Rostam Table -- from tapestry

Started with the tapestry. 

Made the ceramic tiles from the tapestry shapes. 

Glazed the tiles in the colors of the tapestry. 

Made the table -- wood flat sheet, purchased legs.

Adhered the tiles to the many coated base.

Grout. Clean up.

Yes, all that simple. (haha)

       

Gingerbread Girls 2015

Once again, the g-breads by the little...but not as little as last year ...ones.   The idea still seems to be to put a nutty amount of candy on them.  I guess when they start toning that candy count down, they will be old enough to buy their own candy without supervision, and the g-bread decorating won't be quite a special to them...but, I hope the session is more than candy (and I think it is).

Ugghh..look at all that icing on the foot  That is a kid who wants to push the sugar quotient up!

Wreath

From a pile of pretty pine trimmings, holly, and eucalyptus that some very nice park rangers had gathered for the project. Used wire strands to fasten branches in place two two bound willow branches...one layer at a time. Nice way to spend an hour by the water.  I wonder if the birds are going to go for the berries?!

Cards...Golden Gate, Snowflakes & all

Greetings from one side of this bridge!  Caught an image of the bridge that looked like a tree to me...and thus paper cutting and assorted actions created 2015 "hello."   And for variety, snowflakes on pink.

Charlotte Royale

Ok, my non-cooking sister requested this for her Birthday -- after watching it made on The Great British Baking show.  A lot of bowls to clean up afterwards, but not too difficult.  I made the cream inside easier than the gelatin recipes I saw -- I just used whipping cream, vanilla, banana pudding mix...was firm and fine...and cake is still standing in refrigerator on day two of being "upright"/not supported from bowl.

Garland of Thankfulness...Guest Artist

Guest artist....now beginning to write words by herself. She decided to make a "thankful" garland ....each little "card" with something she is "thankful for"  -- including her friends.  The other day she made a "Thankful" book...so, it is nice that something inside her is thinking that way -- parents, her own thoughts/perspective, family, school, PSR...all weaving into her heart/mind...may it always be thus. 

Pistachio Tree -- Fall Splendor

Pistachio tree looking very nice.  Fall and sun. 

Entertainer with Charms

A friend of mine just threw a lavish party...decorated to nth degree, details covered, and most importantly, guests feeling welcomed and cared for throughout the evening.  He does this type of party for various holidays, so I decided commemorate his entertaining spirit with this clay figure and charms...mostly charms representing holidays, but also a dog paw for the dog he loves.  

Booooo -- Flying Squirrel

From a recent real encounter with a flying squirrel..in the South Lake Tahoe area. 

Cloud and Mist work....

We live in such a pretty place...the water ways don't slant quite this much, and the marsh really doesn't have quite so tall grass, but my inside eye knows the beauty of what this came from...and I think the hills know I didn't mean to make them less majestic! 

Costume made out of Newspaper

Took newspaper folded at the half, cut stripes up to about 2" to the fold.  Sewed  newspaper near fold line on white lightweight cotton. Adjusted to fit wearer...put elastic at top, along with some straps to help keep it up.  Covered bodice with flat newspaper, sewed together for strength, width.  Newspaper half-sleeves.  Curl idea found on internet -- make cap from plastic bag/masking tap, stick on curled newspaper -- I couldn't get mine to curl with scissors, so wrapped strips around pen. Gave the wearer my mask from party a week ago.  Ta da ..girl with recycled gown with curly crown.

Latest Tile Table -- in glaze process

Laying out the pieces that have been bisque fired. Glaze process begins. 

Day of Dead Head/ Sugar Skull Piece and Mask

Yes, gave it a smile. About 7 minutes for the mask, 15 for headpiece. Well, not including procurement of supplies. Hot glue gun allows for all sorts of wanky positioning on things that one would think would not stay in place...yet for hot glue.  Some day may  hot glue and one of my digits  not connect on a project.

Took a 1" wide headband, put a 3" wide stripe of felt on it (slice  felt like a button hole in about 6 places so it could weave in and out of the headband...for stability. Hot glued the felt to band. Cut the flowers from their long stems...spread the hot glue on liberally, pressed the flowers on.  Finish off with tulle veil and long strand of kind of wild tiny pearls. Voila.   

Happy New House -- House Warming Wishes

Took a piece of wood from parents house older fence, decorated with ribbon on side, and a few other metal decoration on front.  Wrapped thin metal tin along the edges.

The wish was for "happy good house"  (as my parents house is/was) for my friend....and 12 years later, that is what his house has been.

Masque / Masks -- glitter, forms and spider!

Took a mask form, spread with glue, put sprinkle on the sequins. Hot glue a massive (fake) spider.

Second one here -- glue on outer edge, sprinkle sequins. Stick done similar method, hot glue of stick to mask form. 

Ceramic Goat

Goat-that-is-a-little-too-rounded-dog-sheep-like glazed relaxed on wood that is to be interesting dirt.

I made a ceramic dirt plane with some grass, but feels to cold somehow...plus, the first round of glaze on it was u-g-l-y. It is ready to go with another, but the ceramic on ceramic didn't feel as the goat on dirt felt in real life -- the wood it getting me there a bit better. I like his hay in photograph, but think too corny on the wood. Final yet to come perhaps. 

A bit abstract

One of those side-of -road-dusty-small- towns with ag fields around. Added solar panels because I didn't want the above ground poles going in front of it...had seen some solar panels in town up north...looked a bit incongruent with the "old town" atmosphere, but things change. This here was taken from an abstract already, so not my image, but my kind-of copy of image. Now I need to do my own.

More Tile Table ..Rostam...Cutting Background same time as Figures

Ok, was discussing this project with someone who said it should work to cut the background out figures at same time.  I was concerned that my shrinkage would be different and that I wouldn't be able to spread to dry (so I was going to kind of mosaic with small tiles the background). In a way, it is easier to cut the figures and background out at same time because some of the background shapes are tricky.  But, I still wonder if it will work...so narrow in places and if the shrinkage doesn't happen at same rate everywhere, I am liable to have a horse hoof not fit into the groove. 

The above is one tile piece (with the dog type thing and horse tail in corner another). I removed the figures to clean them up....the cutting process made some less then smooth edges. And yes, I do expect something will break in the drying process or transport to kiln.