WOYWW 144

Hi all. This is a very quick post before I rush out to my usual Wednesday sewing/chat group. I took my photo before I went to bed but it was in the very early hours of Wednesday. I started this at around 9.30, so it's only 8.30 in UK and I see there are already 85 posts!

I was having some fun last night playing around with clay and paint. Last Wednesday we had a man who was brave enough to visit a room full of women to collect any jewelry we wanted mended, and to buy any unwanted gold and silver. He is very clever at what he does, and I am really pleased with some repairs he has done for me. I am hoping today he will bring my ring. He has taken an old ring of my husband's and a small Thailand sapphire pendant of mine, and he is making them into ring for me. Anyway, I digress. Last week one lady who used to be a silver smith, brought in a box of off cuts and bits and pieces for him to buy and in amongst them was a silver plaque of the 'Madonna and child'. My friend asked if she could borrow it and promptly gave it to me saying I could make a mould of it and make replicas. (She said she was only thinking of her decoration next Christmas, because I usually make her one!) So I found my last little bit of mold-n-pour and made the mould (in purple on my mat). I then made it twice with air drying clay and three times with Hearty clay. I am pleased with the results. The detail is excellent except perhaps with the facial features using the hearty clay. So last night they were dry and I filed down the edges and gave them a first coat of paint. I experimented with luminarte, gesso and ordinary acrylic, and now I shall add various metal accents, mica sprays etc, to make them more interesting.

Also last night, while on the theme of 'Madonna and child', I tried out a cutting file that I bought from craftrobo megastore. I was using my silhouette cameo machine and I thought I would try it out with a thicker card, so I used 280g coated card, and after a couple of trial cuts, I got the settings just right and it cut beautifully. Here you can see the cut card which I have peeled off the carrier sheet, leaving a perfect negative image. I think I can make use of this as well, so two for the price of one. I shall try down-sizing it tonight, and see if it cuts just as well when it is smaller.

Well now I do have to go, but I'll be back this evening to visit all your desks and see what exciting things you are getting up to.

If you would like to see how other folk spend their time, pop over to Julia's blog and follow the links.