Ravensdale Shadow party

Hi all of you who are not in Ravensdale.

Okay: go to take all the chocolate with you and then come back. The party is
about to start here. Hurry back...

Lets have a shadow party of inspiration. Lets share something cool with each
ohter like those in the real party. Tips, ideas, inspiration. Lets see, we
might want to have some questions to ask to make it more easy to share so
here is the ShadowRavensdale questionnaire. Answer all or just some. Or toss
the questionnaire and inspire us by your monologue Come one everybody, we
can make this best no-Ravensdale conference ever. And if you like, you can
use your own toiletpaper to make funny costumes This also is the week
that you can order food (pizzzzaaaah) just to be able to get into the jazz
of conferences. Condition some clay in real hurry to be able to start the
next workshop. Two to three hours on one thing is enough. Pack all away and
start again. (or not: you are home, you can actually leave it all there and
have ALL your favorite tools around you. Hmm... it starts to sound bit more
tempting, doesn't it ?). And hey, you can be awake late in home too but
still get goodnight sleep as its your own bed.

Lets not whine, lets have a party !!!

And the questions would go like this (or somewhere like that anyway)

1) What is your favorite polymerclay technique right now ? Tell little more
what you have done with it ? Any links to pictures ?

2) What is your favorite polymerclay item to make (beads, sculpture, pens
etc.) ? Tell little more what you have done ? Any links to pictures ?

3) What is the latest technical tip you have learned either from someone
else or discovered yourself ?

4) Who has inspired you lately and why ?

5) Your latest new tool or material that you have used with polymerclay ?

6) What new technique, project or thing are you going to try next ?

7) If you had a change to show one piece of your polyclay work in an
exhibition, what it would be ? Send a link to it

8) Tell little more about you, something we would have not learned from the
internet groups etc. by now ?

Seriously: lets share and have fun. I am feeling bit miserable as I would
like to be there too, but Jody's posting reminded me of that week when
r.c.p-c was full of her enthusiastic rapport's about liquid sculpey. IT was
inspiring and fun. And people who were at the conference missed the feeling
of signing in at morning and finding something new and juicier than normally
in the group. Lets make this as memorable week. Quality and quantity

Please please please !!!!

PöRRö
***********************************
polyclay art at http://porro.claymountain.com
polyclay book reviews at http://porro.claymountain.com/bookself.html
old webpages at http://www.saunalahti.fi/theporro/

Porro,
I am so inspired by your links and party idea. Do you have the yahoo
messenger? We could go live!!
My claying is much more developmental right now. I just make whatever I get
the urge to work on. Right now it is geared towards the two shows
locally.... which means holiday items. Not that exciting but it helps buy
more clay!!
I will keep reading your post..... not done yet :-)
Jackie

1) What is your favorite polymerclay technique right now ? Tell little
more
what you have done with it ? Any links to pictures ?

Color blends really catch my attention. I totally followed the directions
by Carol Z.
http://mywpages.comcast.net/jss_desi...loverBlend.jpg

but the had some fun and made some beads with the mix
http://mywpages.comcast.net/jss_desi...atternPlay.jpg



2) What is your favorite polymerclay item to make (beads, sculpture, pens
etc.) ? Tell little more what you have done ? Any links to pictures ?
Beads beads beads

http://mywpages.comcast.net/jss_designs/Beads.htm


3) What is the latest technical tip you have learned either from someone
else or discovered yourself ?


If you change your mind on the final finish from future to varnish -- don't



4) Who has inspired you lately and why ?

I just saw a magazine article by an awesome artist. I didn't buy it since
I didn't have a coupon but also because I want to be ready for some serious
creative time. I should have it next week.
I try to keep my purchases withing the relm of reality - it doesn't always
work.

I was also inspired by three or four artists who were doing faces. I just
had to make a face cane. It is still a source of joy. Each face has so
much personality - too much fun.


5) Your latest new tool or material that you have used with polymerclay ?

I made a clay shaper from flex clay. It is not pretty and could be smaller
but I really do use it. I have rediscovered vaseline for smoothing bumpy
clay surfaces. And the extra fine sanding sheets from Houston Arts - I need
to use those more. I get impatient and just future stuff.


6) What new technique, project or thing are you going to try next ?
The "thing " I am trying to remember to do is--- make several similar items
at one time. Each one is better or different than the others. I am also
trying to remember to write down what I am doing so I remember what I did
:-)



7) If you had a change to show one piece of your polyclay work in an
exhibition, what it would be ?

I sent this picture to the Lark call for items. It was one of my first
faces.

http://mywpages.comcast.net/jss_desi...sPatriotic.jpg



8) Tell little more about you, something we would have not learned from
the
internet groups etc. by now ?

I am a better listener that talker :-)
I am older than I ever imagined I could be:-)
I smile more in text the in real life :-)

Thanks again Porro,
Jackie

Hi Porro! I just wanted to say that your fossils are AWESOME! I haven't checked
in here in awhile, but I went to that link right away! ;-)
But I do want to play too! Here's my answers:

1) What is your favorite polymerclay technique right now ? Tell little more
what you have done with it ? Any links to pictures ?

My favorite technique...hmmm, that's a hard one! I love Mokume Gane and using
paints and silver leaf in it, and I've recently gotten into stamps/impressions
and glitter together too.

2) What is your favorite polymerclay item to make (beads, sculpture, pens
etc.) ? Tell little more what you have done ? Any links to pictures ?

