Kokeshi Digital Dolls In a Collage Sheet

I have finally completed the Ellie Collection and made the dolllies into collage sheets. I love how all the colors came out.

 

Just think how sweet they would be as cameos on a pendant...

They are available in my etsy shop...check them out here.

Kokeshi Digital Dolls

I thought I'd come up with my own Kokeshi Digital Doll Collection...I worked on my first one all day. I decided to come up first with one face and have several different hairstyles and outfits for that one face.

I named my first "doll face"... ELLIE.

Inspiration for ELLIE started from doodles...actually a doodle of an eye...

Then her body is formed...

And after playing hairstylist and fashion consultant...I came up with my first dolls...The ELLIE COLLECTION.

Oh how I adore them! 

Each one has a first name and Ellie is the family name!

Ellie-Miu, Ellie-Mai, Ellie-Aya, 

Ellie-Shiori, Ellie-Chie, Ellie-Kei

Each name has a meaning...

Miu means "beauty" and "feather"

Mai means "dance"

Aya means  "colorful"

Shiori means "poem" and "weave"

Chie means "wisdom"

Kei means ""blessed lucky" and "happy"

Sooo much fun. I'm planning to make pendants from and also make them available in digital collages!

Retro color burst collage sheet

If you love color...you're gonna love the new digital collage sheet I just listed on etsy...It's the RETRO COLOR BURST. It includes 7 designs in 6 assorted color schemes ...check out ho adorable and fun...

here is what your pendants would look like...

check it out on my etsy shop...here

The Art of Patience

Those who are close to me know that I am quite impatient...especially when it comes to creating. When inspiration hits me...i have to get it done. I like to see results...fast! Sometimes, i start even without planning...just dive right in and see how it goes.

With stoneware clay, I am learning the art of patience. In each of my workshop sessions I was able to complete a piece...but for the last day, our teacher asked us to come in with a plan of something we wanted to create combining different techniques we learned in class.

I actually already had an idea for what i wanted to do and the night before class, i sat down and scratched a few doodles on to a piece of paper. I worked on a couple of patterns to bring with me that I would use to cut out my clay pieces. So, I was ready.

In class, I tried to work quickly building my coiled piece but noticed that the clay was too wet to keep building. I had to slow down and give the clay time to dry out a bit. So I learned to relax and build more carefully and slowly since the piece that I was creating was a bit bigger than the usual pieces that i had made...

I had to go home this time, with an unfinished project but, of course, it is a challenge for me to complete this. Now that the workshop is done, I will be working on my final project here at home. There's still a lot of work to be done on it but, I am excited because I know, I've been wanting to make a piece like this for a while... You're wonder what it is? Well, you'll have to be patient too and come back to see how its going before you can find out...

Anyway's here is what I have on the work so far....

Not much to go by quite yet but...just wait and see!!!

In the meantime, i do have mini projects on the side that are quick with instant gratification...here are a few greenware pendants and a stamp I worked on...

I carved the designs out freehand on a piece of slab and then cut out several pieces in oval shapes. I really like the one on the upper right (2nd to the right), It has a concave shape which may allow me to just glaze the front side and leave the back unfinished. I noticed too that i need to make the holes a bit bigger for the pendants..maybe i could drill them a bit to enlarged them...

So, that's what i am working on for now. I also have to get back into the groove at my supplies shop. I have a few orders to process and hopefully I'll get the invoices out today. Busy busy bee!!! Have a great day and keep cool!!!

Oil Burner and a Vial

 Some home-work that I did yesterday... I used the pinch pot techniques for this oil burner...

I'm not happy with the little pot that goes on top so, i think ill make another one for it today. I do like how peep carving in the back looks. Makes me want to make some candle holders...hmmm....

I also made a couple of vials...great for essential oils to hang as a pendant. I would need to glaze the inside part so that it would be waterproof. This one is my favorite...

So, today is a Tuesday and that means its workshop day again! Only 3 sessions left...awww....I wish there was some kind of continuing education available here in the Philippines for this kind of stuff....

By the way, stop by the etsy shop...I have a discount package listed for the digital collage sheets... Your choice of 5 digital collage sheets for only $15!!!!

Ceramics - Playing Around Between Classes

Since there won't be another class until Tuesday, I decided to play around a bit with the left over clay i had...and  I made myself a little dragon...

Here is his head and neck...looks a little like a dinosaur...

 The body is made using a small pinch pot...

 Attached the head and his little arms...

 Now for the wavey mane/ head scales?

 Side view...

 Front view...

 Now to add the wings...

I also worked on a few texturing stamping tools...I really want to make a lot more of these...

I definitely think I've stoneware is here to stay!!!

