Doll Series I'm Moving right along

I think one of the biggest frustration when using polymer clay is DIRT.. Not specks but the dingy grey.. For many of you have fallen into the category along with me just know this your not alone.  When I first took up polymer clay I could not figure out how others kept there clay so clean.  To only find out years and years later they have the same problem too.  There are ways and I mean many ways to clean your clay.  And the reason for this is because there is always someone trying something to keep it clean.  I have worked with polymer clay for a very long time and I have developed my own way of understanding it and when its starting to attack my clay.  Let me reassure any of you that the longer you work with polymer clay the more you will understand how it works with you.  When you can start seeing patterns your on the way to working with the clay and not letting the clay work against.  It was made to have fun and not get frustrated.  Its truly not the clay thats the problem.  The clay is teaching us to understand how we work with just ourselves.
Here I'm sharing some methods I use to clean my clay.  Oh yes and I have many more LOL.. Hope you enjoy..  Please feel free to share with your friends and bring the brightness back into your clay.

Sometimes a crazy way to think can lead into and easier way of understanding

Sculpting the forehead and the skull are very important when sculpting.  Sometimes foreheads become way to short and to large.  When we start adding the hair something doesn't look right.  So we try adding more hair and that can actually throw your doll out of scale and it will look like she is all hair on top.  If the skull is to high along with the forehead we will try to fix it with pulling more hair around the sides and front of head.  This can also look odd too but if that's the look your wanting then by no means there's not a thing wrong with it.

My journey begins

Making eyes for me are never the same

I needed to come up with a way to make eyes for this doll I'm making. So I threw this together and I was very pleased with the results. My passion is making the eyes myself from beginning to end because thats where the doll speaks to my heart so Im one that will use many different Technics. This video shows all the stages of creating but no painting. Although at the very end of the video I slipped in a part where she is already painted. I will have in my other videos how I paint them. I don't always use Genesis oil paints. I use something entirely different and you will see what it is later. Hope this video will inspire. hugs

First time for me Femo air dry clay what I think so far

Good morning everyone!  I have been wanting to post about some air dry clay that I have had and wanted to review it for myself.  I finally had some time and I pulled out its femo air dry clay in flesh and white.  I always use La Doll Premier air dry clay and love it.  So, here are my thoughts with femo,  don't get fooled when it says flesh color its more of an orange.  The color was way off in my opinion. It was dryer then my La Doll Premier but after I kneaded I started to like it.  I did add a little water to it for my own comfort of use.  It dried in two days and it was as strong as the La Doll Premier.  Sanded very nice and became smooth. So, I have decided to dig more into this kind of air dry clay and will see how it all goes.  It cost me $7.99 at Michaels.

Skeleton leaf and pebeo paints doing well

So far the pebeo paint is drying nicely on the skeleton leaf. Its also appears to be creating even a stronger skeleton which that is what I was wanting. Will see how they look tomorrow. If you haven't tried the pebeo prisme fantasy they are so awesome and so much fun. I find its a medium that gives off less screw ups and amazing results.

A busy week but still time for my bjd

Worked on her last night and thought I would take pictures.  Today the apoxie is all dried and I will check the neck out and sand the apoxie.  Then once its fit I will dip the neck in melted wax.  Once cooled I will add some polymer clay over the wax.  Cook it once again and move on to the next.

On with my Ball Jointed Doll

Hello beautiful world. Wanted to share a little bit of bjd. Sorry I can't stay long today have a class. Will see all soon and have a beautiful day. Sculpt something!!!! hugs

Back to my Ball jointed doll (bjd)

Good morning to all and your letting the light project out into the world and your love ones. Oh what a great start. Its going to be a great Weds for me and for all of you too. Class is right around the corner so Im working on my bjd before everyone arrives. In this picture Im showing how important it is for me to drill out all of the cooked polymer clay. Yes even in the breast as much as I can. I would like to explain why this is so important for me and I do understand many may not want to go through the extent I do to make them my bjd.

Its like fine china compared to ceramic. They are two different kinds of look. Fine china has a light look and feel and gives off a transparent look.. Ceramic has a heavy clay look. Like a solid rock. If anyone here is familiar with porcelain it is a finer clay as where ceramic is more coarse. The difference between in price are even different too because of the refining. When you pour porcelain you don't want it to thick because if you do it becomes to have a whole different look. My goal for so many years now has been tweaking all the corners to polymer clay and change them to give a much finer appearance. Now does this mean anyones choices are wrong if they don't see mine?, No lets not even consider that. I have seen beautiful art in all mediums and from artist that have expanded into there chosen mediums. So now lets move on. It also has taken me years to learn the clays I use and work with them so I know how strong they are to be able to produce the thinness of polymer clay. Im always learning and I find myself so many times I will do one thing and find I can do something else. But isn't that all about expansion?

