Now It's All About Pottery

Since getting into the succulent hobby, I've thought about making my own pots for my plants and I've taken the leap.  I was at Hobby Lobby and purchased my first 25 pound bag of clay.  I made my first pot on Oct. 27, 2017.  I started with a pinch pot, which is always a good place to start.  Here's the one I made.

I wanted it to be sort of free form and organic and I think I met my goal.  I like the way it turned out and I'm looking forward to planting something in it.  Of course, I first have to fire it, then glaze it, then fire it again before it will be ready for planting.  I've not fired my kiln in about 25 years so it will be interesting to do that again.  I'm just waiting to receive some pyrometric cones that I ordered the other day to fire it up.

Since making this pot, I've made quite a few more, trying out different techniques that I've seen either on Pinterest or watched YouTube videos of.  On another pinch pot I made, much smaller and simpler than my first one, I wanted to try some simple carving of stripes on it.  Here's how it turned out.

It was hard to get the stripes even, but I think it's ok.  As with any craft, it will take time and practice to get better at it.  I made a small slab pot to try my hand at that technique and then attempted some simple line carving on it.  I used my zentangle experience for that one.

I had an idea for a more complicated slab pot and this time I made a template to try it out.  I think it turned out really well and I used it to try out slip trailing, a technique that I really like the look of.  I found it hard to get my lines even, but it will need more practice as well, to become an expert at it.  I find that I always want everything to be perfect the first time I try it and things just don't work like that.  But I figure I'll just keep at it.  Here's the slip trailed slab pot and a view of one side, showing the slip trailing better.

Then I had an idea to make a tool holder for all my pottery tools.  This time I made a sketch of what I wanted and then made it up in paper to figured out what size slabs I needed.  That worked really well and I was able to take the paper prototype apart to use as templates for cutting my slabs.   This was a fun project and I can't wait to finish it and fill it with my tools.

I wasn't sure how I was going to decorate it at first, but took a photo of it and put it in an app on my Samsung tablet (which you can draw directly on your photos with) and came up with the etched design that I used on it..

I wanted to try making a mug with a pulled handle, so ended up making a slab mug and doing the etching technique on it, too.

I love Art Nouveau, so found a design I liked on Pinterest and redrew it to fit the dimensions of the mug.  I like the way it turned out.

I wanted to try a coiled pot, so made a simple planter with this technique.  I like coiling, but I think it's more difficult to get it to be precise than building a pot with a slab.  But I will continue to play with it, as I've seen some amazing pots that people make with coiling.  I'm sure it just takes practice...practice....practice........

I wanted to try a slab pot and push out the clay to make it more rounded.  This is how it turned out.

Here's a couple more pinch pots I made to practice getting some different textures.  I've also made some texture stamps that will be fun to try out after being bisque fired.

I've really enjoyed playing with clay and I'm wondering why I never tried it before.  I used to make porcelain dolls years ago using molds, but building things by hand out of a wad of clay is quite different than pouring molds and, I must admit, is quite fun and entertaining, albeit somewhat messy.

Quilting is still on hold for now, but I'm sure eventually I'll pick it up again.  Dolls have taken a backseat to pottery, too.  Oh, and I'm hoping to take a class in the Spring to learn how to use a wheel.  It will be interesting to see where that might take me.

Still playing with succulents.  Yesterday I went to a succulent show and sale up at Sky Nursery in Shoreline.  It was so much fun.  There was more sale than show, actually, but that's ok because I really wanted to buy anyway.  I didn't buy too many, as I don't really have the room for anymore, but found a few unusual ones.  I especially liked this one.  It's called Crassula tomentosa.  Isn't it just fun?

I've made a few more planters and have been having so much fun doing those.  It's a challenge, though, to find plants that go together, as I don't have a lot to choose from.  I watch YouTube videos of people putting together planters and they have tons of plants to choose from and that makes it look so easy, but when you don't have so many, it makes it a bit harder.  Here's my latest ones.

All the planters are from thrift stores.  That's my new passion, too, is looking for planters to put the plants in.  But sometimes I see people's collections and each plant is in it's own planter and I like that too.  I'll probably end up with some of each, but I like it when all the individual planters are the same.  So I'm not sure how that would work.

I'm also making an outdoor rock garden.  I have the perfect spot in my back yard under the eaves so they won't get too much rain.  I'm not sure if they'll get enough sun there, but many of the harder succulents will tolerate some shade so I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.  Here's what I have so far.  I did buy 5 more plants yesterday to add to it.  I hope to put those in today.

I want to add rocks like in the lower left hand corner all around the plants.  I've picked up the ones I have so far from our back yard.  It's a lot of work picking them up, though, and what I'd really like to do is go to a river or something where they have lots of rocks and get some there.  I think they'd be a lot nicer too.  Anyway, it's a work in progress and, although I am only putting in hardy succulents, it will be interesting to see what makes it through the winter.

