RINGS

I found these fabulous ring shanks and have been going crazy with my canes!These rings will be in Flourish art Gallery in Birchgrove in Syदने.

Spanish influence

I dont know what happens to me, but I think I am influenced by culture! Got a spanish thing going on now!!!

New items for the gallery

I have my work in a gallery here in Sydney,they have requested more of my work and I have just completed the pieces for this. I have continued with my French provincial theme and made pieces in Silver and gold. It is so exciting for me!

Some new beads to show you

They are actually not very new, I made them some time ago but havent had the time to take the photos etc. We are currentlyin the process of selling and moving...so life has been crazy and my polymer work has been put on hold for a bit! Not much longer now though!

Published in Australian Beading Magazine

Thankyou to Melanie Dilday for her hard work in promoting Polymer Clay in Australia and submitting the recent article and photos of winners in the competition sponsored by the Australian Guild and CCIP. My piece "frenchy" was featured and a small blurb along with two other fabulous entries. very exciting to have an Australian mag featuring Polymer Clay!

Jelly beans!

Our aussie polyclayers june/july challenge was INKS! We dont have the wonderful range of Inks in Australia that are available in the US,cant wait to put in an order some day soon!
This is my entry in the challenge,soooo much fun to make and I did have to stop people eating them!

Steampunk my style!

After Christi's class, I decided to steampunk my dog! Her name is Roxy,she is a vivacious 5 year old Fox Terrier.She So suits being steampuked!

Workshop Christi Friessen

I was very fortunate to attend the workshops that Christi Friessen was teaching here in Sydney at 2 bead or not 2 bead at Penrith. I had heard what a fun lady she is and everything I had heard about her was true! A lovely generous woman with an encouraging word for everyone. I think she is a great ambassador for Polymer Clay.
2 bead or not 2 bead is also one of the most beautiful beading shops I have EVER walked into. Congratulations Lenore for stocking some of the most unusual beads I have ever seen.





Here is the Calala Lily we made on the left and my steampunk turtle on the right and above left is the peacock we made.

July pcagoe team challenge

Every month the members of the etsy polymer clay artists on etsy team are invited to enter a challenge.This month is vessels. I have had sitting in my cupboard for many years this hawaiin gourd,and thought that now is the time to do something with it.
It was alot of fun to make!

Bead and Button Show Milwauke USA

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity last week to spend one day at the Bead and utton Show in the USA. I decided to make the most of the day by doing a workshop with the very talented polymer clay artist, Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg.
She is a very talented caner and all round polymer clay artis,I truly have learned so much in the one day that I spent with her,just wish my time at the show could have extended for the whole week!
The photo above is the project that we worked on,one of Lynne's beautiful flower cane pendants.

Here is a photo of my cane being
made on he left and completed on
the right.

Sunny Earrings

I love to use many techniques when i am putting a piece of jewellery together. Sometimes a piece will call out for metal,crystal or chain. In the case of my sun earrings,it was beads. I used to do alot of bead weaving and I felt a beaded finge around these beads that i have made would look fabulous. I am very inspired by the European polymer clay artists and find myself drawn the their design and colour combinations.
Hope you like them!

The Pollinator

The Pollinator
Originally uploaded by OrganicOdysseys

This is the amazing work of one of our members of the Polymer Clay artists guild of etsy! Her work is just stunning . She is able to combine texture and colour in an exquisite way.
She is also an amazing resource for the group and is always willing to help members.Talented and nice,what a great combination!
Click on the photo to go to Kate's Flickr site.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicodysseys/

Simply Black and White

I love the elegance that black and white creates. I think combined they always look pretty cool together. I have made a whole series of pieces for a gallery in Sydney. This is my focal necklace.

Fiesta

This is the newest piece that I have added to my website, I have always loved the colours and "rawness" that I see in beads that come from various communities around the world.( portugal,mexico and Africa) These beads have been made to replicate that feel. I hope that I have achieved it!

Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy

I am a member of the Polymer Clay Artsists Guild on etsy and have found all of the challenges and events they organise fabulous!Here is my entry for the May challenge. It is a byzantine cuff bangle. I have used a technique called mica shift,and made mosaic tiles to add to the cuff.
I enter challenges as I feel it forces me to try new techniques or to push muself in a particular technique.The PCAGOE are a great group of people and so supportive and helpful. I am really happy to be part of this community.

