iseecerulean

I just don't know if I like him...maybe if I make him fatter.  Yup!  That's it...he's just too skinny.

I'm going to leave him alone until he's dry...then I'll add more clay to his waistline.

FINALLY!

Harp number eight will work.  It's not exactly like I wanted it, but it's the right size and roughly the right shape...it'll do.

I've got the armature done for my ghost harpist...now to get out the clay.

Yay!  It's fun time again!

YUCK.

It's too thick, stringing with wire was a disaster...it's horrible.

I was whining about it and Matt asked if I wanted him to make me a harp...I told him to be careful what he offered, that I may take him up on it.

I can't sleep because my back hurts really really bad...I hate kidney infections...so I gave up on sleep and came into the studio instead.  Here's the harp before it went into the oven...it's baking now.

I was going to string it with wire before I baked it, but I couldn't get the wire straight enough.  I poked holes in the frame with sewing pins instead and will string it with either wire or thread after it's cool.

Wish me luck.

Regarding your harp suggestions, Susan...I'm going to get away from polymer clay altogether.  I can't get it to cure so that it's hard...I don't think I'm baking it right.  The instructions say to bake it at 130 degrees for 15 minutes, but my oven starts at warm then jumps to 200, and I can't get it to 130 no matter how much I dink around with the dial...and the directions warn not to over-bake...I can't get the stuff hard and...HEY WAIT A MINUTE....I just looked at the instructions again to make sure I typed them right...look at this (on the left)...

I wasn't supposed to bake at 130 degrees...that's the Celsius measurement!  I'm supposed to bake at 275 degrees.  The package ripped when I opened it, right through the instructions, and I didn't read them correctly. 

In my defense, I did check the second package (picture on the right), but it didn't even have baking instructions.  Can you imagine selling something that says "bakes in your oven" on the front, but doesn't print instructions anywhere on the label?

Sigh...maybe if I'd follow the directions, things would work like they're supposed to.  I suppose I'll give the polymer clay another chance.

Is this better?

Notice crap harp #3 on the table...polymer clay just isn't working for me...I'm going to switch to another construction material...

Now how am I supposed to get anything accomplished?  It's too clean!  I even vacuumed and put out a vase of lavender...it smells so pretty in here.

I know what you're up to...you're using my messiness to feel better about your own space!

LOL

Not much to report this week...I'm feeling awfully blah.  I did finish coloring Mz. Arteest, but that's about it.  Now I've got to figure out how to get the marker off of her neck, where I didn't want it...sandpaper?

I am bound and determined to make a harp this weekend.  I want to get it done before I start my vacation the weekend after, so that if I want to play in my studio I'm ready to move on to fun stuff.  Besides which, I want to make Ghosty.

I just have to clean off my craft table first...I'm horrible at putting things away when I'm done with them.  I'll get down to a little postage stamp sized spot that's difficult to work in because the rest of the table is covered in supplies I'm already done with...then I just shake my head and lecture myself while I clean...I'm such a dork.

What I want to do with the little artist's mannequin, who will be serving as the artist in my studio, is give her some color.  I don't want to cover her up so that you can't tell what she is...just personify her a little bit...simply.

I started coloring her with Sharpies. I know it won't give me as nice a finish as paint will, but it dries super quick, so I can pull her joints apart, color them, and then let them snap shut again.  I had thought about taking her apart, painting her, then gluing her back together in a permanent pose...she'd be a lot easier to alter that way...but then what happens if I change my mind about where she's going to be positioned in the studio?

She needs to be wearing a cardigan (because I'm always wearing a cardigan) so I'm going to crochet her one.  I have to teach myself how to crochet first, but I watched a few you-tube videos last weekend and it doesn't look all the complicated...if I do it all in one simple stitch anyway.

I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do with her feet yet...probably fashion or color on striped socks.

I'm really stuck on the color of her hair.  If I didn't change my hair color every other week it would be a much simpler decision...but I love that the possibilities are endless.  I'm leaning toward pink right now...or bright blue...hmm... although...remember blurple?