Focusing on Life - Week 43

In The Shadows

I don't know if it is the time of year with daylight fading into night earlier or the fog my brain is in from the cold medicine but I have been very aware of changes in light lately and how shadows tend to tell a story. This week capture what you find intriguing about light and shadows.

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. 

~~ Rod Serling ~~

As human beings we are limited and only able to perceive the three spatial dimensions (length, width and height), plus time as the fourth dimension.

But what lies in the empty spaces and dark corners of our universe? What mysteries are hidden between the light and the shadow?

Physicists, theologians, scientists and theorists of all kinds have been pondering and speculating on these questions since recorded history and beyond. What do you think or believe? For that matter, what do I think or believe?

The only story this coffee mug is telling me right now is that it's empty and needs to be filled. *smile*

To see the exploration of light and shadow of the other participants, you can check out the links below...

Focusing on Life - Week 42

All in a Day

There are many things that can happen in 24 hours.

Many situations transpire.

Let's focus on 24 hours and see what goes on during your day.

Today would have been a good day for a group hug. Instead, I got rain and pain. *big sigh* Some days are like that, I'm afraid. There was no focusing on much of anything. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day.

By the way, this is a photo from last summer taken by a friend. I'm actually in the middle there. *smile*

I did manage to install a couple of new features on my blog this week. There are Pin It buttons on all the photos now, and also 'You Might Like' links at the bottom of each post.

My Favourite - Autumn Leaf Pendants

I love autumn with the burst of colour that come to the leaves with the first frost. One of my pending polymer clay projects is to make some red and orange and yellow leaf pendants. In the meantime, I thought that I would share a few of my favourites on Etsy.

I love this one by Vincent Desjardins (vpauld). The detailed description of how this delightful pendant was made allows you to see the amount of work that goes into a piece like this.

Orange and Red Autumn Leaves Pendant with Necklace
Vincent Desjardins

This next one was made by Mary Morris (MaryMorrisJewelry). She's taken a real leaf, then dipped it in copper and added an iridescent coating. Isn't it amazing?

Copper Plated Birch Leaf Pendant Necklace on Long Chain
Mary Morris

Next comes a lovely lampwork leaf focal bead by Debbie Altman (allmybeads). The texture and colours of this leaf pendant are perfect for the season.

Handmade Lampwork Glass Focal Leaf Bead
by All My Beads Autumn Beginnings
Debbie Altman

My first thought when I saw this next one was 'Wow, that's incredible!' What Kristie-Lou (sculptedwindows) does with polymer clay is nothing less than that. Entirely handcrafted, this leaf lady can be made into a pendant, bead or cabachon, as you decide.

Fall Leaf Lady Face Bead, Cab, Pendant, or Cabochon
in Orange, Aqua, Rust, Brown, and Light Ethnic
or Tan Fleshtone polymer clay
Kristie-Lou

There are so many more to explore and enjoy on Etsy. Just search for 'autumn leaf pendants' and you will see. The breadth and depth of talent out there is unbelievable.

Polymer Clay - First Experiments

The tools and equipment have been in my house for months. Sculpey in several different colours has been waiting to be opened and turned into beads or pendants. I even bought a small toaster oven at the thrift store to bake them in.

Something was holding me back from launching into the world of creating with polymer clay, however. In retrospect, my fear and hesitation seem silly...as it always does after the fact.

Today was the day that I took the plunge! Here are the results of my first few attempts at making pendants.

These first ones were made with one colour of clay. I used a letter punch set to add words to the pendants. After baking and cooling them, I applied acrylic paint on two of them to enhance the lettering, then wiped the excess off.

Next, I tried a couple of different techniques using two colours of clay with very different results, as you can see. 

Well, why not try it with FOUR different colours, I thought. And here are the results of that experiment.

So, what did I learn through this whole process?

1. The mini metal cookie cutters that I am using are too large. I need to find smaller ones.
2. The clay sticks in the cutters and gets distorted as I'm pushing them out. I have to find a better way to remove them. And I need to cut my finger nails so that I don't leave marks on my creations.
3. Acrylic paint stains polymer clay if you don't wipe it off fast enough. To hide that error, I just painted two of the first ones all over to even out the colour.
4. I put too much pressure on the letter tools and the outer rim of them shows, which it shouldn't. I have to use a lighter touch next time, not press so hard.
5. Mod Podge will seal and protect items that have paint applied to them. The glossy type that I used gives it a shiny finish.
6. I now know the optimum time and temperature setting for the best results. Although the instructions say leave them in for 15 minutes at 275F, I found that 20 minutes works better with the toaster oven I have.
7. Fine grit sand paper is great for smoothing any rough edges left by the cutters.

And last but not least...

8. This is FUN and I want to experiment some more!

If you have any helpful tips or techniques for working with polymer clay, please share them in the comment section below. Thanks.

Focusing on Life - Week 41

We all have, make or witness connections every day. Connecting to one another makes us feel that we are part of something more, something great!! This week focus on the connections you make, the connections that naturally occur, a connection of things, your connection to your environment, craft or faith.

With this being Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, the ‘connection’ most on my mind right now is my family connection. And I will be spending lots of time over the next three days connecting and conversing with close and extended family members alike, some that I don’t have the opportunity to interact with very often.

Earlier this year, we had a big family reunion for one branch of the family. I wish we could do it more often. Some of the younger members of the extended family are practically unknown to me, as am I to them.

As you can see from this photo though, there are a lot of us...and this was only some of the people who were invited. Many, unfortunately, were unable to attend. We live at such far flung parts of the province and country that getting together on a regular basis is not feasible.

I do like the fact that I have been able to connect with many of them on Facebook, and can follow along with their activities. During the process of researching the family history, I've re-connected with branches of the family that moved out of province many years before I was born and have established themselves out there, almost forgotten by those of us here.

So, family connections are my top priority this week. To see the connections of the other participants, check out the links below...