Newsletter, and classes at the Centurion Craft Show

The October edition of Tin Soldiers Newsletter is available.  Click HERE to download it in PDF format.
Remember that we will be at the Centurion Craft Show all day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. 

Here's a little preview of the classes that we will present at the show.  Full details are in the Newsletter.

Hope to see you there!

Spring Birthday Lizard

Remember the lizard I was trying to crochet a few months ago?  I made the pattern and designed his parts as I went along.  Then life happened, the friend that I was making him for got better and didn't need a get well present anymore, and I gave up on the legs.

Well, last week the friend had a birthday.  So the lizard became a birthday lizard instead!  Spring is fully under way now that we've had the first rain, I managed to get some quick snaps of the lizard in the garden before I delivered him on Saturday.  See how well he's camouflaged?!

I'm pleased with the way it turned out, I might just try my hand at another one some time.

Minnow got a kitten

Liz forwarded a picture of Minnow with her new kitten.

Doesn't she just look like the happiest little girl in her bedroom with all her favourite things.  I see that the kitten came with a special sleeping basket, and since last time, Minnow got a shiny red phone.  I hope she decides to call some time and tell me all about her 'puddy tat'...

The Mill Cottage stocks a wide range of pets for your dolls house.  Not only cats and dogs, you will find bunnies, turtles and even an owl in their collection.  These little animals will make a nice accessory for a small teddy bear or doll.

Fuller Picture

I have added a few more tiles to my polymer clay book cover.

Can you spot them?  Techniques used include, mock cloisonne, backfilling, image transfer, and working with mica powders.

Turning over a new leaf - Polymer clay book cover

Here's a sneak preview of something I'm working on. 

It's a mosaic style polymer clay book cover.   I measured out a block the size of my book, then divided it into smaller squares.  Over the last few weeks I've been mulling over the polymer clay techniques that I use most often, and have identified no fewer than seventeen that I love creating with.  Every tile represents one or more techniques.  Not only is it a sampler of my work, but a fantastic way of teaching a lot of techniques in one project.  Hence, a new workshop in the making!  Here are close-ups of the first few tiles.

Mokume Gane, tool impressions and rubbing with acrylic paint.

Lace impression rubbed with acrylic paint.

Caning, framing, tool impressions and rubbing with acrylic paint.

Skinner blend, tool impressions and rubbing with acrylic paint.  I'm no good at drawing, but I love the way this tile turned out.

And this is my other favourite tile so far.  Framing using cutters, including mixed media elements, making letters and clay impressions, a bit of caning, and rubbing with acrylic paint.  This tile was amazingly easy to make.

I'm looking forward to showing you the finished book cover.

500 Bears to Comfort Children in Distress

Yesterday Frikkie Gous from LifeMed took delivery of approximately 500 teddy bears that we collected for Bearathon 2012.

Left to right:  Megan Wallace, Frikkie Gous and Ina Dandridge.
Frikkie is the marketing manager for LifeMed.  Ina is our Bearathon co-ordinator.  She invested many hours this year in bringing bear making supplies together with the willing hands who make bears for Bearathon every year, and also collecting donations of materials and ready made bears.  Her final duty for 2012 was to find a suitable recipient for the bears, and to arrange the pickup.

This year our Bearathon bears went to LifeMed, and will be distributed by them in accordance with the last wish of Hanco Viljoen, a victim of cancer.
You can read Hanco's story HERE.
Please also like Hanco's TeddyCare Project on Facebook.

Bearathon is an annual event organized by Tin Soldiers Studio.  If you would like to be involved in next year's event, please EMAIL Megan. 

A really big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed teddy bears this year.