Setting the Table

Covered some books with plain paper and added some spooky titles.

And, of course, what is Halloween without the classics.

Face #10

Tis The Season....

I want to spray paint this B00ootiful candelabra black, but still haven't gotten around to it. But what a great way to start off the Halloween season.

Peyote Pattern

This is what I worked on during the car ride from Arizona to Illinois. I saw this pattern years ago and loved it. It is from my friend, Rita Sova's wonderful website, Sova Enterprises. She also has hundreds of bead patterns available on Bead-Patterns.com.

I didn't think I would be able to successfully follow a peyote pattern, but I surprised myself.

Don't get me wrong.......there were a few false starts, and I struggled with the decreasing, but I figured it out and I'm so happy with it.

This was my set up in the back of the mini van. Rough, bumpy roads, beading with delicas and following a graph is not a good combination. However, the time went by fast and I love the feeling of learning something new and having it turn out. I'm pretty sure I am going to make it a pendant. I like it so much I may do a bracelet.

Leather and Chain

An attempt at a heavier, thicker looking leather. I highlighted it with mica powders before adding the Whiting Davis chain I had on hand from earrings I had taken apart.

After we get home from Chicago, I can't wait to try this again. My hubby wore an extremely heavy, thick leather jacket on the job for many, many years. The creases in it are deeply etched and gorgeous. These first attempts are very crude, but I am really looking forward to building a piece that is more me.

Face #9

Polymer Faux Leather Necklace

Polymer faux leather and some Whiting Davis chain I had left over from taking apart some earrings.

Face #8

Stocking Face #1

An old piece called "Bad Hair Day"- A nylon stocking stuffed with some batting, then sewn with some embroidery floss and a darning needle.   The unfinished back below.

Embellished Bead Crochet

I made this bracelet probably a good ten years ago and still enjoy wearing it. The base is bead crochet using size 6's. The embellishment is done by sporadically "fringing" through beads with size 11's.

Face #7

When I threw these scrap polymer faces together, I really didn't know what I would do with them. But they seem to be working for me as little references. We've been on the road for 10 hours on our way to Chicago from Arizona. I am feeling a little road stressed, but things are moving along.

Armature

I started this aluminum foil and wire armature and thought I would show its development from the very beginning. I guess it goes without saying that I go with the flow of creativity and who knows when I will work on this next, but it's a good beginning. The wire runs completely through to the palm of the hands. I tape it well with masking tape and then start adding the foil in increments-shaping as I go. I got this far and then put it away for another day when I'm feeling like sculpting with aluminum foil. This piece will not have fabric costuming, but will be all polymer.

Face #6

I'm feeling just a tad blue. Haven't been out with my bestest friends in ages and am going to miss my polymer guild meeting today. Arthritis is acting up. I'm very excited about the big wedding day and just want to be able to dance at our daughter's wedding. Doc said I could slow dance, and then he said, "Oh, just dance and have a great time, we'll patch you up when you get back." So, that's the plan Stan.

Face #5

Polymer Veneer

I used a couple of my canes to veneer the front and sides of this small wooden cabinet. It measures 3" x4"x 8".

Has one shelf and is sweet as can be.

Face #4

Profound Words

When I saw that image..I just thought of the “small cuts”….things that people say to others…(not necessarily in a nice way….) and how if someone removed the “surface” (a.k.a skin…) how they might show up…if we all held on to all of them. It was a gut reaction…-Jodie T. Lawrosky I really appreciate when a viewer (friend) takes the time to share their thoughts and feelings. This particular response was profound for me. It hit home. I wanted to share her words and visceral response.

Face #3

Face #2

Polymer Oddities - Face #1

I will be posting a collection of some hand sculpted polymer oddities that were thrown together in a fury of creativity. So many things going on right now I am riding an emotional roller coaster. You can laugh, or shake your head or white knuckle it with me as we slide into Fall with these crazy little sculptures.

Armatures

Photos and text by Marlene BradyI posted some sculptures on my blog and was asked what I used for my armatures. Usually I use Styrofoam cones, wire, batting and doll tape. But sometimes I use wooden dowels.

Sometimes I use foam or sometimes strips of torn cotton fabric around the wire and form to give it shape.

If my sculpture is completely polymer with no fabric costuming, I use wire and aluminum foil under the polymer.

But basically, that's it in a nutshell. If I sculpt hands or feet, they are attached to the wire, glued in and then wrapped and glued again. I sew and usually glue the costuming over the Styrofoam.

Polymer Faux Ceramics

I guess it is pretty obvious they are hand sculpted, but I must say that I particularly like the dry texture, rough stone look to them. The colors are hand blended polymer (no paint was used). It was a fun experiment.

A Sad Day

I messed up on my postings, but I guess its OK. I'm tired, my bones ache and I'm sad. One of my husband's best friends passed away suddenly this morning. It was such a shock. Oh, how he will be missed. The last time he was here, he was teasing my husband about all the "notes" we have posted all over the place to remind us to turn off the water, the bar-b-que, the lights, etc. But he was especially laughing about the one note that said "Do you have your ears?" My husband wears hearing aids and often gets to the car on his way out and realizes he can't hear. They both had a good laugh about it........as my husband went back in the house to get his ears.

Yummy Delicas

Delicas and more delicas. Yum. Got my delivery from Fire Mountain Gems.

Got 'em all sorted, numbered and ready to go.

I've got a desert scene and a mission scene with 51 delica colors. A snake pattern with 3 colors and Catrina with 16 colors. I use a 7 compartment pill container from the pharmacy to hold the delicas. I cut small rectangles, mark the color # and tape them to the bottom of the container. I can open one at a time, close it, and keep beading in the car without worrying about spilling. It's worked so far.

A Little Sculpting

I started a new head.

I tightly rolled up a ball of aluminum foil and made indentations where the features would go. I try to sculpt the aluminum foil as much as I can before applying the polymer. I got about this far and put it away for next time.

Polymer Sculpture-Native American

Same Native American Polymer sculpture from the other day, but different views. Polymer clay over an aluminum foil armature, glass eyes, suede, leather and rabbit fur. I cut the fur and used a leather sewing needle and Silimide beading thread to sew it. What a mess I made. Fun.