Thursday, January 28, 2010

SOY'B 2010

Ok i forgot to post about this. my friends Asuka and Nyann will be holding individual booths at SOY'B!

Asuka will be selling her original works, postcards and some Valentine Day minis, and Nyann will be offering mostly craftbooks, mangas and even a lucky draw XD

please go down and lend them your support! i will be helping out at Asuka's booth, feel free to drop by and say hi to us! (no i won't be offering any of my works, just going there as an extra pair of hands ^ ^ )

kk let me sort out my stuff ok, i promise, next post will be the giveaway post :X :X :X

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Swiss rolls, and what should i giveaway?

roll roll roll

i don't know if i got the shapes right, it hadn't occurred to me as i worked on them as i tried to balance out the proportions of cake to fruit to cream ratio.....however i'm glad the textures and colours worked out!

with scalestill have to give the caramel brittle a coating, and glossing up parts of the cream/fruit....


i haven't forgotten my promise about the 100th follower giveaway! thank you all for your support ^ ^ i know i say it alot but i truly mean it. knowing that people enjoy looking at my works and possibly even reading my nonsense helps XD i will assemble some items i have made that i hope some of you might enjoy, and although they might not be very professionally done, i enjoyed making them, and so watch out for the next post on what you could win!

off to the post office!

Monday, January 25, 2010

more strawberry canes

utter fail LOL
so, the current commission calls for a coupla strawberry slices, and since i ran out of 1:4 ones, i had to make new slices. i tried making them a different way, yes, another failed experiment XD look at how disgusting it looks! thank goodness it's just the one slice, baked.

new strawberry canes baked
i can't take a good pic of the new slices. these 2 were test slices to see if the colours worked before i bake up the rest of the canes. actually, i think i'll refrain from baking them till i need 'em. need to store them safely out of the way though. it's slightly more translucent, and since i hadn't sliced these thinly (the ends are a bit wonky) i think the thinner slices would be perfect.

pre baked in 4 sizes
letting these rest now before i slice into them. the largest will be reduced slightly to 1:3, as with the 1:4, some details are lost on the 1:12 but that can't be helped. definitely a difference when making larger vs 1:12 canes. with 1:12, the lines used should be thicker upon assembly so as not to lose all the details after reduction. maybe if i can take a better pic, the lines would be visible on macro mode, but not to -my- naked eye.

still, am happy with the results of this cane. i'm tempted to make more in different shades etc, just so that i can avoid making these for a loooooooooong time XD

took me total of 6+ hrs (including the 2 hrs wasted on my first disastrous cane) to get these few out. i'm glad they're out of the way HA!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Macarons, macarons, macarons

macarons altogether 3
the macarons are done! i still need to tweak a couple of them for finer detailing, but here they are!



macarons altogether 2
they are in 1:4 scale, no more than 1.3cm wide. heights vary of course.


macarons altogether
none of the ideas came from me, wholly from my customer :) i think she's shy but she has kindly given me permission all this while to document the progress....


side view
i find it hard to decide which ones are my fave. what about you? ^ ^

Friday, January 22, 2010

Sales, and a little more about me....

assorted 1:3 and 1:4 items with 1:4 'model' (i think)
items with 1:3 model (i think LOL)

My customer all the way from Spain very kindly gave me permission to use her pictures for this blog post :)

Thank you Siruveru!

