Pillow Bead Tutorial

The current Australian Beading magazine has my pillow bead tutorial for anyone who might like to try them...check it out here:
http://www.completecraft.com.au/next_issue?cid=12527

Rainbow Patina

These earrings are the ones I made in the patina demo the other day. I love this look! There are so many colours glistening through. If you click on them for a larger size you'll appreciate what I mean...
Having looked at them again, I see I need to polish up the little balls back to silver to make them stand out.

Teaching heaven

These one-on-one silver metal clay workshops are proving to be really fulfilling...for both the student and me! It's a much more freeflowing way of teaching and the feedback I'm getting is awesome.
What I generally ask when people book in for a one-on-one metal clay workshop is to bring pictures, both drawn and from books and magazines, of the type of jewellery they like or want to make...keeping in mind to keep it simple. I don't promise we'll make something like it but we use these sketches and inspirational pics to form our own prototype. In Jen's case, we took her drawing of an elegant long earring, altered it slightly in it's design to ensure success for a first piece (ie simplified it a bit with clean straight lines) and included certain elements like texturing, adding layers, adding elements, making bails so that many of the basic techniques are covered. I want people to go home after a day here with a good basic foundation so that once home, they can immediately start to create with confidence. We then made a polymer clay protoype. Having a much better sense of what 'works' asthetically when I see it in 3d rather than a flat drawing, making a test piece really highlights what needs to be altered before the pmc pack is even opened.
So anyway...meet Jen.. and enjoy these pics of her pieces. You can imagine how happy she was, having made these exquisite pieces on her first ever play with silver clay.

Mullumbimby series in metal clay

I've been experimenting with different layering techniques. Same hill, different medium. PMC is always more challenging.
I wanted a real dimensional look so opted for layering sheets one on top of the other rather than different textures all on one layer giving the impression of layering (see last post)
The tops of these landscape pendants ended up with a rather attractive curl on them probably due to the last thin sheet which acts as 'sky'. Having such a thin sheet attached to a thicker body of work was asking for it really. I was going to bend them back but they sit nicely on the hollow of my neck so for now I'll leave them be.
I'll patina one tomorrow to see whether I like it but won't do them all...I've noticed that most of my sales are the unpatinad (sp?) bling bling variety... and while I prefer the antiqued look myself, it makes sense to go with the flow of the sales...

Deciding on teaching projects...

Teaching workshops involves choosing projects that are both appealing to wear and constructive as a learning curve for the student. These fit the bill pretty well I thought.
I had a little window of time on Sunday to make these as an example of what a beginner might choose to make on their silver claying debut with me. They involve rolling the lump clay into sheets, cutting base squares and letting those dry, then texturing three small sheets, cutting them and using some of each on top of the dry base sheet. Adding paste, drying, refining and firing with a butane torch complete the lesson.

Workshop fun!

Meet Rosemary! I don't often remember the camera when I'm teaching, but since it's been a while between blog posts and I needed pics, we snapped a few off while Rosemary was staying with us for a three day CCIP clay retreat. These pics were taken on the last day and since we flew through the workshop, I asked Rosemary whether there was anything she'd like to try with me. Well, trust her to say 'a signature cane'...ha! Talk about jumping from grade school to uni in one swoop! Well, if she was up for it, so was I, so here we are at the end of the day starting on her signature cane. It's not totally finished, she wants to put a border around it yet and will finish it at home...but over a glass of wine, she learned a lot about cane building and we had a ball making it...
Our lives have been busier than usual so I'm sorry there hasn't been as many claying posts as usual. It's been a few weeks of concentrating on the property, tree lopping and milling and general advancement towards designing a guest house. If you want to see what we've been up to, check out our personal blog.

Blogging!

