ARTBYLILIN Polymer Clay Creations

PCAGOE Oct Challenge Entry - My FAV

2009-10-10T16:11:00.003+08:00

This is my favorite entry...

This masterpiece "Lady In Waiting" framed polymer clay sculpture inspired by Gustav Klimt is made by Studioschiek. This entry was the overwhelming favorite of the voters, garnering more than 50% of the total votes. Congrats!

PCAGOE Alphabet Project Donated!

2009-10-02T00:05:00.001+08:00

We have completed our Alphabet project and here is the finished collage. It will be donated to a children’s medical center or Ronald McDonald House. We hope the children enjoy all the great talent that went into this fun collaborative effort.

My contribution is the letter P for PANDA! ;p

Have a Heart - Make a Donation

2009-09-12T01:04:00.002+08:00

I was looking at Children Photography online when I came across this. The images below are took from this website http://www.seanlau.com/charity/charity.html.

My heart ached as I read along the posts written and photographs posted. The photo with the child standing reminds me of my own whom should be about the same age, probably older. No clothing, no diapers, no toys, no comfort of any kind but surrounded in wastes. Worst of all, no fun no game but was sent out as "waste pickers"! While food are more or less wasted at our homes daily, these children lives in hunger. How fortunate we are and thank God for all the blessings.

Have a heart, make a donation. Even a small sum makes a huge difference to these children. May God bless you for your kindness.

PCAGOE Sept Challenge - Color Combinations

2009-09-04T18:58:00.004+08:00

Please vote between September 1, 2009 and midnight, E.S.T. of September 7, 2009 HERE or go to http://www.pcagoechallenge.blogspot.com

THE Reason Why I'm Not Claying...

2009-09-01T23:44:00.003+08:00

...working on a new book!

Commissioned work done in photography and design layout.

Launching September 2009
Early bird special and more info at http://nailqueenblingbox.blogspot.com

Share this!

Aw.... Rework done.

2009-09-01T23:27:00.004+08:00

Should have posted this earlier... but better be late than never! lol...

For some reasons, rework is being done on this wedding topper and here are some photos to share. : )

Tandem bicycle...

The groom in his new suit...

Happily ever after...

Time to VOTE!! PCAGOE August 2009 Challenge - Mixed Media

2009-08-03T22:05:00.005+08:00

Click VOTE or go to http://www.pcagoechallenge.blogspot.com/

Voting starts now until midnight, EST of August 8, 2009, and you the best part is, you could be one of five lucky voters chosen at random to win one of the beautiful, handcrafted polymer clay prize packs featured!

Wedding Cake Topper - The SHOWCASE

2009-07-28T16:39:00.002+08:00

Well, due to the time constraint and the level of concentration needed to create this figurine, I have skipped taking photo of the steps taken during the making process.

COMPLETED today when I put up the veil and Swarovski crystal to add a little bling to the hair-do. So, here is the finished product!

Sit back and enjoy viewing! : )

Now that I have updated by blog, the next (important) thing I am looking forward to is pleasant comments from the Buyer. Hope she will love it!

Wedding Cake Topper - Work begins

2009-07-28T16:16:00.007+08:00

THIS is what I've been working on since last week. A wedding cake topper featuring a Bride and Groom riding on a bicycle.

Meet the Bride!

Updo Hairstyle...

adding Blush on cheeks...

The Groom with trimmed eyebrows...

and styled hair...

In and Out from the oven for first heat cured!

What a HOT COUPLE!

Figurine sculpting is always challenging but fun to work with. As usual, I got carried away working on the details... can't help making them look at their best! lol...

Mixed Media Nail Art for Competition

2009-07-28T15:43:00.005+08:00

This has nothing to do with polymer clay... but I have incorporated the skills and techniques used when working with clay in the following work... ...

Two(2) weeks ago I was at the "Fantastic Nails Awards 2009" International Nail Competition held in Malaysia. It was my first time competing in such an event. I have participated in the Mixed Media Nail Art category and unfortunately, no trophy for me this time {sigh}...

Here's my entry:

THEME: FEATHERS OF THE FOREST

However, I was WOW by the quality of artwork presented by other participants. They were inspirational and motivates me to work harder and better! lol...

Mixed Media Nail Art: 1st Place

Mixed Media Nail Art: 2nd Place

Mixed Media Nail Art: 3rd Place

Mixed Media Nail Art: 4th Place

Material used to create the above artwork usually includes Acrylics powder, Gel, Acrylic Paints, Nail Enamel, Top Coat, Crystals, Glitters... and so on. It's mixed media so be creative! ;p

PCAGOE July Challenge Results - Out Now!!

2009-07-09T00:08:00.003+08:00

I'm not gonna tell which entry won and who gets the prize packs... Check it out yourself HERE

All entries deserved a round of applause cos' they are all GREAT WORKS! However, I'd like to say this specially: "CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS! Keep up the good works!" ;p

HAPPY 4TH JULY!

2009-07-04T21:06:00.003+08:00

P is for Panda!

2009-07-02T23:10:00.003+08:00

This is an alphabet tile specially made for PCAGOE Alphabet Project.

The challenge of making this piece is working with white clay where keeping it 'clean' is a tough job. That is one of the reason that white clay is my least favorite color and hardly be used in my artwork. :p

YOU could be the WINNER!

2009-07-01T12:30:00.003+08:00

YES! YOU could be one of five lucky voters chosen at random to win one of the beautiful, handmade polymer clay items featured below.

Cast your vote at PCAGOE.COM from July 1st and go through July 7th for your favourite entry.

"Support Handmade Artwork!"