Items above are from my very first sale at http://www.denofangels.com marketplace! Siruveru has been very supportive and helpful while i was gathering info on what items and scales to sell at TDA09, i feel so thankful for all my customers and supporters ^ ^

i'm currently at a place where i'm a tad confused about where i'm going on this journey. i haven't had a stable source of income for at least 2 years, so the $ i get from random sales and commissions ise definitely welcome. however, i'm beginning to think that i need to sort out a direction for this blog/page. i know one thing for sure, i'm not going full blown commercial. where possible, i'll still put up tips, experiment results and maybe even more tutorials.

but please forgive me also if i start selling more 'advanced' techniques (like frosting etc) and molds and such. actually, if at all possible, i'd even love to publish some day. have some sort of passive income, so i can indulge more in my experiments and creations. i don't know why i feel so guilty for 'selling out'. i have resisted putting up ads and such on this page, and whatever little i earn goes back into materials and dog food. so really, i'm not sure why i keep feeling like a sellout :(

do people who suddenly switch from 'hobbyist' to 'full time miniaturist' all struggle with this, or are these issues more deeply rooted in my twisted mind than i first imagined?

thanks for reading. and yes, it is -that- time of the month *moody*

Thursday, January 21, 2010

An unexpected date and trade!

today's loot

sooo, today i unexpectedly traded for some items. i'd picked up my parcel from the post office, i'd previously purchased some items from HeyYoYo, and they're SOOO CUTE! well packaged too ^ ^ Thanks Amanda!

you can see the reserved listing in order to identify which items i got, and how much i paid for 'em here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=23980937

she's really friendly, and came highly recommended by Asuka!

the flowers you see are from Sans of The Dollhouse Diaries, part of a secret giveaway! woohoo~! there are a few more varieties, but i rushed to take pics so... :X see, comment spamming -sometimes- pays off. HA!

the flower pots and disposable 'styrafoam' lunchboxes are from Madam Ang *secret smile* i won't tell you what i paid for 'em ;) BWA HA HA *winks at Asuka*

the container i used for the shelf, and the acrylic little perch i have the 1:12 items on are from Muji. i simply couldn't resist! i have so many plans for them!

anyhow, i made this impromptu trip down to town because i hurt my hand this morning whilst working the frosting for the commission :( i got a blister on my middle finger (not from flipping anyone the birdie, i'm a nice girl. HAHHAHAHA don't choke), and my old thumb injury acted up again, each time i try to use it a jolt of pain shoots up my hand. and i was sooo moody and in so much pain, when i saw Asuka online, i invited her to join me on an impromptu shopping trip so that i wouldn't hurt myself further. i have a tendency when i work to not realise when i'm hurt, and aggravate my injury whilst i cater to my compulsions. taking myself away from the work environment usually helps.

well. mid-trip, i realised the reason for my moodiness :X LOL. ANYWAY.

sorry if i'm not really replying comments and stuff, i'm quickly realising i'm all over the place, in my head, and on the net. spreading myself a little too thin (and there's loads to go around har har), so to speak. i guess what's most important is to sort out the requests, fulfill the orders, and...STOP CHATTING ONLINE! aughghghghghg

that'll start tomorrow. g'nite :D


(oh and the colourful pillbox is just for Asuka's reference, i used it to contain my beads from aeons ago)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

cupcake molds


i work slowly sigh
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

i work slowly. 1 week, and this is all i've done. sheesh.


cupcake & tart shapes

anyway. i'm working on making some cupcake molds available, i don't know if i should offer tart/cupcake molds as a set, or individually. they will be made out of silicone putty.

diameters of widest point from left to right:

0.8cm, 0.8cm, 0.7cm

base diameters, left to right:

0.7, 0.5, 0.5.

my cupcake liners fit the cupcakes in the middle and right perfectly. i will be making a new range available for the 'tart' on the left, and would be perfect for popular neighbourhood bakery buns too (at least, they are popular here in sg?)

what do you folks think?

