What I am making Monday

So much to make and so little time in which to do it.  I have so much on the go right now that really needs my attention but I seem drawn to polymer clay.  I should be sewing and finishing the pram toys I promised S I would do for her baby.  They are cut out at least and a couple are stitched together.

The polymer clay started up because I wanted to make a maternity leave card for S to be signed by those at work but I wanted to make something that was a little different.  I made the one pictured below for a friend years ago now and she loved it so much that she framed it.

I was going to do something similar again and thought I would make the bear out of polymer clay.  I decided to combine the idea with the frame itself.  Instead of writing inside the card, people would write around the matt board that would border the main picture. 

My task now was to find a frame that had a matt board big enough for 30 plus people to sign but also not be too large.  I found what I was looking for in Thingz.  The price had been knocked down twice and I managed to get a nice frame for $13.

Long story short, I decided against the card above.  I suppose it was because I had been there, done that.  I remembered a cross stitch of a baby asleep on a flower and decided to do that but with a bear. 

The bear is actually shaped with tin foil first and then a thin layer of polymer clay has been put on top.  That way the ears don't get burnt while the rest of it is cooking.

S will be getting this on Thursday. It is going to be sad to see her go but luckily for me she lives close by. This means lots of baby hugs.

Speaking of baby hugs, my cousin in moving here.  She is pregnant as well.  It is going to be so nice to have babies to hug again, especially considering one of the babies I used to look after and dote over turned 18 last month.  That's years as well.

Foto Friday

I love ordering things off the internet.  It gives me something to look forward to when they arrive.  Some time ago now I order small, slower shaped fondant cutters.  I was going to use them on my RSPCA cupcakes but they did not arrive in time.  On Wednesday I received a package in the mail from China.  The customs information tag noted that the contents was a car charger.  Of course when I opened it up I found my fondant cutters.  I bet the x-ray guys at customs had a good laugh at that one.

Sometimes when I order things I get them sent to me at work.  It means that I have something to look forward to at work and don't have to rely on someone being at home to sign for the package if need be.  Today I got some gems I ordered from Earth's Gems.  They are a store on Face book and have some lovely things. 

Being that this is Foto Friday, I have taken some photo's of them for you to see.  I am also still in love with Pixlr-o-Matic as well so I played around with the images a little.

This gorgeous angel is made from Opalite.  He is 5cm x 3cm.  I love these angels.  I have a smaller one in blue goldstone that I need to photograph but it needs to be in the right ligt to show off it's sparkles.  I was also given an opalite stone and a blue howlite stone for free.  The blue howlite is very nice.

This angel and point are amethyst.  I am not sure what the specific use of the pendulum is for.  I bought it to make a necklace out of the charm.

I also bought 3 blue tiger eye stones.  Tiger eye has always been one of my favourite but I never new it came in blue and red colours.  The blue is a little too dark to be photographing in the light that I have at the moment so I will try and do it later.

On a yummy note, we were given a thank you gift in the office today.  Teeny tiny cup cakes came in the post.  I had a purple one (of course - purple fan here). 



I have had more deliveries this week but all my photos are else where.  I will post them on here tonight if I have time.

In the meantime, have a great Friday.  The weekend is almost here!

Totally Tessa Tuesday

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
And slowly up my dog she creeps
Until her nose in on my cheek.

I'm praying here I say to her,
But these words will not deter.
And if I die before I wake
A wet tongue slides across my face.

She stares at me with big brown eyes
and exhales little puppy sighs
I try to ignore this interruption
But she insists on more corruption

I am sorry Lord I can not pray
This little monster wants to play
But later when she is asleep
I pray the Lord our souls to keep
Amen

I didn't have time yesterday to post what I have been making so I will do it now.  It was a busy weekend and we had a black out on Saturday night.  Our oven decided not to work on Sunday and I had been creating things out of polymer clay that needed baking.  I ended up over at the neighbours house asking if I could bake two dragons and a butterfly in her oven. 

It seems I got the timing slightly wrong and the dragons are a little overcooked.  It looks like they were in a fire fight and haven't cleaned up yet.

Later on in the evening I decided to try our oven on a whim.  It finally decided that the blackout was over and it could be useful again.  I then sat down and made another blue dragon and cooked him for half the time as the others.  He looks much better.

I am going to make these into necklaces.  I have also ordered some pointed gem pendants and I will wrap a dragon around them.

Wacky Wednesday

Yes I know, it's Thursday.  That is why it is wacky.  Also because I was doing this last night, which technically was Wednesday.  :)

Have you ever used Paverpol before? In short it is a fabric hardener.  It can be used to make artwork for outdoors, indoors and may other things.  I am just learning how to use it myself.  I am currently trying to stiffen fabric petals to make a 3D flower that a FIMO teddy bear will be sleeping on.  Definitely Wacky Wednesday!

My friend at work is having her first baby (a little girl).  She is also a little closer than just a work friend as well as we often do craft days together.  Instead of the traditional maternity leave card (boring) I decided to do something special and different. 

I found a large frame going really cheap at Thingz (wish I got two now).  The matt board that was included is big enough for all of us at work to sign.  This was signed last week, and I somehow have to get it back home again with her knowing.  We catch the same train at night and this thing is big.

So, the matt board is signed, and where the picture would go is now being transformed into a paverpol floral delight.  At least I hope it is.  I have made a teddy bear out of FIMO and he will be laid on top of a flower as if he is sleeping on it.  I am very proud of my FIMO bear.  I shaped him first using tin foil and then covered him with a thin layer of FIMO.  That way he wasn't too thick for baking and his ears wouldn't burn off before the rest of him was sufficiently cooked.  I will take photos once I have finished the whole picture.

Speaking of pictures and FIMO.  I had a little bit of brown FIMO left over.  After having so much fun making fondant dogs, I decided to see if I could make a Fimo one out of the small amount I had left.  He is so cute and currently looking up at me from my desk.  He is 1cm wide and about 1.5cm high.  Think I might make a few more and see if they sell in my Etsy store as charms.

What I've Made Monday

I have been very productive this last week making things for my friends new baby that is due soon as well as preparing for the RSPCA Cup Cake Day - today.

Perth main train station was shut down over the weekend due to renovations and track maintenance so it was going to be interesting getting to work with my cup cakes.  Thankfully my line was running well and there weren't the usual crowds.

I made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  I was going to make it from scratch but then I noticed that White Wings had bought it out in packet form.  OMG it is delish.  They turned out so moist and the icing is to die for. 

The fact that I was no longer making from scratch left me more time to play around with some fondant I had bought.  I decided I would make 3D dogs and put them on top of the cup cake.  I started the process on Friday night.  I made 6 on Friday, another 6 on Saturday (and a little experimentation) and then the rest on Sunday.  I had a blast. 

At first they did not sell because no-one wanted to eat the dogs (and because we charged $4).  Finally they seemed to disappear and we were left with about 6 of them which disappeared this afternoon.   Some have kept their little dogs and have them sitting on their computer (on a tissue I hope).  I believe some even have names now.  Lucky is one of them, I think it was because he was lucky he wasn't eaten.

Next year I have orders to make them in clay so people can buy them and not worry about sticky mess on the computer.

There were three main styles that I did: a standard looking pooch in a sitting position; a few laying down covering their eyes so that they couldn't see when you bit into them; and 2 boxers.  The ears of the boxers were hard, hence the reason why there are only two.  All together there were around 25-26 cup cakes an dogs.

  

Theses yummy  cup cakes were made by Mel and dog face ones by Corinne.  We also had a chocolate mudcake.  I don't know how much we raised yet.  I will find out tomorrow.