PEBBLY DECORATIVE VASES

2009-06-30T16:11:00.014+08:00

Who would thought of decorating vases using pebbles? Well, self-taught artist Chris Kapono from MandarinMoon did!

I love the colors she used for these vases... gives me color inspiration for my coming projects. =)

24 hours a day just ain't enough...

2009-06-29T23:57:00.004+08:00

Gee... seems like nothing ever get done. Probably I should cut the to-do list short,...

or watch less of POCOYO! LOL!!

: P

PCAGOE July Challenge Mosaic - VESSELS

2009-06-29T23:51:00.003+08:00

VOTE @ PCAGOE.COM from July 1st and go through July 7th. Five randomly chosen voters will win some beautiful prizes. HURRY! Vote Now!

Celebrate today with HEARTS

2009-06-04T05:03:00.003+08:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=62379

Clayaphobia -- Conditioning Good'Old Clay

2009-06-02T00:15:00.012+08:00

KATO clay is one of my favorite clay but when it comes to conditioning, I usually suffer from "Conditioning Clayaphobia".
Thank goodness a cure is found!!

Looks familiar? Stiff clay... crumbling all over your working place... arrgh!!
I used to work very hard conditioning clay like this with the help of clay softener -- it's a messy job but it works! However, there is a much easier way to do it.

You need a BLENDER!
This is now my second must-have tools (first is the pasta machine).

Just toss in the chopped clay and let it do the 'hard' work.

After 10 sec. or so....

wahlah! A full container of finely chopped clay is ready to be used!

Obviously, pour it out onto your work surface. Although it looks kind of messy, but trust me, this is way easy to handle than having to mix with clay softener.

Gather all the tiny pieces and press lightly to form a square. The clay feels a bit warm after being worked in the blender.

With a acrylic roller, roll the clay to the thickness with match the thickest setting of your pasta machine. (Be kind to your pasta machine. You won't want it to work too hard!)

This is how it looks. Though not entirely flatten but it is in one piece.

Roll it through the pasta machine starting at the thickest setting.

This is how it looks after going through the pasta machine one (1) time. Continue conditioning through the pasta machine as usual.

And this is how it looks after going through the pasta machine 30 times.

Well, this may be nothing new but since I have just tried it out, might as well share it in case there are some clayaholic out there suffering this "Conditioning Clayaphobia" like me. ;p

"Claying will be so much fun if you don't have to sweat over conditioning." - Lilin

Featured in PCAGOE.com

2009-05-26T16:12:00.008+08:00

Yay! I'm the featured artist of the week at the PCAGOE.com. It feels good knowing that my artwork are being appreciated.
(Thank you LINRIO)

I had been busy lately with a book publication assignment for my sister and now I can sit back and relax for a while.

Metamorphosis

Nail Creations

By Catherine Wong

Book Preview

This is THE book -- "METAMORPHOSIS Nail Creations by Catherine Wong". It is a compilation of her nail artworks over the years including latest works. It contains more than 90 original designs created in acrylic, gel, handpaint, mixed media and fantasy.

My hands are itching for clay... so most probably I will start working on something before the end of the week.

Mica Shift Challenge results -- SHARED First Prize!

2009-05-09T01:46:00.007+08:00

My Strepia Butterfly Necklace is sharing First Prize with Marcia Palmer 's Metallic Silver Pendant! Yay!!

Check out the challenge results by clicking here.

Congratulations to all winners! And thank you all for your votes! =)

MiniME MOM - The Making

2009-05-04T10:56:00.015+08:00

This is MiniME Mom, my first handsculpted polymer clay character cake topper. It took me approx. 18 hours within 2 days to complete. I should have taken photo of the making process but conveniently forgotten until the head is completed and heat-cured. As for the later part, I am racing over time so I skipped the picture-taking... which I am kind of regret now.

I believe the most challenging part for every sculpter is sculpting the face. I spent a good long hours just working on the face features alone. It is difficult to show the expression I wanted on the head sculpture. Distortion occured from time to time and fixing it was kind of disheartening. Just start all over!
The head in this photo is already heat-cured. I am attaching it to the raw clay upper body.

Working on the hands are fun. Maureen has illustrated a fantastic step-by-step instruction on making hands in her book.

This photo showing the palm of the hand (raw).

This is the finished raw hand, ready to be attached...
I wanted to apply nail polish on it but no time for this! Sigh...

Phew! Another time consuming part of this project is the fabric. I have pre-selected the outfit for my mom so I know what she's going to wear on her birthday. Color-mixing took some time cos' I wanted to get the closest color possible. Then it was the caning work, slicing and making it into a piece of clay fabric. I am quite happy with the result although there are plenty of room for improvement. ;p

Next, the Hair-Do!
Love the extruder especially at time like this.

I enjoyed working on this. It is my version of faux Jade pendant with chinese silk knotted necklace which Mom has worned to match her outfit.

And, what is a birthday without a birthday cake?
Thanks to my sister Catherine for giving me the idea of having MiniME MOM holding a cake with a big '60'. This should give great memories to mom of her special 60th birthday.

PCAGOE May MICA SHIFT Challenge

2009-05-04T09:15:00.008+08:00

Been busy... but there is still time to vote if you haven't done so!
Vote for your favorite entry at pcagoe.com between now and midnight EST on Thursday, May 7, 2009. The challenge winners will be announced on May 8. All voters will be entered in random drawings to win attractive prizes, so come vote!

“Mica Shift is a technique that involves “shifting” the mica particles in metallic polymer clay to make a picture in the clay. Though the patterns on these items look textured, they’re not — they’ve been sanded smooth, and it’s the mica particles in the clay going in different directions that make the design show.” extract taken from pcagoe.com

Mom's MiniME Portrait Cake Topper

2009-05-01T20:57:00.020+08:00

This is my mom - a mother to 5 grown children and grandma to 7 grandchildren.

