ColtPixy

Chef Henri Escargot

2012-02-12T16:06:00.002-06:00

Chef Henri has a copper clad pot of mushrooms stewing into a sauce.

Captain Slug

2012-02-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

“There comes a time in a man's life when he hears the call of the sea. If the man has a brain in his head, he will hang up the phone immediately.”
― Dave Barry

Logan the Garden Snail

2012-02-09T07:59:00.002-06:00

Finally a snail that likes to tend a garden instead of eating it.

Knitting Snail

2012-02-08T08:52:00.002-06:00

I have gotten requests to make more of both this knitter and the crocheter from yesterday.

I am going to do it but will be making each one its own character and not copies of each other.

Amy the Happy Hooker

2012-02-07T14:21:00.002-06:00

As in crochet hook. =)

This weekend I picked up a little notebook that will fit in my purse. So far in it is only snail ideas. Several pages of them in small print. Need less to say, if you don't see me around much on facebook or plurk it is because I am parked at my clay table.
Amy is listed in my etsy shop.

Degas Escargot

2012-02-04T10:36:00.002-06:00

Edgar Degas is one of my favorite artists. So when it came to naming my latest snail I chose to name it after him. Since both are painters...

Eerin and Valentino

2012-02-03T16:05:00.003-06:00

My muses have given me a very long list of ideas to draw from. Here are two of them that were completed today...

When the weather clears up here I am going to reshoot the photos. In the meantime they are listed in my etsy shop. Until then I am working my way down the list of ideas.

Lovestruck the funny Valentine

2012-02-02T12:13:00.002-06:00

The inspiration for my Valentine snail was old Warner Bros cartoons. As a kid they were always my favorite.

Love should make us smile so he is my attempt at Valentine humor. He is listed in my etsy shop.

Chef Escargot

2012-01-31T13:44:00.001-06:00

Yes, I am still on a snail kick. I don't think it will end anytime soon. Here is one I finished this afternoon, Chef Escargot.

Photographer Snail

2012-01-30T14:42:00.002-06:00

This is Perry the explorer. He likes to travel the world taking photographs. He will be leaving on a trip to England very soon.

Hand sculpted by me from ProSculpt polymer clay. The camera was sculpted with Kato polymer clay. The eyes are hand painted with resin lenses.

Charla the coffee addict

2012-01-28T09:25:00.003-06:00

My latest snail has tiny pink polymer clay hair rollers. I was nervous about making them but it was easy. Rolling the Tibetan lamb's wool hair onto them was the headache. I like how she turned out. Sleepy, not quite awake.

She is listed in my etsy shop.

Paisley in polymer

2012-01-27T20:07:00.003-06:00

I showed step by step photos of this on plurk as I was making it. Here I will show you the beginning and the end result. This is for the lid of a large keepsake box. My friend Diane of Cymberrain asked me to create one for her in blues, greens and purples. She left the design of it up to me. I have always loved paisley and Diane has made some absolutely beautiful ones! So I know that is what I wanted to make for her.

I started with a very rough sketch of an idea that was in my head.

This is the end result. Originally I was going to do a Sutton slice piece and chopped that up for the Stroppel cane that is part of the design.

You can click the images to see larger photos on flickr.

Favorite Tool Super Sculpey

2012-01-24T17:57:00.002-06:00

Yes Super Sculpey is a clay but in this case it is a favorite tool. It all started a few months ago when I saw this pinned on Pinterest...

Source: cynthiablantonstudio.blogspot.com via A. Star on Pinterest

I read Cynthia Blanton's blog post linked in the pin and decided to give it a shot. It works! I have not cleaned my pasta machine nor taken it apart once since using the super sculpey in this way. When I made the Snail Mailman I was able to go from black clay to white clay with no streaking at all.

That gray piece is what I have been using the past couple of months. What it is sitting on is the original color. You can see how much it has picked up. So I do believe that in this instance Super Sculpey qualifies as one of my favorite tools.

Snail Mail

2012-01-23T08:54:00.002-06:00

Delivering love notes....

Interview on CatsWire

2012-01-16T02:39:00.002-06:00

I was interviewed by the lovely Cat of CatsWire and it is on her blog today. If you would like to know a little more about me just head over there to her blog and have a peek.

Dr Feelgood and Nurse Goodbody

2012-01-11T15:36:00.002-06:00

These were a special request from a dear friend. They were so much fun and I hope they are what she had pictured in her head.

Art mediums and techniques

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have spent my entire life learning and trying to master various art and craft mediums. In a recent interview I was asked which ones could I do. I named off a few but did not list even half of them because I knew it would get to be too long. That and my age was starting to show. =)

The truth is one interest leads to another and so on. Every thing learned in one medium can help compliment another. For example: proficiency in drawing and then learning the properties of cutting glass can lead to being able to create your own stained glass patterns. For me those lead to mosaics so I could do something with my scrap glass.

Original mosaic design by ColtPixy 2006

I like learning new things. Just doing the same thing all the time would not only be boring for me but it would also limit my abilities in my chosen medium.

Necklace from B-Lee Kreations

2012-01-07T11:15:00.000-06:00

I won this necklace in a drawing on B-Lee Kreations' blog.

It is really lovely ♥ So much more than I can show in a photograph.
Thank you so much Bonnie!

Doctor Snail

2012-01-05T14:02:00.002-06:00

I am still working on the nurse that will go with him but here is the Doctor Snail I made.

Speed Racer Pixie

2012-01-03T09:24:00.003-06:00

Finished this pixie riding a snail this morning. My friend Catrin of CatsWire suggested my next racing snail should be wearing a helmet.

