Happy Christmas - say it with owls :)

I would like to wish all the readers of my blog a very Happy Christmas and a 2013 full of friendship, fun and creativity! Thank you for following me I really appreciate having you along for the ride. Hopefully I will manage my aim of being more organised in 2013 so will post a little more regularly than I have managed recently! In the meantime here's a Parliament of Christmas owl ornaments...

Finally all my Christmas sales, orders and workshops are over so I can now sit back and enjoy time with the family, and hopefully some polymer clay time for me. I have so many ideas I have had to put on hold due to lack of time, it's just a matter of trying to decide which to pursue first!

I am looking forward to an exciting 2013. In March I am off to the International Polymer Clay Association Conference - Synergy 3 in Atlanta! I am so excited! Hopefully I will meet some of you there! In April I am taking a workshop with Sarah Shriver organised by the London Polymer Clay Group. which I am also really looking forward to along with another Polydays  weekend organised by Alison Gallant in the Autumn.

I am currently taking part in the online course organised by Christine Dumont on Voila! about 'How to Become a Better Artist'. Now I have a polymer clay addiction but no art background (I come from a background of science and teaching) and this is ideal as it is challenging me to look at things in a different way. I am hoping to dedicate some time in 2013 to developing my own artistic voice and will of course share my journey with you as always.

Have a lot of fun!
Cara

First Christmas Owls of 2012

I can't put it off any more - Christmas is coming and it's getting closer. Here's the first Christmas Owls for 2012

Watch this space for my latest sales and workshop dates some exciting news about what I will be doing in December!

New owls

Owls are still very fashionable it seems, which is cool cause I love them! I have just added an owl brooch and an owl keyring/charm to my owl repertoire. Here they are

Owl Brooch

Back of owl brooch

Owl keyring

 

Owl collection - brooch, keyring and earrings

 The earrings are my earrings for this week in the pair of earrings a week challenge.

 So owls can now be little ornaments, pendants, keyrings, charms, brooches and earrings - what next I wonder? If you've got a suggestion do let me know!

Red maids Christmas Craft Market

I will be at the Christmas Craft Market at Red Maids School,Westbury Road, Westbury-On-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3AW this Saturday from 11am - 3pm. Plenty of jewellery and little creatures for sale including these

Christmas owl, tree ornaments

Christmas owl earrings

Bright green and purple pendant

I also now have some jewellery and owls and birds - oh haven't shown you those yet - here they are

at Tenderfoot, 100 Wick Road, Brislington. It's a wonderful little shop packed full of gorgeous handmade treasures so do go check it out if you are in the Bristol area!

Christmas owls

I suddenly had a seasonal moment last night and made some Christmas hats for a couple of new owls

and a sleeping cat!

They came along with me today to Bristol's Shortest Art Trail (in 2 houses 2 doors apart). We all had a jolly time drinking mulled wine and talking to lovely local Fishponds people. One of the other artists suggested I should put hanging loops on them so they can be ornaments - so obvious, why didn't I think of that! Watch this space for Christmas owl tree ornaments! All these owls were made from scraps from my latest red and green jewellery set - I'll show you that when I have strung the necklace.

Tiny little owl earrings

I love owls, and it seems they are very fashionable just now. I have been busy making more of my little owls as I sold nearly all of them at the weekend. Whilst I was making them I decided I would see if I could make them tiny, for earrings. The answer is yes and I think they are adorable! What do you think? Do you like the wacky bright colours?

Little owl earrings, they are about 1.2cm tall.

Mummy owl with her earring babies!

I am managing to be very focused and productive so will have plenty of new things to show you, just got to find time to post the pictures!

Hope you are all having a good week.
Cara

Improved photographs - first stage

I am really proud of my latest jewellery and was thinking I must sort out the photographs show I can show you properly. Then today I was emailed some photographs by a friend to use on my blog (post coming soon), they are great photos and I just couldn't put them up against my poorly lit ones so the 'sorting out a photography set up' jumped up the to do list!

See why I need to sort it out...  Here's the rainbow owls photograph from yesterday, I took it on my work bench with my normal room lighting.

Original, just on my work bench, owl photo

Original photo cropped and colour adjusted in Picasa

I wanted to make a light box from a cardboard box (as demonstrated on Kate Tracton's Shibori Girl blog) but typically we don't seem to have any boxes kicking around today. Whilst researching how to set up jewellery photo shoots previous I seem to remember someone using a transparent plastic storage container so thought I would give that a go whilst I find a box.

I switched my usual light bulb to a full spectrum daylight bulb and tried lighting from the top.

Plastic box and daylight bulb lit from the top through the box

I thought it was quite good but my husband who is much more 'precise' than me pointed out that it was still dark at the bottom. So he adjusted the set up and...

Plastic box and daylight bulb light from the front photo - as shot!

Here's what the set up looked like

Better definitely but there is a bit of 'glare'. So my next step is to track down a suitable cardboard box to make a light box and another lamp (with daylight bulb of course) and try lighting from the side. So hopefully you will be enjoying some better photographs from now on.

Rainbow owl

Here's the first thing I have finished (because I don't sand them) with my funky rainbow jellyroll. This little owl has glow in the dark (fimo) eyes and a lovely rainbow tummy and one slightly long wonky ear - it's character of course! I think I might try and photograph my work and checking it before baking, it's amazing what you spot in a photograph that you don't always see in real life. Didn't notice his ear until now.

and have a quick look at his bottom, I am using my signature cane and I like it. I think I will be remaking an improved one with clearer flower sometime soon. 

I shall post some of my jewellery when I have sanded and strung it, hopefully in the next couple of days. I am going to move sorting out my photography set up nearer the top of my to do list so I can show you my work more clearly.

Thanks for stopping by

Cara

Owls

I am enjoying showing off my jewellery at the Totterdown Arts Trail this weekend and have sold loads of my little tortoises. I came home last night and made some more and did the same tonight, hopefully I will have enough to see my through to tomorrow evening! A customer today asked me if I ever made owls, my reply was not yet but I will! So here is my first batch of owls, I'll see if they fly off the table tomorrow!