Have a heart

Our local Ideas magazine is running a Creative Craft competition again this year. You can enter in any arty crafty category, and the deadline was nicely pitched far off into the future. Til June. June 12. Just 11 days away. From now.

Being organised, I compiled a list of possibilities, sublisted into Potential and Definite.  I duplicated the list so that one copy is on my fridge and the other is on the wall next to my pc in the spare room.  The list is also on my phone in the To Do section.

However, being a procrastinator, I never do today what I can put off til tomorrow. Consequently, only one item has so far been completed (and it is still drying), but I’m posting it nevertheless:

 

It’s a little hangy heart thing, made from a blank covered with shweshwe fabric, hardened and glossed with Podge, and decorated on both sides with a ceramic heart (made with airdrying clay in a chocolate mould) that has been painted, varnished and golded (gilded? engoldened?). It’s not going to change the world, but I’m pleased with it nevertheless, especially as I have mosaiced more hearts than anyone ever should, so it made a nice change to do something with paint and glue.

Right, Item #2 here we come.

To be continued…

 

 

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I refuse to throw that away!

I wonder why I am always gripped by the urge to take an average and generally meaningless piece of rubbish and try and turn it into something useful or beautiful, or hopefully both?  Any guesses what this is? And what possible future it has in my life? Ha  

To be continued…

 

 

 

Happy Friday

Today after work I went to the art room at Springfield Convent in Wynberg to collect my glazed and fired platter, the one I couldn’t quite get right those few weeks ago in the clay workshop, you may remember? Well, my design is indeed skew but I’m still pleased with the final product, and I love the turquoise.  There is a tiny split in the clay at the edge in one place, but apparently some platters just don’t make it through the firing process at all, so I’m not bothered. I’m sure if I submerge the platter under enough cupcakes, no-one will even notice!

I took the liberty of taking some photos of other people’s work, including Dale’s own mosaic mirror and her beautiful little houses. 

Some of the other work is by the art learners at the school, so I guess some of them are as young as 12 or 13.  Pretty talented bunch!

This was the temperature in Cape Town this afternoon while I was on my travels:

So much for autumn. My scarves and hats will have to stay at the back of the wardrobe for a while yet.

To be continued…

 

 

 

always something else to grab my eye

I had to rush through to Salt River at lunchtime to the tile shop to replenish my stock of purple glass squares (am halfway through mosaicing another little table, and didn’t check to see I had enough before starting – I never learn). Firstly, let me just say that it’s no mean feat rushing through lunchtime traffic in the southern suburbs when it’s THIRTY DEGREES hot.  Secondly, there’s always something new to catch one’s eye, even when you’re in a tearing hurry – or is it especially when you’re in a tearing hurry? There were small stacks of these square, barmy, imperfect little stone tiles. They were on sale. Now they are mine.

I decided to use three of them as plaques for these ceramic hearts that I bought from Francois Korver a while ago. (His website is a delight: www.stoorceramics.co.za).  I need to find a way to hang them on the wall securely, they’re pretty heavy, and smooth smooth at the back.  Ideas are welcome.

I am ridiculously pleased with myself. And all I did was stick one thing onto another thing. 

To be continued…

Up before the birds

It’s not often that I get up this early, but today I was wide awake a good hour before my alarm was due to go off.  The cats were very pleased, anyway, because it meant they got an early breakfast without having to go to all the effort of yowling in my ear (Choccie) and kneading my inert body (Jessie).

I’ve been working on this round mirror for a while now, starting with modelling the hearts out of clay (weeks and weeks ago already) and treating them with podge and paint. Finally got to the first grouting stage last night, and now it’s time to rub and rub and see if the design comes together even vaguely how I had imagined it.  I wanted big fat gleaming hearts and sparkly silver bits and broken mirror to catch the light.  Getting there rub rub rub

To be continued…