Lastly, is animal shaped planters.  I've come to love them.  They're just the perfect planters for succulents.  Here are two that I have so far.

Aren't they just fun!  I found the duck one at TJ Max on clearance for only $1.50.  The other was a thrift store find.

Yesterday I was wishing I had never gotten started with succulents.  I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with them because I'm running out of space for them all.  Somehow I have to find a way to manage them.  I've been taking them outside every day to get some sun and bringing them back in at night.  But I won't be able to do this much longer because of rain.  Then some of them will stretch and get misshapen from not enough sun and I'll have to consider getting grow lights.  I don't know if I really want to go there or not.  I am committed to them now, however, so will just have to deal with the problems as they come up.

I need to get going.  Happy days!

Succulents!

Now I've gotten into something that I never dreamed that I'd be interested in.  That is growing succulents.  I think it all started seeing a succulent planter at someone's house and thinking how cute it looked.  Then I saw a variety pack of them at the same house.  From there I started thinking about how I'd like to make a planter with them.  About two weeks ago I bought my first plants and a planter and it's been non-stop thinking of them every since.  I've started propagating some (or at least trying) and have been buying any interesting ones that I see.  I've joined several succulent Facebook groups and have started collecting pins of them on Pinterest.  I've watched numerous videos about caring for them and propagating them and I want to learn the names of the ones I've purchased.  I've also ordered a shelf to put next to a window to put them on, as I already have too many for the dining room table.

I do find it fascinating how many different varieties there are and how interesting they are.  Some of the plants look like something from an alien planet.  And they're so easy to propagate.  If a leaf falls off, you just let it take root and it will grow a new plant (most of the time).  Or you can snip off a small section and stick it in some dirt and it will grow roots and make a new plant.  It's quite fun.  Here's some picture of the planters I have made with the plants (and pots) I've bought.

This is the first planter I made with some of the first plants I bought along with the pot.  This one I have outdoors, but will have to bring it inside over the winter as I don't believe the two echeverias will make it through the winter and I'm not sure about the rest of the plants.  It was fun to put together but now, when I look at it, I see a few things that I would do differently next time.

This is the next one I did, with a pot that I already had.

This is third planter I made.  Just for fun, I put the little turtle on the rock.  He's been sitting on my kitchen widow ledge, along with two more, for years.

And this is the 4th.  I found this pot at a thrift store.  I especially like the way it turned out.  I got the small rocks at the dollar store.  I think I'd like to get some aquarium gravel to try some time.  I've seen some done using white gravel and they looked really pretty.

I'm still playing with dolls and have actually been making some crochet clothing for some of the smaller dolls.  I need to get some pictures taken of the ones I've finished....or one at least.  I think I've only actually finished one, but I have two to sew snaps onto.  I'm keeping busy and enjoying my hobbies. 

Dolls and More Dolls

I went to a BJD Expo last Friday and Saturday and had a great time there.  I think the best thing about it was the fact that everybody was carrying around a doll, including myself.  It was fun to go up to someone and say how pretty their doll was and then start a conversation about dolls.  It was so easy to talk to people I had never met.  I just can't do that normally.  But the dolls were the connection that brought us together.

I did a wig making class and made a mohair wig.  That was cool.  I've made these kind of wigs 30 some odd years ago, but was totally out of practice and this refresher was very helpful.  The wig turned out ok, but I think I can do better with some more practice.  I put it on a new little doll I acquired just this week and it looks so cute.  Here's a picture.

This is a 10 inch Lorina from MYOU dolls.  I bought her blank and did her face-up.  I'm still working on getting better at doing face-ups, which is the term used for painting the face.  I want to especially improve in doing the eyebrows.  The expert's eyebrows are amazing, painting each stroke with such precision.  I have a ways to go to get there but I know, with practice, I will be able to do it.  I have seen improvement in my painting just since I started doing this a couple years ago, so I have hope.  As with most things, it's just a matter of practicing.  And I have two dolls being shipped soon that I will be able to practice on.

Collecting BJD's, as opposed to other types of dolls, gives me so many opportunities to be so creative.  Not only can I sew for them, but I can customize them through doing their face-ups and changing their hair and eyes.  You can basically remake your doll as often as you like.  And on top of that you can make props for them and create dioramas to display them in.  Such fun!

All About Dolls

I haven't done hardly any quilting lately.  Instead I've been bitten by the doll collecting bug again.  This time it's not Tonner dolls, though, but ball jointed dolls.  I've been sewing for them, reading about them on Den of Angels, looking at them online, and ordering some.  Quilting has simply been put on hold for the most part.

I've ordered several new dolls, six to be exact, that are taking several months before being sent to me, which is normal for this type of doll.  They are pretty much made to order.    I also purchased 2 used dolls off DOA, one from Ebay, and a new doll from Junky Spot because I needed some instant gratification.  Here's a picture of the one from Junky Spot, which is a MYOU Matcha.