Here is the list of all of the members blogs:
PCAGOE Member's Blog List

First Place in Polymer Cafe Reflection Challenge

I have been in a state of shock today. The first thing I do when I get up is check my emails and check for any posts in the Aussie polyclayers forum. I happened to click on the Competitions and learned that I had won first place in the Polymer Cafe Reflections challenge.I have been in a state of shock today! Here is the photo of the piece that won.It was made to reflect my Greek ancestry and the minoan frescoes that I remember seeing in the museums.

King of the bird Kingdom

The cockatoos rule the roost!
The other birds stay away when they land noisily in our tree. They are also very messy eaters! They cut off whole branches from the Jacaranda Tree, the yard is full of leaves and branches from their eating frenzy. They are happy to sit and eat while I am in the backyard hanging out washing,often squaking at me as I do so! I snuck onto the upstairs balcony to take this close up of this fellow,but he heard me and was annoyed,as you can see!

New tennants in the tree

If you read one of my previous posts,you will remember that a possum found a place to rest in our tree just by our bedroom. Well today,whilst busily making a fascinator (hat) I heard some squaking from our tree.ran out only to find two lorikeets feeding their young in the tree. You cannot see the babies in the photo,they are deep within the hole,but mum and dad are there!
Will have to start charging rent for these noisy tennants!

Bushfires in Victoria

Australia is in shock and mourning with the recent devastating bushfires in Victoria. 180 people are so far confirmed lost to us,and the numbers are likely to grow. There are 5000 people now homeless as a result too. The people of Australia have been incredibly generous in supporting there fellow Australians and donating money, clothes,blankets,goods and volunteering their skills to help rebuild these peoples lives.
I pray for all of these people and hope that they can only find some comfort in the generous spirit of the rest of Australia.
We have also been saddened at the loss of wildlife and again, Australians have rescued injured little creatures and helped them to recover.
If you too would like to support the bushfire victims,please log on to www.redcross.org.au and see what you can do to help.

HOT in SYDNEY

Well the temerature here is rising and we are all swealtering in the heat. Our dog,who normally spends her days chasing birds and jumping to see the possum in the tree,is laying on her bed,too exhausted to annoy any of the backyard creatures. I knew she was off the boil when one of the "butcher birds" managed to inspect the balcony without poor old roxy lifting her head.
The cockatoo's have also stayed away during the heat,they must have found a cooler place to go and skquack. I dont mind,they carry on so when I am in the yard hanging out the washing. Birds are quite terratorial I have learned!
We live not far from a river and at night when all is peaceful,apart from the cicadas,We can hear the fish jumping out of the water to land a feast of insects which hover over the river.
It is amazing how all creatures,big and small are affected by the weather.
I sit inside where I am cool and use the heat as a brilliant excuse for not cooking...who wants the house heated up by the stove? I also use the heat as an excuse for not getting any work done...who can work in this heat I say as I look outdoors and see the guy accross the road mowing his lawn.
Australia,such a diverse land. Tomorrow I will probably need a jumper!

Australian Wildlife in my backyard

I am very fortunate to live in a part of Sydney where the animal wild life is prolific. My backyard is home to families of rosella's,cockatoos and lorickeets. We also have a number of reptile creatures,blue tongue lizards in particular. But the most amazing creature sleeps during the day in our big gum tree,which is adjacent to the upstairs balcony.This possum is extremely noisy at night,when he/she runs accross our roof to have possum parties!
It is a fabulous environment and I feel very priveldged to share this place with them all.
See the photo below.

Why Polymer?

I started "playing" with polymer 3 years ago.
As far back as I can remember I've made stuff! When I was 12 years of age, I remember drawing up plans for a cubby house in our backyard. It was going to be grand,I had ven drawn a kitchen into the plan. Needless to say,that particular project didnt eventuate.
I have had a go at most things,folk art, sewing,knitting,crochet,gardening,millinery, beadweaving, applique,general crafts and jewellery design.
One day I saw an article in a bead and button magazine for a polymer design and thought it was an interesting medium. I went to our local craft supplier in Sydney and bought a block of Fimo and well....started to play.From here my interest soon became my obsession!
It is truly a great art form to work with. It is so versatile and its possibilities are truly endless!
I now have an area in my home (the dungeon) dedicated to my polymer and other design pursuits. My aim is to one day have a room for myself,where I will have a window and natural light.
This brings me to another piece of information about me..I have 4 grown children all at home. I love them dearly,but I wont watse any time moving my stuff into their vacant bedrooms!
I bought a fabulous fridge magnet,that sums it up....

" I kid proofed the house, but they are still getting in!"