The teeny pixie is about a half inch tall. It will be listed on etsy soon.
Check back tomorrow to see if I was able to pull off the doctor and nurse snails. I always get a little nervous trying to create what someone else sees in their imagination. This is a fun project though.

polymer clay mosaics

2012-01-02T10:09:00.004-06:00

This year is starting with my muse kicked into overdrive. It is exciting for me and making me excited about 2012. I have so many ideas running around in my head and getting sketched out on paper. The first thing on my list is more snails. Absolutely first is finishing a doctor and nurse pair of snail sculptures for a dear friend.

My background is in stained glass mosaics and I have really enjoyed creating them with polymer clay. I am planning to make a few more.

My etsy shop reopened this morning. I will be adding new things to it almost daily. This morning I added this black and white mosaic box.

Next I will be adding the brown and metallic one with Sutton Slice grout.

Along with... more snails =)
I hope that the new year finds you following your passion too.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T05:45:00.000-06:00

I have never made New Year's resolutions and I am not going to start now. Normally I would make a list of goals to accomplish and work my way through them. I am not going to do that for the coming year. I am going to take things as they come for a while.

This past year has been an emotional roller coaster. It started with my mother-in-law having brain surgery. Before she was recovered, my sister-in-law fell and broke her hip and wrist. A few weeks after that came the thing that would change my life forever. My younger sister dying so unexpectedly. That was 7 months ago. Seems like yesterday.

I do realize that 2012 will come with it's own highs and lows but I am excited to begin a fresh new year. One with new possibilities.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T18:29:00.002-06:00

No matter which Winter Holiday you celebrate I want to wish you a happy, stress free one.
I made this for a Secret Santa gift on plurk. Forgot to take a photo of it before mailing so my giftee took this one...

My shop ColtPixy.etsy.com will reopen on January 2nd. For those who do not use etsy for whatever reason let me know and I will list what you want on ColtPixy.bigcartel.com where there is no registration necessary.

Snail Sisters

2011-12-16T13:41:00.003-06:00

It is dark and raining here today but I tried my best to get a good photograph of my latest snails. They are sisters.

It is the last time they will be together for a while. One is leaving for California the other for Australia. I am having too much fun making snails.

aquarium update and snail sculpt wip

2011-12-13T12:00:00.008-06:00

I added a fish to the 29 gallon tank last night. Today he acts like a typical veil tail betta. Curious and comes to the side of the tank to check out me or the dogs. However every time I get the camera out he looks at it and either hides in a plant or behind the driftwood. Perhaps I should leave the camera beside the tank for a while so he can get used to it? This is the best shot I could get and it was taken from several feet away.

Today's work in progress. It will get eyelashes this afternoon. I have several snails in various stages of completion. I am hoping to have quite a few made before reopening on January 2nd.

Catching up

2011-11-19T14:47:00.003-06:00

I cannot show any photos of anything I have worked on in the past few weeks. Some are custom orders that people are going to give as Christmas presents. Some are for secret santa swaps that I am involved in. Needless to say none of those will be shown until after the holidays as to keep the surprises.

I think perhaps I did not get a thick enough cap of sand on top of the dirt in my new aquarium. While I do not have any dirt floating the water column is brownish. So today I washed some more sand and will dig up my plants and fix that.
The rotala that I trimmed is doing wonderfully. Not only have the tops I replanted shown a lot of growth but so have the stems that I cut them off of. The Lindernia rotundifolia did not fair so well. All but 2 have completely melted. Perhaps they need high light? My tank has medium light. I am using a Freshwater T5 Dual with one 6,700K bulb and one Colormax lamp bulb. My anubias nana loves it. I have owned those plants about 8 years and have never seen them grow as fast as they have been in this tank.

Yesterday was my great dane George's birthday. He is 11 yrs old now! Not bad for a pup my vet asked me to take home with me when he was only 2½ weeks old and was not expected to live more than a week past that. Of course I was not told that until he reached 1 year old and my vet was giddily bragging about how I was the right person to take him.

This was taken with one of those disposable cameras, remember those? He was 4 weeks old.

Here he is about 6 yrs old with the 3 legged cat who thinks George is his dog.

This year taking a break in my husbands shed on the way back from a hike in the woods with me and his best friend Reba, a lab/bloodhound mix.

NPT diary: rescape

2011-11-14T06:31:00.003-06:00

I was not happy with how busy the tank looked so I changed it. I moved the java moss and African fern to another tank and rearranged everything else. While I was at it I trimmed the rotala.

I like this a lot better.
Since I do not have and do not want any Malaysian trumpet snails to aerate the soil I carefully poked it with a chopstick just before doing a water change.

NPT diary: plants

2011-11-10T12:32:00.003-06:00

Sorry about the cloudy pic. I just planted and moved them around a bit. Still not finished rearranging because I have not really settled on how it looks yet. Most of these plants will grow a lot and keeping a photo diary of it will help me keep track of growth and what works as well as what does not work.

Plants in the tank so far...
Lindernia rotundifolia, Variegated Baby Tears
Bolbitis heudelotii, African Fern
Anubias nana
Microsorum pteropus, Java Fern
java moss, Vesicularia dubyana
Lobelia cardinalis, Small Form
Pogostemon erectus
Rotala rotundifolia, Roundleaf Toothcup
Ammania species 'Bonsai', now known as Rotala indica

NPT diary: substrate

2011-11-08T07:50:00.002-06:00

Finishing up putting in the substrate in my planted tank. On the right you see the miracle gro organic choice potting soil. The white bits are crushed shell I mixed into the soil. I took this photo while adding the cap. I am using 20/40 grit Black Diamond blasting sand. I washed it to remove the oily residue that comes on it. It is the black you see on the left.

