Shari's tip of the month for November- Unexpected Paperclay Molds

Good Morning!

I was recently shopping for some new mixed media elements. I was ready to recycle the plastic form trays that they come in when I realized they were an  exact mold of the original. 

I found another to make keys. I started thinking even more outside the box and found a plastic mold off of my cupcake papers that will work too!

 I would suggest that you lightly spray the mold with cooking spray before adding your paperclay. Let the clay dry partially before removing it from the mold. 


I was really excited to share this tip with you. I am now looking at everything I purchase to see if I can use it as a mold. I love the fact that I not only have great molds but I reused something that would have normally been tossed or recycled.

I would love to hear what interesting items you have used to make a mold.

Happy creating,
Shari

Bunnies are Everywhere!

Good Morning!

 The stores seem to have Easter items out already. It's still a little early for my decorations to be put up at my house. To keep me happy until I start decorating, I created this cute bunny display out of Creative Paperclay®.

Look at all the eggs she has gathered to color. She looks so cute resting on a comfy pillow in her half egg shell chair ready to munch on a carrot.

Supplies

 Creative Paperclay®
Americana multi-surface paint
Makins USA® scalloped clay cutter
 Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive®
Large paper mache' egg
Foil
Wire (20 gauge)
Recycled ribbon spool
Micro buttons
Wood Bees
Miniature doll house basket of eggs
Easter grass
Scalloped charger
Chocolate speckled eggs

Let's get started

The Egg Chair

1. Cut a large paper mache' egg in half.
2. Smooth  paperclay around one half of the egg.
3. Take your scalloped clay cutter and  trim around the open edge of the egg.
4. Let air dry or bake per manufacturers instructions.
5. When dry remove from the paper mache' form.
6. Paint your shell the color of your choice.

The Base

1. Take an empty ribbon spool and remove the cardboard from one side.
2. Paint to match your egg color.
3.Glue the painted base to the shell.

The Bunny

1. Take a piece of foil and form it into an egg shape forthe bunnies body.
2. Use foil to form an smaller egg shape for the head.
3. Cover both with paperclay and smooth.
4. Roll out a clay rope.
5. Wrap the clay rope around the bottom of the head.
6. Attach the head to the body smoothing the clay to form it into 1 piece.
7. Take two pieces of clay and attach to the head for ears.
8. Make 3 small balls 1 for the nose and 2 for the bunny cheek jowls and attach to head.
9. Cute 4 small pieces of 20 gauge wire and  insert them into the cheek jowls.

The Pillow and the Carrot

1. Take a piece of foil and shape it into a rectangle.
2. Smooth paperclay over the top and sides.
3. Let dry and paint.
4. Attach buttons to all 4 corners.
5. Turn the Pillow over and glue Easter grass to the bottom edges of the pillow.
6. Take a small ball of clay and form it into the shape of a carrot. Let dry and paint.
7. Glue the pillow into the shell, glue the bunny on and then the carrot.
8. Add any other miniatures you would like. I added the basket and the bees.

 I created an Easter scene using a scalloped edge charger, Easter grass, little fuzzy chicks, and speckled chocolate eggs.

Thanks so much for checking out my tutorial. I hope it inspires you to create a new decoration for the Easter holiday.

Shari

I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. I studied graphic design in Portland, Oregon before moving to Denton, Texas and putting all my focus on creating mixed media art. In addition to being on the Creative Paperclay design team, I am a contributor for the Robin's Nest Design Team, an article writer for Mixed Media Art, and a blogger for DecoArt.

I strongly believe in giving back. I volunteer at Scrap Denton Creative Reuse Center where I teach workshops, art camps, and perform art demos. I am very passionate about mixed media art and enjoy helping and watching others discover their creativity.

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Creative Gift Boxes with Rachel Whetzel

WHAT YOU'LL NEED to make your own gift box:

A box that you can repurpose, or a new box. Either should be made with a paper like finish.

Creative Paperclay®
Paints. I use Folk Art acrylic craft paints.

Stain. I used Valspar antiquing stain, and Ranger Ink Distress Inks (walnut)
Paint brushes
Scissors
Papers (I used an old dictionary page)
Glue. I used Elmer's School Glue for this project. 

Texture Plates, Rubber stamps, and other items for creative texturing. 

Wet the surface of your box, and start pressing clay into it.

When the top is completely covered, start pressing texture into the wet clay. I cut some punchinella, and pressed that onto the top.

To get a lot of my pieces pressed well into the top, I would turn the box top upside down and press into the counter tops.

I kept layering stamps and texture plates until I got the look I liked.

Once the top was dry, I sanded the sides of the box smooth, and glued dictionary pages around the outside. Once the glue was dry, I trimmed the excess paper.

Then I painted the top of my box! Once the paint was dry, I layered in shading by using stain (black paint would work too) and wiping the surface, leaving black in the crevices of the piece, and allowing the blue paint to show through. I used some of my Alumidust BRONZE to add a fun bit of color and shimmer on the US Art Quest stamped area, by using my finger to lightly dust the piece and rub the bronze in.

When I was all finished with my layering, I finished off the look by using Ranger Ink's Distressing Inks to darken up the edges of the box. Then I topped the whole thing off with a pretty white piece of twine.

I also played a bit with the twine placement, so that the lid could be removed without taking off the twine. Now I have a really cool, totally unique gift box to put something pretty in!!

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to keep up with me, and see more of what I'm up to, I'd also love it if you'd visit MY BLOG and Subscribe! You can also find me on FACEBOOK!