Cynthia Blantons blog is always full of great info. Today it's about blogging and being alerted when your favorite blogs have been updated without having to go there first.
http://cynthiablanton.blogspot.com/
Ok, so I've taken some time out, don't be too quick to scold me. I have a husband with a lame foot so everything he normally does, I have to do. Y'know, nothing like a little wake up call to appreciate the ones you love is there? Anyway, it's been a pleasure to look after him these last few days...till about midday...then I start to get antsy and by evening I'm ready to snap. LOL! Eckhart Tolle ( Oprahs favorite right now) would say to bring some awareness to the emotion...not to fuel it with more thoughts but simply to watch it arise and recognise it as habit of the ego. And ya know, it's true. Cos when these feelings come up and I simply watch them, not trying to engage them, not trying to change them, not pushing them away, not resisting them, not even having an opinion about them, just simply let them be there and watch...they disappear! Yes, really! So while I haven't been claying AT ALL, I have been on another creative journey...an inner creative journey. And all cos of Curt's bung foot! Blessings come in all kinds of ways...

Studio snapshots

Libby Mills, an American polymer clay artist, is featuring snapshots of studios from all over the world in her blog. It's been so wonderful to see how others have set up their studios and to gather a helpful tip here and there. This week, she's featuring mine! What a lovely surprise to come home to...
http://libzoid.net/blog/2008/04/28/studio-snapshot-melanie-dilday/
Do check out her other blog entries...she writes a very interesting, useful and eye catching blog.
I've been away teaching in Queensland this week (was an absolute pleasure to teach this gorgeous group of women) so I'm just resting now for a day or two before I get back in my studio. Hope to have something new to show you soon.

Grafton Artfest Autumn 2008

Well! Can you tell I've been busy? I normally always get some window of time to write on the blog but it's been a little crazy these last few weeks. Crazy but loads of fun and so fulfilling. I've just had a week teaching at my first Grafton Artfest, a fabulous event held in Grafton NSW, bringing artists and students together from all over Australia to learn all manner of incredible arts.
I had the most amazing week teaching both polymer and silver claying to a keen bunch of students. This is what I love most about teaching. Watching the joy on their faces when they see the results of their efforts. Look at their happy faces! What a week! Jam packed full of all kinds of techniques. I love the shot of them heads down diligently searching for their silver pieces amoungst the steel shot just after the polishing. For you teachers out there, an easier way for students to find their own pieces amoungst the others is to press them in polymer first so that they have a template of their own pieces to match up against. Saves a lot of time and prevents squabbling over pieces!
The shot with the pussycat is amazing in itself. Apparantly this cat lives at the school and is looked after by a big hearted maintenence guy who says that cat rarely goes near people...and yet she graced us with her presence all day, even curling up to sleep in one of my boxes. A room full of lovely women must have lured her in eh!
And have a look at the work these girls accomplished. If you click on the picture you'll get a bigger shot which you can also zoom in on. I made sure I took very high res shots so those who want a good look, can! And to think most of them had never even opened a pack of clay before.
All in all, a truly fulfilling and fun time for all of us. Thanks so much to everyone who made it possible. Special thanks to Suzanne and Janice from Aussiepolyclayers for your support and friendship and to Sylvia and Myra and the'mystery woman' for buying the pieces I put in the auction to raise funds to help make Artfest possible.

When something speaks to you...

Aussiepolyclayers Rock Swap was a pivotal point for me, Lisa, thank you for choosing such a fabulous theme for our swap...because I had to produce something that wasn't 'normal' for me. Something that made me uncomfortable in a way because I had to think outside the box of everything else I'd ever made. So I went with what Rock meant to me, the rich reds and browns and yellows of aussie rocks, the smattering of vivid opally colours, the crags, the layers, the fissures and boulders and bulges. I had so much fun making those that I used the same layered landscape theme in producing something even closer to my heart. Mt Chincogan. Ever since we moved onto this land in Mullumbimby (aboriginal for 'small hill') I've been wanting to create something representing Mullumbimby. I added fine silver bails I made with the Makins extruder with the core adaptor to which I added more clay to create an organic effect...and finished it off with fibres and polymer clay end caps.
If you hang on a tick, I'll run and take a pic of the 'real thing' from my front yard...
Ahhhh, it's great to have my camera back!

Rock Swap

Still no camera but luckily Lisa Henderson, our Rock Swap hostess extrordinaire over at Aussiepolyclayers http://aussiepolyclay.21.forumer.com/ took this photo of one of my pieces so I have something to show you after all.

Check out all the other fabulous entries on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillybriar/

I'll be back with more pic just as soon as my camera comes home. Promise.