She is turning 60 this year... guess how we celebrate this special day?

First, we celebrated it according to the Chinese custom... We had the Longevity Peach Bun (aka Shou Tao), which is a Chinese steamed bun specially made for birthday of elderly folks. It is stuffed with sweet lotus seed paste (yum!). In Chinese culture, peach is associated with longevity and ancient chinese believed that the peach of the Heaven (Pan Tao) can grant one an extra 500 years of life once eaten. So, we had to have these longevity buns on Mom's 60th Birthday. :)

Then, we surprised her with a western style birthday cake with a mini version of her as cake topper! Everyone burst into laughters when they saw this. What a way to end a celebration ;p

This is my first piece of polymer clay hand sculpted clay character and I am glad that it was made for my mom.

Mica Shift Challenge Entry

2009-04-27T08:29:00.004+08:00

I have completed few pieces using mica shift technique and now it is time to decide which piece to be entered for PCAGOE May Mica Shift challenge...

So... here it is:

Strepia Butterfly Necklace

More Mica Shifts

2009-04-26T04:01:00.003+08:00

Pin?? Bead?? Pendant?? Earrings??

I don't know what to do with them yet... let's wait and see in a week or two, lol...

Experimenting Mica Shift

2009-04-25T08:42:00.008+08:00

PCAGOE May challenge theme is "Mica Shift" so I am experimenting this technique. Only few days left before the entry deadline so if I am unable to create another piece, I'll just enter this experimental piece, lol...
I love to participate in challenges cos' it gets me to work on different techniques which had been sitting in my long To-Do list for ages.

More Canes...

2009-04-19T23:44:00.003+08:00

Love Gold and brown shades... but being over indulged in these shades makes my work seems woody. Perhaps I just had to shift away from these colors and move on! lol...

My Party Nails

2009-04-18T15:36:00.002+08:00

This has nothing to do with clay. I just wanna showoff my party nails for a gathering tonight. Lol...

I did this myself using soak-off gel and sculpted a 3D rose on one finger.

Being mentioned @ polymerclaydaily.com?

2009-04-17T00:27:00.004+08:00

One word --- Yay!Y

Polymer Clay Canes for Nail Art

2009-04-15T17:21:00.005+08:00

Seems like animal prints are getting popular! I have received a custom order for raw polymer clay cane slices to be embed into nail art designs for nail artists. Fimo is popular for nail art but I am using PREMO. It has been tested and works just as great!

My new product:

SLICEIT Raw Polymer Clay Pre-Sliced Nail Art Cane

Custom Orders are welcome.

I saw a Bird!

2009-04-15T00:49:00.005+08:00

PHOENY is the latest addition to my bird collection. She was inspired by the bird specie Tauraco Schalowi. Not that I am an expert of birds but I am fond of them. I spotted this specie from a book I bought recently. It's a collection of birds of the world. And yes, it is full of birds photos in colors ;)

This Dragon is HOT!

2009-04-13T23:01:00.005+08:00

Check him out >> Drakon FEIRR

Drakons are Back!

2009-04-13T02:43:00.008+08:00

Drakon TAEFY
Following Drakon Amberie my Autumn dragon, Drakon TAEFY is created using similar earth tones colors. Love the shades.

Drakon AMMOR

Green is one of my favorite color especially when I am working on dragons. Drakon AMMOR is a jungle dragon who lives deep inside the tropical rainforest. Keep your eyes open if you have the chance to step foot in it cos' you will never know if he is watching -- at you of course! lol...

Drakon MOZART

Color SHOCKING! Drakon MOZART may be mimicking a lizard or toad. If you have never seen one, tune in to discovery channel!

To view more photos just click on the name of each dragon. Enjoy!

Lava.. Lava Art > Lavart!

2009-04-12T11:37:00.004+08:00

Another piece of art created today... bursting with HOT vibrant colors!

Lavart

Gift Ideas for Moms

2009-04-11T00:05:00.001+08:00

3rd Place at FAUX Challenge!

2009-04-09T10:50:00.008+08:00

So... my SnakeSkin manage to squeeze its way into 3rd Place. WooHoo!! I must say that all the faux entries are great works and it must have been tough for the voters to cast their votes. Anyway, Congrats to the winners: JillPalumbo (1st Place) and CreativeSpiritToo (2nd Place). Thank you for all whom had voted for me. Your continuing support and appreciation of handmade artwork is greatly appreciated. :)

ArtbyLilin ArtWork Studio

2009-04-08T03:11:00.004+08:00

After the long waiting and planning, 'ArtbyLilin' finally got its own artwork studio in Singapore! Back in Austin I only had a small working area - which is our home dinning table! Lol... I should have taken a photo of it back then.

This is the current basic set up. It could have been done better but I am not willing to spend on fancy storage at the moment. Everything seems so expensive in Singapore. I used the old plastic shoe racks as shelving and carton boxes for storage. For clay storage I bought plastic take-out boxes with recycle mark 5. Works great at fraction of the price it would cost me if I were to buy those storage containers from the craft stores.

My working table is kind of messy and usually this happens when I am working on a project. It will remain the way it is until I move on to the next project. However, I do clean all the tools including the pasta machine before I call the day off. Tools are expensive and I need to keep them in their best state.

"ArtbyLilin ArtWork Studio is Lilin's Retreat Sanctuary"

PCAGOE April FAUX Challenge

2009-04-01T22:02:00.005+08:00

Vote for your favorite entry at pcagoe.com between now and midnight EST on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. All voters will be entered in random drawings to win attractive prizes, so come vote!

