No rest for the sleep-deprived and the crafty

I've decided I don't like my new banner.

I have been making things, but not much.

School started last week. I've been suffering from the lack of sleep that has typically been a fixture of previous semesters, and it feels like shit. Of course, I'll readjust to the "regular" schedule and getting dressed everyday [read: heels and bras].

I went out and bought some fabulous rubber molding stuff with the gift card from Jen. I've made a mold to redo my first molded-resin lapel pin. I could repaint the original and it would be fine, but I'd rather have a mold that would require less work. I've been making more and more things outta clay, so I've got those to make molds of and turn into resin copies.

Lesson Learned: I am no sculptor. However, I've come up with a better way for me to turn a picture into a 3d clay template. My clay is a nice, cheap, white polymer clay. I bought it at Target when I was stocking up on school supplies. I can take my picture, draw over the lines with a pencil, and transfer the image to rolled out clay. I do this a few times. I use the first copy, on a thinner peice of clay, as a base. The other copies are on thicker clay. I cut peices out individually and shape them, attach them to the base and repeat in layers for the different bits of my picture. Then I bake them and sand them and further shape them. I work better with the baked-hardened clay than with the soft stuff. I'm less afraid of warping the image while smoothing the lines and surface.

I've got a few things I absolutely have to finish in the next few weeks for essentially just one reason. So I'll try out my molds and make some pretty things. Then take pictures.