic Tiles come in handy when working with Creative Paperclay.  Whether your working on small pieces or making a bigger sculpture out of Creative Paperclay, working on a ceramic tile makes your easy to move and adjust.  You can also put your piece in the oven right on the tile.

Upcycled Vase Made From a Honey Jar

     

I love to upcycle.   Some of my favorite projects involve upcycling things, like jars, that would normally end up in the trash bin into something that is functional.

 Items used for this project:

Honey Jar

Creative Paperclay

Tissue Paper

Gloss Varnish

Terri Sproul Mixers in Silver

Powdered Pigment in Pearl

I covered the jar in two layers of Turquoise Tissue Paper.  Then added a layer of Terri Sproul Mixers in Silver combined with a gloss varnish.

Then I added polka dots using  Creative Paperclay.  I stuck them on while the tissue paper was still a bit tacky to ensure they stayed put.

To finish it off I painted the polka dots and added a few more layers  of gloss varnish mixed with a pearl pigment powder.

A quick and easy project, with awesome results.

Creative Paperclay Tip for January

You can make all sorts of fun things with Creative Paperclay, but did you know you can make 3D figures with it too?  Building an armature for your 3D piece is easy.   You can use almost anything under your Creative Paperclay  to give it structure.  Tin foils, masking tape, crafting wire and paperclips are all good options.  Play around and discover all the different things you could use as your base.  I think you can probably come up with some ideas I haven't mentioned or discovered yet.

Creative Paperclay Tip for December

Creative Paperclay tends to crack as it dries due to shrinkage.  One way to keep the cracking to a minimum is to keep the Creative Paperclay as moist as possible.  One way to do this is to keep your opened clay in a Ziploc Bag or an airtight container when not in use.  Also keep a cup of water on your work space when you are working with your clay.  This way if you notice that it is starting to dry out while you are working with it you can moisten it.

Unique Christmas Cookie Tin

One of my favorite things to give as a gift at Christmas time is home made cookies.  I have used and decorated coffee cans for this purpose many times, but never quite like this.   First I removed the label and cleaned out the coffee can.  Then I rolled strips out of Creative Paperclay that were approximately the same height as the coffee can, 2 inches wide, and 1/8 of an inch thick.  I applied them all around the can.   Next I smoothed out the seams using water and also accentuated the grooves of the can and let it dry. While my can was drying  I sprayed some white tissue paper with homemade alcohol inks.  This was inspired by a technique that Terri Sproul used during one of her Saturday Craft Fair shows which can be found here.   Once the Creative Paperclay was dry I sanded it to smooth out any really bumpy spots.   Then using Mod Podge I covered the can with my tissue paper.   Finally I added a layer of Terri Sproul Mixers in Gold and glossy varnish.

    Here is the finished product without the cover.  It is fun and funky and can be used over and over again after the holiday season has long gone.

Push Pin Toppers

I recently did a revamp of my Inspiration Board.  Basically it is a large bulletin board that I have covered with various brightly covered papers that hangs next to my desk.  I decided that my push pins needed a bit of a revamp too.  Most of the push pins I have are the one with a flat head and I tend to have a hard time pulling them out of the board.  So I thought it would be really cool to make something with Creative Paperclay that was 3D and easier to handle.

Items Used:

Creative Paperclay

Craft Paint

Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun

Push Pins

Tweezers

 Make various shapes with your Creative Paperclay.  The sky is the limit with this project.  Let your inspiration take you where it will.

After I finished making my shapes I made an imprint of the head of the push pin on the bottom.  This will come in handy later on when you are gluing your push pins to your shapes.

After the shapes are dry you, paint your shapes using Craft Paint to match your board or decor.

Once the paint is dry it is time to glue your push pins into place.  Start by squeeze a bit of Hot Glue into the imprints on the bottom of your shapes.  Be careful not to squeeze too much glue into your imprints or it will overflow.

Next push your push pins into the glue.  I used tweezers to do this, to avoid burning my fingers.

Here are some close ups of my finished push pins.

