Heaven on Earth Is Loving Your Job

Here I am thinking: 

"Maybe I can manage to post once a month." 

I am going to try.  

I had a day off a couple weeks ago and needed to create some samples 

for my Polymer Clay Proposal at work.  

The Proposal is a plan and supply list for Polymer Clay Classes 

I will teach for some of our adult clients at Opportunity Village.  

I am very excited as are my bosses and the clients. 

Hopefully we will get all the supplies in time to start in May.  

They will be making items to sell in our new "Boutique" 

that I set up during the Spring Break week 

along with their art, gorgeous silk scarves 

and the kitchen's famous cookies and chocolate popcorn. 

This is a new and exciting way for our Artists 

to make money while they have fun learning new techniques. 

Some of the types of items that were requested to be made are:

Hair and Scarf Pins

This one is new.  

I was shooting for a fauz copper patina look using antique copper mica powder, 

paint and turquoise embossing powder over a red brown blend of clay.

I was inspired by Mark Doolittle's Gourds featured in the Polymer Arts Blog. 

Be sure to check out his site his work is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !

This was my first attempt and next time I am going to try 

using my dremel tool with different sized drill bits. 

The pin was inspired by Fiddleheads. 

I remember finding these in the woods when I was young living on the East Coast.

I made these quite awhile ago but still love them.  

The deep texture and light touch of silver grey paint makes them look hand carved. 

I snuck some strips of a Stropple Cane into the swirl on this one. 

Click on this and learn the technique on Youtube.

Next Items using Color Blending

These two pieces were made by chopping up scrap clay and then blending it with the pasta machine.

The domed piece is simply a circle shaped and baked over the top of a small light bulb.

I used Copper Metallic Mica powders on red-brown clay for the backs and trim.

This pendant is one of those happy accidents with left over clay. 

Sometimes when I run it through the pasta machine 

I just get a really unique looking piece of clay. 

Sorry about the glare, I took my pictures mid-morning and the sun was already too bright.

Here are more happy accidents that I am thinking about polishing.  

I may prefer to keep some with a matte finish. 

Come back to see if I have made progress on my latest idea. 

Covering a thrift store pair of high heel shoes in Polymer Clay. 

I am not sure if they will be meant to wear or use as a small flower pot?*!

Now I am off to plant flowers in my pots.  

It is a beautiful spring day here in Las Vegas. 

About 84 degrees and sunny as usual. 

Enjoy your weekend!! 

Heather

I'm Baaaaaccccckkkkk!

Oh soooo long since I have been here. 

 I had great intentions of keeping this blog going but my new job even though it is part time has consumed me or should I say I am obsessed. I love my job, I know I am making a difference in lives riddled with challenges and it feels so good.  I provide music classes for special needs classes in the local school district and private schools where music has been cut.  It is very challenging as the disabilities vary and the abilities of the students put together in these classes are extremely diverse.  It is such a joy to see them smile and move to music and play instruments with me.  My favorite activity the last two months has been performing the Sesame Street favorite: "Manah Manam: with Kazoo and Boowhadkers.  If you don't know what Boomwhackers are you have been deprived of great musical fun- google them. I want to do my best so my focus has been there since last April.  

Well, it is coming up on a year there so I need to rebalance my life and find time for me too. 

I have been slowly doing that 

with the help of a couple new friends who enjoy doing polymer clay with me. 

Here is one of my latest creations:

The base is a cigar box from a local wine store

 that sells these dirt cheap after the cigars have all been sold.

 I created the top with glass tiles, 

(my husband is in the business, always brings home great scraps), 

hand embossed and patina'd copper craft metal I created, 

a couple copper vintage filigree pieces and 

polymer clay flower petal and leaf cane slices.

 A lot of dusting with Pearl Ex mica powders and 

the focal bead is simply a floral glass bead.

If you look very closely you can see my reflection in it, holding the camera. 

To complete the sides, front edges and back of the box I used Gesso, 

texturized with a mini paint spatula.  