P/S: Please DO check out my Faux SnakeSkin entry! Lol...

Turtle Earrings

2009-03-30T09:14:00.003+08:00

This is a pair of custom order Turtle earrings made to match the Turtle Pin.

The large Turtle Pin is used as a focal pendant on beaded necklace.

Spotted in Treasuries!

2009-03-28T22:35:00.005+08:00

Everybody loves treasury!
And, I was delighted that my Faux SnakeSkin was featured in the following treasuries...

Some very clever and beautiful faux artwork done by PCAGOE members...

Irresistably gorgeous! Definitely great to add to one's collections.

Sculpted Flowers

2009-03-24T16:28:00.007+08:00

Previously I did Orchids, and now working on Roses.

More to come...

New Mix Media on Polymer Clay

2009-03-20T17:47:00.004+08:00

Acrylics 3D designs looks pretty on nails, so does on jewelry! These wild orchids were hand-sculpted on handmade polymer clay pendant. Love the vivid and vibrant colors!

For more Acrylics 3D designs on nails, check out http://ecsalonce.blogspot.com/

Faux SnakeSkin Revealed

2009-03-20T00:22:00.009+08:00

This is my entry for PCAGOE April "FAUX" Challenge:

Faux Burmese Python SnakeSkin Cuff Bracelet

Faux Mangrove SnakeSkin
- to be worn as focal pendant or as pair of chunky earrings.

Faux Mangrove SnakeSkin Necklace

Fun Day Claying with Gayle

2009-03-19T22:57:00.013+08:00

My niece Gayle has been longing to clay with me for a long time and finally on Tuesday she got her hands on it!

With my guidance she spent the entire morning working on this cane (pic. 1) starting from colour selection to clay conditioning, cutting them into discs and stacking them, extruding it thru the clay gun, then cut the extruded clay into length, and arranged them to form into a square cane. After the long hard work, this is what she has achieved...

After lunch, the fun continued and Gayle proceed with forming of bead's base using scrap clay (pic 3). Then she had the bead covered with slices of clays from the cane we made earlier.

Pic 4 showing the beads after heat-cured. Gayle decided to use the beads to make a pendant and bracelet. =)

FAUX SnakeSkin

2009-03-14T10:41:00.010+08:00

PCAGOE challenge theme for April is Faux... and here's something I came up with -- SNAKESKIN !!

Burmese Python Snakeskin

Mangrove Snakeskin

This is only a sneak preview. Watch out for the finished work.... soon!

Custom Order FiliCat BELLYGIRL

2009-03-05T21:27:00.009+08:00

Been working on this since last week.... I'm glad it is finally done. =)

A customer specially requested me to re-create my Filicat Sammie to a 6" high figurine with hollow center for their beloved cat's ashes.

They were kind enough to let me post a photo of BellyGirl here. Isn't she pretty??

Here are some shots of the making of "FiliCat BellyGirl":

Head Profiles

Had some problems with my new oven and some parts were damaged... errrg... Anyway, I had it fixed and it looked flawless! ;p

Here's the finished work. The right photo is how it looks when finished with layers of Satin finishing.

Birthday Cake

2009-03-05T21:18:00.003+08:00

It's my birthday on the 4th and my dearest niece Gayle baked me this pretty looking heart-shaped Orange Butter cake!! She spent the entire Sunday baking it and I was so touched when I received it. Can't wait to get a bite of it.... ((drooling))...

M-O-V-I-N-G!

2009-01-08T12:09:00.002+08:00

MOVING OUT OF USA - BACK TO SINGAPORE!

Well, it's all about packing this week. I will still be claying when I'm back in Singapore, probably won't be spending as much time in it as while I'm here in the States. However, do check back my blog in couple of weeks time. There may be a surprise awaits... ;p

Can't have enough of GINGERBREAD MEN!

2008-12-10T15:13:00.002+08:00

Yup! More GINGERBREAD MEN specially made and consigned to Pyramid Atlantic - Silver Spring Store. I am so pleased when contacted by PA that the first batch are selling well and they need more!! Had this batch completed last week... hope they'll be HOT too!! ;p

Duplicating is Not Easy!

2008-12-09T03:04:00.006+08:00

Phew! I am working on custom orders which requires me to duplicate my previous work. It's not an easy task and took me so much longer to complete them. I am so glad that they (the duplicate version) are finally done. Somehow the original pieces seem prettier to me... so I guess duplication may not be a consideration in future??

"Drakon Huolie" (duplicate) "Drakon Wynnie" (duplicate)

This is my final artwork for this year. I am ready for my long VACATION!

Drakon CHILL-O isavailable for sale at my etsy shop

Drakon WYNNIE Got First Place!

2008-12-09T02:56:00.001+08:00

Been busy this week... only get to blog today.

Well, I'd like to share my joy and excitement that my dragon Drakon WYNNIE WON First Place at PCAGOE December Winter Challenge. HOORAY!

Bell Ornament for Me!

2008-12-04T04:05:00.006+08:00

Look what came with the mail today...

a BELL ornament for me from Alissa (aka Divadea)! Yay!

My son Lucas got his hands on it and won't let it go. He keeps shaking it as if it is a rattle. Lol....

Art Nouveau Butterfly

2008-12-03T15:53:00.006+08:00

Donna Kato's work are fabulous and I love all her works! This is another project I was working on since last week - BUTTERFLY! It is very time-consuming when working from scratch creating molds for the butterfly wings, but the results are worth it.

I 'painted' the wings using PearlEx (since I do not have Perfect Pearls, yet) and after heat cured, have it sealed with satin glaze (won't need to seal it if Perfect Pearls is being used).