Here are the finished push pins on my board.

In closing, I would like to thanks Creative Paperclay and Terri Sproul for the opportunity to serve a second term on this wonderful Design Team.  I am looking forward to a great term. -- Annie Bella

Please come visit me at Corner of the Bedroom Studios either on my blog or Facebook page.

Candy Corn Shelf Sitter

Inspired by Halloween and my love for tiny knick knacks, I decided to make a Candy Corn Shelf Sitter.  He's quite a cue little fellow you can sit on the edge of your book shelf or mantle.

Items Used:

Creative Paperclay

Craft Paint

Floral wire

Round Nose Pliers

Googly Eyes

To start this project you first need to decide how big you want your Shelf Sitter to be.  Using Creative Paperclay make a rounded triangle shape that looks kind of like a piece of candy corn.

 Next cut two pieces of floral wire to the same length and wrap one end using a pair of round nose pliers.

 Stick them through the bottom of your triangle piece, these will hold your your legs.  Set this piece aside to dry.

Next roll out two small snakes and cut them to the same length. Cut them into at least for sections and round them out a bit with your fingers.  Use the same technique above for your wire.  Thread your pieces onto each wire and use your pliers to wrap the second end.  Be careful not to squish your pieces.

 Make two little feet and string them on two smaller pieces of wire.  Make sure to round your ends.

This is what your three pieces will look like when you are finished.  Set them aside to dry overnight.

Using craft paint, paint your shelf sitter to look like a piece of candy corn.  Add googly eyes and a smile.

 Attach all of your pieces with jump rings.  Viola!! Here is your completed shelf sitter.

Annie Bella's Tip for October

This tip is especially valuable for those that love to make jewelry or art dolls.  Did you know you don't have to wait until after your project dries to add your findings.  Because Creative Paperclay shrinks when it dries, you can add your findings to your project before it dries.  As the project dries the Creative Paperclay will shrink around your findings and they will stay put.  This tip also works with Delight Air Dry Modeling Compound.

Creative Paperclay Jack-o-Lantern

With Halloween coming up, it's time to start thinking about decorating.  Not only is Halloween one of my favorite holidays it is one of my favorites to decorate for.  From spiders and creepy crawlies to ghouls and goblins.  The scarier the better.  

So, for my project this month I decided to do something that was Halloween themed.  One of my favorite Halloween activities is carving pumpkins.  I decided to make a Jack-o-Lantern.

To start out I rolled out the Creative Paperclay to about a 1/4 inch thickness and shaped it around a  balloon.  This took about 3 days to dry.  Once it was dry I popped the balloon and was left with a hallowed out shape that was similar to a pumpkin.  As the Creative Paperclay dries it tends to shrink, so I had quite a few cracks that formed in my piece.  In my last post I showed you how to fill the cracks, in case you missed it you can find it here. 

Once I filled in all the cracks, let it dry, and carved my Jack-o-Lantern, I started adding thin pieces of clay to the outside of my piece to give it more of a smooth appearence.

After it dried, I sanded down all of the edges to make them smooth and begun decorating my Jack-o-Lantern.

I started on the inside first.  I painted the inside with a layer of black craft paint.

Then I coated the inside with Terri Sproul Mixers in Gold and 3D Crystal Lacquer to help to reflect the light from a candle.

 To achieve the "pumpkin" color I was looking for I decoupaged the outside in yellow tissue paper and then orange tissue paper.

 Finally I coated the entire outside of the Jack-o-Lantern with 3D Crystal Lacquer and Terri Sproul Mixers in Shimmer Garnet.  While this layer was still tacky I dusted it with some of the dry Shimmer Garnet for extra sparkle.  I also added some sparkle to the to the inside with some clear glitter glue.

 Here is my finished Jack-o-Lantern.  I can't wait to light him up come Halloween.

Don't forget to check out our blog hop on September 29th.  You'll see a bunch of amazing products from a bunch of talented artists on both the Creative Paperclay and Amazing Mold Putty Design Teams.  There will also be 3 chances to win some fabulous prizes.