Doing It Mandala Style

A few months ago I covered a sugar bowl with polymer clay. I loved the way it turned out and told myself I would do more work along those lines. Well yesterday I finally did. But it wasn't another sugar bowl that I made but a hair accessory. Now you're probably thinking to yourself, "what does a sugar bowl have in common with hair accessories?" Why...the WAY I decorated the both of them of course!

First, here is the sugar bowl I did. I absolutely loved the way it turned out and I hope the person who bought it loves it just as much. A lot of slicing of canes and placement of those paper thin slices went into making this dish.

For those who have never worked with polymer clay before I thought I would show you a little bit of the "behind the scenes" process. So here is a glimpse of what it took to make my latest piece, what I am calling a hair slide because well.... I don't really know what to call it!

This is just a sampling of some of my canes. I ended up not using all of these but I had them handy just in case....

This picture gives you a better idea of the size of some of the canes. And yes, I use a pin to pick up those tiny little petals and place them where I want them. The slices stick to the point of the pin when slightly touched. You have to have an easy touch and a steady hand. And my reading glasses and a bright light comes in handy too!

And this is the end result!

So there you have it. The similarities between a sugar bowl and a hair slide. Both of these pieces have sold but I KNOW I will be continuing with this style. I just love it!

Fall is in the Air

Fall I think is my favorite time of year. Cool nights, warm afternoons and clear blue skies.

It is the end of October and finally feeling like Fall where I live. So my thoughts turn to all things Autumnal. Pumpkins, hay rides, hot chocolate, chrysanthemums, geese flying south, leaves of red yellow and orange, pine cones and acorns!

I first noticed all the acorns while walking out to my mail box last week.  Cute little acorn caps were littering my driveway. I picked some up, leaving the acorns in the yard for the squirrels, and took them inside. So you may ask, "what will you do with acorn caps"? Well I'll show you.

Aren't they just the cutest?

I can just picture them in a small glass bowl with moss and stones.  Or how about scattered among some evergreen leaves down the middle of your Thanksgiving table? Or attached to a napkin ring with small twigs or other natural elements? Oh, the possibilities!!!

I have dozens and dozens of acorn caps at my disposal. I'll have to gather them up soon before the outdoor elements destroy them, just in case I decide to make some more of these little gems.

So what would you do with these unnaturally colored nuts? I would love to hear your ideas. So why not leave me a comment?