I painted the outside back of the tank with black acrylic. I used to have a piece of black foam board behind it but like it better painted.
Next I will begin planting with what I have leaving space for more that I ordered from one of my favorite sellers on Aquabid. They will be here in a few days.

Meanwhile on the sculpting front I got a special request that I am working on. Will show you that once it is finished.

Planted Tank Diary

2011-11-04T17:06:00.004-05:00

I have had freshwater aquariums with live plants for many years. This however will be my first dirt tank. This is not a new idea, people have been doing this for many years. You can read "Fresh-water aquaria" by Gregory Climenson Bateman published 1890, online at Cornell University Library.
For a more recent publication "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium" by Diana Walstad is very good for understanding the science behind it, how and why a dirt substrate works.

There is a lot of information available both online and in books so this is not going to be any sort of tutorial. It is just a journal of my personal experiences.

Beginning...

29 gallon tank. I sifted Miracle Gro Potting Organic Choice Soil through a wire sieve to remove large wood pieces. I am airing it out to let it out gas before adding a cap to keep it from just making a tank of muddy water.
None of this will be done in a hurry. While I do have a lot of plants I am ordering more.

Elf from ClayItAgain

2011-11-03T17:27:00.002-05:00

I won something and it just arrived! An elf from Cindi aka ClayItAgain. It is so adorable! Photos do not do it justice...

Isn't it cute! I just love him ♥
You can find Cindi's work at ClayItAgain on Artfire and ClayItAgain on etsy. She is also a wonderful painter and you can find her paintings at 12MidnightOils on Artfire and 12MidnightOils on etsy.

Pencil drawing from 1994

2011-10-30T18:01:00.002-05:00

This pencil drawing I made of my mom back in 1994. Does not feel like all that long ago. Time passes so quickly. It is large, this is a 25 inch tall frame that it is in.

Mosaic with Stroppel Cane

2011-10-17T19:37:00.002-05:00

The sun went down a few hours ago so this is not the greatest photo but this is what I made today. It is a polymer clay mosaic with Stroppel Cane for the grout.

I mix my own colors and had all these little scraps of metallic shades that were destined for the mud pile. That is until I saw Alice Stroppel's blog post about her Stroppel Cane. I fell in love with the look and have seen so many fabulous variations made by lots of different artists. I had been wanting to make a new keepsake box and want to thank Alice for giving me the inspiration for a new mosaic, and something to do with my scraps.

Back from vacation and new snails

2011-10-16T10:51:00.003-05:00

My in-laws were here for a week and wanted us to tour North Alabama and Southern Tennessee so I have not been around much. I did complete a request to make another Frankensnail's monster.

Here are a couple more new ones that have not been listed yet. They will be listed in my etsy shop this week.

I have missed everyone so much and I'm glad to be getting back to a non-traveling schedule.

Maeve the pixie snail racer

2011-10-04T04:45:00.003-05:00

Maeve is a very competitive little pixie. Her favorite hobby is snail racing. It is not the prizes that interest her but the adrenaline rush of leaving those who try to beat her in the wake of her snail's slime.

She is available in my etsy shop where you will find more photos taken from different angles.

Flower Girl Snail

2011-09-24T13:51:00.003-05:00

I made this snail for a trade with a friend. It is heading to Germany.

There are 4 more snails in various stages of completion on my work table. They will be headed to my etsy shop. When I started this series I figured I would make 4 or 5 snail sculptures total. So far 9 have been completed, 4 more almost completed and I still have plans for many more. They are just too much fun to stop now.

Vamperella

2011-09-18T16:09:00.003-05:00

I have been having so much fun creating this snail series! This is the latest one. Vamperella.

You can click the image to see a larger photo on flickr.
I have been making these snails with a mixture of Bozzi and Prosculpt polymer clays. It is extremely strong once cured and very nice to work with once completely conditioned. Bozzi is a bugger to condition but well worth the effort. The ratio I am using to mix it with Prosculpt has been giving me perfect results every time and I plan to make art dolls with it.

Spike and his victim

2011-09-17T14:05:00.002-05:00

My latest creation, Spike the vampire snail with his slug victim.. He got his name from his shell which has spikes all around it.
I have been having so much fun with this snail series.

Frankensnail

2011-09-12T18:20:00.003-05:00

So far he has only been seen on plurk. I need to get better photos of him so he can be listed in my shop. Since I have not accomplished that yet I decided to go ahead and show him to you anyway.

Little is known about the previous reanamation trials conducted by the mad scientist Dr. Frankensnail. There were many others before using human cadavers. From one of the earliest experiments is Frankensnail's Snail.

Vlad the Vampire' slug victim

2011-09-08T08:56:00.003-05:00

I said that I was going to list these in my etsy shop but they sold before I could =)
A vampire snail with his poor slug victim...

Today I am working on 2 more snails and their victims as well as a Frankensnail. Hopefully I will have those ready tomorrow. I have been spending less time online lately because my muse has kicked into overdrive. Taking advantage of that while I can because I never know when she will take off on a vacation without me.

Vlad the Vampire

2011-09-06T19:14:00.003-05:00

A Halloween project I started today. I am still working on his victim which will be included when I list him in my etsy shop.

I have 2 more snails on my to-do list for this week. One for my mom and the other for a trade with the amazingly talented CatsWire. I also have a few miniatures and other fantasy items on my list for this week.

Hungry Snails sculptures

2011-09-01T15:50:00.002-05:00

2 new snails. Albe is trying to sneak a bite of the other's (yet to be named)snack.

I have not decided yet just how many snails will be made. That is up to the muses.

Miniature Gazing Balls

2011-08-31T15:55:00.002-05:00

I have been playing. Not sure what I will do with these yet. The four gazing balls in the back are dollhouse scale. The three in the front are half inch scale.