Once that was dry I painted with metallic acrylic paints in copper, brass and gold 

and antiqued it a bit with black and green for the copper verdigree effect.

  I plan to do some quilted fabric pieces to line the inside 

and then I will have a very unique and completed storage box. 

 I am looking forward to making more of these. 

Custom Order Completed

Here is my most recent creation, a custom cuff for a male co-worker.

This layered fabric cuff includes a red and black print cotton fabric, 

cotton batting (doubled) and a layer of recycled jean fabric as the lining. 

I sketched the Tribal style design and then free motion stitched it with heavy cotton thread.  

A random zig zaggy free motion filler around the main parts of the design 

make it puff out like trapunto. 

I then painted the raised areas with black lumiere fabric paints, 

heat set with an iron and it was ready to create the clasp. 

I was so fortunate to find this really unique metal piece 

on a pair jeans I purchased a long time ago. 

It helped to complete the tribal look and gives the cuff a fabulous focal point. 

If you are interested in a unique custom piece for yourself 

or someone you care about

contact me.  

I really enjoy the challenge of creating custom orders. 

 All for now, Happy Weekend Creating!! 

Heather

My Etsy Shops are open again!

Hey all, I am finally getting used to working and trying better organize my time off. 

Yesterday I added 2 items to each of my formerly empty Etsy Stores.  

heatherp22- my unique handmade jewelry shop

I chose two pieces from the Heather Power's "Inspired by Nature Challenges"

My "Tree Necklace Set" 

and 

my "Feather (peacock) Necklace Set"

In 

Aquariart- my fiberart and polymer clay shop

I added the greener hand-painted silk chiffon scarf from last week's post

and my "Coral Rose Wet Felted Wool Purse".

I hope to be adding more items over the next few weeks everyday. 

Today I am working on a fabric lined, crochet granny square purse 

that includes crocheted flowers.

  

I used Classic Elite Provence, a mercerized 100% Egyptian cotton yarn 

that drapes beautifully and is very soft..

This was my design for a Crochet Class I taught at Gail's Knit here in town. 

I have lots of items yet to be photographed 

and the early morning light starts very, very early this time of year.

My plan is to bite the bullet and get out there. 

I may luck out with some cloudy days this week if the weather reports are true.

It is Monsoon Season in Las Vegas!! 

The thunderstorms are energizing

and the rain so appreciated! 

Have a great week.

Heather

Inspired by my new job

Hi, I finally found some time to update my blog.  

I love my new job but it can be exhausting and I have taken a little vacation from blogging.

One of the many art projects the clients do at my new job is painting silk scarves.

I have been so inspired by their creations and color choices

that I have been just itching and twitching

to get into my silk paints at home and have some fun.

Over the last month I made four scarves 

and put together a home made steamer:

Here is the Recipe:

a very large dedicated stainless steel pot,

(meaning it will never be used to cook food again)

2 old vegetable steamers upside down,

a 12" wide stove pipe from Home Depot ($6),

some old towels,

plain newsprint from Dharma,

2 wire clothes hangers cut with wire cutters

wire snips to cut top of stove pipe inserts for wire

heavy duty aluminum foil, painters tape

and a 14" square stone tile from my husband (free)

This is what it looks like:

This was the perfect heighth to just fit on top of my stove under the overhead fan 

with the to paper, towel and tile stacked on top to hold in the steam. 

I suspended my rolled scarves on another piece of hanger 

hooked over this horizontal wire. Tape marks the center. 

For more detailed directions on how to steam silk ask in the comment section.

I finally steamed my scarves a week ago, 

washed and rinsed, rinsed, rinsed.... them yesterday and then ironed them.

I photographed the ones I steamed this morning and

one more (it has not been steamed yet)

that is a surprise birthday present for my mom.

It is fun to just combine colors in abstact designs and 

sprinkle salt here and therelike I did on these two.

I think what I love best is using gutta,

especially the metallic gutta to draw and then fill in with color after.

This one uses gold gutta and very intense colors.

