Back With a Bang! :o)
 

Hello familiar and new folks! Gosh it's good to be back
reading this group, but better than that, it's GREAT to be back
to claying!!!!!
I won't bore you with all the gory details, but it was just this
past week that I was finally able to get back to my clay (and
stained glass).

I've got SO many zoomy ideas in my head, and thanks to a
friend, I've also got a huge dilemma- a freshly blown ostrich egg!
This rascal is HUGE, and I'm at a total loss as to what I want to
cover it with. Well, CLAY, naturally, but what color(s)? Pattern(s)?

Just emptying it and washing it out was an afternoon project! And
the shell is wonderfully thick, so it's easy to handle. The sheer size
of the thing is intimidating, though. :o}

I know I'm WAY out of the loop as to what techniques y'all have
been using, and what's the newest rage, so forgive me if I "discover"
something new to me, but old to y'all.

One thing I did this week was something I'd been wanting to try-
covering a dried rose with TLS and baking it. Yah, I'm a bit 'off' that
way......LOL
But the result wasn't all that bad! The biggest disappointment was
the darkening of the rose color, even lowering my baking temp to 250°.
I started out with a dried pale yellow rose, and the after-baking color
was like dark tea.
However, the sturdiness of the rose is quite appealing to me, so I'm
probably not finished playing with this.

I'm going to continue with the hunt for my version of a perfect opal
rendered in clay, and I do so want to make a decent leaf cane, among
other must-do's. :oP

I read all the posts my server had tonight, so I'm all caught up and
ready to talk about clay! But I'll probably come sneaking in here at night,
because I can tell I won't want to stop claying to post during the day. LOL

So, what would *you* do with an ostrich egg?!?!?!?

--
^,,^ Miracle
(My older stuff is he
http://mycraftyphotos.homestead.com/index.html )

I've also got a huge dilemma- a freshly blown ostrich egg!
This rascal is HUGE, and I'm at a total loss as to what I want to
cover it with. Well, CLAY, naturally, but what color(s)? Pattern(s)?

One of my treasures is a Ford and Forlano ("City-zen-cane") egg
covered with mosaic-look canes, carefully fitted together so they ae
seamless and smooth. (You have to make smaller canes as you reach the
ends, and like that.) Just a thought.

One thing I did this week was something I'd been wanting to try-
covering a dried rose with TLS and baking it.

If the flower darkening bothers you, now that you know to expect it,
maybe you could use WHITE liquid clay and tint it with pigment powders
or paint to the color you wanted.

Just another thought!!

Sherry Bailey

Welcome back!!!
What would I do with an ostritch egg.. hmmm.. well.. Id be tempted to turn
it into a Fabrege type egg, clay style of course, with a hinged lid and
clayed insides. I saw one once online and thought it was fabu. Or.. how
about turning it into the shade of a nightlight, using canes with lots of
translucent?
Hmm.... this is fun. If I come up with more ideas Ill be sure to share them.
Its good to see you again (what do we call you, Miracle, kitty Miracle??)
Diana

--
http://photos.yahoo.com/lunamom44
"^,,^ Miracle" wrote in message
...
Hello familiar and new folks! Gosh it's good to be back
reading this group, but better than that, it's GREAT to be back
to claying!!!!!
I won't bore you with all the gory details, but it was just this
past week that I was finally able to get back to my clay (and
stained glass).

I've got SO many zoomy ideas in my head, and thanks to a
friend, I've also got a huge dilemma- a freshly blown ostrich egg!
This rascal is HUGE, and I'm at a total loss as to what I want to
cover it with. Well, CLAY, naturally, but what color(s)? Pattern(s)?

Just emptying it and washing it out was an afternoon project! And
the shell is wonderfully thick, so it's easy to handle. The sheer size
of the thing is intimidating, though. :o}

I know I'm WAY out of the loop as to what techniques y'all have
been using, and what's the newest rage, so forgive me if I "discover"
something new to me, but old to y'all.

One thing I did this week was something I'd been wanting to try-
covering a dried rose with TLS and baking it. Yah, I'm a bit 'off' that
way......LOL
But the result wasn't all that bad! The biggest disappointment was
the darkening of the rose color, even lowering my baking temp to 250°.
I started out with a dried pale yellow rose, and the after-baking color
was like dark tea.
However, the sturdiness of the rose is quite appealing to me, so I'm
probably not finished playing with this.

