I was featured in a treasury list the other day. It was all right. Sometimes I'm featured in gorgeous lists that could make it to the front page, but have nothing in there that I would ever really consider buying for myself or anyone I know, and so I can find them a bit boring. Other times I'm in not fantastic-looking treasuries but which have lots of items in I could easily fall head over heels for given the chance.
I can't really say which the treasury was, indeed I didn't even look long enough to see where in it I was positioned, like I usually do. Instead, my interest was captured by a group of little castle turrets coloured pink and white. I don't know what it was that drew me towards them exactly - it could have been the colours, it could have been the fact that they were so small, or it could have been the detail I saw even in that small thumbnail. Who knows.
But I was then led to look into her shop. Oh. My. Goodness. That handmade shelf I was talking about a while ago that still needs to go up, this shop could populate it.
The detail is so gorgeous, and they only stand at 2 inches tall! What really draws me into them are the leaves, the rooves (or, apparently, it's "roofs" now) and the flowers. I've used polymer clay for a few years now, and I don't consider myself to be amazing at it. My fingers are too big and get in my way. Or I think so, anyway. I'm quite heavy handed when it comes to little things. But the roses are so well made! And the marbelled rooves are so cute. And I also love that you can buy the houses as sets, or individually, but each house in the set looks different - different rose and leaf arrangements, and different roof shapes. It's so clever.
Then there are these horses. The manes differ by either being extremely curley or more windswept, and the colours she chooses are exquisite. I love this white one - but that's partially because I'm also rather in love with white at the moment. I love the beads she uses as little bursts of stronger colours, and the little pin pricks for detail - but the shape and work on the face itself is perfect. It's not too much, but it itsn't too little, and while keeping a whimsical, fantasy nature, it also gives it the immediate recognition of its species. Plus the mane is to die for.
Do you make your own canes for the leaves?
Yes I do make my own canes for the leaves. I love the different colour combinations you can create when you make your own canes. I hope to experiment a bit more with them in the near future and make more elaborate and extravagant pieces.
What inspired your little houses?
I was mixing different coloured pieces of clay and I liked the way the colours started to blend into each other. I formed a little tear drop shape with a flat bottom and thought it looked a bit like a roof and added it to some light coloured clay and thus the little fairy house was born. I love to make little clay roses and added these to the house and I thought the finished piece looked so cute and decided to make some more. Now I'm addicted and can't stop making them.
Your colour schemes are beautiful. Where do you get the inspiration from for the colours you use?
I like to mix lots of different colours and then leave them in little coloured clay balls on a plate, then I select the ones that I think go well together for the item I want to make. I find inspiration for colour from so many unusual places such as brightly coloured paintings, my daughter's toys, flowers in the garden, walks in the woods, vintage patterned china, and websites such as pinterest.com which features so much amazing stuff. I find that my mood affects my appetite for which colours I use.
How long does it take you to create one little house? How about the horse?
My little fairy houses have several parts that are made seperately and each has it's own time frame. The leaf canes can take 20-30 minutes to make, the base of the house is quickest as I roll a long log of clay and cut it into pieces before baking each piece so about 5 minutes for this, mixing colours for the roof and forming the shape 10 minutes and then there is the roses to create that take about 5 minutes per house. Then there is the painting...etc. It all adds up and can take quite a while but I enjoy it so much and find it therapeutic.
My horse pins/pendants take a good couple of hours to create.
Do you have any tips for other miniature polymer clay users?
Keep experimenting to find your own style. Use different tools for different effects, add mica powder, silver leaf, textured items for patterned surfaces...etc, don't be afraid to try something new. It's important to find your own way with polymer clay so that you develop something that is unique to your style.
How about any tips for new Etsy sellers?
The hardest thing for new etsy shop owners is not being discovered. It takes months to get noticed, build up sales...etc but I would say 'stick with it' and the more work you put in the more you will achieve. I recommend making treasuries as not only do you promote others work but you introduce yourself to other people on etsy, join some teams and join in the forums. It all helps!
Do you make to sell, or sell to make?
A bit of both really. If I didn't sell anything I couldn't afford the materials to make new items and if I didn't make anything I'd have nothing to sell. I've always loved sculpting though and I would still sculpt, even if I didn't sell anything.
