Thursday, December 6, 2012

Craft Time - Baking Soda Clay

After a week of doing this craft it is finally done. Normally it probably wouldn't take this long but my time with the girls are limited. I only see them twice a week and we usually only have an hour with just the three of us so, yes, time is very limited. It didn't help that I forgot to bring the stuff on Monday. Silly me.

So the girls and I made Baking Soda Clay.

You will need...
  • Baking Soda
  • Cornstarch
  • Warm Water
  • A saucepan
  • Measuring Cups
  • A wooden spoon or silicone spatula
Directions...
  • Add 1 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cups of cornstarch, and 2/3 cups of warm water to the saucepan. Stir until everything is blended and smooth.
  • Put saucepan over medium heat and stir until it looks like mashed potatoes.
  • Once it's done, remove from saucepan and let cool. It doesn't take long. Once it's done cooling it's ready to use.

This can be air-dried or baked.
For air-dry, it takes two days to dry. Make sure you flip it every one in a while. I noticed that my creations cracked, only some of them. This might have been because I didn't flip them or because the temperature was inconsistent. I'm not certain since this is the first time I've used it.

For baking, I read somewhere that you can bake these at 175 degree for an hour. Just make sure you flip them half way through. If you happen to know where I read this, please let me know so I can put a reference.

The girls decided to make hand prints in their clay it it turned out fine. When everything was dry, the girls painted them. I helped Little One with hers.

I glazed theirs with Triple Thick. I have a huge jar of it I tried with my clay charms but I didn't like it as much as I liked Sculpey Glaze. Matter of opinion, I guess.



Thursday, November 22, 2012

Craft Time With the Girls - Baking Sugar Cookies

I don't know if I posted this before but I got another job as a nanny. I help care for a two year old and, occasionally, a five year old. I really enjoy this job. The girls are just so cute and pleasant to be around. I mean, they are very independent and they like to do crafts. So once a week the girls and I pick a craft.

Yesterday, we made sugar cookies and the frosting as well...it was a mess but they turned out well enough. The week before we made non-bake cookie dough. Before than we used polymer clay. And before that we made masks out of paper plates. This coming week (Monday) we are going to make Salt Dough Ornaments or the Baking Soda Ornaments. Probably the one that takes less time because the girls don't like to wait. I'm super excited about it.

So back to the sugar cookies.
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I found a recipe on pinterest and decided to use it for the cookies. It also had the recipe for frosting. The girls decided to make their own frosting.

Here is a really bad picture of them.

Yeah, the frosting is wonderful, isn't it? I had to sneak in a bit of blue because it looked like a gross greenish gray color. And these cookies are huge. I let the girls put them on the cookie sheet.

They taste good but they don't look normal. At least they had fun. The link to the cookie recipe will be added below.


Where I got the recipe.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Art Journaling and Clay

I've been rather busy these last few weeks of not posting. I got a job as a nanny...again but I really enjoy working for this family. The girls are so cute too. I started working on an art journal. A different one. This is one I made from a book and I've already finished two pages. One is a little more complicated than the other but that's just how these things work.


 The pictures aren't that great because I took them with my phone rather than my camera. The quote is a writing quote. I don't know how well you can see it in the picture but in with it right in front of you can tell that it's a castle. So my sister says.

The other thing I have been working on are Zentangles. Here is my first one.

This was just a trail thing to see if I liked it and I did so I decided that I would continue to do it. I bought some pens to do it with. I'm trying out different kinds and the Micron pens are probably my favorite so far.

Another thing I was doing was making clay charms for my shop since the one year anniversary is coming up. I'm going to have a sale. It's going to be either a buy 3 get one free or buy 2 get one free. That's just for charms. My other items are going on sale as well. I will give more details tomorrow when I post a bunch of stuff about it. Cyber Monday is also coming up. I'll be adding more new items to my shop but for now here are a few of the newer items I have. They are part of my On the Rocks series (which is an original idea). Here are more Alcoholics and they all have a story that will be posted in the listing.


 I don't promote drinking or being an alcoholic, just so you know. This actually started off as something silly between my sister and me so please don't go telling me that this is offensive.

Oh I also have an instagram. I'll put a button somewhere on my site but my username is lifeatemymuse if you want to follow me.






Sunday, October 28, 2012

Some art


This is something that I did in replacement of my train case. Weather and time haven't really been my friend...still. I decided to get back into my sketches...my sister and I call these blobby trees. I've been seeing these everywhere so I decided to try it. I love them but I don't think I'll be using them in my art often. They are good for a quick sketch but I've been trying to get back into my own sketches...I won't like I think it has something to do with the Mixed Media journal I've been using. It just isn't the same as my Canson ones.