I'm going to continue with the hunt for my version of a perfect opal
rendered in clay, and I do so want to make a decent leaf cane, among
other must-do's. :oP

I read all the posts my server had tonight, so I'm all caught up and
ready to talk about clay! But I'll probably come sneaking in here at
night,
because I can tell I won't want to stop claying to post during the day.
LOL

So, what would *you* do with an ostrich egg?!?!?!?

--
^,,^ Miracle
(My older stuff is he
http://mycraftyphotos.homestead.com/index.html )

Sherry Bailey wrote:
If the flower darkening bothers you, now that you know to expect it,
maybe you could use WHITE liquid clay and tint it with pigment powders
or paint to the color you wanted.

Just another thought!!


That's a very good idea! Thanks Sherry! :)

--
^,,^ Miracle
(My older stuff is he
http://mycraftyphotos.homestead.com/index.html )

Diana Curtis wrote:
Welcome back!!!
What would I do with an ostritch egg.. hmmm.. well.. Id be tempted to
turn it into a Fabrege type egg, clay style of course, with a hinged
lid and clayed insides. I saw one once online and thought it was
fabu. Or.. how about turning it into the shade of a nightlight, using
canes with lots of translucent?
Hmm.... this is fun. If I come up with more ideas Ill be sure to
share them. Its good to see you again (what do we call you, Miracle,
kitty Miracle??) Diana


LOL! I'm plain old Miracle!

I'm leery of cutting this huge egg to make doors- I just don't
think my skills are up to the task yet. I've been layering some
Chrysanthemum canes over various dark shades to see if that
effect is pleasing, but a whole ostrich egg of one pattern seems
dull and boring. (Side effect- some cool beads! LOL)

I've been thinking of a scene of some sort, and since I live in
Arizona, the desert seems a natural choice. But that's been done
to death. An underwater scene? Fish and coral and stuff?

/me sighs. I hope the right thing strikes me soon- I'd really like
to get to work on this egg. :o}

Thanks for the ideas, Diana!

--
{{{{{{{HUGZ ! ! }}}}}}}
^,,^ Miracle

Hi and welcome back to you (too) . . .wow, it's a swarm! I can see it's not a
good idea to miss checking the board for a few days. . .

Re what to do with eggs, I have a whole page on all kinds of things to do
polymerly with them, if you want to check it out:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/eggs.htm

And re the liquid clay rose, at least you didn't dip *flies* like Sunni did .
.. .lolol!! You can see them he
http://www.sunnisan.com/crafts/experment.html
(she shows other plant material she's dipped on that page too)

(There's a bit more about using liquid clay with natural materials on this page
at my sites too: http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/LiquidSculpey.htm
look under the "Strengthener" sub-category)

Keep us posted on your results!



Diane B.
http://glassattic.com --polymer clay "encyclopedia"

E-mail: (don't use AOL address)

DianeGlassAttic wrote:
Hi and welcome back to you (too) . . .wow, it's a swarm! I can see
it's not a good idea to miss checking the board for a few days. . .

Re what to do with eggs, I have a whole page on all kinds of things
to do polymerly with them, if you want to check it out:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/eggs.htm

And re the liquid clay rose, at least you didn't dip *flies* like
Sunni did . . .lolol!! You can see them he
http://www.sunnisan.com/crafts/experment.html
(she shows other plant material she's dipped on that page too)

(There's a bit more about using liquid clay with natural materials on
this page at my sites too:
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/LiquidSculpey.htm look under the
"Strengthener" sub-category)

Keep us posted on your results!


YAY! Diane, what on earth would we all do without you?!?!?

LOL at the flies! Oh my word- I'm not *quite* that curious!! LOL

One thing I did differently than Sunni was to bake the rose upright,
as if it were in a vase, so any excess would flow down the stem. That
worked really well.
The other day, I took a Q-tip dipped in gold pearl powder and coated
the rose with it- I like the effect of that, so perhaps the idea presented in
here (who?) of painting after baking is viable. You know me, I'm not done
with the idea, I just got sidetracked by so many other "rediscoveries"!
:o)

Okay, I'm off to read the pages on your site- bless you for having
the patience to archive all of this information!

--
{{{{{{{HUGZ ! ! }}}}}}}
^,,^ Miracle