Monday, January 18, 2010

Experiment - Resin clay + oil paint


resin clay experiment
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

ok i goofed. i thought i picked up the tube of acrylic paint, only when i started taking pics did i realize it was actually oil paints XD

i needed to do some piping/frosting for a cupcake, and after wasting 3 hrs fiddling with the nozzles and polymer clay, i gave up. since it had to be 'chocolate' cream, i couldn't use the huge tub of texture paste (base colour is white, any colour added to it would be of a pastel hue) either.

i don't remember where i posted a pic of how i used the little tips in syringes, might have been on flickr, but since ADC might dry up in the syringe itself, i decided to minimize on wastage and make mini piping bags instead.

i squeezed out a touch of what i -thought- was brown acrylic paint (that'll teach me to read labels XD ), squeezed out a small ball of grace resin clay, and mixed the two in a disposable sauce container (click on pic to see the notes in my flickr). then i added a little bit of water. by a little bit, it meant i ran my right hand under the tap, and flicked a few drops into the container. real scientific measurements, i know.

what resulted was a sticky gooey mess (thankfully not as messy as polymer clay) that i put into my home-made piping bag. Japanese ADC miniaturists have been using the 'foil cutter' nozzle for quite sometime now, i vaguely recall posting the tutorial link somewhere on my site, but i'm too hazy to find it now, haven't eaten yet today. anyway don't cut yourself doing it. shouldn't be too hard to figure out. just don't ask me ok? i'm grouchy. as usual, after every 'experiment'. ha.

yea i like smiley faces

'chocolate' is hard to capture in pics. at least, it's hard for me. i hadn't intended to make the smiley face, but haha it's there XD maybe it's my subconscious at work. yea i'm definitely not smiling now. so it's all in my head.

1 3 cupcake vs 1 12 cupcake
i tested on a sample 1:3 cupcake that i made out of polymer clay. i think the cream is too tiny for that scale, but i'll let it dry and scrape it off later. wanted to see if it piped nicely/adhered to the polymer clay.

1 12 cupcakes
and of course, i had to try it out on a spare 1:12 cupcake XD i'm discontinuing this range of cupcake shapes, since it is not out of my own mold. i will be making available some silicone putty molds of my own design, i've made the master copy of the cupcake base but have yet to test them out on 'proper' 1:12 cupcakes. so far it's looking pretty ok....

all that remains is for the clay to dry thoroughly (2 days maybe? 3?) but so far it looks pretty cool! i will test out a batch with acrylic colours later, and report on the differences. i -think- the oil paints provide a sort of translucency/gloss to the creams, i quite like it but i want to see how acrylic colours do when mixed into just plain grace clay.


anyway. i've finally made my 100th sale on Etsy! i haven't really listed anything 'new-ish', since the bestselling items are my cupcake cases, and also cos i've been busy fulfilling promises and orders and swaps...and i have soo many ideas that require working on (remind me to post about THE GRAND PLAN that some of us TeamMids members are working on....it's kind of naughty ;) *hides behind hands and giggles*

dang, this blog/website needs some major revamping. it's near impossible to find my posts XD


oh, and don't know if anyone really cares to read this, but please, don't ask me anymore questions about how to use clay, what i use for making my miniatures, etc. if you haven't gleaned the info you needed from my blog posts, it means i can't help you further. i think i'll write up an FAQ. i'm kinda sick of repeating myself. which adds to the grouchiness. :X

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Introducing: Ginger Ward via deviantArt

this tiny copic marker first caught my eye. i thought, "Hey, re-ment does this too?" and Oh noooo noo NOO it's in 1:12!!!!





and then i saw these, and i'm like *faints*

i've never seen these IRL before, but they look scrumptious....

i don't think i've ever heard of choc acorns before, now i want me some......



AND these DARLING SNOWFLAKES have GOT to be my faves. AMAZING and INSPIRATIONAL! i wanna make me some. definitely nowhere as gorgeous as these, but imma die trying. i knows it.AND this is the most amazing of all. LOOK AT HER DOILIES. just LOOK AT THEM. HAND CUT. INDIVIDUALLY.

i think she's a rising star. no wait. she -is- a star. i'm glad to have stumbled across her works, she's new to dA and i hope you all hop over and give her some warm wishes! i'm working on getting her to set up a blog ;) tee hee hee!

http://mrscreosote.deviantart.com/



i'm still trying to compose my senses. i can't believe such a talent in both miniatures AND photography has been hiding all this while. SUCH A SHAME!