This is a sample from a silk painting class I took last year finally steamed.

This is the surprise birthday present.

My mom loves blues and purples in somewhat pastel shades

so I drew lots of butterflies in clear gutta and filled them with color.

The background is a wash diluted with isopropel alcohol.

If I have time I would like to add a beaded edge at least on the ends

to give this one a really nice drape.

I have to finish a few more to make the next steaming date worthwhile.

My deadline is the end of the month 

as Mom's birthday is August 6th!

Sssssshhh!  Don't tell her okay?

So I will be back with more scarves then. 

Happy Belated 4th of July to everyone!

Heather

In Memory of Robert H Brunton, III(le toisieme)

I think part of the healing process for me 

is to look back at old pictures and remember the family stories. 

This picture is from 1955, we lived in Framingham Massachusettes then. 

I am sure here you can see the resemblance I have to both my mother and father.

My dad had blue eyes, my mom hazel.  

My eyes are a greenish brown 

but the rest of the facilal features and hair coloring is a wonderful mix from the two of them 

just as are my children are a wonderful mix of my husband and I.  

In this picture my Dad as a baby taken in 1930 on the right and me on the left taken in 1956.

Heres one more with my Dad on the right taken in 1937 and 

me in my Easter outfit taken around 1959. 

My sister Bonnie is 3 years younger than me, here we are both in our Easter bonnets.

I think I am about 9 years old here so Bonnie would be 6. 

A year later my third sister Laurie was born, we are 10 years apart. 

Unfortunately I don't have many pictures from those years. 

When I was is High School my parents were both involved in the local theatre group.

They talked me into trying out for the mute clown in the play- "The Red Shoes".

Here is a picture of my Dad in his high school years and me as the clown in 1969.

 (Note the resemblance to the clown)

During this time I remember developing black and white photographs together in the basement, learning to repair lamps and the wearing of tin foil pyramids as a humorous anecdote. 

I am pretty sure he read too many Kurt Vonnegut books. 

Here we are in the very early 70"s, my Dad's 3 girls.

Left to right: Bonnie, Laurie, Heather

This was the year I was away at college and came home for Christmas Break broke. 

I had to be creative with my gift giving.  

My Dad's favorite music was "The William Tell Overture", 

the theme from the Lone Ranger.

He used to play it on Saturday mornings while we all gathered the rubbish 

and packed it in the old station wagon to drive it to the dump. 

So, I wrote to the dump, to the dump, to the dump, dump, dump, 

(the rhythm of the opening theme)  

around toilet paper rolls 

and stuffed them in a garbage bag with lots of crumpled newspaper. 

I remember him laughing so hard he cried.  

In 1975 I married my husband of 36 years, John. 

Here is one of many really bad candid wedding shots.

From left to right: My mother-in-law Fran, My husband John, Me, My Mom Alice, my little sister Laurie (only 10 years old), my Dad, my sister Bonnie and my Best Friend Gina. 

Dig the psychodelic bridesmaid dresses, the floppy hats 

and those (Austin Power's) Baby Blue Tuxes? 

Here are my sisters and I at an Easter gathering a few years later. 

We all have some of my Dad's looks and humor.

Here is a glam shot where we have our "Easter Candy lip stick" on. 

From 1979 to 1982 I made my Dad a grandfather twice.  

Left to Right: front; 

my grandfather (Robert H Brunton Sr) and grandmother (Dorothea Harding Brunton, 

my husband John , me holding Jessie my 2nd born. 

And in the back; my sister Bonnie holding Corrie my first born, my Dad and my sister Laurie. 

At this time my mom and dad had divorced and I didn't see my Dad very often. 

We made the most of the times we did see each other. 

 Here we are at my sister Bonnie's wedding dancing. 

My Dad moved to Washington State and shortly after that 

so did my sister Laurie to go to college. 

He loved hiking and camping in the mountains.  

I spent a few weeks almost every summer visiting with my girls and he got to be "Grampy". 

