Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

It is springtime and time for bugs!  This is a framed bug (dead – pretty much the only kind I like) from Malaysia that I purchased at a Reptile Show.  I could feel a spring project in the making! I studied the form of the body and thought about what materials I could use to construct my bug.  The result is a body made of Hadar Smart Bronze clay formed in segments.  The wings had to move and the best way was to make a hinge as an integral body part.      A nickel chromium wire feeds from tail to head.  The tail became one with the wire but the head remainedseparate. I finished the body and finally stabilized the head to the first segment by soldering.  With the body finished, the wings were next.  The colors were mixed with some translucent clay.  I could have used more translucent but generally the combination of 672 yellow,1150 Lemonade,380 Buried Treasure, white and translucent polymer clay worked well.    I made the cane, sliced the win

Does anyone else wonder what to do with their canes once they are complete?  My dilemma- what to make using my frog cane.    I made the charms with the frog on his lily pad and you saw it in the previous post but I wanted something more sophisticated!  After watching Barbara McGuire’s tutorial on translucent canes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48YOkLypJvE   I just had to try to use the technique she demonstrated and add my frog cane slices.   Polymer Canes  I love these beads!  And yes, I’ll do mor e of them.  Beads Before Curing Beads Before Curing Finished Bead Finished Bead Finished Bead Finished Beads I have another idea for a pendant with the frog so be watching for it!  Any other ideas for the frog canes?  I would love to hear from you.  And by the way, I’m trying to reach 900 likes on my facebook business page.  If you haven’t looked, please take a moment to click on www.facebook.com/lindabrittdesign .  I’d really ap

Pam and Linda photo by Ken Barr It was a cold sunny Prescott day and good friends were in town.  A day to share stories and memories and to explore new places.  We decided to explore the trail in the Granite Dells across from the Phippen Museum here in Prescott. It was an easy trail and with 3 Nikon cameras and a cell phone we knew there would be lots of picture taking! A piece of the plane at the crash site Each of us noticed the same and different aspects on the walk.   We looked at the site of the U.S. Constellation crash that  occurred  several years ago  while we took a few pictures.   We took the left fork for a short distance before deciding we should have taken the path on the right.   There were a lot more giant patterned boulders along the other path!     Before we turned back we found patches of ice.   And we found needle ice formations.   Of course, we did not know they were called ‘Needle Ice’ until we got home and researched.   What an amazing find.   We a

Taking a side trip to Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, we made a sharp right turn off the highway onto a side road and were treated to one of nature’s dramas.  Fortunately I had my camera ready! A group of Sand Hill Cranes were in a farmer’s wet field and I started taking pictures of them.  I was so excited that they were close enough to get some details.   All of a sudden two of the cranes started jumping in the air spreading their wings and dancing.  The mating dance can take place all year and is quite the athletic event!  Sand Hill Cranes, their take offs and landings, their calls and dances and their sheer group numbers make them unforgettable and one of my favorite birds.  Read more about them at http://lindabrittdesign.blogspot.com/2011/12/migration-of-sand-hill-crane.html http://dnr.wi.gov/eek/critter/bird/sandhill.htm http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Birds/Sandhill-Crane.aspx

One sunny fall day while walking by Willow Lake I took some photos of lovely translucent white seed pods.  They were worn by the wind but still standing.  Their shapes were ragged and lantern like.  They hung from straight white dried stems and I just had to see if I could recreate them in translucent polymer clay.  I've been thinking about how to do that for a few weeks and decided it was time to jump in and experiment.  I thought I’d share some of the steps I took. First I bought my 3 packages of Pardo Translucent Clay at Hobby Lobby (all they had).  I had not worked with Pardo before and I love it!  Not sticky like some of the other brands of translucent.  I’m hooked! After making the lantern pattern, I found a great texture plate to give a cell like organic texture to the clay.  The clay was rolled to #6 on my Atlas machine because I really wanted the translucent quality. The first time I did not use wire and I like the look but it was not strong enough.

Inspiration comes in many forms.  This fall I've been fascinated by seed pods.  We have lots of thistles and grasses and bushes.  My camera goes with me most places and my eyes try to see these forms in different lights and positions.  Today I'm sharing some of the photos with you.  Enjoy!