I did learn one thing, I need to make a removable patio for my display box because the moss flooring is too uneven to get tiny things to stand upright. If I do decide to make these to sell it will be with an option to have a brass rod inserted in the bottom in case someone wants to place it in landscaping or a terrarium, etc instead of on a shelf or other flat surface.

Blue eyed snail and a new tool

2011-08-26T15:46:00.003-05:00

This is the latest snail creature to slime his way off of my work table.

He seems so sweet and like his feelings would easily be hurt by mentioning slime. Guess I should not do that. Do these guys need names? Have any name suggestions?

Recently one of the blogs I follow It's All About Creating posted about handmade sculpting tools made by her friend Shirley of SkulpTools .
Anyone who knows about my addiction to tools and supplies knows that I opened that shop in another tab and immediately bought one before even composing my reply on Marlene's blog.
=)

I got this one...

It is fabulous! Smooth, easy to use... but what makes it extra special is the handle. It is comfortable and a joy to use. Of course I went back and ordered a few more.
If you sculpt go to her shop at SkulpTools.etsy.com and check out her line of tools.

half inch scale hummingbird feeder

2011-08-24T10:00:00.003-05:00

I hand sculpted this hummingbird feeder from polymer clay. It is 1:24 scale, half the size of dollhouse scale. The part I am most proud of is the shepherd's hook.

I wanted it to look like wrought iron so I hammered out some aluminum wire. Then after shaping it into the correct shape I painted it in flat black. It took a couple of tries of hammering and shaping before it looked the proper scale. I am happy with the results.

On my list of things I want to make is a diorama box to photograph my garden miniatures. I am going to start on that today along with sculpting another snail.

work in progress

2011-08-23T10:41:00.003-05:00

In this photo I am not quite finished sculpting on this piece.

It is the prototype for a series of snail sculptures I will be making. Each having its own character and personality. They have been sliming their way around my mind for a few weeks now demanding to be brought to life.
Yes I know how crazy that sounds. =)

Really close up photos

2011-08-22T04:54:00.002-05:00

I need to play with it some more but I really love the lens I got from littlebigshot. If this shot is not perfect it is not because of the lens, it is me without a tripod and needing more practice.

You can click the image to see a larger photo on flickr.
I took this shot of my mini owl yesterday just before I packaged him up for his trip to a new home in Sweden.
This afternoon (after I get a few new things made) I will get my camera back out and practice some more. The lens is incredible and can give amazing results.

Sneak peek at a new project

2011-08-20T07:19:00.003-05:00

One thing on my to-do list of things I want to challenge myself to make is a website dedicated to my obsession of miniatures. This morning I got a start on it.
It is still a work in progress but here is what I have so far... ColtPixyMiniatures.com. I still have some work to do on it but feel good about having made a start.

I do not like to discuss anything too private on my blog. However, I have been getting a lot of questions from people wanting to know why after close to 3 years I would give up running one of the most successful guilds on artfire, Polymer Clay Smooshers.

When I am responsible for something I feel the need to give it everything I have. I posted to their blog and kept up promotions on various websites every single day.
The past year there has been a lot going on in my personal life.
I had to have 2 surgeries including one to reattach the tendons in my shoulder.
My mother in law had to have brain surgery.
Several months later she had a stroke and almost died.
My sister passed away unexpectedly.
My mother received a really bad diagnosis and is possibly about to have to go through surgery.
While going through everything life could toss at me I kept up my responsibilities to the Smooshers. I barely slowed down. It felt good to have something else to focus my attention on.

Then a few weeks ago something bad happened and I don't know why, I forgot my sister died. I picked up the phone to call her. Once I realized what I was doing it was like the bottom fell out of the world and I fell into a deep dark hole.
I did ask for help with the Smooshers but when after a couple of weeks it did not happen I knew it was time to let it go. I could not keep up the responsibility as I had been. For the good of the members it was better that I resign instead of letting it slowly disappear into oblivion. They deserve better than to let that happen.

For my own sanity I am trying to make something every day even if I just smoosh the clay back up. It is my way of digging myself up out of this dark pit I have fallen into.
Sorry about the long post. If you have made it this far down (((hugs))) to you.

Make something challenge

2011-08-19T15:38:00.002-05:00

I am challenging myself to make something every day. For those things that require more than one day to complete because of time or medium constraints, accomplishing something on a work in progress does count.

This will help me in several ways. It will keep me busy even when my muse decides to take a vacation without me. It will help me build up stock for my shops and also gifts for family and friends. It will give me something to blog about.

Would you like to join me? If you do please make sure to leave your blog link in a comment so I can follow you if I am not already.
You can give yourself a deadline if you wish. I am not going to do that because I want to see how long I can keep it up as part of the challenge.

Miniature Basket of Grapes

2011-08-16T15:23:00.003-05:00

I am getting back to what I love, miniatures. This basket of grapes is in 1:24 scale.

It is 1/2" x 7/16". It feels good to be making tiny things again. Here it is finished.

You can click the images to see larger ones on Flickr. I reopened my shop on Artfire today and this little basket sold as soon as I listed it. I am working on a couple more minis now and will show you you what they are soon.

Following my muse

2011-08-10T12:45:00.002-05:00

I find it necessary to take a step back from my online life for a little bit. My shop on Artfire has been put on vacation. You can still reach me through the contact form on the shop or through email. I have decided to take my own advice and make some changes. I will be concentrating on spending more time with family and friends.

I will also be focusing more on making miniatures because I have had a passion for tiny things since childhood. Hopefully, when I return I will have lots of new things to show you.

Playing with ideas

2011-07-28T15:47:00.001-05:00

urchin rings
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

I thought I had decided on a project to make for the next Polymer Clay Smooshers challenge. Then I sat down and just played. Ending up with something completely different than my original idea.

