Today's first two projects...

Well, I burnt my first project.  I've read that pearl clay burns easily (thank you, lovely teacher) so have a premixed bunch of white and pearl, but it didn't save the inner, reaallly thin portion of this leaf. 

But that's ok! Because that's what antiquing is for ;)

So this is also a really good moment (and photo) to discuss that I love color blending. *LOVE* I have a clay conditioning machine, which is a fancy-schmancy name for a cheap-ass pasta machine I got for 50% off at Joann's (1).  I find that it works well for big streaky color blends, but when I want something much more delicate and swirly, I really want to use my hands and also the roller.  It lets me keep a really nice eye on what's going on with the colors, and also seems to have the color pop on the outside rather than have to cut stuff open as often.  So yes, I will antique this, paint the leaves with gold/copper acrylic paint and wipe most of it off.

The other piece I have finished so far this morning is...

I think he's going to be one of my new favorites.  I had some trouble curling his tail around in front to start, but then wrestled it into place.  He was a good teaching model for the dragon I just put together, how better to curl the clay in the way *I* want it to go, as I am actually in charge of the damn stuff.

In looking at some older projects...

So this was really my first project I made when we got home from bead&button.  Mom and I chatted a bunch about what she wanted, and she chose a purple dragon.  I am still really happy with how this turned out, and I'm so happy she loves it.

These are straight out of Christi's Steampunk book, but they are just sooooo cute.  They glow in the dark.

My original project!  From Christi's class.  It turned me into the clay monster I am now.

I loove the fishy!  This one just turned out so nicely, and i really adore it.  Yay.

This is the unbaked version of my peacock.  He turned out to have lovely colors, and my personal favorite part is the tiny wing in the color mix with the colored powder on it.

My demented little steampunk owl.  The gears on his wings are hard to see, but he's so charmingly goofy.  His eye sockets are glow in the dark clay and it glows through the peridot.

Bear!  For someone special :)