Second Fairy House

I decided I needed a second fairy house. The new one would be more colorful. I looked at a lot of fairy houses on the internet and it seemed there was one thing about each of them that I liked. When I started to make it I couldn't find a way to incorporate all the things I wanted to put on it.

I think it turned out nice and the fairy that came to live in it thinks it is a fine house.

Fairy Houses

About a year and a half ago I was going to a polymer clay retreat where there would be a lot of demos. I always like to watch demos but the retreat was also to work on polymer clay things of my own. I needed a project that would take a long time but that I could work on in between demos. I decided on a fairy house. It would have a drinking glass as the base on which to add the clay. I pictured a tree trunk for my fairy to live in.

After I had covered the glass with varied shades of brown, cut a door and windows, I decorated the sides with flowers. I couldn't think of anything else to add, but Linda Farris was sitting across from me and she has made a lot of houses for miniatures. She suggested I add roots and a walk to the house. They made it look so much better. I added some stones to the walk also.

This past summer my daughter Robin and I signed up for some craft shows and holiday shows so I decided another fairy house would be a good thing to sell. This one needed to be different so I decided on brighter colors. I researched fairy houses and picked out different things I liked about each one I found. This time it was easier to make the fairy house. It didn't take nearly as long as the first one.

Christi Friesen Workshop

I recently attended a Christi Friesen Workshop in Columbiana OH. She is funny and very down-to-earth and gives classes around the world.

There were about 30 of us in the class. She demonstrated projects three times to groups of 10. I would try to get in the first group and then start making what was demonstrated. I would come to a point that I forgot the next step. By that time the third group was up front. I would stand behind the group listening then sit down and finish. I loved her teaching methods. I don't have to think my pieces have to be perfect - they are perfect however I finish them.

My favorite piece I made is the lion head. I put a pinback on him and love wearing it. Here a few of the pieces I made.

New Direction

Recently I decided to try some polymer clay pieces that weren't jewelry. I had made some light switch covers for our house, so decided to try some to sell in my Etsy store. Since I had made our great-grandsons light switches with the face of the moon and some stars I started with them. Then I got the idea to make a plain one with ruffled edges. I sold two of those. Then I made one with a cowboy hat and boot, one with Egyptian symbols and then one with frogs.

It's really fun making the different types. I hope other people like them as much as I do.

Poinsettia Pins

I've been making poinsettia pins for the Christmas season. The three colors I like and make are: red with gold Pearl-ex powder; white with pink powder; pink with gold powder. Waiting to find out who I'm going to give them to. They are also on my Etsy site.

Out of My Comfort Zone

Some time ago Marla said on Creative Bead Chat that we should get out of our comfort zone now and then. I like my comfort zone which is making jewelry and wasn’t sure I wanted to go out of it. After that thought ran around in my head a few days I started to think what I could do that was different.

I had an old Carol Duvall tape where Becky Meverden made a cat. It looked so easy when Becky did it. She had a bunch of balls of clay all laid out and one by one she shaped them into: the body, the head, the arms, the legs, eyes, eyeballs, ears, mouth, puffy cheeks, etc. I thought maybe I could make a cat with a long tail that would serve as a ring holder. I watched the tape a few times and headed for my studio in the basement.

I started making a ball for the body. It seemed too small so I added some clay. When I rolled a ball for the head, it was too big, so I took some off and rolled again. That was the story with each ball I made - it was either too big or too small, and not just once but several times for each one. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to make another cat.

The next week a friend of mine saw my cat sitting on the shelf and just loved it. She said if I’d make more she would like to give them to her three friends - and one for herself, of course.


I can’t wait to get back in my comfort zone!

Pandora Style Beads

I just finished an order for 3 sets of large hole beads for a friend. She wanted 5 beads of black & white, pink and also torn watercolor blue.

The torn watercolor beads are made by rolling three colors together - always black and white then the color you want the beads to be. Then you tear off little strips and add them to a base bead. A little of the black and white show at the edge of the strip. It makes an attractive bead. I used a pearl blue for this set.

My friend saw my kitten ring holder and decided it would make a good gift for some friends so she ordered four of them. I hope these go faster than the first one did. I could never charge for the time that one took.