No molds were used for these. If I get a chance I may go back to my original idea for a small sculpture but I like how these turned out.

Take time to smell the flowers

2011-07-24T10:38:00.001-05:00

pink lily
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

Yesterday I was walking down a craft aisle in a store and broke down crying because I saw a potters wheel. My sister passed away unexpectedly in May of this year, she was only 44 years old. She loved working with clay and was quite gifted even though she didn't think so. She always wanted to take a class on throwing clay on a wheel. She never found the time to do it.
Life is short. Please take the time to take the class, go on the trip, live your life to the fullest and enjoy it while you can.

Trolineke Book Giveaway

2011-07-14T05:24:00.002-05:00

Trolineke is one of my favorite sculptors. Her work is imaginative and magical. The first time I saw it was when she joined Deviant Art about a year ago. This is one of my favorites titled, "Wimble id".

Wimble id by ~trolineke on deviant ART

She recently had a how-to book published and to celebrate she is giving away a copy of it on HER BLOG. She is in The Netherlands but there is an english version of the book.
Places to find Trolineke:
DeviantART
Blogger
Her Website

Moody Peas

2011-07-07T17:54:00.002-05:00

This is my entry in the latest Polymer Clay Smooshers challenge which will appear on their blog tomorrow. The theme we are working with is moods.

Moody Peas

Be sure to check the Polymer Clay Smooshers blog tomorrow to see all of the wonderful entries.

Handmade Magnetic Board

2011-06-29T10:59:00.003-05:00

For a while I have been wanting something to hang notes, recipes, etc over my kitchen counter workspace. I made this last weekend using things I already had around the house so it cost nothing for me to make it.

Several years ago I had bought a hanging wood curio cabinet on clearance. I removed the doors, sanded it, filled the holes where the doors were attached and painted it. It hangs above one of my aquariums and displays stones, sea shells, sand dollars, starfish and a hermit crab made by BewitchingDreams. I had saved the doors and glass thinking one day I might use them to create frames.

I filled the holes where the door hardware used to be. Sanded and painted the wood with primer then red paint and a coat of sealer. My kitchen is mostly red and white. Then I cut a piece of expanded wire mesh (you could do the same thing with chicken wire). I have this because I use it to reinforce concrete stepping stones and concrete sculptures. It is magnetic so I knew it would be perfect. I spray painted it with primer then after that dried, white spray paint. It is now hanging above my kitchenaid mixer using picture hanging hardware.

Fabulous soaps, Win your own

2011-06-28T18:42:00.004-05:00

I love handmade soaps! Recently I have been using some from MzzThang and I absolutely LOVE it! You can enter to win 3 bars and try it out for yourself. Trust me, you want to do it.

Click HERE to enter on her blog Fo-Shizzle Design Studios.

Pink Pixy Stone revisited

2011-06-26T15:05:00.005-05:00

Check out what Margo aka Beadlady5 made with one of my pink Pixy Stone cabochons.

Vintage Inspired Necklace

It is so very beautiful! I was so excited when she showed it to me. She does not even know that I have a thing for dragonflies and it even has one just below the cabochon.

Over the hills of snow

2011-06-25T15:22:00.004-05:00

Every year I make snowmen for the holidays. My mother-in-law collects snowmen and that is how it began. I have never listed any before but will be listing these in my shop for the Christmas in July sale beginning July 1st and lasting the entire month.

I will be marking down everything in the shop, not just holiday items. Until then I am making a lot of new things to list.

Officially addicted

2011-06-15T05:11:00.002-05:00

Source: artmadewithheart.blogspot.com via Tina on Pinterest

What is Pinterest? Click here to find out.

I first learned of Pinterest via one of the food blogs I follow in my google reader, Steamy Kitchen. She had included a pin in a blog post. I clicked it and checked out the site, liked it a LOT and joined. It is a fabulous way to collect and share interesting web pages from a large variety of interests. If you decide to join you can find me here at pinterest.com/coltpixy.

Butterfly Mobile

2011-06-13T19:25:00.002-05:00

I made a butterfly mobile to hang in my yard. It is not put together quite the same as the tutorial I read that inspired me to make it so I will tell you what I did differently. When you make your own it might be different than either version, depends on what supplies you will use.

Mine were made by cutting up pepsi max cans, 2 butterflies per can same as the tutorial. The aluminum in soda cans is so thin now days that after removing the ends you can switch to scissors. I cut up the can into one long strip by removing the ends with tin snips (using gloves). Then I cut the tube with scissors to make it a long strip. I cut each strip in half.

I cut a paper template into the shape that I wanted and traced around it with a sharpie marker on the blank side of each piece. Then I cut the butterflies out using scissors.
I sprayed Krylon Primer on each side of the butterfly and once dry, painted with craft acrylic paints. I have been using cheap craft acrylics to paint various things for outdoors for over 20 years and know it will be fine. After I got them painted I sprayed on a coat of Krylon crystal clear to keep the paint from getting scratched off.
*krylon does not pay me nor give me products to use their name. It is just a product I love.

I strung mine differently from the tutorial because I did not have the right color beads and did not want to buy anything for this project. Several years ago I needed one end of toggle clasps for a non-jewelry project. I had saved the bar end of the toggle clasps in a jar hoping one day I would find something I could use them for. They ended up looking great as a butterfly body!
On the top side of the butterfly I attached washers, gluing them on using silicon. I let that set 24 hours. The washer gives it a little bit of weight and they need it. Aluminum is very light weight, even with the washers attached the slightest breeze makes theses flutter... I love them so!