Anyway, this is it - my TABOUQ (left) and KOOPINK (right) butterfly inspired by D.Kato. I can't help saying how much I love them!! lol...

PCAGOE December 2008 Winter Challenge

2008-12-01T01:02:00.002+08:00

Vote for your favorite entry at pcagoe.com between December 1 and 3. All voters will be entered in random drawings to win prizes - there are 7 prizes available this month, so come vote!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 50% Off Sale!

2008-11-28T05:54:00.002+08:00

Check out my shop now! Sale is on between midnight CST of November 28 through midnight CST of December 1, 2008.

DON'T MISS IT !

PCAGOE December Challenge Entry

2008-11-22T16:26:00.005+08:00

This is Drakon WYNNIE - The Winter Dragon,
my entry for PCAGOE December Challenge with the theme "WINTER".

The challenge voting will be from the 1st December at noon through 3rd December at midnight. Vote for your favorite entry at pcagoe.com.

Ornaments Swap

2008-11-22T16:11:00.004+08:00

Since my ornaments theme for this Christmas is Gingerbread, I have created Gingerbread ladies for the group swap!

This is for a lady named Alissa. She had her hair tied back in most her photos so this is the hair style she gets on her gingerbread lady.
Gave her a big heart cos' she deserves it!

Obviously this piece is specially made for a lady named Lynda. Again, I tried to personalize it so other than putting her name on the gingerbread lady I had to style her hair. She seems to have short curly hair with fringe so -- tada! That's the look I gave her!Like Alissa, she deserves a big heart from me too! ; )

Hope they will like it. Merry Christmas ladies! (Ooops... I hope I did include my wishes for them in writing in the mail....)

The Winter Dragon

2008-11-22T15:52:00.004+08:00

Winter is coming and soon there will be snow! Not in Texas though although how much I wish that it would. Anyway, I will be spending Christmas at Lake Tahoe this year and there will definitely be snow all aound! Yay!

I have been working on custom orders this week and also some gingerbread ornaments for the group swap. Never expected that I would have time to work on the December challenge piece, but I just did!

Meet my Winter Dragons - Drakon Wynnie (left) and Drakon Dewdee (right).

Both Wynnie and Dewdee are cheerily holding out their crystals to celebrate the coming of winter!

Veined Marble Faux Effect Technique

2008-11-13T14:54:00.014+08:00

I have tried out a new technique today creating Faux Veined Marble (based on Carol Blackburn's book).

It was a fun process which involved chopping up clay, adding sparkle to it, followed by re-moistening, coloring, let dry and shaping the clay... a bit messy though. That is why I had it done on cardboard, ;p

After heat-cured for an hour (it's a long wait but I had my work table cleaned up and cuddled with Lucas) this is how my creations look like, which reminds me of salted duck eggs covered in a thick layer of salted charcoal paste.

Ain't pretty looking but after spending an hour or so standing in front of the sink hand-sanding them (I've got blister!), WAHLAH! They are simply gorgeous!

My first Faux Veined Marble Pendant... which will go into my 5 Elements Collections - the Earth category.

" SENSE"

You can see how the other two pieces turned out - see "FAITH" and "CASUAL" at my shop.

My SAY for today:

The fun part about this technique is that you never know what you will be getting until sanding time. It's always surprising how it turns out. Each piece has unique individuality and no two pieces will ever be alike!

The not-so-fun part is sanding/buffing time where I got the blister on my thumb. If only I have the sanding/buffing machine... the work would definitely be easier and the results would have been much pleasing. Meantime with the help of gloss finishing I am happy with the results. Anyway, working on artwork takes time and lot of TLC, so why not just enjoy each steps and find joy throughout --- this works better than meditation for me, (for now). In any case, I will still ask Santa for a sanding machine for Christmas. LoL ;p

Sweet PINK!

2008-11-12T11:50:00.004+08:00

Hooray! I've completed this order... finally! 5 pieces of Pinky-Chocolatte Flower Art Pendant Necklaces. Although I am not a pink person, but the pink-ish colors are just so sweet! The actual color varies slightly from what you see from the photo above. Still, they are gorgeous. =)

Loads of Hearts

2008-11-09T13:56:00.005+08:00

Check out what I've discovered! HEARTS!
These are the cutest Hearts ever! So puffy that makes me wanna squish them and the colors are simply gorgeous!

They are handmade by Iris Mishly.
You can check out her shop at irismishly.etsy.com

Here are some other gorgeous heart beads created by Iris.

Make A Difference This Holiday Season

2008-11-09T06:28:00.007+08:00

Here's what you can do to help support Polymer Clay For A Cause (a non-profit shop at Etsy).

--- Shop here!
------- Contribute your artwork made of Polymer Clay here!
---------------- Spread the word! Tell someone about this shop!

All sales will be donated to children's charity. Check out the shop for more information.

Here's a sneak peek of a wonderful collection of items contributed by artists which you can find at the shop:

Holiday Gift Guide video

2008-11-08T05:47:00.004+08:00

It's never too early to plan, or get your holiday gift for Christmas. Polymer Clay Productions has just released a Holiday Gift Guide video today!

Check it out at: www.polymerclayproductions.com

My Gingerbread People Ornaments are featured in the video too! ;p

There are two prize packs, including some of the artwork shown, to give away to a ning network member, and a newsletter subscriber.

Little Mermaid Ornament

2008-11-08T05:04:00.002+08:00

I made this yesterday and it happened to be Clay & Play Thursday!

This Little Mermaid Christmas Ornament was made for a custom order. The most challenging part was to sculpt the face because of the size. Her hair has two orange-red shades for 'highlights' effect (too bad the photo doesn't shows). I have also added water drops on her hair and fins using transparent clay. Overall, I am happy how she turned out and it was fun to create this piece.