Life its self is expansion and if we don't allow to flow with it then life becomes a struggle.

I love you all and hope many of you are creating. Life is about creating and what more fun is that. Yes I will say it again I love all of you here and more loving people like me are coming forth everyday. Why can I say that? Well when you love yourself you only get more back. hugs 

My thoughts and what works for me with waiting for clay to cool or not

I will be making a video on each of your questions. This one in particular is asked a lot. In this video I really want to share its not so much about teaching as it is sharing what works for me. In all of my videos and my art channel is based on sharing. Its never about right or wrong. We are all different and art needs to be fun and not to focus on all the dos and don't it will make your head spin

Update still moving along with my ball jointed doll

I wanted to share what I have been doing with my ball jointed doll. I haven't been able to spend enough hours with it this week due to class's I give. 
I also would like to say this with my style of making bjds. I may not make them as others I honestly don't know. And I say this because I'm the type of person I love to figure things out for myself. I learn much faster when I think things out and then make a mistake. We all are different and we must do what works for each of us. When I was making porcelain dolls it was my whole starting point of learning and expanding onto many different things. So, I already had a little knowledge with ball jointed, but I never had enough experience. I feel even today experience has no end in any kind of medium we choose to use. For many years I have been wanting to create for myself polymer clay to look and feel like porcelain. By incorporating the wax I can now have a much thinner layer of clay that now gives me a translucent look.

Setting the eyes lots of pictures

Are you ready ok here we go! You will see by learning how to make a hollow head.  You won't be limited to what you can do or use.  No more concerns with the heat from your oven.  At this stage my doll head will never go in oven when doing a ball jointed doll. If not a ball jointed I still would make a hollow head. But the whole doll will be completely cooked then I would do the eyes.

Painted eyes next setting them in Stay tuned

Good morning everyone! Well it's Friday and what a great week I have had. I hope all of you here can say the same. I know everyday doesn't just flow so beautiful but those little bumps along the way can help us when we know how to allow and just move on. Everything always turns out. We got our cold front and it's very windy here. I haven't even been out to my studio and turn on some heat LOL. It looks like its going to be another late start for me today and its okay and all things are flowing easy.
Well after dinner last night I did another layer of paint on the eyes. Today I will be setting the eyes in. So, there are some of you that wanted to see pic so I will have them posted today.
Well Im go and I want to say everyone have a wonderful day. Be safe and warm. Hope many of you are planning on creating and just have some fun. For those of you that are still just thinking and haven't taken action. Here's what I could say to you. I have been there didn't touch the clay for 2years had a death in family this happened many years ago. A beautiful friend I have at that time just told me to hold the clay in my hands. Don't think your going to make anything. Well I did just that and that same day I started to sculpt. I came out of that bump who hit me so hard and I started to move along with life in such a blissful and fun loving flow. Things can come our way but its our choice to take action. Talk yourself through it and always say wonderful things that make you feel good. You will be out of your slump in no time. See all later with pictures of setting the eyes in. Please feel free to share with friends lets spread the joy around with art. Hugs

How to make wax core using plastic straws for a mold ball jointed dolls

Short video showing making the wax core with plastic straws for molds. Follow me as I move along with this ball jointed doll.  Subscribe to may channel for lots of video's.  All free..

Wanted to end my evening with all of you here and show my last thing for today

Well it's been a beautiful day for one 84 degrees. Had the windows opened all day and hearing the birds have been such a joy. Along with visits from our deer. So, many this year and even saw one with her baby. I have been in my studio for 12hrs and I have been called where's the food LOL. Don't they know I'm in the vortex and we don't eat LOL.
After dinner I will paint the other eye so that I don't forget how I did the first one. So, I wanted to leave it here where I ended up and for everyone to have a great evening. 
I'm so excited for tomorrow ! This is truly living life.

While I'm in my studio wanted to share my bjd wip

I took some pictures today while Im in my studio working on my bjd. Just wanted to keep this flowing for me and who ever's watching LOL. I'm just not ready to set the eyes in yet never rush. I want to make sure everything is going to fit then I need to paint around the eyes before I set them. No more cooking eyes in oven for me. A lot less problems for me that is.

How to make beautiful glass eyes for your doll

Well everyone you might want to really watch this tutorial.  Seems I have discovered something about paints and what results you will get. Click below and watch the whole tutorial from beginning to end.  Don't forget please subscribe to my art channel it is free nothing to buy.  Just all sharing and having fun.