Ceramics Day Three - Coiling Technique

Another fun ceramics class!!! Today we learned the coiling technique..and this one I really enjoyed. It took a lot of time and patience to come up with each coil but I find it very calming and relaxing rolling away those little logs of clay...

Here is what I made today....

I'm looking forward to making a few more items using this technique.

I actually also made 2 little cupcakes pendants and an owl pendant but I totally forgot to take pictures of them....awww and they came out really cute! 

Can't wait for the next class!!!

Ceramics Day Two - Slab Technique

Second day in ceramics class today... I brought in what I did at home...

I realize that I had let it dry out already so I couldn't paint it with the underglaze. So, I will have it add to the ones to be bisque fired and just glaze it later on. I'm excited to do more jewelry stuff...

So today's lesson was the slab technique...we rolled out our clay between two pieces of wood. we had to put it between canvas so the clay wouldn't stick.

After rolling it we stamped a design and then beveled the edges so that we could stick the two ends together and come up with a cup...here's mine...

I guess the clay should have been thinner. Also, I'm hoping the cracks are just minor ones...had quite a hard time with these because so many cracks kept showing up...well I'm gonna cross my fingers and see how these two hold up...

I still have some extra clay left over..and i'm gonna try to play around and make more jewelry pieces! Yey..can't wait for the next session!

Ceramics Workshop... Pinch pot

I attended my first session in ceramics/stoneware yesterday and I couldn't be happier! It was a nice small class...three adults and 2 youngsters. Our teacher, Ms Katti Sta Ana is a very good instructor. She toured us around the ceramics studio and we jumped right in to working with the clay. I love the the feel of the stoneware clay. It definitely has a different consistency compared to the polymer clay I am used to working with.

First we learned to prepare our clay for working, a process called Wedging.  We do this in order to knead the clay to get all the air bubbles out and get an even consistency.Then we wrapped the clay in plastic bags to keep them moist. We brought the clays to our table and started with our first technique/lesson...the pinch pot.

We started with a small ball of clay and pressed it in with our thumb. We continued to press the walls, feeling the thickness with our fingers while forming a little pot. We made several and combined the pots together until we formed a ball shape. Each of us was to make a pinch pot animal and since I love owls, it was my animal of choice. Our teacher made a puffer fish, my classmates made a cat, a turtle, a dog and a snowman. We also got to paint our finished creations with underglaze. Then we had to leave it to dry before it can be bisque fired.

We really learned a lot of things like how to make clay glue or also called slip, how to attach two pieces of clay together by scoring and adding glue, how to fix cracks on the surface and so much more. We each get to work with 2 kilos of clay every session and whatever we have left at the end of the session we can take home. I am excited to practice more today with the left over clay that I have...here are some pictures of our day's work...

This is my owl...the horns/ears looks a little funny and it makes him look like a devil...haha..

The two little girls in the class are quite inspiring to watch..they had so many ideas while working!!! Here are their pinch pot creations...a snowman and a dog...

Working on Digital Collage Sheets

Happy Easter to you guys out there...I know I am a day late with my greeting. Its because here in the Philippines, Monday is still a holiday and I am still on holiday mode!!!

I have been busy working on my digital collage sheets. I've listed a few already so you can check them out in my etsy shop...

I have a cute tag, label or stick sheet that says handmade with love....

The default background color for the tag is hot pink but when you purchase the sheet, i can customize the background color to your liking..just make sure to message me or to write it in the note to seller.

I also have a Japanese Chiyogami type pattern collage sheet in circles great for bottlecaps and round bezels....they are available in 30mm, 20mm or 15mm sizes.  

and here's what it would look like on a round ring bezel...pretty sweet!!! 

Another collage sheet of pretty patterns in aqua/green-blue colors...reminds me of the ocean during summers...

Here are some samples on brass settings.... 

And last...a lovely collage sheet of vintage women ...this time by John Godward. It is available in 30x40mm ovals as well as 18x25mm ovals... 

And this is what it would look like in a setting...

The vintage Godward Ladies is yet to be posted in my etsy shop but the others are already available!!! This week, I'm hoping to actually make a few resin pendants from these sheets. However, I don't know if i will be able to since I am attending a ceramics class too!!! 

I am super excited about it. It only meets for 6 sessions so I'll be done in two weeks.I'm not sure if we will be able to create any pieces that we want or if we are bound to stick to whatever the instructor tells us to make (pottery? vases?) Hopefully, we can deviate from the norms and go with what we feel like making...for me, jewelry pieces!!! Anyway, hopefully i'll get to post pictures of it in the coming days!!! 

Well..I hope you had a great Easter weekend! I sure did, lounging around with the hubby and the doggie-baby!!! Now, its back to work!