"Christmas Ornaments made of Polymer Clay?"

2008-11-03T15:55:00.027+08:00

A question I received today. I was not surprised when being asked this question because I got to know about Polymer Clay only in recent years -- approx. 3 years ago... wasn't too long since polymer clay has been around since the late 1930's. I have no idea what it was used for in the early days but today, the possibilities are endless in creative hands.

Besides my own creations, here are some beautifully crafted Christmas Ornaments made by my fellow PCAGOE members:

Holly Hear Glass Ornie
by stormydesigns

Christmas Santa Polymer Clay and Sterling Earrings
by thecolorofdreams

White Poinsettia Magnet
by Peggers

Sleigh Bells Ring Polymer Clay Christmas Brooch
by SCDiva

Baby Boy or Girl First Christmas Ornament
by clayinaround

Penguin Ornament, Yellow Hat
by divadea

Mr. and Mrs. Christmas Ornament
by lynnslittlecreations

Christmas Ornament - Polymer Clay Filigree in Peacock Jewel Tones by starless

To see more items made of Polymer Clay, go to etsy.com and search for tag PCAGOE.

BUY HANDMADE POLYMER CLAY GIFTS FOR YOUR LOVE ONES THIS CHRISTMAS (OR PUT IT INTO YOUR WISH LIST, PERHAPS?) LoL! =)

ETC First Mondays

2008-11-03T15:33:00.004+08:00

ETC First Mondays -- 24 Hours of sales & special offers held on the first Monday of every month (12:01am - 12:00 midnight, Central Time / 1:01am Monday - 1:00am Tuesday, Etsy Time). For a list of participating shops and their sales, please see our team blog at http://etsytx.org/wordpress

I am participating in this event and had the following banner made specially for ETC First Mondays! =)

Hurry! You only have 24 hours to shop!

PCAGOE Autumn Leaves Challenge ~~~ VOTE NOW!

2008-11-01T16:57:00.003+08:00

After the long wait... it is time to vote again for the PCAGOE monthly challenge. The November theme is Autumn Leaves and the entries are stunning!!

VOTE for your favorite entry and be entered in a drawing to WIN one of two September prize packs. If you haven't heard about this, or yet to vote, you still have chance to do it! Vote once between now and midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on Tuesday, November 4.

Click this link to check it out and VOTE! http://pcagoe.com/

Good Luck!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T12:00:00.006+08:00

Gingerbread JoJo

2008-11-01T11:22:00.015+08:00

Here's JoJo. I am happy that I managed to complete her today... almost. Only three more steps to go (baked, patina & sealed with finishing). My original intention was to dress her in PJ with laces, but I was too excited when I had the quilted blanket done so by accident the blanket was wrapped up on her before she had her PJ on. So, this is it!

JoJo has pink cheeks!

I applied pink blusher powder on her cheeks to give her a more radiant smile - it's a jolly season so she has to look bright with joy! Cheers!

This quilted pillow has a letter 'J' monogram on it. Just a personalize touch for this lovely gift. (smile)

Gingerbread JoJo ~ a custom gift

2008-10-31T10:45:00.009+08:00

It's CLAY & PLAY THURSDAY again. I am working on a custom gift swap for someone special and hopefully she'll love it.

This is Gingerbread JoJo wrapped in quilt blanket. I have never make a quilt cane before so I started with very simple designs. It is time-consuming but the canes turned out well. There are still lots of work to be done on JoJo.

While I was having fun claying, this is what Lucas has been doing...

He discovered the fun of 'cruising' couple days ago and refused to sit down while I clay. Guess I'll be too busy chasing after him instead of claying very soon. (sigh)

PCAGOE November Challenge Entry

2008-10-28T13:46:00.011+08:00

Presenting... AMBERIE the Autumn Drakon Y

"Change is in the air and AMBERIE the Autumn Drakon has awaken from her sleep! She is happy to find herself covered in autumn leaves and decided to slouch until winter!"

This is my entry for the PCAGOE November AUTUMN LEAVES Challenge – a hand-sculpted polymer clay focal art bead pendant embellished with fancy jasper rounds, hematite and Czech glass beads.

VOTE at pcagoe.com from the 1st November at noon through 3rd at midnight.

Creation on CPT Day!

2008-10-24T09:52:00.007+08:00

It is CLAY & PLAY THURSDAY today and look what I have created!
A dragon pendant addition to my DRAKON collection. I have not think of a name for her yet (Oh, yes she's my lady). Waiting for it to come naturally to me, lol...

I like how She looks and love the color combo especially. There is always a tendency to overworked... or should I say.. over-embellished with designs on my piece. So it is either too complicated or simplified. It is just the way it is.

Oooo I have perfect hand-tied satin necklace to match with it! Can't wait to get Her baked and attached to the necklace! =)

Just Dropping By to Say Hi...

2008-10-23T23:07:00.006+08:00

"Hi there!"

This is Turtle #004 which I have created and sold last year. He dropped by to say "Hi" and showed me his new look on a beautifully done necklace.

This necklace is available for sale at dnathunker.etsy.com

Having Fun Being Tangled!

2008-10-19T14:14:00.005+08:00

Look what I did to my Gingerbread Men! They are entangled with decorating lights and feelin' confused! LOL...

What's missing??

2008-10-19T13:48:00.009+08:00

I was away for a long holiday and it sure was an enjoyable one, ;p

Now that I am back, I need to work on the addition to my Gingerbread Collection. I love making Gingerbread people and definitely enjoyed the process... but something is missing. Guess what? These 'people' of mine have NO house! Got to have Gingerbread House for Christmas too!!

