Journals and Jars - holidays 2016

I got a few neat things done for the holidays, but not much else happening in the ol' creativity department.

A few journals:

 

and a special order jar to look like the recipients pup:

and I also managed to make myself a pretty cool necklace to match a party dress:

Other that, not much fun stuff is managing to come out of me.  I am in a slump at my day job, and I have convinced myself that the sadness there is bleeding over into my (lack of) creative self too. 

 I am taking some steps to try to fix that though!  I am part of the 2016 Polymer Clay Adventure.  There are a few projects there that I am super pumped about (and a few I really want nothing to do with but I am going to try to force myself to do them anyway.  Who knows, maybe something neat will come of it).

I am going to try to participate in the monthly challenges for the polymer guild I belong to, too.  I am coming up dry so far though, even though the next theme is right up my alley.  I also have my eye out for some kind of bead soup challenge type thing, but with polymer pieces. 

New Nautilus Design and more jars in general!

I am really loving my jars!  Every one I make I feel like I am on the verge of keeping. I am trying to branch out from the octopus design while  avoiding doing dragons.  I know dragons are all the rage, but I learned how to do these eyes from a tutorial on "dragon eyes" and I don't want to impinge on the tutorial artist's territory.  The weirdest (and disappointing) thing is that she started doing dragon eye jars  literally days before I posted my first one unbeknownst to me. Imagine my chagrin when I proudly thought I had a totally original idea and I see that I was "beat".  She is a lovely artist and has talents that I am terribly jealous of.  The least I can do is defer to her in this and not sell dragon eyes!

So now I am working on other creatures.  I have a crow version which I am not happy enough with to post pictures.  But I am quite happy with this Nautilus!:

There will be more to come with these guys.  I am excited to see where the design ends up from this one, which is my first attempt.


I did actually make a dragon version which went to family member:

And a sea dragon version that went to another family member:

I do have two ready-made jars already up on my etsy site, too!:

I love that I get to play around with different techniques and ideas on the body of the jars.  I really never had room to do that when making jewelry, mostly because I don't like the way polymer jewelry that is just a cabochon look, so I just never really bothered to branch out.

So here's the thing. And a dragon

I am not making jewelry anymore.  At least, that is where my thoughts are currently at.

I made jewelry in high school as a hobby and stopped for many years while in college and grad school.  I picked it back up again about 10 years ago, and a year after that I discovered polymer.  It made sense at the time to combine the two, especially since I am not a fan of  knick knacks, aka dust collectors.

It has been a good run, but the stuff I make tends to run on the sculptural side, which more often than not become big, bold statement pieces when you are talking jewelry.  As it turns out this is a very limited audience. But, year after year, come craft fair season, I tend to make multiples of items ... and don't sell them.  I have drawers filled with previous series of things that just don't go out the door.

With the exception of my octopi which I will keep available in necklace form, I feel pretty confident - and really good - about the decision that I am done.

Done with jewelry that is.

I have done a few commissions on non-jewelry items and I am so pleased with how they came out. Behold my latest:

I just love it.  And yes, it is a dust collector, but at least it is also a working box, so it is useful art (not that art needs to be useful!  I just prefer my art to have a purpose.)

I have been collecting bottles and tins for years.  The time has come to make use of them :)