My girls remember overhearing his horror stories though the open window 

when they were supposed to be in bed sleeping,

while Dad and I slipped into his hot tub after a long day of hiking or sight seeing. 

One summer he told about all the cyotes and mountain lions 

that were in the woods where we were camping out by Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River. 

My sister Bonnie was there visiting too. 

When we went to bed in the pop up trailer that night my sister and I were whispering and 

having trouble falling asleep because my Dad and Jessie were having a snoring duet. 

My Dad had the low notes and Jessie the high. 

One of us said, "Some cyotes huh?" 

and we giggled so hard the entire camper felt like it was going to start moving down the hill. 

Here he is trying to steal Jessie's bag of popcorn. 

And here is my dad, Laurie, Jessie (hidden in back) and Corrie, 

all sucking their thumbs with Jessie and her "blankie".

Looks like we are at the airport waiting to go home. 

In 1988 my husband and I and our girls moved to Washington 

and spent more time with my Dad than we had in years. 

I am grateful for that time 

even though that is when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease 

and his life slowly became more and more limited.  

We moved to Las Vegas in 2003 and again I did not see my Dad as much. 

My last visit was in 2010. 

Here we are both a wreck. 

I had to interrupt my trip to go rescue my daughter in Iowa from her broken marriage. 

This is a terrible picture but you can tell that Parkinson's took a lot out of him. 

He couldn't even smile anymore. 

I believe he is free of the suffering and happy where he is now. 

I hold all the good times dear in my heart and hope to see him again.

 "One Day"

I want to apologize to those people who entered my contest this month.  

My Dad had a stroke the day after Easter and passed away April 16th., 84 years old.   

I just started my new job and have been working everyday for 2 weeks and a day now. 

I just did not have time or the right moment to sit down and take care of blog business 

until today.  

So, the winner of my 6 little polymer clay flower beads is......... 

drum roll and cymbal crash! 

BETH OF EBBeadsAndMetalworks!!!

 I have your shipping info Beth so I will send them along this week. 

My Dad 

Robert Henry Brunton the III, 

was a brilliant man who put himself through college at night 

while working to support his new little family when I was a baby and young child. 

He was a microwave engineer who had two patents,

one of which was a device that helped the first rocket launch into space in the 1960's. 

I remember watching that launch knowing that he was there in Florida at Cape Canaveral,

invited because his device was part of the rocket. 

I have good memories of boating out in Welfleet Harbor in Cape Cod, Mass.

We used to drive the boat out to an island that was underwater at high tide

but the best place to dig clams at low tide.  

I remember digging for clams and watching the boat as the tide was going out,

warning my Dad that he better go move the boat

because we had to keep moving it so it wouldn't be beached at low tide.

This time we missed it and had to sit in our boat, stuck in the sand,

 until midnite or so when the tide came back in. 

We had 2 buckets of raw clams, a few potato chips 

and 1/2 of a tuna fish sandwich to share between the four of us. 

It was my mother's birthday and we were supposed to go to the drive-in theater

to see Dr. Strangelove and Erma LaDeuce (spelling?) 

two new hit movies that had just come out. 

We could see the screen in the distance 

as we tried to navigate with a compass in the dark back to the marina. 

That was a little scary. 

When I was in college my parents divorced. 

My Dad left for Canada and then the Washington State for a new life with his present wife.  

A lot of life lessons were learned many the hard way. 

Now that I am older I am grateful for all those lessons however painful they may have been.

About 20+ years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

13 of those years we lived not too far away in Washington State 

and I and my family were able to spend time with him. 

His quality of life slowly and painfully diminished 

and his frustration was palpable even on the phone. 

His tremors and medications made it more and more difficult 

for him to walk and talk.  

I know that he is no longer suffering and that is a blessing. 

The rest I have to deal with a little at a time and 

I am very grateful for my job. 

The problems that my clients deal with everyday

help me to be filled with gratitude for all the things that are good in my life. 

I will miss him and remember him with love. 

I am working on scanning some old pictures to post the next time I can get to it.