Clay Day part 2

Hi Everyone

As promised earlier, I've been busy making beads. I didn't make the faux glass stuff because I needed to allow drying time for part of the process and as I was running late, I decided to go with some colour mixed clay. I will try out the other technique before next week. This involves pouring alcohol ink onto a thin layer of transclucent clay, allowing the ink to dry and then needing it.

However, back to today. I've made a batch of green/transclucent beads ai various sizes/shapes with carved lines. I need to highlight the texture on the beads with some acrylic paint and polish. I'll then decide how to combine the beads into something nice. Here are the partly completed beads so far :

                                  

Thanks for reading.

Clay Day - part 1

Hi Everyone

The world has past me by today ! ....... I feel I've missed the whole day (it's only lunchtime so there time to make my mark). Not much work going on either and it's my Clay Day. My plan was (and still is) to make some new beads with transclucent polymer and alcohol inks to give a form of glass like finish. I'm thinking about a simple bracelet and a necklace on stretch thread. The beads will need a bit of texture and I want them to be chunky. That's as far as the rules go .... I'm just going with it and we will see what happens.

I will post the cured beads a bit later so there will be a part 2 to this post.

Thanks for reading.

Bye for now

Recipe Wednesday

Hi Everybody 

Today's recipe is another tried and tested pudding from my past. I can't remember how long it is since I made this pudding but it turned out great and just as easy to make as I had remembered. There is a longish cooking time (40 mins) but I found I could prepare the pudding in the morning, cover with cling and place in the fridge until I came home from working. We normally eat dinner (weekdays) at about 5.30pm so I had plenty time for the 40 mins bake. So what's this recipe, it's a Bread and Butter Pudding.

I used a couple of tea cakes rather than bread for this recipe. I sliced the tea cakes quite thinly and buttered each slice. I layered the slices along the base of a shallow dish and grated the rind of an orange over the tea cakes. I mixed 4 eggs with 600ml of milk and 50gm of sugar and poured the milky mix over the sliced tea cakes. Just before baking on gas mark 3, I sprinkled ground cinnamon over the whole surface of the pudding.

The pudding raises beautifully, turning a rich golden colour and smells wonderful while cooking. My recipe is adapted from Marguerite Patterns 1,000 Favourite Recipes, this is an old book my husband owned before I met him and looks a bit dull but it's full of amazing recipes. I will be looking to this book for more ideas.

Now down to business - will the recipe make it into the book ? Yes, it was a winner, the boys loved it and it got 5/5. They renamed the pudding Citrus Delight - I like the name but I think it will probably still get 'Bread and Butter Pudding' ? 

I gave it 5/5 too, very easy to prepare and although it takes a while to bake, it's simply a matter of placing it in the oven while doing other things. I guess you need to think ahead on this one but I can live with that. Here is a quick look at the pudding :

                                

Thanks for reading.

Making Framework

Hi Everyone

It's another Making Workshop today and we are creating little trinket bowls or similar using air dry clay. Hopefully all will go well and we will decorate them next time. If time permits we will make some Christmas things, stars and the basis of a tree (will share this project in detail next time). This kind of clay is very different from the polymer stuff we normally work with and (for me) quite a challenge. 

I've decided I do like the look of the Matt, chalky finish and will try out some more ideas. It will be interesting to see how others create their bowls and how the finished items turnout.

We've also been practicing Zentangle ideas for surface designs, I'm not sure how I will apply this technique yet. It's going to be interesting.

The unfinished but dried clay looks like this so far :

                                

I've got some ideas for the plate and the tree but not sure about the bowls or the decorations. The little house will end up on a painting (I think ?), perhaps as part of some additional collage ? As you can see, some of the pieces are not quite dry. I'm amazed at how long the drying process takes. The rustic plate has been 're wetted' and flattened ! - it's turned out OK. I'm going to try and give the plate a sort of glaze.

I've been collecting ideas on my Pinterest board Air Dry Clay so will keep going with that re surface decoration. I think I will need to make loads more bowls to try out all the different possibilities! I'm favouring a 'seed like' shapes/pattern at the moment.  

Just need to start with the decoration and see where it goes. I'll share the results after tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

Make Art Monday

Hi Everyone

Back from holidays today and as usual post holiday I feel all over the place! I need something to direct my day and here it is ............

I've got a great little eye practice planned. Here it is :

                                

My ongoing Eye Project for Monday's is so behind that I need to completely re focus ! Life and work etc has taken over and I've lost my way with the actual production. Im still convinced about the worth of the project so it's about actually getting on with the development. I'm going to re sort the four surfaces for my project today (read back Monday's for background on the project). I feel like I've been going for ever with this one and it's time to get organised.

The eye drawing exercise will help me to re start my project and if I can get the surfaces organised and collect my eye sketches (already done) I will feel better. I'm considering spending all week on this job. Will review my plan this evening and decide what I can achieve. 

Thanks for reading.