Most artists are 'grown' not born

Christie (Skygrazer) over at http://skygrazer.com/journal/archives/154 made a very interesting comment about artists...that there's no magical wand or myth about being an artist, that she (like most of us) "have a subconscious belief that people who could draw or paint were born with the knowledge and the vision." and goes on to say "I didn’t know there were tricks and tips to “seeing” that help you to recreate what you see."

I found this most interesting because I too held that notion and I had the same 'ah ha' moment after I turned 40 and discovered that there are techniques to be learned to achieve certain results and that once you practiced with these techniques, you could actually make something 'artful'! What I wanna know is how come in all the time I was going to school, not ONE teacher actually taught any basic art lessons. That's the true tradegy, that art in those days was not encouraged... it was all about learning the 'practical' stuff ....like algebra and dissecting frogs! Art was considered play time, not something to be taught and encouraged. Inevidently, I'd already made up my mind that I couldn't draw by the time I went to high school and so I didn't take art as a subject later on because I thought I didn't have what it took to be an artist...certainly no god-given talent. It wasn't until I learned about claying that I thought 'hey, I can do something'...and being encouraged by the results I learned more and more, through books and videos and experimenting and practice, I actually became good at something artful. This helped push me through all my subconscious beliefs and associated fears and led me into drawing and painting at Tafe where I once again had an 'ahha' moment about art...it's learned! I now believe that everyone is an artist, just that many of them, like me, don't know it because they weren't guided in their formative years.
Let me say though that just knowing techniques doesn't make you an artist. It's how you put these techniques together, it's how you express yourself and how much you're willing to step out of your own way and let creativity flow through you that will make you a truly unique artist. I'm only just getting to that stage in my claying where I can automatically draw on any number of techniques to create something...where I have ideas that make me jump out of bed and create....AND that these ideas would not have been possible had I not known the techniques and possibilities.

Anyone 'grok' what I'm saying here?

So, for all those who haven't had any formal art lessons and those who truly believe that 'haven't an artistic bone in their body' like I did for about 40 years...I encourage you to take the plunge. Go enrol in a course or buy a book or a dvd and actually DO these lessons. You'll be AMAZED at what you can do once you have been guided....

I don't have pics today as I'm waiting for my camera to come home. I had a fabulous weekend away at Suzanne's studio in Sawtell. We both got to experiment with new ideas that had been brewing. Next week, I promise to have something new to show you.

Great new metal clay book

The Handbook of Metal Clay, Textures and Forms is a new book by Hadar Jacobson which I received (and devoured!) from Roz at Eclectic Studio the other day. I'm very impressed with this book. Not only do I love Hadars work and the fabulous projects, she writes about all kinds of valuable tricks and tips and this book comes with tons of good clear photos.
https://www.eclecticstudio.com.au/
Also...a rare sighting of me with lippy! Had to have some pics taken for the magazine article and though I rarely wear makeup, I still remember how to put lipstick on, much to my husbands horror. Nice pic of the studio view too...everything is so lush from almost 7 weeks of rain!

Hollowy vessely pmc

Last time I made hollow vessels and beads using cork clay, they kinda bubbled and bent outa shape. I put it down to using recycled paste ...so this time I used fresh paste and voila! No probs at all. The urn vesse looks big but it's not even 3/4 inch tall, the others about 1 1/2 inches. Got a goddess theme going on right now. Who knows why, she just slips in there every now and then. These would look better hung but I've run out of silver chain...sorry.

Polymer Clay Daily

I just about choked on my coffee the other day when I wandered over to Polymer Clay Daily, the wonderful site Cynthia Tinapple writes about what's happening and the who's who of the polymer clay world...because guess what? It was my turn! My moment of glory. I must say it was a fabulous write up and made me realise yet again, how lucky I am living this gorgeous creative life up here in the tropical wilderness. I love my life! And I'm ever so happy to share my home and my studio with anyone who wants a few days break from the rat race. Check my workshop page for details.
Oh...and the link to the featured article...
http://polymerclaydaily.com/2008/02/07/dildays-tropical-setting/

And for those who want a pic or two, how about these...had a small window of opportunity to silver clay...and took it.

