Clay Art Jewelry

.Cell Phone Sleeve With Button Closure

2012-02-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Check it out at knitmosphere.

Ironing Clothes Today!

2012-02-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

Feelings......
There is something about ironing my clothes that always makes me feel like I have an adequate wardrobe, even though that is not true.
How about you? Do you iron your clothes on a regular basis? With all the wonderful wash and wear fabrics, dryers that have a wrinkle-free addition to a cycle, cleaners for the Professionals, you probably do not.

We all go through phases of neatness, even teens and younger enjoy looking their best and will ask to have their clothes ironed.

Do some ironing today, see if you feel better about your wardrobe!

Crocheted Sleeve

2012-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

Cell phone sleeve for your android, iphone, itouch. Can be found on knitmosphere.etsy.com.
Crocheted in the round, stretches over the phone to fit snugly like a skin.
Great for carrying your phone in your purse as I do.

Clay Art Jewelry: What is Faux Bois?

2012-01-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

Clay Art Jewelry: What is Faux Bois?: From and article in the Agusta Chronicle...Sunday, June 22, 2008 French for "false wood," faux bois encompasses anything that reproduces...

Clay Art Jewelry: Eco Friendly Gift Tags

2012-01-18T12:41:00.000-08:00

Clay Art Jewelry: Eco Friendly Gift Tags: I made these tags from shopping bags that held all my goodies from the paper-source store. No problem, they ask that you use, reuse, and re...

What is Faux Bois?

2012-01-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

From and article in the Agusta Chronicle...Sunday, June 22, 2008

French for "false wood," faux bois encompasses anything that reproduces the appearance or texture of wood. Though only a handful of artists still produce the intricate, cement-covered steel pieces prized by serious collectors, the technique also is being applied to every home decor product imaginable: Pillows. Plates. Candles. Coasters. Scones. Sheets.

You name it, and someone has slapped a wood-grain pattern on it.

More often than not, that someone is Martha Stewart.
"We've put faux bois patterns on cookies, cakes and cupcakes. We do it on towels, bath accessories and rugs," says Kevin Sharkey, the home decorating editorial director at Martha Stewart Living . "It appears in the magazine in some incarnation in almost every issue. Christmas ornaments. Easter baskets. Valentines. There is no place we think is inappropriate for faux bois."

Donald Tucker, a sculptor and artist in Houston, says the appeal of faux bois lies in the inherent beauty of wood's texture. His commissioned pieces -- faux bois benches, tables and garden sculptures -- can take months to complete.

"I always loved trees and tree forms and wood," he says. "I was drawn into the whole woodiness of it -- the idea that you can sculpt some concrete into forms that replicate wood and that won't decay and won't get attacked by termites."

With the growing environmental movement, Mr. Tucker sees a connection between the popularity of faux bois and the rejection of pollution and mass production.

That doesn't mean faux bois items aren't being mass produced, however. CB2, Crate and Barrel's modern offshoot, sells tote bags made of wood-grain-printed fabric, plastic place-mats with wood-grain design, and resin soap dishes and ring holders resembling twigs.

Pottery Barn offers a chandelier made of intertwining iron branches with crystal leaves. Macy's sells Martha Stewart's line of faux bois towels, bedding, kitchen and bath accessories. At Target, there are brown resin vases that resemble logs and black aluminum candle holders shaped like branches.

Grace Bonney, the founder and editor of DesignSponge, a Web site dedicated to home and product design, started noticing faux bois on pillows and other accessories in 2004, as tastes turned from bold colors to patterns. More recently, she has seen faux bois paired with orange and other 1970s colors in a kitschy way.
"I think the pattern movement was very much joined by a trend or interest in natural materials, which manifested itself in imagery of botanicals, trees themselves, or wood-grain," she says.

Jonathan Lo, who co-founded itsknot wood.blogspot.com, dedicated to fake wood, says faux bois is one of those "love it or hate" designs, but he sees it as another way to bring nature to his life.
"Artists have always been inspired by nature, whether it be the pattern, or more literally. There's a certain inherent 'warmth' and visual comfort when you see something that is faux bois, even if it's made of plastic or metal or even concrete. The same can be said of something with a wood-grain pattern," he says.
Mr. Lo, an art director from Irvine, Calif., says faux bois also was big in the 1940s and '70s, but even in the in-between decades remained prevalent.