Anyway, after the silicon had cured I used the tip of small sharp pointy scissors and poked a small slit in the aluminum. This is inside the hole of the washer. Then on the opposite side from the washer I inserted the loop of the toggle bar. Then fishing line was tied to the loop sticking in the hole using the same knots I use to tie fishing line to tackle. My grand-daddy taught us how to fish at an early age and said fishing line should never be tied into a square knot because it will eventually give. If you do not fish you can find instructions to tie fishing line to tackle via google.

Mine are tied to a long branch then it is hung from line leaders that have swivels. This way the entire thing, branch and all spins in the breeze. The reason I painted them the way I did is because from a distance they look like they could be real butterflies fluttering together.

Here is the tutorial that inspired me. Click the image. She has great step-by-step photos. I like her hanger idea too but wanted mine on wood so it would blend in with the humongous crepe myrtle bush it is now hanging from (not in the above photos).

Source: gingerbreadsnowflakes.com via Angelina on Pinterest

what does turquoise remind you of?

2011-06-10T06:50:00.002-05:00

The color of turquoise no matter the shade of it makes me think of images I see of the water in the Caribbean. Such a bright, clean, beautiful color. One day I hope to see that water in person.

I love water. It is especially beautiful lit by moonlight and I have been fortunate enough to enjoy experiencing that on a boat in the Gulf Coast. On the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Florida and North Carolina. As well as the rivers and lakes in Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. Moonlight over water has a calming effect for me. That is why this glow in the dark moon and stars called to me as I was looking at various beautiful faux turquoise pieces made by members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild.

The Moon and Stars by SassyClayCreations

coffee faux turquoise by ArtFairlyAware

faux turquoise by DreamWeaversDesigns

coffee filter peonies

2011-06-09T17:08:00.003-05:00

paper peonies
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

I love peonies. I have 3 colors in my yard but the blooms came and left weeks ago. Then I saw this tutorial and knew I could have them any time I wanted. So can you. Click the image above to see a larger photo of mine. Click the image below to the Pinterest page with the tutorial link.

Source: designsponge.com via Angelina on Pinterest

white vase and mini terrarium

2011-06-07T20:34:00.002-05:00

white vase
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

I have a bunch of projects going in various stages of completion. Today I have these two to show you. A miniature moss terrarium, the jar is 3½" tall including lid. I was going to make miniature mushrooms to go in it but have something a little more organic in mind now to go with a teeny fairy I will make for it.

The other is this white vase made from an empty tomato sauce can. The instructions I used to make it came from...

Source: designsponge.com via Angelina on Pinterest

This week I will be making flowers to go in it and will show you both mine and where I got the tutorial for them.

black and white fusion project

2011-05-29T16:25:00.001-05:00

black and white fusion project
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

I just realized that I had not taken any photos of this yet. I made it a couple of weeks ago to enter in the Smooshers current challenge, Fusion of materials and or techniques.

It is entirely polymer clay except for the tile with the butterfly. That is a brass filigree that I painted black and set in white clay. There are various techniques used in the different tiles including Sutton Slice, stamping and sculpting. It is set into the top of a large keepsake box.
You can click the image to see a larger photo on flickr.

The masked visitor

2011-05-27T02:58:00.001-05:00

my racoon, originally uploaded by coltpixy.

After a year and a half of being off of anxiety meds my doctor had to put me back on them this week with a strong warning to avoid stressful situations. I do not like taking them because they make me sleep and unable to function. Especially after being off of them for so long.

This guy lives in the woods behind my house and for the past couple of weeks has come up for a meal every evening. My husband took this video of him last night while I was passed out hoping it would make me smile when I woke up.
:^)

Orange Sunshine

2011-05-15T10:02:00.006-05:00

Orange is such a happy color. It reminds me of orange push-ups on a bright sunny day. It reminds me of my baby sister and her beautiful smile that lights up a room. Orange is her favorite color.
I had a rough couple of weeks with a lot of different things going on and just when things were turning around for the better ArtAsylum suggested orange as a theme to blog about. Looking at all of the beautiful orange items in Smooshers' shops just pushed away the last of the remaining clouds. Sweet happy orange.

Earrings made by averilpam

goose egg made by ArtmakersWorlds

pendant made by DreamWeaversDesigns

addicted to sutton slice

2011-05-05T14:47:00.002-05:00

I have become addicted to the sutton slice technique. I used it to create my entry in the next Polymer Clay Smooshers challenge which will air on their blog tomorrow.

Here are some work in progress photos of the tile....

Sutton Slice tiles

2011-05-02T03:45:00.002-05:00

tiles made with sutton slice technique
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

I am working on a keepsake box that will be a gift to my mother-in-law. I stained the box in Cherry and the top will be covered in tiles that are made of polymer clay. I am using the Sutton Slice technique. I wanted it to be colorful and have texture.

I really like this technique.

Spring Pastels from Polymer Clay Smooshers

2011-04-19T04:03:00.002-05:00

I love the delicate colors of pastels. They always make me think of Spring. I'm having a hard time believing it is actually Spring. It feels like I blinked and the calendar jumped from Thanksgiving to Easter. So I have been strolling through Smooshers' shops letting the colors put my mind in the mood for Spring. Here are but a few of the beautiful creations I found.....

Pink Faux Opal by AmazingDesigns

Round Brooch by averilpam

Sculpted Mauve Heart by KneadedThings

and something to put them all in....