macaron disaster


trying to get a good pic
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

can someone help me with this?

i've found that for my larger items, there tends to be 'bubbling' on my clay. see the surface of the chocolate macaron?

i mean it's realistic and all, and i know some miniaturists -want- the effect, but i find it immensely annoying as it is not visible on first bake (the macaron shells have to be baked first before adding the 'filling'), but after i assemble the item, it's MARRED. *$@)(*#$

honestly, it does not look all that bad IRL, maybe i shld use soft focus for my pics *sigh* but ARGH!

i suspect it has to do with either the stock (happens only to my older clays) or how i roll the sheets (pasta machine, usually just once through)

halp!

more pics, sigh.
choco strawberry
piggy tail
at least i'm quite satisfied with the shapes....


colour frustrations
oh and i am terrible at mixing reds/pinks/greens. the pain, oh the pain. the above are just part of the test batch. bakes out differently than when mixed. @)$*#&

=============================


EDIT: OK nevermind i figured it out, cross-posted over at CDHM....


i think it was due to my not pre-heating the oven, not the techniques or the oil paint...i've used oil paints in most of my previous work to no noticeable detriment.....

this time, i experimented 2 ways:

1) old method, roll out, cut, shape, bake WITHOUT preheating oven
2) pre-heat oven, roll out, cut, shape, bake WITH PAPER COVERING clay

spot the difference
results:
1) LEFT: still bubbly
2) RIGHT: NO BUBBLES YAY!!!

i think the oven probably overheated since it wasn't pre-heated, and blistered the clay. so for those who want the texture, go ahead and do what i did XD

===============


PHEW!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

banana smiley


banana smiley
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

these are test slices :) i still can't really slice them very well, the new clay is a little more squishy than the horrid stuff i'm used to, but i guess today is a little muggy and warm too, so i'll let it rest a bit more before i try and slice them up again. so far, i think i'm REALLY happy with the results.

previous attempts at bananas have been...LOL, it pains me to look at them again XD

banana slices

hope you have a happy day~ SMILE!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Experiment: 1:12 cake art slices


1 12 cake slices experiment results
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

the bases were part of a previous batch, you can look through my archives for those experiment results.

so some of them, i'd already 'painted' to see if i could achieve the same cake art i use on my donuts (achieved with liquid polymer clay), so since they were sort of a failure, i decided to go ahead and bake them.

after baking, i would say the colours of the cake itself weren't as vibrant, but not -too- noticeable really. also, the ones that had the 'protective layer' from the previous experiment, the liquid polymer clay painted on a lot easier (of course), and i'd deliberately worked slowly to see if the ones without the layer would 'absorb' the polymer clay.

summary of sorts:

- better to have a sealant layer separating the ADC (air dry clay) from the LPC (liquid polymer clay)

- LPC doesn't really get 'absorbed' into ADC very much, at least not for the 20mins or so i'd left it while i worked on the rest.

- those without sealant, although appearance wise before baking didn't seem any different, 'sunk' in a little after baking. probably got soaked into the top layer of the ADC.

- ADC might lose vibrancy of colours, perhaps more due to brand of paint i used to colour the clay?

- cracks might develop, i was expecting the ones with the 'sealant' not to crack, but it did (you can click on the pic to see the notes on my flickr). probably due to expansion of the ADC during bake process.

- no visible bubbling due to air rising from ADC into LPC, unevenness apparent in pics are due to my careless handling of the LPC (too lazy to spread it on evenly XD )

ALTERNATIVE HANDLING
- think about baking the liquid polymer clay sheets, then sticking it onto the cake slices. but have to be rather precise to achieve desirable results.

