Not all the stuff I made today was photogenic

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Because it needs sanding and decorating a bit first. So I'll just share the best thing, which are these oranges on a tray:



Yay! I've wanted to make oranges for ages and I like how they turned out. I'm not sure if I got the scale exactly right. Oranges do vary in size, so I guess it's okay to guesstimate. And next I shall attempt to make bananas.

The ice-cream didn't look so wonderful after re-baking, because the fimo darkens in the oven, and the colour was perfect going in (just like real strawberry ice-cream, if I do say so myself) but more hot pink coming out, and the moist look was lost. I varnished to try to get it to look wet again, but it didn't give me the best result, which I think might come from sealing raw clay under a light glaze of resin. I'll try that next time.

The cornflakes were the worst! They looked bad enough, but then I decided to seal the paint and flakes of cereal under cheap white glue with some chalk and varnish and anything else I had to hand that seemed like it might work...

Big mistake.



But in brighter news, I found some awesome chunks of natural chalk today on a walk with my boyfriend through the woods around here, and maybe that'll help me in making convincing milk next time.

Comments

[sharp2799]

Wow to your stuff! (Hope it's okay to comment--I'm still 95% at LJ but was directed here.)

Your bowl of cornflakes actually reminds me of the oatmeal I sometimes eat with canned peaches, if that helps. LOL

[ethicalcannibal]

Very nice. How did you texture the oranges?

[pixiewildflower]

Wow, those are awesome!

[catspaw]

The oranges are a pretty good colour! (I know to my cost how hard it is to get fruit right :-( )

Did you make the wee tray they're on as well?

Hi. Thanks :)

[miniproject]

An awesome Youtuber called GardenofImagination who has oodles of useful video tips (check her out!) gave the tip to use a toothbrush, but yesterday I found that cool brush head you see there in the pic, from a thrown out old steam cleaner I had. I used that and it worked better than the toothbrush. And another thing I think made the clay retain the small indents even as I rounded the shape in my hands after and put them down on a marble surface, was using some translucent clay, because translucent and metallic clays can sometimes have more resilience and makes the oranges (any food) look a lot more realistic, too.

[miniproject]

Hello there. Lots of people seem to be pitting Dreamwidth and LJ against each other like racing snails.. :) :) :) Let's see how we do over here!

That's cool that it resembles your food. lol. Absolutely cool. Thank you. I'll refrain from putting it in the bin and try to just tidy it up a bit and *waves magic wand* - I dub thee, oatmeal with peaches! (yay)

[miniproject]

Cheers!

[miniproject]

Thanks. The first oranges I made years ago looked really blah in comparison to these! I think this time the difference was the translucent orange clay I used. It makes such a difference.

I made the tray using the underside of a belt buckle:



I collect any cool bits of metal I can find! *is obsessed* :-P

Re: Hi. Thanks :)

[ethicalcannibal]

Very cool. Thanks for the heads up on the youtuber. I admire your resolve to take so many pictures.

I'm just starting to do polymer clays. Usually to reproduce stone, metal, and bone. I don't do tiny foods and such, but I am fascinated by the process.

[catspaw]

Now *that's* impressive! I've tried and tried to make platters/serving dishes/random bits of 'ceramics' and they've always turned out really clunky and fake looking. Yours look *good* !

[zoefruitcake]

I agree with your other commenter, it looks like porridge with fruit

The oranges are great, they look like those huge naval oranges - yum

Cheers!

[miniproject]

I must have gotten lucky with this belt buckle! I bought the belt for £3.50 at a car boot, and when I got it home it was too small for me, so I took great delight in taking it to bits for clay work. Trays from clock fronts don't work so well. Belt buckles ftw!

Re: Hi. Thanks :)

[miniproject]

I'm a beginner too. :) It's so much fun once you're engrossed in a specific thing, but it is definitely so versatile that the possibilities seem.. well.. endless! It's so tempting to try all the cool techniques people do. I hope you get back into polymer clay so I can peek over your virtual shoulder and see how you reproduce stone and bone. It sounds awesome.

Re: Hi. Thanks :)

[ethicalcannibal]

If I get the time to create some clay goodness, I'll post pictures. You've inspired me.