Experimenting with an Idea !

I was watching Sheena on Create and Craft on Saturday, and of course this got me wanting to be creative.  Following Sheena's show was a Martha Stewart one - and I suddenly had an inspiration to find my little packet of fimo and create some flowers for our forthcoming Pavapol workshop next week.

 

Well I couldn't find my Fimo - HOWEVER - I found a half-used packet of Cloud Clay - which is almost identical to the Martha Stewart Paper Clay - RESULT!  So I took myself off to the den with the hope that the clay hadn't dried out!

 

Firstly I created some roses and leaves ready for the canvas I will be doing at the Paverpol workshop.  I am hoping these will be suitable to be dipped in the Paverpol and I can then paint them and add some gilding wax.  (well that's the plan ...).  

The roses were made by hand by what I call the "marzipan rose" technique, and the leaves were cut out with a plunge cutter, which cuts the shape and embosses the veins on it.  I then played with another cutter and veiner and made some blossoms and my butterfly plunge cutter.   (Note:  I worked the clay to a flattish shape with my fingers and then rolled it very thinly).

 

As you will see you can mould/tweak the items into shape before the are completely dry.

 

BUT then my ikkle brain cell went into lateral thinking mode .........

 

 

Roses and Leaves

 

 

Blossoms and Butterflies

..........   and I thought - if I can vein these leaves with the cutter, could I impress a stamp the clay - the answer was YES!

 

Using Sheena's stamps

 

My first try was the little violet stamp on the left-hand side of the picture.  Then I tried one of the fantasy flowers - the first one was difficult to cut out as I couldn't see the outline clearly, so I redid it using some stazon on the stamp first.  much easier!  

 

I rolled the clay thinly and then stamped into it (with the stamp on my rockerblock to get some good pressure).  I peeled the clay off the stamp and then cut them out with scissors.  I then repeated the procedure with some of the smaller stamps.  - you will see that some of the flowers look a bit "mucky" - well I used the offcuts from when I cut out the image and worked them into a bit of fresh clay!  (Working on the principal of "waste not - want not").  It didn't matter, because these are going to be painted and gilded eventually.

 

I also made some of the same flowers with the gel and paint technique to try and compare the results - but it seems with the weather that these are refusing to dry even 24 hours later - so this is definitely a quick alternative solution!

 

I have also stamped an ornate leaf flourish into clay and cut that out  (photos to follow when I have put those and the stamped flowers above onto a project).