Wonderful Jewelry!

One of my wonderful, repeat customers, Reshma of AhKriti  has blogged today about my beads here. Reshma makes really lovely jewelry and I am proud that she finds my polymer beads worthy of her work. It is very exciting for me to see how jewelry artists use my work. I often don't see that because many times people who buy my beads are collectors and just hold on to them. Which is fine too!

It was Reshma who wanted beads with a decidedly Indian twist and she requested beads with paisley designs. Back when I was in college and high school, paisley was all the rage! I still remember all those wonderful Indian bedspreads we had all over our dorm rooms with the colorful paisley designs. But that was quite a while ago and I hadn't really thought about paisley since then. But Indian design still uses lots of paisley. I had a small paisley design stamp that came with one of my stamp sets but it was really too tiny. I wanted something a bit larger. So I found a set of rubber stamps that had a mix of designs and cut out just the paisley part I wanted. I cemented  it to the end of a dowel and it worked perfectly. I added some floral stamps to the design and they really look nice as you can see from the photo.

Reshma also has a very different color vocabulary from mine and so she really took me out of my comfort zone with both design and color combinations.  I am really happy with the work that has come out of this collaboration from her custom orders and I always look forward to working with her!http://www.etsy.com/shop/ahkriti

Got cactus?

I think this one looks like a cactus., a photo by Roberta Warshaw on Flickr.

This new design really says "cactus" to me. I love cactus plants. It is the thing I miss most about Arizona when I am not there. I currently have 3 small cactus plants growing in containers and I never get tired of looking at them. They are like little furry/spikey aliens to me . For someone like me who has spent my entire life on the east coast they really are unusual plants.

I hadn't planned on this design looking like a cactus. In fact when I first unmolded the design I thought it looked rather odd. But when I added paint and guilders paste it really took on a lovely desert quality.

Someday I hope to be able to spend more time surrounded by cactus but for now I will just make designs of them......

"Porcelain" Series

"Porcelain" Series, a photo by Roberta Warshaw on Flickr.

I have been testing out some of my new innie/outie designs on some of Lynda Mosely's color formulas for new ivory, old ivory and opaque ivory.

Her color formulas are really quite lovely and each imparts it's own unique ceramic-like quality to a piece. I think it must be due to the amount of translucent clay in the formulas.

Not all my designs work as well as I would have hoped. After making multiple molds and using up a ton of scrap clay, I am left with barely a dozen that I feel are worth using. Some of the stampings are too shallow and don't hold the paint well. This design here has a nice "heft" to it and the impressions hold the paint nicely I think.

I continue on the road to recovery with the herniated disc. I still have three physical therapy appointments left. Then it will be up to me to continue with the exercises and try to strengthen my spine muscles. I am still very much in denial over whether i will ever be able to ride my bike again. As many of you know, I am an avid cyclist. I have been for 40 years. If I can't ride it will be a huge loss for me. I have never found anything quite like biking. Not only am I getting great exercise but I am energized in a way that climbing the stairs in my condo building doesn't hold a candle to.

Never the less, I will count my blessings and move on to find something that will heal me as well as exercise me.

An Unusual Day to Say the Least!

 

I don’t know quite where to begin about today so I guess I will begin at the beginning.

I began my usual routine. Woke up about 7 Am, made coffee and settled in to read the blogosphere and check my e-mail. Well according to my e-mail there were a lot of views and comments on my flickr site so I checked in there first. Much to my surprise someone congratulated me on being on Polymer Clay Daily. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa????????????? Are they kidding?

So I fast tracked it over to Cynthia Tinapple’s Polymer Clay Daily blog and there I was. Just like that. I couldn’t believe it. I have never had such a feeling of elation in my life. I almost started to cry. Really it doesn't take much. Cynthia and her blog are really very special to all of us in the polymer community. It is my opinion that she has single handedly united the international polymer clay community in a way no one else has. Every single day 5 days a week she is out there discovering new artists and not only blogging about them but researching them as well. She not only tells you where the artists are from; she links you to all the sites where their work can be found as well. She is a dedicated soul and we in the polymer clay community should be so grateful for all her hard work and diligence.

You know, I don’t get out much. I have constant multiple family obligations and when I am home I am just locked away in my studio. It is my comfort place. The internet has been good for me as far as meeting new people who do what I do. Today I spent most of the day meeting new friends on Facebook and flickr and answering e-mails congratulating me due to the overwhelming response to her blog post. I also sold 2 items from my Etsy shop. All before I finished my coffee!

Then, shortly after that news, I received an e-mail from Izzy Winterhart of Love My Art Jewelry reminding me that my guest blog was posted today. I had totally forgotten that today was the day that was to be published. She asked me a few weeks ago and I was so honored to write for that wonderful blog.

So I was in two places today! Very exciting.

And now before I forget, I have one more thing to post about. You know I love stamps! I am all about the stamps. Especially letters and dingbats and design stamps. I can’t get enough of them. Well, Lori Anderson is giving away a set that I absolutely covet by Impress Art at PJ Tools. If you want a chance to win them go to her Pretty Things blog But I hope you don’t win them because I WANT THEM!!!!! Kidding. Go for it and may the best man/woman/child win!

No, I didn't disappear

Polymer Clay Long Faux Verdigris Bead with Stars and Leaf Design, a photo by Roberta Warshaw on Flickr.

I just realized it has been a while since I last posted.

I have been still dealing with my back issues. The MRI came back and I do have a herniated disc. So I have been very busy going to physical therapy, doctor appointments and such. I am trying hard to avoid the needle in the spine so I went on a round of predisone.

I know everyone does a gasp and looks at me like I am crazy but it is really helping me and if I can avoid the needle, I'll risk growing a beard and getting a red round face.

The biggest problem wasn't the pain anymore, but the weakness in the left leg. So I am climbing 280 stairs a day in my condo building to bring the leg back to where it should be. I also bought a new chair for my studio/computer desk. You cannot believe what I was sitting on before. It was an old hassock of my grandmothers that had seen better days. Sunken tush area and all. That is probably what killed my back.....

I bought a really ergonomic chair for about a gazillion dollars, but hey it is my back and like I said.....NO NEEDLES IN THE SPINE PLEASE!! The idea just freaks me out.

So anyway, I have been able to work a little in my studio. These new long beads are my latest thing. So much fun to keep coming up with new ideas. At first I thought of making pendants out of them but I am having far too much fun just making the beads!