"Will trees ever go out of style?" he said.
For those wanting to incorporate faux bois into their home dÃcor, Mr. Lo recommends moderation.
"Think of it as an accent or way to add some texture," he says. "Try a faux bois candle holder on your dinner table or a dresser."

For crafty types, there are wood-graining painting tools that, when rolled across a surface, create streaks that resemble wood, complete with knots. Ms. Stewart's Web site features dozens of DIY projects based on that painting technique, ranging from pet place mats and serving trays to wrapping paper and entire floors.
Or you can get creative with a digital camera: Snap some close-ups of tree bark, print them on translucent vellum and wrap them around glass canisters to create candle holders.

An even easier approach is applying wood-grain contact paper to dress up flat surfaces, says Mr. Lo.
"One of our favorite things is to use it in places you wouldn't expect, like hi-tech items. Many people are contact papering their lap tops or cell phones with wood-grain," he says.
Ms. Bonney also recommends paper -- giftwrap, wallpaper or stationery -- as a starting point.
"If you like a pattern but are scared of using it, you can always line your desk drawers with it or the inside of cabinets," she says.
For those so enamored with faux bois that they want to learn from a master, Mr. Tucker is offering what he believes is the first ever classes in ferrocement faux bois, the traditional method he uses to create his sculptures. The workshops will be held in August in Colorado and are sponsored by the Ferrocement Educational Network.

Upcycled Owl Tag

2011-12-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

This cute owl tag is upcycled from gift wrap and backed with 140 lb watercolor paper. He is ever so adorable and wants to make your gift exciting and fun.
I dye cut the owls with my dye cut frame, at the same time, cutting the watercolor paper. I then glued the owls to the paper making a strong seal. This way the owl is embossed at the edges.
To make him more interesting than the gift wrap was, I used my felt tip pens to give him a pointalism effect around the eyes and chest.
I used my recyled punch holes to create buttons for a vest effect, and glued on white dots in his eyes for a most definite stare.

I finished him with a protectant and added a little bit of glitter to make him sparkle.
You can find him along with four friends at 'wildaboutcards' on etsy, the place for handmade items.

Eco Friendly Gift Tags

2011-12-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

I made these tags from shopping bags that held all my goodies from the paper-source store. No problem, they ask that you use, reuse, and recycle.

I ironed the tags after cutting to flatten them and to do away with any wrinkles.

I backed them with white heavy weight die cut paper labels to make them stiff and strong and on the blank ones I stamped orange peacocks. I purposely captured the dragonfly logo on the dye cut tag to fall center most. One tag has some of the lettering from paper-source wording. Some are plain green or some have stripes of the blue, green, purple and orange color.

Check them out at wildabouttags on etsy, the place for handmade stuff.

New Year's Eve Bottle Tag Champagne

2011-12-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

The new year will soon be upon us.

Alphabet Coins

2011-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Did you ever feel like making something creative from the heart. Here is my indugence. You can see more at Wildabouttags.

Antique Keys Gift Tags

2011-11-30T19:26:00.000-08:00

Faith, Hope, Charity and Love

Theological virtues symbolism - in theology and Christian philosophy, are the character qualities associated with salvation, resulting from the grace of God, which enlightens human mind

Or, they could be a British group, a disco band, or the name of a church. It is all in the eye of the beholder.

Journal Gift Tags

2011-11-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

I saw something very similar to these at the Anthropologie store. They were priced at 16.00 which I thought a lot for such a simple design.

So, of course, I had to try my hand at my own simple journal tags. I think the red gives these tags a little more interest.....and they can be found on in my shop on etsy.

Fashionista Tags 'No Style Boundaries'

2011-11-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

This hand made tag came from a photo, taken by a visitor, of a store window in San Francisco. It features several fashionistas and I thought it would make a good tag for style conscious fashionistas. I made them in a variety of colors.
'no style boundaries', the wording on the bottom, is exactly what a fashionista is all about, no holding back.

You can find the tag for sale here.

Spring Awakening

2011-11-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

Spring Awakening pictures

What an awesome play by high school students at Menlo. These students pulled off a highly polished, professional version of Spring Awakening.

Not to be missed...........

