Super simple ornament ideas

With a holiday craft show coming up, I had to spend the weekend making some really quick and simple ornaments to include with my wares.  I thought you guys might like a quick tutorial on how to do them.  These are so simple, you can make enough for an entire tree in just a couple of hours, or as quick gifts for office mates, or an afternoon project for your tween.

I made two styles.

For the white ones on the right, follows these steps:

• Roll out plain white polymer clay (I use Premo! exclusively) on your thickest setting or with a roller
• Double up your clay so that you end up with a stack about 2 cm thick
• Cut out your preferred shape.  I used the cookie cutters I had on hand.  You can also free-hand this.
• Make a hole for hanging ribbon.
• Sprinkle the top with micro-fine glitter - I used frost.  You can't really see it in this image.
• Bake according to package instructions
• While your shapes are baking make the holly and berries.  See image below
• Bake your holly. When they are done and cooled, antique them with brown acrylic paint.
• When everything is cool, glue your holly to your shape
• Tie a ribbon through the hole and decorate your tree!

For the ornaments on the left, they start out the same:

• Roll out plain white polymer clay (I use Premo! exclusively) on your thickest setting or with a roller
• Double up your clay so that you end up with a stack about 2 cm thick
• Cut out your preferred shape.  I used the cookie cutters I had on hand.  You can also free-hand this.
• Make a hole for hanging ribbon.

but don't bake yet!  Instead:

• Add texture to the surface.  I used a paper towel
• Using archival ink, carefully stamp your images onto the surface.  This is really easy to smudge, so use caution
• Bake according to the package instructions
• When cool, string with your choice of ribbon.  I used recycled sari silk
• For added interest, string a bead on wire, and attach it to the ribbon

I don't have a Christmas tree, or any nearby pine trees (ok, there is an entire mountain full right behind my house, but I would have to get dressed and go for a hike to reach any of them and it's Sunday morning and I am still in my sweats so cut me some slack)  so here is a ridiculous action shot of two of them hanging
in my sad little apple tree in the back yard:

fin

winding up for the holidays

The start of the holidays triggers me going into productive mode.  I partake in only  two events a year, both of which are at my little office building, one in the spring, and one at the start of December.  I think we have about 6  vendors and I sell a couple of dozen little things, most of which are earrings.  So far, these two events have been as much as I can handle since playing with clay and making jewelry is my hobby and not my livelihood.

It is my hope that this effort of getting a little more "official" with my business will inspire me to continue creating.  I go into these dead-air times where I will make nothing for months at a go.  In retrospect, these periods always seem sad in a way.  I play a lot of video games and my yard gets weeded more often (ha!), but its just - I don't know...  The Doldrums I guess?

In any case, I started an instagram account and I am going to try to take an art related snapshot every day (See the nifty banner above!).  Instagram makes taking snapshots ridiculously easy.  I spent the last year or two making fun of it, but now that I have an actual use for it, suddenly it is super cool. Typical...  And look, I can stick the photos right here which leads me to


I got new business cards made!  My last business card redesign never sat right with me.  Changing my "business" name to just be my name gave me a good excuse to do another overhaul of the card.  I like it so much better.  Plus, it's all crazy high-tech with my QR code on the back.

What else have I done, hmmm.  Applied for a re-sellers permit and will be applying for a business licence for my town. Finally got around to signing up for Square so I can take credit card payments.  I am also looking into inventory apps since I need to keep track of what I leave over are Resurrected.

OK then.

RESURRECTED

The title of this post has a two-fold explanation. 

First, my website has been resurrected from the mess that it was, which was basically just a conglomeration of different websites that carried links to one another.  I went ahead and (finally) got a domain name since my actual name was available (go me), new business cards, and this site which I hope will auto update when I update my gallery.  Neat.

The second and more important point of the title is that my stuff is now in a brick-and-mortar store, Ressurected Boutique in Pacifica, CA. (and yes, that is the way it is mis-spelled!).  It is a super cute co-op with tons of local artisans and repurposed & renewed vintage items

Front of the boutique, located at 450 Dondee Way, Pacifica

My display!

I'm super excited to see if my stuff sells.  If it does, I will think about doing something different in the diaply case.

I also made new price-tags:

I need to get my new web address in stamp form so I can move away from having my Etsy shop be the contact on the tags.

Next step is to make more stuff!  weeeeeeeee

A Work in Progress!

More (any?!) info is coming soon. I am working out the kinks and trying to wrangle all the places I have my stuff from around the internets and get it all here. Bear with me :)