Saturday, August 29, 2009

Studio Saturday with Creative Impressions In Clay

Geisha Buttons ©

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
Last weeks winner is
BellaJoya Congratulations! You have won one of Jangles New Links from the studio of Jennifer Heynen. Send Jennifer an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of Tari Sasser at
Creative Impressions In Clay.

I just can't get the song "Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so..." out of my head.
OK, so I'm a bit warped. We warped ones are what make your world interesting.

These new buttons go with the genre of this month's Challenge. Unfortunately they are not that new in my studio. I am embarrassed to say how long they have been hanging around. They have finally been glazed and I fired them last night. Nothing like being on top of things.
My friend requested Geisha buttons for a knitting project she was working on. I'm sure it's been done for quite a while and she has moved on to many more knitting adventures.
There always seem to be more pressing things that need to get done; making& filling orders, kids, husband, grandkids, making&filling orders and making&filling orders.
These should never been put off this long. I'm sorry Kristine, I will mail them this week.
The colors turned out great with the boldness of the red and contrast of the yellow. Background color is a light celadon, which needed to be a muted color so the design and other colors would stand out.

The "Procrastination Queen" question this week is:

:: What project has been sitting around your studio and for how long? ::

Leave a comment and you could win the
Round Geisha design shown above as a Pendant.

© Tari Sasser :: Creative Impressions In Clay

44 comments:

Angenita said...

There are 2 projects in my studio that been there too long. First includes beads, it's an embroidery necklace. I only have to make the back and then it's finished, it's in this shape for over a year now.
The second thing is an altered book. I work on it regular, but it never seems to be finished, there are always more things to include. That project I'm working on for 2 years...

Anonymous said...

I have several metal and copper clay pieces that need to be sanded, drilled and then fired. They've been sitting for about 5-6 months. Hopefully I can get to them once the boys start school

Katie said...

The better question is what project HASN'T been sitting around waiting to be finished? Actually, right now, I really only have a few things to finish - 2 seed bead projects I started at Bead Fest, the necklace I plan to make with the PMC charms I made at Bead Fest, and finishing up a couple pair of polymer clay earrings...I think there are one or two other things going on, but those are the leftovers from last week's trip to Philly...

Gail W. said...

Those Geisha pendants are really cool and unusual.I love them.For Christmas,I gave my Mom a pair of earrings and a bracelet that I had made for her,lots of work and time.Well,she wants a necklace,not the bracelet,so I've had that sitting around since Christmas morning!

FrankandRox said...

Oh I can relate! I like to say I'm a great starter of things... finishing well, that's another story. There are more projects than I can count on the go and they do spread outside the studio walls too. I'd say likely the oldest (that I still plan on completing) are some canvases I gave a base coat to about 3 years ago to hang over our bed. The project has changed in my mind about 100 times and someday I'll really decide and move ahead. someday

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I want the pendant really badly, but I cannot lie. I do not have unfinished projects. No UFOs for me. I must complete projects or take them apart. However, I do have a couple of dishes of unorganized beads sitting on my table.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Angenita, Glad to find someone as bad as me. These 2 buttons (originally 3) have been in the works for at least 2 years. It doesn't help that I fix the molds. A helpful hint: don't make molds when you are mad at your husband. That's what happened to these.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Marabella, the kids being home all summer + husband who is a school teacher has not helped me either. I was more productive yesterday than I was all summer.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Katie, that sounds like me! I have my grandaughters birthday present from 2 years ago and this year still sitting here in my studio. One needs touch up on the glaze and the other is a chair that needs polyurethane on it.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

oops, Gail, sorry your comment I put Katie on it.
Katie, most projects sit more than they should, mostly because of my husband and kids. I don't know why they expect to eat?!!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

FrankandRox, the oldest and it is well aged by now, is a copper enameled dish I was working on. I wasn't turning out the way I wanted it to so I put it aside. I had always planned on completing it but that was probably 17 years ago. Embarrassed to say but it's true.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Carol, you are too good to not have any unfinished projects! Maybe you will get lucky and your name will be drawn out of the hat!

The Joy of Nesting said...

Teri,

Your buttons are really beautiful!!! They would be so fun to create with!! If you want to take that as a hint, it's okay :) :)

Oh gads I have the "mother" of all unfinished projects!! :( My daughter is getting married on Nov 8th of this year. Eight months ago she asked me to make 20 beach/grocery bags as thank you gifts. It's now Aug. 29th and I have 2&1/2 made!! And this is one of those projects I can't exactly give IOUs for!!! Did I say I do my best work under pressure?? :)

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Pattie, I have to say you are doing good are your timing :) For my daughters wedding I made ornaments for all the guests. My kiln misfired and hours before the wedding, I am in my mother of the bride nice clothes try to unload a kiln that is way too hot! My son was running late so he had to finish unloading. Of course they never got ribbons put on them but still turned out nice.

Terry Biz said...

I don't have any jewelry items that aren't finished - ones that I'm not satisfied with that are sitting there nagging at me. Which brings me to what my unfinished project is - cleaning up and sorting my work area!! It seems that as soon as I finish one piece I jump to another and never put my space back in order like it should be.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Terry, I have the same mess in my studio. I was supposed to take time off this summer to paint, organize and rearrange my studio but that never happened.

TesoriTrovati said...

You seem to have found a hot button topic Tari!

I am ashamed to say that my friend, whose wedding party jewels I did as my first big commission in Sept 2007, gave me a stash of her great grandmother's costume jewelry back that fall that she wanted me to make into a bracelet or necklace or something for her mother....here it is 2 years later and I wonder if she remembers? At least now I have much better skills and ideas as to what to do with them...Whatever I make will have to be gratis because really, after I have had it that long, it is the least I can do! Thanks for helping me dredge that up!