- find an easier, better air-dry medium (any recommendations other than nail polish? i remembered that i tossed away my over 30 bottles of nail polish when i moved. they had dried up in their bottles XD)

so there we have it. i think that i will still use this combination and test it a little further, since i'm using up my ADC before (hopefully) it degrades. i love the texture it lends to cake slices, and hope this experiment has been useful/interesting to those who have tried it, or are thinking of incorporating the two.

Keeping busy


frilly and drizzled donuts
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

here's part of the commission i'm working on. i love the daintiness of the frilly donut. i have been busy trying to fulfill the order, since it had already been delayed due to lack of clay, and to add to the fray i've succumbed to the flu yet again ; ;

anyway, thank you all for visiting, and for all the congratulations i've received ^ ^ the article has certainly boosted views, and i've had a couple of requests to give classes, but i'm afraid i don't at the moment, and i think those readers might have mistaken me for Madam Ang XD XD XD (as Asuka so rightly pointed out, we do kinda look alike, maybe due to the glasses?)

more pics, cos they're less gloomy than my updates XD

side view
coffee donut
more donuts

what can you expect next? the ever popular macarons XD

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

soft dream of happiness


soft dream of happiness
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

was truly grumpy today, but now i know i'll be sleeping with a smile on my face, a soft dream of happiness ^ ^

please send it some love!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=105672

i hadn't snagged a treasury in ages, it used to be such a rush, waiting for the 333 to drop....but since i've been so busy and the novelty had worn off, i hadn't known it'd feel this good to get in one, esp from a random etsian!

and i'm thankful for a very patient and loving bf, who puts up with my nonsensical diatribes and mood swings.

*scoots off to bed with silly grin on face*

Monday, January 11, 2010

1:4th strawberry sliced


1:4th strawberry sliced
Originally uploaded by Snowfern

i am bordering on losing my mind. and the use of my right shoulder.

i spent much of today, at least 8 hrs, rolling bits of 'seeds' for the strawberries. it's part of a customer commission, but frankly, i needn't have made the other 2 strawberries, but once i started...i felt this drive to keep going.....

good thing i don't really have a deadline for this. but i'd like to work faster, for sure XD the strawberries are unglossed, and there's no detail in the centre, but dangit, i just had to show these off i'm so darned proud of 'em XD

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Review: Polymer Clay vs Air Dry Clay

horrific mess and wastage
still learning how to handle slicing the clay. must learn to be patient and wait at least 2-3 days (depending on weather) before attempting slicing. also must learn how to minimize wastage :(
another try, i don't give up easily
all that, and only 2 'decent' slices LOL but i shall persevere!
was a semi failure
a semi-failure.
lessons learnt:

- although the cake art goes on beautifully, after it has dried fully it 'flattens'/shrinks down to the base, revealing all the cracks i'd been trying to hide XD but it's ok if the cake base is flat.

to try: NAIL POLISH! XD (thanks readers! i will experiment on that next!)
wahey it's here!
MY CLAY IS HERE!!!! ok i guess i should give PCE another chance...at least they didn't mess up my order, and the clay arrived quickly. the order was placed on 22nd Dec 2009 and arrived 08 Jan 2010, during the busy holiday/festive period too!

lessons learnt:

- always ask for a quote on shipping/items BEFORE making payment
- don't be too quick to anger. mistakes happen. XD


REVIEW ON POLYMER CLAY VS AIR DRY CLAY

DISCLAIMER: i can't rightly say that i've enough experience with air dry clay to be objective. don't take my word for it. try it out for yourself, then decide.

