Earrings....mostly

Since I did those two pieces the other day I've been making things like crazy...I'm in love with colors against black....and I've been mostly doing earrings, which is something that lends itself well to this style and I'm so glad because I've usually had problems coming up with earring ideas....these aren't the greatest photos but I just wanted to get some up here to show you where I'm headed....I keep thinking of refinements and how to make them better and I'm loving all the ideas I have....the only problem is....these are way different from the style that got me into Baltimore lol....so this should be interesting....trying to integrate this colorful style with the earthy pendants I was doing when I applied...sigh...always something huh....

Some New Work...and a workshop pendant

I've finally photographed the pendant I did in Kathleen Dustin's workshop in October...she is such a lovely, gracious woman...it was a total pleasure to learn from her. It's easy to tell which one is that pendant....it has the layers of color and pattern that is her signature...it was a joy to create and I've learned so many invaluable lessons...even things as simple as the proper temperature to bake Premo at(285 degrees)...and how to use a heat gun to get really good transparency....using prismacolor markers and pencils on baked clay.....so many things that I never knew...thanks so much, Kathleen...you've done more to advance the acceptance of polymer clay as a valid art/craft medium than anyone else I can think of....I'm so glad I had the chance to take your workshop...

So now what? lol...In the weeks I've been back I've gone round and round trying to figure out (still)what it is that makes me passionate about polymer clay...and what direction to go in..

I've had several false starts and got to that place where I felt like I was up against a wall creatively....it's not so much that I don't have any ideas....it's that I have so many that I don't know which is the real me...you know? So I've done what I try to remember to do when I hit that wall....walk away and do something else....so the hallway has been painted and I even have groups of framed pieces lying on the floor to be put up when the mood strikes me...and during that time several things seemed to come to the surface.

I've always loved black...with lots of colors...so I'm playing around with that...here are two pieces I've done to start....

I also want to figure out how to incorporate some wonderful things I learned in the workshop...but that's for later...for now...this is sort of fun all by itself....

Happy To Be Home

I'm so happy to be home....had a wonderful time in Florida, great workship with Kathleen Dustin(she rocks)and it was incredibly wonderful to see friends and family....but there's no place like home.

Soon I'll have some new work to share....the workshop was chock full of great ideas and techniques I doubt I would ever have figured out on my own....

Oh, if you were thinking of taking a vacation in Florida in October to beat the heat...think again.....lol