Enjoy the day!
Erin

SandiM said...

Oh my goodness - I'd hate to admit how many unopened packages of PMC I have as well as PMC pieces that need to be fired. So I turn to bead/pearl/glass/silver projects (that take me long enough to design!) and then wish I had those PMC pieces that could be part of a designs. One of these days.....

SandiM said...

PS - The buttons are georgeous!!

Elizabeth said...

Oy, what I have unfinished is too daunting to even consider. And now I have The Vapors song stuck in my head, LOL.

The main "undone" I have is cleaning and organizing my studio so that I can work on ANYTHING. ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH.

So, I'm just stuck!!

Ann said...

The project that has been longest in my life is a necklace that I started in the spring of 2002. It is a crocheted rope that I then was embelishing with seed bead "vines" and flowers. I mislaid the project for about 2 years, found it and have been working on it on and off for the rest of the time.

During our last move, I "rediscovered" it and am eager to finish it! My vision for it changes as time has gone... I hope it will be good when I finally finish!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Erin, I have a couple pieces of my mom's jewelry I was supposed to put back together from many years ago. I hope she doesn't remember!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Sandi, I would like to try PMC one of these days. You will get to it...eventually. Thank you for your kind words.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Elizabeth, lets all sing together...turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so...Now it's stuck in your head again! LOL Cleaning is overrated!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Sabine, that may be one of the positives of long lost projects, you find them and you have better plans for them! That's our story, let's stick with it!

Nicole said...

mais ça nous arrive à toutes!en tout cas je pense qu'un vêtement s'impose pour accueillir" ces petits bijoux"
bravo

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Nicole, this is the translation Word Monkey gave me:
"but it happens to us all! at least I think that clothing is needed to accommodate "these little jewels" bravo."

You are right it does happen to all of us. The Geisha buttons would look nice on a cape with a single closure.
Vous avez raison, il arrive à nous tous. Les boutons de Geisha aurait l'air agréable sur un promontoire avec une fermeture unique.
Thanks, Merci, Danke!

Dale said...

A while back, I saw this 'how to make a fabric book' from a board book in a summerset studios issue. I've finished covering the book with canvas, making the binding, and am working on giving the edges a nice fringe. The work is going SLOW. I have been working on this book for over a year now. It just keeps getting set aside...

Beverly Herman said...

I have to admit I have several projects unfinished. When I first started bead weaving I would never start a new project until the current one was finished. Than I heard talk of an UFO. UFO?
UN Finished Object. Now I have more than a few UFO'S.

Gaea said...

Super bellisimo!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Dale, I'm sure it will be beautiful when you decide it is finished!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Gaea, you are Super Bellisimo!! So glad you stopped by!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Bev, I have so many UFO's flying in my studio, I have to duck everyday when I walk in!

Alice said...

I am a true student of procrastination-especially on things where I am unsure of my capabilities, or things I'm less than enthusiastic about doing.

I do a lot of large charity projects and seem to put off the organization part until it gets alarmingly close. Then I kick myself the rest of the way. Luckily they are always a success.

My most recent procrastination as a jewelry project is a necklace for my moher-in-law. The design she wants is not something I like, and I don't really think it will look good. I can't bring myself to finish it, so it sits half-done on my table.

My most embarassing project that I put off was when I had a small business of sketching children from photos. A mother commissioned a drawing, and the photo she gave me to use was not very clear. I had a very difficult time in getting it done. Meanwhile, the child grew and grew. But in the end she still loved it--whew!

Your Geisha button is beautiful!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Alice, I am the same way on things I'm not excited about. It's really hard when you keep thinking this is going to look really bad but it's what the client wants so I guess I'll do it.

Kiwiken said...

This question screams my name... I have several unfinished things lying around constantly, at the moment the most important is a would-be entry for the monthly challenge, that won't be done this month. And another necklace that was supposed to be for the monthly challenge last month, but which didn't turn out right and is still waiting for some new inspiration to strike.
And then there's the necklace for my aunt's birthday next month, that I haven't even started working on yet...

SueBeads said...

OMG, I love those buttons!

I have a bracelet that I want to make with one of my large hole art beads, it's a cinnamon color with gorgeous raku frit and I wanted to make it the focal of a seed bead bracelet with the same colors that came out in the raku. I just can't wrap my head around what colors I want or how to finish it off!! Maybe I should learn bead crochet, I just don't know!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Kiwiken, how about we just scream! Time is NOT on my side!

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

SueBeads, hmmmmmm fiber and buttons to finish it off because it's easy. I find my Pantone color guide helpful or a Sherwin Williams color fan that looks like the Pantone fan but a lot cheaper. Glad you like the buttons!

Bubba Harmon said...

Oh great, now I'll be singing all day long. Everybody, "No sex, no drugs, no wine, no woman, no fun, no sin, no you ..."

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Larry, LOL, I know. I had to pass the song onto someone else!

Shai Williams said...

I have a knotted necklace that just needs a clasp that has been sitting on my table for about 6 months now.

Tari of ClayButtons.com said...

Shaiha, that's hasn't aged long enough yet, LOL!

Valerie C. / Cline Jewels said...

I think those beads are very pretty but please do not put my name into the drawing and I will tell you why.

I have made 3 pairs of ear rings and a pendent in the japanese style of beads. I have been trying to sell them for 3 years and even put them up on sale for practicly nothing and still they will not sell. They are very pretty but no one in Las Vegas even tourist don't want them. So from experience I can not sell them if my life depended on it but they are very pretty. Good luck to anyone who gets them if you plan to sell them in my neck of the woods.