Okay, so much for not having time to blog. Actually, I really don't have time right now but I love doing it too much to stop completely.
Anyway, I got a request this week for a stand to go with a pen I had listed on Artfire. I can easily do stands for any of the pens but for some reason I don't bother most of the time. Anyway, the customer really loved this pen and wanted to know if I could make a stand to go with it. Of course I told her I
could and I got started on it.
Attempt One: I couldn't find the blue flower cane I used in the pen so I decided to just do without it. Made up some of the green background, covered a ball of scrap with it and proceeded to add the flowers. Not a big deal except that I was just getting over a bad cold and just wanted to get it done. But it only took about an hour so I was okay. Left it sitting on the craft table to bake it later. Later arrived and I went in there to get it to pop it into the oven and I discovered that my 2-year-old (who loves to clay) had arrived ahead of me and "improved" on my work. Holes, cuts and chunks missing.
Lesson One Learned: Bake it immediately or risk the "help" of the toddler.
Attempt Two: Mushed the first one all up into scrap clay and got started on the second one. Used the leftover green clay from #1 and covered scrap ball #2. Meanwhile, I had found the blue flower cane so I was able to put all of them in there. Whew! Got it made and safely into the oven. Set the timer and went to lie down for a minute. Forgot it was there. It was nicely browned all over.
Lesson Two Learned: If I'm not going to stay within hearing distance of the timer, tell the kids in the room why it's set. Dd heard it but said, "I didn't know what it was for so I didn't do anything about it." She's 12. She couldn't ask what it was for?
Attempt Three: Made up some new green and a covered a new scrap ball. I was now almost out of both the light pink cane and the orange cane. So, instead of covering the ball all over with flowers, I decided to just make a ring around the edge. Got it made, safely into the oven, safely out of the oven, and sanded and buffed with no more trouble. Thank heaven!
Lesson Three Learned: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
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| (lousy photo taken with my phone) |
This just goes to show that, no matter how "expert" you are at a skill, there's always room for mistakes!
Enjoy!
Korrina
