365 Days of Lip Service

Hail to the Chief!

     

Happy President's Day, especially for you lucky ducks who get the day off from work. U.S. presidents were of course my inspiration for this lid. I've also been ruminating lately about how much I like charcoal rubbings. If you're not familiar with the concept, it's the art of placing paper over textured objects, typically old architectural elements or tombstones. Charcoal is rubbed over the paper to get a ghosted duplicate impression of the design. I wanted to see if I could create this effect with clay. This was done by putting a very thin layer of black clay over a quarter, burnishing with my finger and then applying a light coating of mica powder on the raised surface.I have to say that I was more than happy with the results. In keeping with a patriotic theme, I used red, white, and blue stripping over my Stars and Stripes foil. It's not news how sad the economy is. We all know the dollar continues to shrink, but I bet you didn't know it was getting smaller in value and now in size! I glued miniature, replica coins to the rim. These miniature and micro miniatures versions of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters are a part of my Micro Inclusion line and coming soon to www.lisapavelka.com

     

Good Vibrations

     

In going through my crystal treasure trove I came across this lovely SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS Topaz (10mm) triangle cut stone (#4722). I made today's lid with no idea of what it would look like when I started out. Sometimes, my favorite creations are those that begin this way. After placing a stripped clay border around the stone and baking it, I decided that I'm still not over my Spring Fever and am longing for green. Onto a green base of clay it went. Then i noticed some wavy clay strip scraps sticking out of my scrap clay jar from a previous project. Voila! i decided to build an abstract sun concept with the crystal as the focal point, thus the rays of black and light green clay emanating out from the center. To highlight the strip border of the stone, I decided to add a striped border around the rim. Even though I was inspired by the thought of sunlight on grass, I now also see the design as vibratory currents coming out of the stone. Whatever way you look at this, I hope it inspires you to do something creative today.    

Spring is in the Air?

     

 

...okay, well maybe not yet, but you can't blame a girl for dreaming. Keeping on the track of yesterday's blog creation, I feel the need for color that brightens my spirits! What better way to do that than with a confetti millefiori cane accented with bull's eye cane slices and a fabulous SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal rivoli. A simple, textured blue clay rim causes the blue color in the cane to pop! 

 

Leaving on a Jet Plane

 

The biggest blessing of being a working artist is connecting with others through my classes and workshops. Another wonderful perk is the chance to see the world through my work. I'm incredibly fortunate to have the support of my husband and kids. Once in a while they get to travel with me too. Not every venue is exotic or exciting, but the point is sharing the love of creativity far and wide. Oftentimes a trip means breezing in and out of a town without time to site-see or relax. When I do get the chance to do this, I consider it a bonus, but the biggest payoff is creating with new and old friends. So far this year, I'll be traveling to locations including Slovenia, Austria, Alaska, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Canada, and other locations throughout the U.S. I made today's lid as a tribute to the joys of travel. This mixed media collage is made using polymer clay, micro components and products from my line (including Magic Glos resin and texture stamps). A striped border finishes the piece. For more information about where I'll be teaching along with links for class offerings visit www.lisapavelka.com

Kaleidoscope

     

One of the most popular (and one of my favorite) Mallorie caning techniques is a variation of the traditional kaleidoscope caning methods I refer to as "mirror caning." Traditionally, a kaleidoscope cane consists of six, identical cane sections, assembled together. Today's creation is accented with a striped clay border, a donut shaped hotifx nailhead and Magic Glos resin for a glass-like finish. As winter wears on and the last of the major holidays are over for some time, I believe surrounding yourself with vibrant color is one of the best ways to fend off seasonal doldrums.