I sketched eight (8) houses I wanted to make but only four (4) turned out. Though there were lots of tiny-winy work involved and very time-consuming, they are worth it and I sure had fun making them.

Gingerbread Family Tree Ornaments

2008-09-09T13:25:00.005+08:00

Turn your tree into a Gingerbread Family Tree this year!

My Gingerbread Man

2008-09-09T12:52:00.010+08:00

I love this Gingerbread Man ~~ one-of-a-kind DIY 100% handmade from scratch by me. It's pretty simple to make actually. I shaped the desired outline using wire, traced it on the clay sheet and cut it out with a sharp knife. Using an extruder to create 'noodles' to decorate the gingerbread man any way you like!

I have created two different faces on each side (front and back) for these gingerbread man, as shown in the photo.

FRESH Gingerbread Cookie from the Oven!

2008-09-09T12:35:00.005+08:00

Gingerbread Cookies Craze! Yum Yum!
These Gingerbread Cookies are ornaments specially made for TREES!

It's never too early to prepare for Christmas...

PCAGOE Challenge -- Vote Now!

2008-09-02T12:56:00.001+08:00

Well, it is voting time again for PCAGOE Monthly Challenge. The theme for this month is "TEXTURE".

VOTE for your favorite entry and be entered in a drawing to WIN one of two September prize packs. If you haven't heard about this, or yet to vote, you still have chance to do it! Vote once between now and midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on Wednesday, September 3rd.

Click this link to check it out and VOTE! http://pcagoe.com/

Thanks for looking and Good Luck!

Turtle PONTO

2008-08-21T06:19:00.004+08:00

This is what I have been working on last week. Meet PONTO, a custom order Turtle with shell accented with aboriginal art (using dotting decorations).

Under The Sea Treasury

2008-08-21T05:15:00.004+08:00

My Turtle SWIREE is in the Treasury! Yay!

Check out all items in the treasury by following this link: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=22514

Enjoy your day uuuunder the Sea! =p

Faux Jade made of Polymer Clay

2008-08-18T12:35:00.002+08:00

Jade is a beauty, popular in the Far East for objects and jewerly, and costly too. With some imaginations and creativity, Faux Jade can be made out of Polymer Clay. I came across these beatifully made faux jade pendants at etsy.com today.

Check out this shop yourself at http://Stonebrash.etsy.com

Pretty Pillbox

2008-08-18T12:19:00.002+08:00

Look at these cute little pillboxes! Aren't they pretty? The pill boxes are covered with polymer clay - uniquely handmade.

Find them at http://beadworx.etsy.com

Prepare to be amazed!

2008-08-14T06:52:00.013+08:00

When I saw Flying Pig the first question that pop up is -- What were these people thinking?? And now, look what I have discovered -- A DIVING PIG!!

This one-of-a-kind creative work of art "Diving Bacon With Working Mini Aqualung" is made with Polymer Clay by artist Garie Sim.

This miniature Scuba Diving Piggy if fully geared with diving equipment which includes a miniature hose with a working mini aqualung (air cylinder). Meaning -- it is buoyance in the water! Isn't that amazing?

I seriously missed my diving days... so envy that Bacon get to dive.

Here's a few details I got to know from Garie:

>> The digital gauge and console Glow in the dark, to monitor air consumption and depth.

>> The tank is filled with baking soda, when it bubbles out CO2 it looks good underwater.

Follow this link to see it in action! You will see more photos with humorous remarks by Garie.
http://www.garieinternational.com.sg/clay/diving_bacon.htm

I wonder what he will comes up with, next...

Sold Turtle - What happen then?

2008-08-12T10:25:00.008+08:00

I've been making and selling my turtles all this while, and each time I received a feedback I was hoping that someone will include a photo of what they did with it. You might find it weird but I love each turtle I've created. So I'm just being curious what happens after the new owners received them...

Today, these photos came into my e-mailbox. Can't stop smiling as I was so excited and happy to see this beautiful necklace using my turtle as focal bead pendant!

The owner had her friend specially designed this necklace for her. I was so pleased to learnt that she wears this necklace all the time.

Creations inspired by KATO

2008-08-09T15:06:00.004+08:00

I came across this lovely "Purple Passion Necklace" yesterday at http://valleycreations.etsy.com. Love the mica shifts work done on this piece, and the colors are great!

Seeing this reminds me of Donna Kato's books and Kato clay which I've owned but were sitting in the shelf waiting to be worked on. So, I start making couple of simple pendants.

I think I'll start a "Black & Gold" section in my etsy shop.

Tried mica shifts, not very successful this time but will keep on trying. I'd be delighted if I could achieve what valleycreations did above, lol.

Bottles of Hope - DONE!

2008-08-07T14:24:00.004+08:00

Finally, this lot of 6 BOH is done! Yay!! I am very happy to have this project completed although it is a bit off schedule...

I wanted to start on a mirror project... see what turns out later.

"always expect the unexpected..." - unQuote

Inspired by 3D Fantasy Nail Art

2008-08-07T13:56:00.012+08:00

Yup! The photo on the left is a 3D Fantasy Nail Art! And I am proud to say that it was done by my big sister - Catherine. I just got my new daisy fondue cutter and have no idea what to do with it. Her work is a great inspiration for my new pendant project.

The pendant measures approx. 2-1/2" tall and 1" wide. The actual color of my daisies looks a bit off from actual - should be more 'orangy' and 'goldish' and in this photo I can't even see the color blend in the daisies. Blame it on the bad lighting and my eagerness to get this post published, lol.

Check out Catherine's blog at http://ecsalonce.blogspot.com/

Custom Order - Manatee

2008-08-07T12:12:00.005+08:00

MANATEE - I have no idea what it is when I received the custom order. After doing some research online it was actually a "sea cow"!! (Thanks to the world wide web!)