Pastel Pink Wish Box by SassyClayCreations

speed

2011-04-18T14:15:00.002-05:00

I live in a very rural area where cable tv still does not run. The only internet option I ever had was dial-up. That was until this afternoon!
A small company in the next county has been putting up towers for broadband service all over southern Middle Tennessee and today they reached me. It is unreal how much different the internet is now. Twitter actually loads for me. Pages with lots of photos before never really fully loaded. Everything took forever to do.
Now I will be able to participate more in things, like replying to blog posts when I want to. I am so excited!

bearded iris close up

2011-04-13T02:46:00.001-05:00

bearded iris close up
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

My irises have started blooming. If I had to say I had a favorite flower it would be bearded iris. I have about 50 different colors of them and several hundred plants.
I love their scent and their delicate petals.

Orange Fish Magnet

2011-04-08T06:24:00.002-05:00

For one week only my mica shift orange fish magnet is on sale for 20% off. I love creating with the mica shift technique. It makes these swirls appear to be 3 dimensional when they are actually flat and smooth.

Orange Fish Mica Shift Polymer Clay Magnet

first butterfly of the year

2011-04-05T15:57:00.001-05:00

first butterfly of the year
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

Isn't she beautiful! Spring is really here. Looking at the patterns in her wings is giving me all kinds of ideas. You can click on the photo to see a larger image on flickr.

Vivek the wise owl

2011-04-01T19:55:00.002-05:00

For one week only Vivek the wise owl will be on sale for 20% off. Price has already been reduced.

Vivek the wise owl

I won AntB Pottery's Happy Ostara Giveaway!

2011-03-21T14:47:00.002-05:00

I am so excited! I just got an email from AntB Pottery. I won the drawing for her Happy Ostara Giveaway on her blog! This beautiful bell and dish.

I love AntB's work! I have a little collection of her RainDrop pots. I keep one on my altar and several in the kitchen. I put salt and herbs in them. Please go check out her shop at antb.etsy.com and her blog AntB Pottery. She does beautiful things with clay.

Thank you AntB! ♥

tiny owls one will be given away

2011-03-20T17:35:00.003-05:00

I made these three tiny owl sculptures last night. Faux bronze, faux oxidized bronze and faux cinnabar.

Polymer Clay Smooshers fan page on Facebook now has 998 fans. When we reach 1,000 I will give away one of these owls to a fan. I am so proud to be among such wonderful and talented people.

Finding beauty everywhere

2011-03-15T17:24:00.002-05:00

These tiny flowers are nothing but weeds. At least that is what they are in my area. Most plants are weeds somewhere. They are a natural ground cover that comes up every Spring.

There are several kinds in various colors that come up but these are the only ones up so far. I remember when I was a very little girl I used to pick tiny "fairy bouquets". Back then One-A-Day vitamins came in little clear glass bottles. My grandmother used to give them to me to use as vases.

I uploaded a bunch of photos I took this evening of some of my flowers as well as these weeds to my flickr album.
Today I am finishing up a custom order but stay tuned because I am taking work in progress shots of a sculpture that I am working on. Will show them all once it is completed.

Do you crochet?

2011-03-04T14:02:00.002-06:00

My longtime friend sukigirl has several crochet patterns that she has created and gives away for free on her blog. Her latest is so very sweet.

Free Hobbes Crochet Pattern

Faux Ivory Owl

2011-03-02T14:04:00.003-06:00

This is my 2nd entry in the Smooshers nature themed challenge. It is a little owl sculpture made to look like carved ivory.

There are 6 more photos of it here.
The challenge will be on the Smooshers blog this weekend. Be sure to go check it out.

Glimpse of Spring

2011-03-01T17:32:00.002-06:00

It is so beautiful here today. All of the yellow flowers are beginning to open up. Daffodils, buttercups, double daffodils, forcynthia bushes. I snapped a couple of pics for my friends who live farther North to show them that Spring really is going to show up this year. =)

You can click the images to see a larger one.
Today I made a small sculpture for the Smooshers Nature themed challenge. Will show that to you tomorrow as it is in the oven right now.

Bunny Meets Time Travel

2011-02-24T02:52:00.002-06:00

I had a request for a custom order for a steampunk item that incorporated one of my mica shift bunny butts. So the portable time travel device was born. I feel like a mad scientist. bwahahahaha! =)

You can click the image to see a larger photo.

From armature to Octopus

2011-02-18T13:26:00.002-06:00

Bunny meets chainmaille

2011-02-17T11:14:00.002-06:00

I absolutely love chainmaille. The results of metal rings woven together in different patterns are so very beautiful. With arthritis in several of my fingers there is no way I want to attempt to do it myself but I am so excited to have something I made paired with it! Check out this beautiful charm bracelet made by aislinnseroticjewels. I just love it!

Happy Valentines!

2011-02-14T00:37:00.002-06:00

I am working on a sculpture but will be baking a cake today too. Chocolate because my husband loves chocolate. Valentines is also the traditional time to trim back rose bushes in the area where I live so that will have to be done too. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

3-D bunnies

2011-02-09T14:02:00.002-06:00

I have been making mica shift bunny butts since 2009. Now I am toying with some 3 dimensional ones. What do you think?

I am listing them in the Lucky Bunny section of my shop. Everything in this category is marked down 20% throughout the month of February.

Signs of Spring approaching

2011-02-06T15:07:00.002-06:00

Yesterday here in Southern Tennessee it was sleeting as hard as it could and spitting snow. Today was glorious! There was this strange ball in the sky giving light and warmth. I vaguely remember seeing it before but it has been months since its last appearance. Seems that long anyway.
Look what I found in my yard! Signs that Spring is not far from now.

Buds on double bloom daffodils.

My red and white tulips peeking up out of the ground.

Inspired by Fairy Tales

2011-01-26T14:41:00.003-06:00

Polymer Clay Smooshers were challenged to create something using the theme Fairy Tales. I drew from my imagination and the tale Jack and the Beanstalk to create this golden egg.

Pantone 2011 Colors

2011-01-21T13:44:00.003-06:00

This is not a great photo but I wanted to show you one of the things I have been playing with.