Polymer Clay vs Air Dry Clay, GENERAL differences

Polymer Clay Air Dry Clay
can be stored indefinitely quality deteriorates over time, might even get moldy
storage is easy, keep away from hard plastics
 and dust, cool place
needs to be stored in air tight containers, even while working with it
no shrinkage possible shrinkage dependent on brand/type and manipulation (i.e. amount of water/white glue added)
fast curing time, just bake and let cool long cure time
does not require sealant requires sealant since it is not waterproof
can be used for caning not impossible for caning, but different techniques required with not as good results as with polymer clay
requires deliberate manipulation to obtain textures excellent inherent qualities for cake textures
more detailed textures limited time frame to texture surface
bakes hard, almost like plastic with little resistance
 (just don't go pressing hard into it with your fingernails)
depending on type of clay, can dry a little soft
depending on brand, non-sticky if too wet, sticks to hands unless barrier cream is used
requires conditioning no conditioning required
might burn in oven curing time extended in humid conditions
needs baking/specialized oven dries when left in open air
can't use certain plastic tools plastic tools can be used safely
needs more specialized materials i.e. liquid polymer clay,
 dliuent etc all of which are expensive although there are
alternate sources (risky results)
everyday materials like white glue, water, paints can be incorporated easily
need better understanding of what plastics can be suitable
 to store the clay
can be stored in pretty much any container
basically only 1 type, POLYMER CLAY, different
 brands have slightly variant properties
 (level of translucency, hardness etc)
wide variety of types of clay, resin, stone, paper, wood, wheat etc, each with different properties, shrinkage, effects etc. some better than others for flowers vs cakes etc.
harder to clean, older batches of clay might contain toxic
 phthalates
cleans up easily with water, non-toxic (i think?)
cures somewhat matte, depending on brand (KATO
bakes to a sheen)
dries matte
raw clay surfaces pick up pastels very well, hence easy
 colouration for realistic detailing
requires pretty decent paint techniques to achieve more realistic details


PERSONAL PREFERENCES - POLYMER CLAY VS AIR DRY CLAY
better for baked goods, breads etc cos it can pick up pastels better for RICE, sprinkles, cake slices, stuff that doesn't require too much surface detailing
does not require sealant, i'm lazy, ha! do not like having to seal it as details can be lost, sealant/paint details may rub off
FAST CURING TIME! I can finish a project within a day have to wait and plan out projects over a few days to complete
lack of availability is frustration pretty easily available in Singapore
messy sticky, needs special cleaning materials like baby
wipes, baby oil, lots of tissue
cleans up easily with water, non-toxic (i think?)
have to be careful of which surfaces that come into
contact with it
not so many worries XD just don't get it wet
creams, cake art can be easily manipulated with
 liquid polymer clay
have to work with specialized mediums ('cream' clay, texture pastes etc) to achieve results
personally find it picks up dirt faster than ADC not as 'dirty' but still does pick up dirt (ok i'm a dirty girl XD)
colouration, graduation of colours using
skinner blend makes for realistic transition of colours
HAVE TO PAINTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT, am TERRIBLE at painting, washing brushes not a fave thing to do either
hurts when i have to condition it no need to condition. Less resistance than polymer clay
easier for me to add details without worrying about
distortion
too soft, shape difficult to maintain when adding textures
more difficult to work with molds, molds might react with clay easy to work with molds. Just let dry and remove


VERDICT:

I LIKE BOTH. i am thinking of experimenting a little more to incorporate the 2. feel free to add your comments on your preferences ^ ^

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Experiment - Air dry cake art

i think i'm almost there

*feeling pleased with self*

am waiting on these to dry before glossing, let's see if i can then consider this a successful experiment!

can you guess what i used for the frosting/icing? no prizes, and i will never reveal what it is, but if someone figures it out i'll definitely let you know ;)

Experiment - Air dry clay (and yet again!)

ugh need to mix the clay more thoroughly
first try. you can tell i didn't mix the clays sufficiently. well ok maybe only those who work with air dry clay can tell better. click on pic to see notes i've added on flickr to the pic.
oh what a disaster
this one is a mega disaster LOL the white lightweight paper clay might have been a little too pulpy, but i think maybe MAYBE if i added more grace, it wouldn't flake and crumble when i slice into it?
getting better at slicing
this one gave the best results, but took the longest to dry cos i totally added too much water. at least i -think- i've figured out how to slice it decently. i used a razor blade for this.
more failed experiments
and i really wanted to find a way to do the frosting like i did for my donuts, 'cept air-dry style. this is a defniite failure. i mixed acrylic with white glue for the lower one, but i think the ratio was wrong and the acrylic dried up too quickly. the upper one was only marginally less of a failure as i'd added 2:1 water: acrylic, then a dab of white glue. still. no go. not as beautiful as the results i get with liquid polymer clay.