In real life Manatee is sooooo gray and plain on the skin. Look what have I done to my manatee...

I took some shots of it today, and this is my favorite photo. Don't you think he/she is cute?? Looked kind of innocent to me.

Polymer Clay Painting??

2008-08-05T00:06:00.006+08:00

I know the uses of Polymer Clay is endless... but I never thought of it to be used to create a painting. These paintings uses 100% Polymer Clay done by an artist known as MaryL. She has MS (an illness, among other things it effects her visual perception as well as vision itself) but still able to produce such an intricate work of art!

"Toucan" 2008

"Water Lilies"

I am sooooo inspired by her work, and definately will include Polymer Clay Painting into my future projects.

You can see more of Mary's work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marylclaypainting/

Bare Walls No More!

2008-08-04T14:13:00.010+08:00

So, you have a bare wall (somewhere) and hanging a painting or print or poster or... (you get what I meant), isn't special enough for you, you may like this!

This fun funky wall dancer art doll uses great colors which brightens the wall in a very fun and artistic way. I'd love to have a few to dress up my walls, only IF I still have bare walls to accommodate them. Probably when I get a bigger place... lol.

You can get this from http://www.kerijoy.etsy.com/

Turtles Gone Swimming!

2008-08-03T04:44:00.006+08:00

It's Summer and weather in Texas is 99'F (37'C).

My turtles Caelle and Emeree couldn't stand the heat so they went swimming! Imagine the sea breeze and splashy waves... cool water... Gosh I wish I could hang a sign saying "GONE DIVING"! (sigh)

Turtle Caelle

Turtle Emeree

My intention for these art pieces were to be worn as pins. As they would also look gorgeous as focal bead pendants for necklaces, or probably as magnets on a fridge, or just for decor... I couldn't made up my mind. So I just leave them as it is and let the owner-to-be decides.

* inspired by CF

Look what I found!

2008-08-02T12:24:00.005+08:00

It is always exciting and fruitful to cruise around etsy cos' you'll never know what you would discover.

Sharing my findings today:

Beautiful pieces. These are polymer clay covered glass candle holder. Don't you love the vigilant colors!!

SHOP: ArzuMusa.etsy.com

Can you believe this is covered on Goose egg?? Look closely and you can see through the boughs! So much detail involved!!

SHOP: FolkArtFromTheHeart.etsy.com

This clock is interesting. The design uses liquid polyclay - something which I have not tried yet, but wanted to. Love the fish. Reminds me of my diving days...

SHOP: CookiesCreations.etsy.com

Deviation

2008-08-02T11:48:00.002+08:00

You probably would have expected to see more of my bottles of hope (as that was my plan for this week), so here is my second piece.

Can you spot the word "HOPE"?
For the rest of the BOH, well... they were lagged...

And the reason for it is simply this --- I was DEVIATED again! Though this always happens (plan for something but doing something else instead), I still keep planning cos' that was the easy part, the hard part was to execute the plan, lol.

These cutie turtles were the "something else" created this week. I love they way they turned out. The turtle at 9 o'clock position is my favorite. He is Turtle # 033. Unlike the rest of his clan he was created to be "flat" on the shell.

Available for sale at my etsy shop soon.

VOTE NOW!

2008-08-02T05:51:00.003+08:00

.................................

IT'S SHOW TIME!

.................................

Yes. It is time to vote for PCAGOE August Challenge and the theme is "IT'S SHOW TIME!". VOTE for your favorite entry and be entered in a drawing to WIN one of two August prize packs.

If you haven't heard about this, or yet to vote, you still have chance to do it! Vote once between now and midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on Sunday, August 3rd.

Click this link to check it out and VOTE! http://pcagoe.com/

Thanks for looking and Good Luck!

Bottles of Hope

2008-07-29T12:08:00.008+08:00

This will be my project for this week. I have been so far behind on this and I need to get them done hopefully by this week, even though there is no submission deadline.

Here is my first BOH...

... will have it baked tomorrow.

To learn about Bottles of Hope, go to http://www.bottlesofhope.org/

CHECK THESE OUT!

2008-07-25T06:35:00.014+08:00

I was supposed to work on the photos of my new items... but just not in the mood to get through with it. Probably it has something to do with the weather.

As usual, I'll be sitting right in front of my pc browsing through ETSY just to check out what others has to offer. There are so many talented artist out there doing all sort of amazing things -- HANDMADE!! I need to feed my brain with inspirations and ETSY is one of the place to go to. Sometimes I ended up shopping a bit too, lol.

Here are 2 shops which I came across and would like to share:

Dragons' Lover -- you'll definitely love what this shop has to offer! Dragons with characters and stories behind each of it. My favorite is this Hugoo of the Water Clan.

SHOP: elementaldragons.etsy.com

Another favorite finding is this extraordinary sea creature -- The OCTOPUS!! This artist also works on items inspired by CF (like me) and I must say that she did a great job on her pieces. Seeing this gives me the urge to start trying out sea theme.

SHOP: time4coffee.etsy.com

PEACOCK Focal Pendants Sneak Peek''

2008-07-24T13:54:00.005+08:00

First batch of Peacock Focal Pendants finally DONE! Yay!!

Although the lighting was bad, I had to take a few shots tonight so that I can have them posted here for sneak preview.

p/s: I saw these peacock feathers at Hobby Lobby and can't leave without them. Aren't they gorgeous??

PEACOCK Week!

2008-07-22T12:20:00.001+08:00

My head is loaded with ideas designing the pendant(s) using the peacock feather cane. Work is still in progress... nothing much to show for now.