2013 Challenges

In 2013 I am aiming to push myself to develop my own polymer clay style further so of course I'll need some polymer clay challenges:)

I am currently taking part in the wonderful free online course on Voila! 'How to Become a Better Artist' and I haven't done so well at keeping up due to other commitments but I shall pick that up and try and do a unit a week whilst I'm not crazy busy. It's provoking a lot of thought and creating plenty of 'Ahh' moments. Thank you Christine!

I am also going to take part in the 12 polymer projects 2013 Flickr challenge. That shouldn't be too hard - 1 project a month I can handle that even in the busy months I am sure. Thing a day or even a week for the year is a big commitment I'm not going to take on this year! I shall aim to take part in the thing a day challenge for February on Polymer Clay Central again as I really enjoyed that last year and February is generally a quiet as well as short month.

I have also set myself a personal challenge (well it's a public one now I've shared it here I guess!) to make use of some of the many tutorials and books I have and haven't actually used! So trying to be realistic I am aiming to give myself some time to try some of those throughout January and February. March will get busy due to my exciting trip to the IPCA conference in Altanta - Synergy 2013. One project a week which I shall share here with you - briefly reviewing the tutorial/book and showing the results, that should be at least 9 projects if all goes to plan.

I am also making a commitment to finally update my brand comparison I originally did when this blog was just starting. I tried out Premo, Kato and Fimo soft and classic the first time (see picture below). This time I want to do a more thorough comparison comparing features such as translucence and strength as well as sculpting and caning qualities for the brands Premo, Kato, Fimo soft, Fimo Classic, Pardo and Cernit. I bought all the clay a while ago from Penny at www.clayaround.com - in fact it was at Polymer Pamper Play in March - shocking I haven't had time to do it since then! If anyone has another brand of clay they wish to send me to try out alongside these please get in touch. I'm aiming for before March but will see how carried away I get playing with all those tutorials :)

Spliced flower cane made with Kato, Premo, Fimo Soft and Fimo Classic in that order left to right

That should all keep me busy! I also have plenty of social plans for the year as I turn 40 in August so will  make the most of celebrating:) I am really looking forward to 2013!

Anyway I hope you have some exciting plans for 2013! What are you going to do to make it your most creative and fun year so far? I hope 2013 is filled with fun, friendship, laughter and creativity for you all!

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

Pop Up Shop, Workshops and a Ring bowl

If you are in the Bristol area I am taking part in the Making Things Club Pop Up Shop and Making Emporium in the city centre so do pop in and say Hi! I will be in the shop 10-4pm on Thursday 13th, Saturday 15th and Friday 21st December. Some of my jewellery and little creatures including my Christmas ornaments will be available in the shop all the time until Christmas Eve.

I am also running a Christmas Presents Workshop in the Making Emporium side of the shop on Sunday 16th.  I will show you how to make a polymer clay retro cane and then how to use that to cover objects to make unique and useful gifts. Please get in touch if you would like more details or to book a place.

Here's one of my latest creations - a birthday present of a ring bowl for my sister. It matches her wedding jewellery which you may remember if you've been following my blog for a while. If you are new here or need a reminder you can find the blog post about it here.

I hope all your preparations for the festive season are going well

Cara

Tiny Christmas Hat Tutorial

I expect you are starting to think about Christmas! Well if you wanted to make some little creatures with Christmas hats here's a quick tutorial to help you. You can find my free tutorial to make the little sleeping cats like the one shown on my blog here.

Cara Jane's Free Sleeping Cat Tutorial

Of course any animal could become a Christmas animal with a little Santa hat not just cats - the owls love them!

You will need a little creature such as this cat and a small amount of red and white polymer clay

 

Roll a small ball of red clay and then roll it backwards and forwards with your finger on one end only to make a cone

Here's a nice hat cone

I like to chop the other end off so the bottom of the hat will be flat

Test the hat for size, this was a little big so I chopped a bit of clay off and rerolled it into a slightly smaller cone.

Roll a very thin log of white clay - moving your fingers out towards the end as you roll will help the log spread out and get thinner.

Wrap the white around the very bottom edge of the hat to look like a fur trim. Trim of the excess white and join the ends so you have a neat band of white around the bottom of the hat

Roll an even tinier ball of white clay to be a pom pom on the end of the hat. I poke a hole into it so that I can push the red point of the hat into it and then firm it gently in place so that it will stick to the hat but still be round.

Put the hat on your creature and bend it over if you wish - I like them like that myself but you can off course leave it sticking up. Your sleeping cat is now a lovely little Christmasy ornament. A lovely gift for a friend who likes cats!

Or add a hole and something to hang your cat (I used tiger tail and crimped it underneath the cat) and you have a unique and special  tree decoration. The head end of the cat is lighter so I make the hole slightly nearer  to the tail end rather than in the middle.

If you've got any questions please do get in touch. I love to get comments on my blogs - or emails!

If you haven't already found me on facebook I have a page there and I'd love to see you there too.
www.facebook.com/CaraJaneContemporaryJewellery

Hope all your Christmas Preparations go smoothly!

Cara

Bright Flowers - a new set

The weather here in the UK is horrible today so I have tried to cheer things up with these bright flowers

 

These are slightly different from my normal flat flower pendants as they are slightly curved and each petal slightly cupped. They also have a dimension centre which looks like little tubes but is actually just little sticks of clay (adhered with the wonderful Kato polypaste) that I poke a pin into to give the illusion of being hollow. I think the curve looks elegant and adds interest.

The will be for sale this Saturday at:

FishFest's Fabulously Festive Fair, 4-9.30pm,  All Saints Church Hall, Grove Rd Fishponds: arts, crafts, live music, beauty treats, freshly made nibbles and childrens' activities. Buy unique gifts, support local craftspeople and next years' Community Festival!

Will anyone buy them, if so I wonder who? I hope the weather isn't too horrible where you are.

Christmas Fair Dates and NEW CREATURES!

Before I let you know my latest Christmas Fair dates I'd like to introduce you to my new creatures that will be available from the Totterdown Arts Trail onwards. Meet the pigs!

This weekend I will be at  the Totterdown Arts Trail at 13 Hawthorne Street, Totterdown, Bristol with the wonderfully talented Emily Ketteringham and her screen prints of Bristol. I am really looking forward to it as I always meet such interesting people. The trail is open from 6-8pm on Friday and then 12-6pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

The following weekend I will be at FishFest's Fabulously Festive Fair in All Saints Church Hall, Grove  Road, Fishponds from 4-9.30pm. This should be a jolly and sociable fair which is raising funds towards FishFest 2013 (a  community festival for Fishponds where I live!). There will be a wide range of arts and crafts on sale all from local people as well as therapy taster sessions, a cafe serving mulled wine and some live music. I help to organise both the festival and this festive fair.

On Saturday 1st December I will be at the Southville Centre Christmas Fair from 10am-4pm.

I also have some new workshop dates and some exciting news about December I shall share with you very soon!!

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!