Yes, I've very peculiar about my things. Mostly dealing with paper and pens. It's weird I know. I've always been like this.

Well...now I've got to finish watching this episode of Warehouse 13. Which has become a TV show I'm in love with.

Monday, October 15, 2012

The Weather Isn't On My Side

I've been trying to work on my train case but it keeps raining or it's too cold. So instead, I've been working on other things. I've been sketching out things I'm going to be adding to my shop for the season. They should be up by this weekend.

My On The Rocks characters will be posted soon in sets along with their homes. Should be fun. I'm also going to start working on this novel planning website that my sister and I talked about. Not much is going into it yet since I'm currently preparing myself and helping others get ready for National Novel Writing Month. I'm writing blog posts for a Deviant Art Group called Wrimo-Writers. I have to start making plotting posts.

At the moment, I'm distracted with the TV show Merlin. I'm obsessed.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

New Projects

Altering my train case.


This is a trail and error thing. I've never done this before. Today I'll be working on cleaning it and making a design for it that I'll probably end up painting. I might also do research on how to fix up the inside. Mine isn't so bad but I want it to be different. I have no idea what I'll be using this for but I can never have too much storage. It would be perfect for if I decide to go to J-fax as a vendor. I can put my charms inside.

Another project, that I might have mentioned before, is my diorama for a contest on DeviantArt. I just need a shoe box and I can get started. Unfortunately, no one has a shoebox I can have. I'd best get looking or start making the diorama out of the cardboard around here.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Art Journal Pages

These are the first two pages of my new art journal. I am building the journal as I go.

Here is page one. It's not my favorite one but I'm slowly starting to get back into this. I was at a loss of what to do. There is something about warm colors that just makes me go blank. I can't seem to do much when they are involved. I'm hoping to change that. Of course, this picture makes it look so much worse than it is. It looks better in person.


Page two. I love this one. I love the colors and everything. I kind of wish I had a sharpie pen to write the words but I'll do something to keep those letters from smudging. Anyway, I was experimenting with things on this page. It's done mostly in acrylic paint.


 Another view because I love this so much.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

My First Attempt


This is my first time paint with just acrylic paint. My sister made the art journal for me that I'll be saving for the workshop we'll be taking. I'm going to start art journaling again. It should be fun. Or maybe my sick and addled head is making me think it will be fun. I struggle with things like art journals because I feel like they will need to be perfect. I'm going to be working on my first page today.

I think I found a new song I'm obsessed with. It's free on Amazon.

Thousand Falling Stars by Little & Ashley. 

Friday, September 21, 2012

My Monster Series

This is something I'm working on now for my shop. It started as a drawing and then I decided to make them into clay objects. It will be a series and they are characters...maybe I'll make a story line or a backstory for each of the characters.

This is my first drawing. There are many more monsters to come.

This guy belongs to my sister. He has yet to be named.

Both of these are posted on my DeviantArt site.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Clay Creations

I've been making these all clay creations this weekend and I'm not finished. Some will be posted in my Etsy Shop but others will not. Let me show you what I have.

 These two gumball machines are in Etsy. The big one is a figurine and the small one is a charm.

 This is going to be modified a bit before I post it on Etsy but it's super awesome. I love it.

 This Calla Lily was a practice thing. I didn't post it to my Etsy and I don't know if I will. I think it's pretty cool though. It's an eyepin-less charm.
 I wanted to wear something like this but black doesn't show up in my hair...having dark hair and all.

 My elephant with a peanut. I was going to name him but I don't have one for him yet. He is a small little guy but very cute. This isn't is Etsy yet.

 I'm starting to make polymer clay buttons. This one is for my sister. It happens to be too thick to attach to clothes but it is for a bracelet.
Woot! Cactus charms! These are pretty cute, in my opinion.
BBC Sherlock Chibi...don't judge me. I had a better version of him but I lost him.

I was experimenting with polymer clay and crochet hooks. This one happens to be the one my sister stole from me. It turned out very well and I made a few more below.

Tada! These are my crochet hooks. I'm going to make more. I'll probably sell something like these in sets but not right now. I just think they are the coolest things ever and I hold my hooks so much easier now.

This wand is actually for my brother. It's made out of clay, a stick, and a marble.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Wordless Wednesday - Town That You Live In

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here

Posted on my DeviantArt: Here