adulting with whimsy
In the sculptor’s lair with Marie Young: polymer clay sculptures and mixed media projects. Sculpting tutorials, tips and tricks for your own projects. See original work created. Each piece is meticulously handcrafted in the MarieYoung Creative studio and sold online and in select galleries. No mass produced work here!
Sometimes, ideas need to percolate. Gothic Kiss is one of those projects, that I lovely refer to as a “zombie project.” These are projects that feel like I’ve left them for dead, but eventually they come back to life. In a good way, of course! I found this vintage photo on a now defunct blog […]
This tile is a little something that I created a few years back as a creativity booster to remind me of how I want to live each day. I keep it on a shelf in my office, but truth be told, I haven’t really looked at it in quite some time. Why? Because I am […]
Fun stuff to put in polymer I put together this free polymer clay tutorial using eye-pencil shavings as inclusions. Consider this a thank you to everyone who voted in the December Polymer Clay Artist’s Guild of Etsy monthly challenge focusing on recycled projects. Free Tutorial: Eye Pencil Shavings Inclusions Step 1: Grab some sharpener shavings […]
Many artists pick out a focal word to begin a new year. Last year my art resolution word was “create.” That meant giving myself permission to experiment without always worrying about the sales side. This year, the word I am infusing into my creative process is “story.” I will continue to explore the freedom of […]
With 6 cats who exhibit varying degrees of “badness,” we struggle with keeping them from exploring anything new, like say a tree with shiny, dangling objects on it. To keep the cats away from the Christmas tree, my husband put a can of SSSCAT Spray near the base. Here is the product description: “Keep your cat […]
How is that a nonsensical tale from 1865 can still resonate with us? Why, more than 100 years later, are we still fascinated by the rabbit hole? How can something from that time period feel so “modern”? And why do we need to create our own versions of Wonderland?
This colorful winter bird is toasty warm in his knit red cap. I sculpted him from polymer clay over a hollow egg shell. The egg is from a well-educated chicken near my home that was raised by a university dean who moonlights as a farmer. If you love him, you can head over to my […]
In the spirit of the season, I offer you three quick tips to keep holiday stress from tearing a hole in your gut. Obviously eating right and exercising would round out this list out to five, but let’s be real. It’s the holidays! 1. Snort your way to happiness. It is no secret that smells […]
You don’t have to be Dr. Frankenstein to stitch together these Ghoulish DIY Halloween favors. This quick and easy Hershey candy bar wrapper project makes it easy to whip up a a treat for those little monsters. Step 1. Slice open a paper bag. Scissors will do if you don’t own a scalpel. Dissect a […]
These zombie love birds are actually Halloween presents for my niece and nephew. They are polymer clay ornaments sculpted over hollow egg shells. The lady bird for my niece, Jessie, is a mainly frilly with a touch of ick. The one for my nephew, Ryan, oozes ick, but that was a happy accident. I had […]