About Face

     

 

If you haven't heard of metal clay, it's the newest true artistic medium. I recall it's introduction from Japan in the 1990's. The concept is based on powdered metallurgy. Incredibly small particles of jewelry grade metals (gold, fine silver, copper and bronze) are m temperatures ixed with an organic cellulose binder to form a "clay" of sorts. This material comes in various forms including lump clay, slip, paste, and paper types. When molded, sculpted, formed, stamped, cut, extruded, or punched. These types of metal clay are then dehydrated of all water. Depending on the material, quantity and objects it can be used with, it is kiln or torch fired at high. The binder burns away, leaving pure metal. The disintegration of the binder causes the metal particles to come together in a process known as sintering. The loss of the binder results in a percentage of shrinkage that can range from about 8-14% depending on the brand, application of the clay. I dabbled with the art form for over a decade until my friend and metal clay mentor, Art Clay Silver President - Jackie Trudy encouraged me to begin the process of certification. I have been Senior Metal Clay instructor for just over three years now. I love that metal clay can be used as a stand-alone material, but that it has nearly unlimited mixed-media applications; especially for polymer clay. My devotion to the medium has lead me to  a regular magazine feature (Clay Convergence) in the premier publication for the art form, Metal Clay Artist. One of my favorite uses for small bits of metal clay that are left over from larger projects is to make accents and charms. This tiny face still captures a lot of detail as the focal point in a millefiori lid. An asymmetrical clay frame highlights the Fine Silver accent. A gold leave crackle finish is used over black polymer clay for the rim. To learn more about the medium of metal clay, visit the link to Art Clay World USA, for a wealth of information about materials, classes and more!    

 

Who Do You Love?

     
           

 

Happy Valentine's Day! I don't think of today as just one for romantic love, but love in general. I have always loved this day, even during the years I had no Valentine. I always thought of this day to treasure friends and family as well. In tribute to my Valentine, Allen, and all the wonderful people in my life, I have made this virtual box of chocolates in 1/12th scale. The box and the candy are all polymer clay. I have used my red "Pavelvet" Holographic Foil from the Celebrations collection to create the exterior of the box and the rim of the jar. A glossy finish was given to the lid of the heart box using Magic Glos UV resin. The background of the lid was made by applying mica powder to my "Persian Carpet" texture stamp and press lightly onto white polymer clay to get a printed effect. All the fun and none of the calories!

 

The Sweet Life!

 

I consider myself a nostalgic person. Candy hearts have been a part of my memory since early school days. I love that some things never change. I made these hearts from polymer clay, dye-based ink, and metal letter stamps. The stamped rim is a bezel for the candy sprinkles (these are real candy!). I mixed them with a small bit of Magic Glos UV resin and cured under my UV lamp for 5 minutes. This locks the sprinkles in place and gives them a protective coating. I love that Wilton makes such a huge assortment of candy sprinkle colors these days from holiday blends to bright and vibrant colors, and of course, the traditional rainbow sprinkles. These are from their Easter/Spring mix that should be available soon if not already on craft store shelves. I hope this inspires those of you who are playing with my resin to try your hand at working other types of candy sprinkles, glitters (Art Institute are my favorites!), and natural inclusions such as spices, sand, etc.

Puffed by Love

 

I found this old open heart disc of purple powdered polymer clay in my odds and ends clay drawers. I made it for another project years ago. The texture was achieved by stippling the surface with a ball tip stylus after applying mica powder. It was just the perfect size for the jar lid. I pressed a millefiori cane slice through the center until it took on a domed shape. A thin snake of green clay was added around the edge, textured with a needle tool, and baked with the lid. I then added the stippled green rim and glued leaf cane slices and tiny clay balls in between, along the rim. I think my inspiration for today's jar (other than Valentine's Day) is that many of the things we create don't always "hit the mark." I've learned that these projects-along with bits and pieces that didn't work for their original intention-can often find a useful purpose somewhere down the road.

S.W.A.K.

     

 

Love your lips and take care of them with Carmex. This lid is sealed with a kiss because I love this product. I don't just use it on my lips, but for cracks around cuticles and on feet; everything feels better and heals faster! The Sealed with a Kiss letters were made using a technique I developed called stencil-gane (which appears in my latest book - The Complete Book of Polymer Clay (Taunton Press). The lips are stamped on using dye based ink as is the "Paris" cancellation mark. Hotfix metallic hearts were applied to the lid and sides.