Blog has moved!
Because I want to consolidate several different blogs into one, I’ve moved my blog to http://funnylittlecritters.blogspot.com/
Itty Bitty Kitty
A recent challenge theme in the Beading Forum I frequent was the theme ‘Itty Bitty’. I wasn’t going to enter this one as I didn’t really have any idea what I wanted to make for it, until my darling husband says “what about an itty bitty kitty?” So the 13mm tall polymer clay kitty pendant was born.
It took me about 2 hours to sculpt the kitty on a headpin, using only a toothpick to shape and texture it. Then it took several hours to paint it, and this was a real challenge for me because it was so tiny and I had to use the finest of brushes and keep reaaallly still while I did it. Most of the time was spent waiting for layers of paint to dry however! I used a beautiful photo of a Ragdoll cat as inspiration for the colours and markings. And yay, I won the challenge with it! 
Dr Livingstone, I Presume?
This was made for a weekly challenge on the beading forum I frequent - http://www.beadingforum.com.au
The theme for this week was “Doctor Doctor” and I have responded with “Dr Livingstone, I Presume?” My entry won! I’m rather excited 
A little background on the phrase from Wikipedia
Doctor David Livingstone (19 March 1813–1 May 1873) was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and explorer in central Africa. He was the first European to see Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya), to which he gave the English name in honour of his monarch, Queen Victoria. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”
Perhaps one of the most popular national heroes of the late-nineteenth century in Victorian Britain, Livingstone had a mythic status, which operated on a number of interconnected levels: that of Protestant missionary martyr, that of working-class “rags to riches” inspirational story, that of scientific investigator and explorer, that of imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader and advocate of commercial empire.
His fame as an explorer helped drive forward the obsession with discovering the sources of the Nile River that formed the culmination of the classic period of European geographical discovery and colonial penetration of the African continent. At the same time his missionary travels, “disappearance” and death in Africa, and subsequent glorification as posthumous national hero in 1874 led to the founding of several major central African Christian missionary initiatives carried forward in the era of the European “Scramble for Africa.”
I hand-modelled the pith helmet out of white polyclay and painted it, did a silver wash over it to make it a little bit pearly so it wouldn’t be completely eclipsed by the shiny beads, then threw a few coats of lacquer on it. I tried to use beads, colours and effects that would evoke feelings of Africa and the jungle such as the animal print beads in the hanging fringe and the twist of green seedies like a jungle vine along the neckline.
Ladybugs in My Garden
This was a short-notice commission in sterling silver, swarovski crystal and czech glass. I had 1 week in which to order the components, design the piece, put it together and get it into the hands of its eager recipient in Tasmania. The order was for a necklace only but I made a pair of earrings to go with it, sorry about the poor quality of the earring photo. Unfortunately I don’t have the photography equipment to show off the swarovski crystal at its best. These pieces are quite sparkly and eye-catching but the photos just don’t capture that.
The customer has described this piece as “a carefully crafted necklace which showed the skill of a craftsman and the dedication of an artist” and stated that the recipient was so shocked when she recieved it that she cried. I can’t ask for more than that
Pendant close-up
Tidal Eddies
This piece was inspired by a picture of eddies in a pool that Da Vinci sketched. I tried to capture the swirls, foam and motion of the water, while not using typically water-like colours. 26 gauge artistic wire and glass beads.
Love Affair
The inspiration for this very simple piece came to me while staring blankly at the pattern on our shower curtain one morning. 24 gauge artistic wire and a glass bead.
Tree of Life
I have always had a fascination for the Tree of Life, and I rather suspect it will feature in jewellery I make in the future. I didn’t have the beads at hand that I wanted to use, so this turned out rather differently from what I had in mind initially. 24 and 26 gauge artistic wire and glass beads.
