Saturday, March 31, 2012

Black Forest Cake

I finished this project earlier than planned so I decided to share it! I made the cake using simple circular (miniature) cookie cutters that are a little over an inch in diameter. I used burnt umber, white, and red...pretty easy huh! A link to the video tutorial is at the bottom of the page.

Well earlier today I went to Michael's to pick up those miniature bottles, and I have to make a corrections. They aren't made by Reflections, they're made by Jim Holtz Idealogy, and they're called corked vials.


This is what they look like, and I'm going to use these in the next Harry Potter Potion Episode. These are a little trickier to work with since they don't have headpins already in the tops, but they aren't impossible to use:)

Anyway, this is one of the first weekends where I haven't been out (and not able to make videos), so I'm taking full advantage of it!

I'll be uploading new video(s) tomorrow, so Happy Saturday night...even if you're at home.

XOXO,
Toni


Black Forest Cake Tutorial Below:

Polyjuice : Harry Potter Potion Ep. # 2





So this is the second of many Harry Potter Polyjuice potion tutorials to come. It's very simple to make as long as you have the supplies on hand. Basically you print out a small "label" that says Polyjuice Potion on it. I just typed out the word in a Word document (along with other potions I wanted to make), printed them, and cut them out individually. I also added a small Hogwart's Crest to the label for fun.

This potion label was printed out on regular white printer paper..nothing special. I burned the edges with a lighter which can be tricky, but gets easier after a few practice runs (so print out extras to practice on if you want to try this version.

You'll need:
1. Miniature bottle (purchased at Hobby Lobby, but you can find similar bottles at Michael's craft store too)
2. Easy Cast Resin (Or any kind of resin you like. Also purchased at Hobby Lobby)
3. Folkart Acrylic Paint in "Old Ivy"
4. Printed mini label
5. Toothpick
6. Bathroom plastic cup (to mix the resin in)
7. E600 glue

Have Fun!
-Toni

Watch the tutorial below!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Amortentia - Love Potion - Harry Potter Potion Tutorial #1

It's safe to say that I'm a die-hard Harry Potter fan, and I truly loved making the potions from the entire series. 

I've had a few requests to show how I make certain potions so I'm going to do an entire series (close to twenty parts) and show how I made each one. If you'd like to see the potions I've created in the past you can click here and here.

Materials Needed:
1. Miniature glass bottles (you can find them at hobby lobby or michael's)
2. Resin (Any kind, or you can even substitute the resin for water or Fimo Deko Gel if you like)
3. Toothpick
4. Cup (To mix the resin)
5. Red marker (Or red food coloring, red pastel chalk, etc.)
6.Glue (E600)
7. Miniature label (I made it by printing the word Amortentia on tan paper)


 

 Once you glue the label to the bottle you're finished, and now you can add it to necklace or a key chain. These make great gifts, especially if you have friends that love Harry Potter as much as mine do!

The video is below for extra help!

 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Full English Breakfast

A full English breakfast complete with toast, fried eggs, baked beans, black pudding, vine tomatoes, bacon, sausage, and a mushroom. This was made completely from polymer clay.

You can turn this plate into a ring by gluing a ring base to back of the plate. Be sure to glue down each piece of food as well. This could also be made into a necklace. Or if you'd rather not make it into jewelry you can just add it to your collection.


Baked Beans
1.     Mix equal portions of ecru color (Premo) polymer clay & translucent.
2.     Roll the mixture into a thin strip, & cut small pieces which will be the beans
3.     Mix reddish brown & yellow ochre chalk with Fimo Deko Gel. This will be the baked beans sauce.
4.     Mix the sauce mixture with the beans, and set aside.



Vine Tomatoes

1.     Mix red and translucent polymer clay together.
2.     Roll out the mixture & cut small pieces, which will be the tomatoes.
3.     Use leaf green for the leaves. Cut small triangle shapes which will be the leaves. Add the leaves to the top of each tomato. Each tomato should have about 5 leaves.



Black Pudding
1.     Wrap a small log of brown clay in black clay.
2.     Close the seams.
3.     Roll the mixture to smooth the seam.
4.     Cut off the edge, and discard. Now cut even slices & texture with sandpaper.

Sausage
1.     Mix a small amount of red with translucent for the raw sausage color.
2.     Roll out the mixture, and cut into thin pieces.
3.     Soften and smooth the edges.
4.     Shade the sausage with brown & black chalk. This will help the sausages look cooked.

Mushrooms
1.     Mix translucent, ecru, and white for a mushroom color.
2.     Make two small caps, and use a ball tool to hollow the caps.
3.     Roll out thin strips and cut small stalks.
4.     Attach the stalks to the caps.

Fried Egg
1.     Mix white and translucent for the egg white.
2.     Mix yellow and a small amount of orange for the egg yolk.
3.     Add Fimo Deko Gel to the top of the egg yolk for a realistic look.

Bacon
1.     Color mixtures: Yellow Mixture – Mix a small amount of yellow, and ecru with a larger amount of translucent. Light Red Mixture – Mix a small amount of red, yellow, and orange with a larger amount of translucent. Deep Red Mixture – Mix 1 part red clay with 2 parts translucent clay.
2.     Lay out a rectangular piece of the yellow clay.
3.     Add two pieces of the light red mixture to either side.
4.     Add a piece of the yellow mixture to fill the space between the light red mixture.
5.     Add a thin strip of the yellow mixture on top.
6.    Add another strip of the deep red mixture to the top of the slab.
7.     Now stretch the mixture but squeezing and pulling it.
8.    Cut a few strips. Texture them with a ball tool or a toothpick.
9.    Shade the strips with brown chalk to make them look cooked.

Toast
1.     Mix white, translucent, and a small amount of ecru for the bread loaf.
2.     Use a toothpick to create indents on either side of the loaf.
3.     Cover the loaf with yellow ochre, & brown chalk.
4.     Use sandpaper to texture the bread slice.
5.     Use a needle to texture the inside of the bread slice.


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Hunger Games DIY: Mockingjay Pin

The Hunger Games Mocking Jay Pin




I've read all three books (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins), and I wanted to make my own Mockingjay pin like the one Madge gives to Katniss before she leaves to go to Capitol. Also, in the movie Katniss gives the Mockingjay pin to Primrose.



   

 MATERIALS:
1. Premo Gold Polymer Clay
2. Needle tool, or sewing needle
3. Ball Tool ( Purchased at Michael's)
4. Razor Blade
5. Glue
6. Liquid Clay (TLS - Translucent Liquid Sculpey)
7. Pin Back or Safety Pin (To attach the pin to)

Condition your clay by warming it up and rolling it in your hands or using a pasta machine.


Roll out a strip of your gold clay and form a circle. Connect and seal the circle with liquid clay, and smooth the seam with a needle.


Start by shaping the body and the head. Pull and gently shape the beak by pulling it.


Create the curves of the body and smooth the edges with the needle tool.

Taking another piece of clay outline the shape of the tail, and attach it by smoothing the seams together with the needle tool.

Place the body and wing back in the circle to see if it fits. If it doesn't trim down the body and the wing.

Make the arrow by rolling out a thin strip of clay. Cut out the arrow tip with a razor blade or Exact-O knife. Connect the parts of the arrow with liquid clay, and smooth the seams with the ball tool, or the needle.

Glue a "pin back" (or safety pin) on the back of the pin and your finished.

Wearing the finished Mockinjay Pin



Here is the video if you'd like to watch for extra help.