French tutorial translated into english

This isn't my pendant...it's Violettes from Parole de Pate..but I'm certainly going to be trying out the tutorial. Those wonderful people at Parole de Pate often have interesting little morsels to digest...in the form of wonderful jewellery or tutorials. This latest tutorial deserves a special mention...because they have especially translated the tutorial from french to english for us! Waahhooo. Next block of time I get, I'll be giving this a go!
http://paroledepate.canalblog.com/archives/2008/02/05/7826600.html

Making tube bails using Makins Core Adaptor

Well, talk about positive feedback! I've just been asked if I'd send my pmc tube bailed necklaces with polymer clay focals and end caps to the writer of a new book on polymer clay and mixed media. Using my mum's expression...I'm tickled pink! Here's a couple of pics of one of them...it's a reversible bead, the wearer can chose what side she wants showing.
I also wanted to show pics of the Makins core adaptors in action...for those who haven't seen it. The example here uses polymer clay but it's just as suitable for silver clay. I have two extruders, one for silver and one for polymer...so as to avoid contamination. There are two sets (of different sizes) of core adaptors which are easily cleaned so I only have one set of these. I was impressed with the Makins extruder already (I love the dotty canes it makes!) but now I've used the core adaptors, I'm doubly impressed... and I imagine I'll be using it a lot more judging from all the great feebback these pmc tube bails have been getting.
You can buy Makins products from Jen Tattam at Metal Clay Australia http://metalclay.com.au/

Sculpture Park

I've been making some wonderful things but since they're in the same vein as the 'rock swap comp', I can't take pics cos it'll take away the surprise. Which is why I've left you with these gorgeous pics of the Sculpture Park in Ballina that I went to last week. I'm so pleased I did. It was a real treat. Here are some of my favorite pics...that top sculpture with all the goddesses is fabulous isn't it?! These are all purposely taken in high quality shots so if you want to click on them, you'll be able to see detail.

Aussiepolyclayers First Swap Comp

I've been having a ball! Just spent two days in my studio making "rock themed" pendants for Aussiepolyclayers First Ever Swap Comp. We've had some wonderful swaps but Lisa Henderson (http://www.lillybriar.com/) came up with a FABulous idea in honour of our new forum (we've given yahoo the flick in exchange for a board that allows our members more flexiblity). A swap which is also a competition! This is an exciting national swap and competition open to all polymer clay crafters and artisans. The Swap is played out as normal with Swapeees making ONE EXTRA piece that is retained for the competition. Winner of the Great Swap Comp 2008 will win a $50 Gift Voucher to use at the Bead with Me, via in store or online. Winner will also receive a NEW Christi Friesen “Emerald Isle”T-shirt. There is ALSO a Peoples Choice Swaard (Swap/Award). Items will be on display to the public and the public will vote for their favourite. Winner will receive NEW Christi Friesen “Emerald Isle”T-shirt and their choice of Christi Friesen Book (Dragon’s, Jungle, Sea, Cats or the upcoming DownUnder).

Come check us out...Aussiepolyclayers... http://aussiepolyclay.21.forumer.com/

Everone welcome to become a member. Sign up for the swap too if it interests you. The more the merrier!

Ofcourse, this also means I can't show you pics of what I've been making because it's a secret till the swap deadline. So, I'll leave you with a picture of Lisa Hendersons beautiful work...

Mokume Gane Heaven

These are the result of that fabulous day with the 'gurls' playing with the mokume gane technique. I also had some ready made pmc pieces I'd made for just this purpose...my aim being to have several pmc pieces pre-made for impromtu embedding into polymer. It worked!
Directly above is a button with a pmc sculpted fish embedded into it.
The middle one has a textured pmc layer between two layers of polymer clay mokume gane. I added a pmc starfish and some pc sand and a little gold snail shaped 'thingy' on the bail. Notice the hollow tube bails? These are the first I've made using polymer clay with those core adaptors in the Makins extruder...and I'm really happy with the effect.
The top is a pic of the whole bunch of mokume gane things. I'm playing around with different shapes...
I have one more piece to show you which is in the oven now...stay tuned...