What are you obsessed with at the moment? A colour? A song? An idea?
2 things - the first being the song The Ghost Whisperer by Radiohead. To me this song makes me feel happy and relaxed and makes me think of summer. I'm then completely in the mood to create something arty.
The second thing is pinterest.com! I am amazed at the beauty of so many artists work on there and I love inventing my own boards and adding other people's work to them. I could spend days and days just flicking through pinterest.
Then there are these horses. The manes differ by either being extremely curley or more windswept, and the colours she chooses are exquisite. I love this white one - but that's partially because I'm also rather in love with white at the moment. I love the beads she uses as little bursts of stronger colours, and the little pin pricks for detail - but the shape and work on the face itself is perfect. It's not too much, but it itsn't too little, and while keeping a whimsical, fantasy nature, it also gives it the immediate recognition of its species. Plus the mane is to die for.
A little from the maker:
Do you make your own canes for the leaves?
Yes I do make my own canes for the leaves. I love the different colour combinations you can create when you make your own canes. I hope to experiment a bit more with them in the near future and make more elaborate and extravagant pieces.
What inspired your little houses?
I was mixing different coloured pieces of clay and I liked the way the colours started to blend into each other. I formed a little tear drop shape with a flat bottom and thought it looked a bit like a roof and added it to some light coloured clay and thus the little fairy house was born. I love to make little clay roses and added these to the house and I thought the finished piece looked so cute and decided to make some more. Now I'm addicted and can't stop making them.
Your colour schemes are beautiful. Where do you get the inspiration from for the colours you use?
I like to mix lots of different colours and then leave them in little coloured clay balls on a plate, then I select the ones that I think go well together for the item I want to make. I find inspiration for colour from so many unusual places such as brightly coloured paintings, my daughter's toys, flowers in the garden, walks in the woods, vintage patterned china, and websites such as pinterest.com which features so much amazing stuff. I find that my mood affects my appetite for which colours I use.
How long does it take you to create one little house? How about the horse?
My little fairy houses have several parts that are made seperately and each has it's own time frame. The leaf canes can take 20-30 minutes to make, the base of the house is quickest as I roll a long log of clay and cut it into pieces before baking each piece so about 5 minutes for this, mixing colours for the roof and forming the shape 10 minutes and then there is the roses to create that take about 5 minutes per house. Then there is the painting...etc. It all adds up and can take quite a while but I enjoy it so much and find it therapeutic.
My horse pins/pendants take a good couple of hours to create.
Do you have any tips for other miniature polymer clay users?
Keep experimenting to find your own style. Use different tools for different effects, add mica powder, silver leaf, textured items for patterned surfaces...etc, don't be afraid to try something new. It's important to find your own way with polymer clay so that you develop something that is unique to your style.
How about any tips for new Etsy sellers?
The hardest thing for new etsy shop owners is not being discovered. It takes months to get noticed, build up sales...etc but I would say 'stick with it' and the more work you put in the more you will achieve. I recommend making treasuries as not only do you promote others work but you introduce yourself to other people on etsy, join some teams and join in the forums. It all helps!
Do you make to sell, or sell to make?
A bit of both really. If I didn't sell anything I couldn't afford the materials to make new items and if I didn't make anything I'd have nothing to sell. I've always loved sculpting though and I would still sculpt, even if I didn't sell anything.
What are you obsessed with at the moment? A colour? A song? An idea?
2 things - the first being the song The Ghost Whisperer by Radiohead. To me this song makes me feel happy and relaxed and makes me think of summer. I'm then completely in the mood to create something arty.
The second thing is pinterest.com! I am amazed at the beauty of so many artists work on there and I love inventing my own boards and adding other people's work to them. I could spend days and days just flicking through pinterest.
Have a look through her gorgeous shop! The houses especially look gorgeous in terrariums and rockeries ♥
Also follow her twitter for updates on new products!
Also follow her twitter for updates on new products!
Also I am aware I missed Project 52, I've been
putting together more preliminary letters to send
out to agencies ♥ I'll be back on track soon!
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I do read every single comment, and I will try to respond where I can. If you have an important question about my blog or my shop, however, then you might be better off contacting me directly by email. Thanks so much for reading my blog!