Beads beads and more beads! But I'm trying my hand at sculpting dragons and sea
serpents too, I love doing those, they take on a personality of their own
depending on what the facial features look like. Link in my sig will take you
to my website to see a sea serpent. Go to poly clay creations on the sidebar.

3) What is the latest technical tip you have learned either from someone
else or discovered yourself ?

The best tools are one's you make!

4) Who has inspired you lately and why ?

Oooo..not who, but what...the ocean always inspires me. Nature in general does.

5) Your latest new tool or material that you have used with polymerclay ?

Glitter is really growing on me, as well as paints.

6) What new technique, project or thing are you going to try next ?

One of these days I want to try to do molds. But for right now, I'm too
inexperienced with molds to make them look even half-way decent.

7) If you had a change to show one piece of your polyclay work in an
exhibition, what it would be ? Send a link to it

No idea!

8) Tell little more about you, something we would have not learned from the
internet groups etc. by now ?

I'm an avid reader who loves fantasy, and I don't post often enough in this
group! ;-)

Valerie
Website: http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/index.html

"Valerie" wrote in message
...
Hi Porro! I just wanted to say that your fossils are AWESOME! I haven't
checked
in here in awhile, but I went to that link right away! ;-)

Thanks !

I love making them. I have made some new ones, more natural, and am in the
process of tearing a necklace appart (seems to me that actual construction
towards finnish does happen a lot less than that tearing away and starting
over thing).
I took a picture from the beads for a friend and put it onto my website, its
here
http://porro.claymountain.com/newfossils.jpg

6) What new technique, project or thing are you going to try next ?

One of these days I want to try to do molds. But for right now, I'm too
inexperienced with molds to make them look even half-way decent.

Err... I went to your website and you are far from being "inexperienced".
Your work is really wonderful. And secondly making mold is pretty easy: push
something-A to something-B and make it hard and use it. My favourite
something-A for the month have been natural objects and molding material
(something-B) Alley Goop two part silicone. It makes really really detaled
molds that are easy to use as you can bend the mold. But leftover clay works
too

Valerie
Website: http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/index.html

I really liked the beads on theese pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/new/gardenflowers.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/new/berrycream1.jpg

I saw similar lampworked "rised flowers" beads the other day and that got me
interested into making some faux lampwork- imitations from polyclay. I
really like what you have done with theese !

--
PöRRö
***********************************
polyclay art at http://porro.claymountain.com
polyclay book reviews at http://porro.claymountain.com/bookself.html
old webpages at http://www.saunalahti.fi/theporro/

took a picture from the beads for a friend and put it onto my website, its
here
http://porro.claymountain.com/newfossils.jpg

Geez those are so realistic! I live in Florida, and whenever you dig in the
ground here, you find a ton of fossils and OLD shells.

Err... I went to your website and you are far from being "inexperienced".
Your work is really wonderful. And secondly making mold is pretty easy: push
something-A to something-B and make it hard and use it. My favourite
something-A for the month have been natural objects and molding material
(something-B) Alley Goop two part silicone. It makes really really detaled
molds that are easy to use as you can bend the mold. But leftover clay works
too


My molded pieces always look jagged around the edges, and if I try to smooth
them out they deform. (And I use the harder clays too).
So is Alley Goop is easier to use than scrap clay for molds? In my attempts
with molds scrap clay doesn't seem to work too well. It seems to crack with me,
but then again I haven't made many because I've gotten discouraged from my
results.

I really liked the beads on theese pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/new/gardenflowers.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/new/berrycream1.jpg

I saw similar lampworked "rised flowers" beads the other day and that got me
interested into making some faux lampwork- imitations from polyclay. I
really like what you have done with theese !

Thanks! The raised flowers are EASY to make, they just take some time and
patience. Roll out a very thin log a little larger than a piece of spaghetti.
Cut small pieces off the log and roll those into tear-drop shapes. Push down
with your finger on each one so it is slightly flattened and score a line
halfway through it with a needle tool. Arrange 5 in a flower shape and put a
small flattened ball in the center. Push a little to adhere it all together,
and you've got a flower. If you do try that out I'd love to see pictures! It
really is easy, just takes time.

With lampwork inspired beads translucents on top of a white base gives pretty
clear results and a nice "glass" depth. Most trans techniques work well. And
the ice water dunks *really* help! It's amazing what that does for clarity.

I'd love to see a pic of the finished piece on the natural fossils when you are
done!

Valerie



Website: http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/index.html

Valerie wrote:

(snip)

With lampwork inspired beads translucents on top of a white base gives pretty
clear results and a nice "glass" depth. Most trans techniques work well. And
the ice water dunks *really* help! It's amazing what that does for clarity.

I'd love to see a pic of the finished piece on the natural fossils when you are
done!

Valerie



Website: http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/index.html




Newbie here so I apologize but....... "ice water dunks"??? Please explain.

Thanks!
Karen - thevintagegirl

Valerie wrote:

Newbie here so I apologize but....... "ice water dunks"??? Please explain.

Thanks!
Karen - thevintagegirl



For some reason I can't explain when you dunk something made with translucent
clays into ice water immediately after it is baked the translucent gets clearer
(depending on how thick the layer of translucent is). HTH

Valerie


Website: http://www.geocities.com/m2ir8/index.html



Hi Valerie,
I was trying to understand why (and when) you would dunk the clay in
ice water. So, your answer was very helpful. I can't wait to try the
technique!

Thanks again!
Karen - thevintagegirl