She is a 16" child doll and I made her dress.  I don't have any shoes for her yet, though.  She's a fun size to make clothes for because of her larger size.  I have dolls as small as 3" tall and clothes for them have to be sewn by hand, which I don't mind, but it's more fun sewing for these larger dolls.  

This weekend I'll be going to a BJD retreat and am looking forward to that.  I signed up for a workshop on how to make wigs from Tibetan lamb pelts.  We'll see how that goes.  I've purchased some of those pelts, but was afraid to try making wigs with them in case I ruined them.

Here are some more pictures of my ball jointed dolls, just for fun.

These two dolls are from Fairyland.  The larger one is a 10" Realfee Chiwoo and the smaller is a 6 1/2 inch Pukifee Mio.

 Another doll made by Fairyland is a 16" Minifee Liria.

 This one is a 14" Narsha basic from Dollmore.

Last but not least is this precious little Lati White Yui who is just 4 3/4" tall.

Less Quilting and More Whatnot

Quilting has been put on hold for awhile, as I'm pursuing other artistic avenues.  I'm still doing Skillshare classes and having so much fun with them.  I'm learning so many fun new things.  Since I only signed up for three months (for 99 cents), I kinda feel like I need to view as many classes as I can in that time.  But I've also been doing some watercolor, especially baby roses.  I've found inspiration from antique Guilloche items.  There are many that are hand decorated with tiny roses, so I've been copying them in watercolor and practicing and practicing painting them.  Here are some practice sheets.

Then I tried drawing some shapes to paint inside of and this is what I made.  I really liked the way they turned out.  I did some china painting 20 some odd years ago, and these remind me of that.  I never got very good at doing the baby roses when china painting, but always wished I could have.  I had to quit the china paining soon after my 2nd child came along.

Lastly, I die cut some shapes out of watercolor paper, to paint roses on.  I love the way they turned out.  I'm not sure what I will do with them, but they're so pretty anyway.  The smaller one is only about an inch by an inch and a half or so.

One of my Skillshare classes was on ink drawing.  We started with making little wildflowers and leaves, then ended up doing wreaths using the flowers and leaves.  I loved making the wreaths and drew one on watercolor paper to paint.  Here it is.

I'm working on learning some hand lettering using brush pens and it would be perfect for writing some words inside of the wreath.  Of course, there's a learning curve to any kind of hand lettering, so it may be awhile before I feel ready for that.

So there you have it.  I'm keeping busy and having fun learning new things.  My quilting projects will wait for me to get back to them eventually.  And what does it matter if my granddaughter has to wait another year or so to get her quilt.  She's still young....

Where Have I Been Anyway?

Again, I allowed so much time to elapse between posts.  I'm not sure where the time goes.  It just seems to slip away so quickly.  But I have been working on quilts and have finished a couple of tops. Haven't finished the quilting on any though, although I have been working on it.

Here's one that's in the process of being machine quilted.  It's for my 5 year old grand daughter.  I'm making my quilt sandwich here.

Lately, I've been side tracked from quilting and into coloring.  I bought myself a set of Faber Castell Polychrome pencils.  It's a wonderful set of 120 pencils, but I'm not sure I like them that well.  I think I would have been better off getting some cheaper ones.  Since I received them, I'm finding that I like using the plain old Crayola or Prang pencils better.  I wish I'd figured that out before spending the money on the new ones.  I'll use them though.....for something.  I'd like to play around with colored pencil drawing at some point.

Here's some pictures from a Dover book called Mystic Mandalas that I tried the new pencils out on.

Here's a couple of pictures that I colored with the Crayola and Prang pencils.  I like them much better for very find detail.

I also signed up with Skillshare.  If you don't know what that is, it's a website that has classes in all sorts of creative avenues.  I've done a couple with ink drawing and some using watercolor.  They are not long classes but are quite fun.  Here's some of the things I've created from the classes.

The first two were from an ink drawing class.  We had several projects like the first picture to simply practice our line drawing, for better eye hand coordination and smoother lines.  Then there were some projects that led to the final one in the second picture.  I like having assignments to follow.  It helps me get busy and do some art!

Another class was on drawing cute animals.  We first sketched the animal with pencil and then, using the guidelines the teacher gave us, we made the animal look cute.  I didn't realize I could do anything like this, but it was really pretty simple and a lot of fun.  I found the picture of a turtle in a calendar and here's my cute depiction of it.

The last pictures were from a watercolor class.  It was easy to follow along as the teacher took us through the steps to complete the drawings.  What fun these classes are!

As you can see, I have been busy, even though I'm not quilting.  I love so many different art forms, sometimes it's hard to choose where to spend my time.  

That's all for today.

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