Great Cakes Soapworks Peacock Swirl Challenge

   Amy Warden of Great Cakes Soapworks started a Soap Challenge Club and the first technique was the Peacock Swirl.  I had never tried this before, so I decided to give it a whirl.

   

     Rainbow Sherbert Peacock was born!  This soap is scented with Rainbow Sherbert fragrance oil from Nature's Garden, and it smells good enough to eat!  

      Okay, now the process....

First, I had to get all of my supplies together:

     I used micas and titanium dioxide from The Conservatorie to color my soap.  The marbling rake was made using curler picks and a piece of cardboard.  I liked the look of a tightly swirled peacock swirl, so I spaced mine closer together.  :)

     I mixed up a slow-moving soap recipe to give myself time to work with the swirl, lined a pizza box (I wanted a lot of room to work), and then got all of my colors into my squeeze bottles.  Poured the majority of my soap batter (colored with TD) into the box, and then took a deep breath...

  It was time to start squeezing and marbling.  I went crazy with the colors, but also squirted some white to help define the swirls.

Above is a picture before using the rake and doing the "S" swirls...

And now (above) here is the photo AFTER swirling.  I am now SUCH a fan of this technique and really can't wait to try it again!  

     After a day of drying, it was ready to cut and shoot.

     Hungry?  ;)

Summer Gnome Dress and Custom Clay Order

     The first time I saw the gnome fabric was when Hayley over at "Welcome to the Mouse House" posted pictures in our sewing group of her daugher's adorable gnome costume.  I loved the dress and wanted to make one for Scarlett.  Of course, being the procrastinator I am, it was months before I bought the fabric, and a few more months before I decided to buckle down and make one.

   I'm so glad I did, though!

     The pattern is the "Olivia Reverse Knot Dress" pattern from Pink Poodle Bows on Etsy.  The PDF file was extremely easy to follow.  I did change the bodice just a TEENY bit so there were no raw seams on the inside (which was totally minor and wouldn't have been bad at all without the change... I just wanted mine like that) and I made the skirt one solid piece instead of adding the border trim.  The pattern is super easy to customize if you'd like and she breaks down all of the steps.

     Keep an eye on my Etsy shop.  Gnome dresses are going to pop up in the future.  (Sizes 6m-3T to start, but custom orders might be possible up to size 11/12.)

    Another recent project was a custom order.  The customer requested a polymer clay figurine set that had Boba Fett shooting a zombie.  I don't watch Star Wars very often (although the boys in my house seem to love it), so I printed off some pictures for reference.  The zombie, however, was a total breeze.  Well, aside from the fact that my imagination ran away from me on several occasions with all of the possibilities.  ;) 

     In the end, they turned out pretty cool.  Although, my opinion may be biased. 

And the zombie.  (Be warned, I'm a huge "Walking Dead" fan so I went a little crazy with the zombie.) 

And the entire thing all together:

     Giving serious consideration to making a few Star Wars and zombie ornaments for Christmas.  *laughing*  :)