Bzzy Little Bee - Crafting Adventures in Southern California by Carmen Flores Tanis

Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop - Polymer Clay Holiday Trees

Time for this month's CHA Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop! This month the theme is Thanksgiving / Fall so here's a look at one of my favorite projects - fun little trees made out of polymer clay.  

Gobble Gobble Gobble!!

Figuring out the engineering is probably my favorite part of designing a craft. For the tree, I set a piece of armature wire in a pot full of plaster to act as the trunk. Then I constructed some cones out of half circles of paper to act as molds for the polymer clay tree "skirts". I also rolled out some clay balls and logs to act as spacers between the "skirts".  

Plaster filled pot, clay spacers and paper cones

Basic Shape A-OK!

Once I got the design of the structure right, it was time to go to town! To form the skirts, I rolled out sheets of white polymer clay, added texture and draped each sheet on a paper cone to get that funnel shape. I added a few clay cutouts and then into the oven they went. I also made a little turkey tree topper by adding a clay tail and head to a tiny gourd body.  Once the clay came out of the oven, I painted everything with acrylics. (I also painted the pot and used paint pens to write text along the rim.) Once all the individual pieces were ready, I assembled everything with just a little glue to hold each part in place.

I Can See Your House From Here!

And of course, I couldn't stop there. I went on a crafting spree and made an entire collection of holiday trees!

My Holiday Forest

From left to right above - Thanksgiving/Fall, Winter Wonderland, Halloween, Partridge in a Pear Tree, Valentine's Day. 

Holiday Inn

All the trees are topped with tiny gourds with extra clay details like the snowman's hat and scarf. Oh! I almost forgot - each tree stands about fifteen inches tall so they make fun centerpieces. Now that's some Holiday Whobee Whatee for you!

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Be sure to check out all the other fabulous holiday projects in the Designer Crafts Connection Blog Hop! Just click "hop forward" or "hop backward" on the DC Connection badge to visit the other blogs.  

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Not One But Two Red Rabbit Holidays on the Way

 Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere!

Here's what I've been working on almost nonstop the last couple of months.  And they are almost here!  We're doing our second annual Red Rabbit at Descanso Gardens on December 6th and our first holiday show in Orange County on December 13th.  I'm especially looking forward to the workshops which are always so much fun.  I'm asking everyone I know to save soda cans for me for the pinwheel and brooch classes which I'll be teaching there.  And I can only drink so much! 

Come check out the fun!  http://redrabbitworkshop.com

The Most Unexpected Halloween Surprise

 Still Crazy After All These Years

Remember the "portal keys" in Harry Potter -  objects that would transport a person to another place when grasped?  

Well I found one on Saturday.  A sort of one.

I was shopping in San Clemente with lil sis Aliss when I spotted this little costume.

As soon as I saw it I was bullet trained to San Francisco, to Paul Revere Elementary School's kindergarten Halloween parade - 1966. It was the weirdest feeling - focused like a flashlight aimed intently and speeding towards something.  You see I had this same exact (well almost exact) costume when I was little!  And here it was pristine and in mint condition over forty years later! It's the strangest sensation looking at it because I've sure changed while it hasn't.  I am just over the moon and tickled pink to have been reunited with this little costume in a box.  Let's pull out those pictures from 1966 why don't we....

 Oops!  Forgot The "Do Not Wear White Shoes  After Labor Day Rule"

That's me!!  I love how I later went in and edited my writing: I was 5 not 4 in kindergarten and U.S.A. was not the state in which I lived. (Obviously corrected the following year when I was a much wiser and geographically gifted first grader.)  And then there is that missing silent "e" at the end of "Paul Revere". (What new little speller didn't think that silent letters were absurd and maybe just some kind of hoax?  They made no sense!)

But the best part of all is the weight!  Thirty-nine pounds. 39!  That's like the size of my laptop!  Come to think of it - I'd probably have a better chance of fitting into my laptop than into this ever again. Hmm...  :)  Ah good times. Good times.

That's One Teeny Tiny Little Witch!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Better Late Than Never

With So Many Valentines To Chose From, How Can A Person Just Send One?

 

Ooh, I promised to post one Valentine's card for each day of the month of February and then I flaked out after February 22.  So to make up for that I'm posting this one big post with 7 more Valentines to catch up and finish off the month with a total of 29.  Good - having left this unfinished was just bugging the heck out of me and now I can cross this off my list of things to do.  See you next year little Valentine cards!

Vote For Me, Valentine!

 
I Think More People Would Vote If All
The Ballots Were Heart-shaped

A Peter-Pan collar, MaryJanes, bobby socks, and a wide head band - I want this look!

I've Got A Brand-New Pair Of Rollerskates

My, What Teeny Tiny Little Rollerskates!

This card is actually a tiny little thing - about an inch wide.  Isn't it adorable?

Crafty-Hearted Love

Hey, Don't Go Running With Those Scissors, Toots!

I love how Debbie B., years ago, signed her name across the little girl's face.  Too funny.

Lady Of Spain, I Adore You

Excuse My Surprise, But That Heart You're
Holding Looks Suspiciously Like A Water Balloon, Dear,
And This Fan Doesn't Drip-Dry

I  wish you could see the embossed silver glitter on this card.  It's so pretty.

The Object Of My Affection

How Can You Say No To Such A Cutie?

Adorable!

You're My Rockabilly Baby

Don't Fence Me In

This little card is so sweet.  The little girl reminds me of Fern in "Charlotte's Web".  And I love her wide legged "dungarees".