A Cowboy Christmas

2011-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

'A Cowboy Christmas' tags, similar to my last post, but, with a Christmas theme. Read my post telling the viewer how these tags came about. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

A Cowboy Christmas Poem
Best wishes for your Christmas

Is all you get from me,
'Cause I aint no Santa Claus—
Don't own no Christmas tree.
But if wishes was health and money,
I'd fill your buck-skin poke,
Your doctor would go hungry
An' you never would be broke.
From Charlie Russell's 1914 Christmas card

Cowboy Boots Tag, Wild About Austin

2011-11-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

These cowboy boot tags stemmed from a pair of earrings that were a gift from Austin, Tx.
I temporarily hung them on my glass daylight desk lamp. When I turned the lamp on, an interesting dramatic back light effect showed through the cutouts in the boots.
I thought they would make good tag subject for lovers of all things western and cowboy.

I then took pictures with my digital of the boots in four different positions hanging on the marble lighted glass. This made the boots solid dark with just the cutouts highlighted.
I then used some of the features of my camera software, and then took the photos into Photo Elements to use features to color the accents, size them so they all were pretty much the same size, put some text in, took out backgrounds etc. Once they were printed on heavy watercolor paper, I vintage detailed them with acid free sepia ink.
Perfect for tags. Hope you like them as much as I do. They are on etsy as an item for purchase.

Clay Art Jewelry: Paper Dolls

2011-10-31T14:37:00.001-07:00

Clay Art Jewelry: Paper Dolls: A bookmark any little girl would love - Paper Dolls, and you can actually manipulate the clothes shapes to the doll due to the way they ha...

Paper Dolls

2011-10-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

A bookmark any little girl would love - Paper Dolls, and you can actually manipulate the clothes shapes to the doll due to the way they hang.
I'm sorry to see this bookmark go - she sold yesterday................

Treasury Lists

2011-10-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all Esty members who liked my items enough to 'give me a shout out' in their personal Treasurys..
Here are some of my items found in the various Etsy Treasurys.

(Please go to 'Etsy Treasury Links' in the right hand column of this page to view items designated by etsy sellers to be in their Treasury lists.)

Joyeux Noel Christmas Gift Tags

2011-10-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Joyeux Noel Christmas Gift Tags

Did you ever vintage detail paper using the computer to detail your photos? Today I searched Google for a way to give my tags a vintage look without all the hand work of detailing them with archival inks and a tool. Presently I use a stencil brush to accomplish a vintage detail around the edges, and others might use the sponge tool that fits over the finger. This finger tool can be purchased at a craft supply store.

Google will lead you to 'how to' places that will show you exactly how to accomplish a vintage look with the use of your Photoshop software. I use Photo Elements, a country cousin to Photoshop, so I had to improvise the Photoshop directions. This was my first try at it, so here it is in a new set of tags I posted on clayartjewelry on etsy, given the Photo Elements technique, and below is a picture of my first attempt in using some of the features of Photo Elements:

Computer Vintage Detail

Old Time Santa Tags

2011-10-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

A variety bag of Christmas tags with peppermint Baker's twine ties

These beautiful, old time, Christmas santa tags with children and his sack of toys are printed on Bristol smooth acid free, heavy weight 100 lb paper.
I think they are charming. The taller tags have To and From added

Earrings Imitating Bookmarks

2011-10-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

These signature earrings are a keeper.

I had an idea to make bookmark earrings imitating my bookmarks. This is what happened!

My Doghouse Bookmark

2011-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

I love this pet-oriented, bookmark all handmade with polymer clay in chocolate brown. The house, bowl and bone are all approximately proportioned, and the bowl is full of tiny, glass beads, with the word DOG lovingly printed on both the house and bowl.

Happy Birthday Bunting Banner (SOLD)

2011-10-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

SOLD
Find this on Etsy.com

Brand new, quality die cut, scalloped edge, 48-inch Happy Birthday theme pennant banner. The flags are 3 x 4 inch each, and the birthday cake flag is a larger 4 x 6 inch.

The three layers of cardstock including initial, make it extremely sturdy, and will withstand use year after year, just pack it away and reuse for the next birthday. The colors are purposely unisex.

The back color is paper bag brown, and the flag colors are cream, red, purple, tan and, of course, paper bag brown and white and black letters.
The banner is hand strung with cream white paper cord through holes in each flag, which helps prevent sliding. No matter which angle they are strung from, they will stay in place.
The total length is 45 inches.

Katwise's Sweater Coat

2011-09-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

Katwise Sweater Coat