which would be tomorrow's experiment. :) wow 3 posts in a day!

oh yeah, these bases were made with the help and advice from Asuka but please don't pester her LOL! i literally mucked about with the clay, it got so messy i think more than half the clay went down the drain since it stuck to my hands and i got so grossed out i nearly gave up more than once > <

see what i mean by 'lots of failures'? man if i had documented all my polymer clay failures i'da given up a looong time ago :X

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Chai, Saffron tea, and doilies. an odd combo?

Trio of doilies

ok these are finally up on my etsy.

finally, something other than cupcake liners, eh? XD

well, since the shipment isn't here yet, i mean i still have some oddly coloured leftover clay from various projects, so i might as well use it up right?


(oh crud my box of threads just fell XD )

k back. uh.

yeah i'll be making some stuff for swaps, and keeping my fingers crossed about the shipment and sales on Etsy. me needs more monehs! checkups and meds are costly! :( the doc appt today was good, my blood sugar is under control although the doc did mention there's not much i can do about it since it's clearly genetic, so all i can do is learn how to deal with it. i s'pose i could seek consolation in that, i.e. it's not my fault :P Sans has received her package! yay!!~ she's my 'secret' giveaway, i'd been a lurker/fan of her blog for a while, and since i was also a recipient of -her- secret giveaway (not-so-secret for those in the know ;) ) i decided to make something for her. i'd realised her palace had lots of foods, flowers, people, pets....but NO DRINKS.

so here's what i made :) the pics aren't good, sorry~

saffron tea

chai

i used endcaps/beadcaps. they're jewellery findings, and pretty hard to find (often out of stock?) i found them at some store in peoples' park centre, i forget which. they have little holes at the bottom, so don't look too closely, esp for the saffron teas, k? XP i stuck them onto bluetack (there are remnants i couldn't remove, Sans probably has realised that already) and filled them with epoxy resin. i coloured the 'chai' with acrylics, and for translucency, the saffron tea with oil paints. for the 'saffron' i cut little itty bits of thread. those were the hardest part of making it since it's all soooo tiny and fiddly, but i think the end results were worth it.

here's something else i'd like to add. as a craftsperson/artisan, it is not that i do not wish to share my work process, or fear that my 'trade secrets' would be leaked. however, for the uninitiated, please keep in mind that the process is not as easy as it seems. for me, i am an auto-didact, i read up, research the properties of materials i work with, experiment ALOT, fail ALOT, waste ALOT of materials. it is all part of the learning process. and sometimes the results can be very good and satisfying, but of course who wants to see the mucky icky ins and outs all the time? moreover, i don't wish to constantly remind myself of how terrible my work process was. that's why my experiments always leave me in a foul mood XD

i guess my 'point' is (yes, i do have one) it takes alot of hard work to make tutorials and to document the WIP. it's not that i do not wish to share, on the contrary i think i do share a little more than most. however it is a laborious and sometimes unrewarding process so unless i'm feeling particularly magnanimous, or BORED (keyword) i don't really care to document everything i try/make/do. especially when i'm super frustrated at the process XD also, since much of my work is a hodgepodge of techniques and random ideas, i don't have any 'fixed' way of making stuff.

so there you have it. my dirty little secret on why i am too 'lazy' to reply to everyone's queries. the best teacher is yourself. i know for sure i'm not a good teacher at all. too impatient :P

(p.s. this post isn't pointed at you Sans! don't worry! it's just something i'd been thinking about for a while after receiving quite a few queries and my sidestepping them :P )