Recently 2GoodClaymates shared Kato recipes for 3 pantone color shades on her blog and showed some beautiful things she is making with them. I made this bunny butt pendant using the recipes from those 3 colors. Peapod, beeswax and honeysuckle.
Thanks 2GoodClaymates!

faux cinnabar

2011-01-17T04:18:00.002-06:00

Playing with various techniques again. This time faux cinnabar. The bottle is 1 5/8 inches (4 cm) tall to the top of its polymer clay stopper. You can click the image to see a larger photo.

There are more images from different angles HERE.

Bunnies and snow

2011-01-11T17:37:00.002-06:00

Today is day 2 of being snowed in and looks like we will be stuck again tomorrow. View from my front porch this morning...

As you can see I live in a very rural area. That and being in the deep south where they don't prepare for such things means the road I live on is impassible. So I have been playing. Excuse the bad photo but it is a work in progress shot. The polycrylic finish is wet so I cannot move it to my light box just yet...

I love playing with mica shift. Next on my list are some little mini sculptures.

Itty bitty owl

2011-01-08T14:18:00.001-06:00

front and side view of mini owl
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

I waited to show this until it made it to its new home. This is a little bitty owl I designed and made for my friend sukigirl. This collage shows the front and side view. You can click it to see a larger image.

Smooshers Mythology Challenge

2011-01-07T18:14:00.001-06:00

Head over to the Polymer Clay Smooshers blog and check out all of the fabulous entries! 27 in all. Each one amazing. While you are there please vote in the poll on the left column to let us know what theme you would like to see us work on next.

Thor's Hammer

2011-01-05T06:26:00.003-06:00

Mjollnir, Thor's Hammer is my 2nd entry in the Polymer Clay Smooshers mythology themed challenge.

It is 4 1/4 (11cm) tall. To get a piece this large to fully cure it cannot be solid polymer clay. It has a tight aluminum core over a wire armature. Then it was covered with apoxie sculpt. Apoxie Sculpt and Magic Sculp are both chemical cured clays.... there are 2 parts and both have to be mixed together equally. They are polymer clay compatible and can withstand the heat needed to cure the polymer. After allowing it to cure for more than 24 hours I covered it with faux bronze and faux wood polymer clay.

teeny roses

2011-01-04T18:57:00.002-06:00

1 3/4 inch tall wish bottle. I created for the new Color Palette A Week flickr group.

This group is for any medium. Each week new colors will be chosen, this week it is red and black. I think it sounds like a lot of fun and plan to participate as often as I can.

New toy: Extruder

2011-01-03T13:15:00.003-06:00

The only extruder I have ever used is an old kemper plunger type that my husband had to make an attachment for me to be able to use it. I don't use an extruder very often so I never thought much about getting a new one. Recently I saw a Walnut Hollow extruder listed at ClayAlley.com and loved the idea of one with a built in handle. Decided to try it out and boy am I glad I did!

It is easy to use, easy to clean and did I mention it is easy to use? I love new tools!

Apple of Discord

2011-01-02T13:35:00.003-06:00

Eris is the Greek goddess of discord and strife. She is Ares' constant companion and follows him everywhere. Eris is sinister and mean, and her greatest joy is to make trouble. She has a golden apple that is so bright and shiny everybody wants to have it.

When she throws it among friends, their friendship come to a rapid end. When she throws it among enemies, war breaks out, for the golden apple of Eris is the Apple of Discord. She did this once during the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and this act brought about the Trojan War.

Eris was angered by the fact that she was not invited to the wedding. But seriously, why would anyone want her to be at their wedding when she was nothing but the ultimate drama queen and troublemaker. She tossed her golden apple onto the wedding table and announced it to be for the fairest. The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each wanted to claim it and each reached for the apple. Zeus proclaimed that Paris, prince of Troy and thought to be the most beautiful man alive, would act as the judge.

Each of the three goddesses immediately attempted to bribe Paris to choose her. Hera offered political power. Athena promised skill in battle. Aphrodite tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta. While Greek culture placed a greater emphasis on prowess and power, Paris chose to award the apple to Aphrodite, thereby dooming his city, which was destroyed in the war that ensued.

The classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty is partly inspired by Eris's role in the wedding of Peleus and Thetis.

The Apple of Discord will be my first entry in the Polymer Clay Smooshers Mythology Challenge.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T05:50:00.002-06:00

I am looking forward to beginning a new year. I've never made resolutions. In my 20's I started each year with a list of new ideas and techniques I wanted to learn. New things to experience. It is more fun than trying to give something up. I never understood that particular ritual because most of the people I know who make resolutions end up beating themselves up for not keeping them.

For 2011 I am finally going to do all of the things I have been dreaming about for months. Some of these things I have been studying for a year and an finally taking the plunge into doing them. All of my goals are artistic endeavors and I ordered supplies and tools for them last week. Regardless of my successes or failures I will show you what I am up to as I go along. Who knows maybe you will want to join along on my journey.

I hope the new year finds you healthy, happy and fills your days with laughter. I hope that magic touches us all.

White Christmas

2010-12-25T07:50:00.001-06:00

christmas day 2010
Originally uploaded by coltpixy

It started snowing last night and it is still coming down as hard as it can. The road we live on is impassible. It is so beautiful!

Purple Mica Shift

2010-12-22T21:55:00.002-06:00

In January Premo's new colors will be released. Among the new shades will be purple pearl. I have always mixed my own metallic colors to achieve mica shift. Still, I might get some to play with when it hits store shelves.

I love the mica shift technique. It makes images appear three dimensional when it is actually flat and smooth like glass. My friend Haffina loves purple and I made this purple bunny butt for her.