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Clarita's / Bamboos #13 & #14 Ukulele Duet |
Bowana
Grand Member (4 years) 
Joined: Nov 10, 2006
Posts: 1129
From: La Mesa, CA
|  Posted: 2007-11-02 09:02 am Permalink
Just as things seemed they would be okay.......
The Tikicoppers boarded their canoe and headed west to New Zealand, determined to recapture Hoku Ili. On board was a crate containing a special secret weapon to be used in the apprehesion of this seemingly dangerous escapee.
"Ah nuts! Hide me Paipo!"
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That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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Clarita
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 26, 2006
Posts: 1234
From: BA Arg
| Posted: 2007-11-03 06:50 am Permalink
OH! Nooooo!!!
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Bowana
Grand Member (4 years)
Joined: Nov 10, 2006
Posts: 1129
From: La Mesa, CA
| Posted: 2007-11-07 9:44 pm Permalink
After many long days at sea, the Tikicoppers have decided to stop at a nearby atoll for tasty refreshments at a local Tiki bar (they are Tikis, after all).
After slamming a few down, the trio fail to notice the shadowy figure at the bar who is monitoring their every move.
Who is this dark sentinel and what is his interest in the Tikicoppers?
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That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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Clarita
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 26, 2006
Posts: 1234
From: BA Arg
| Posted: 2007-11-08 05:14 am Permalink
 !
Oh noo! They are getting closer!!
I'm intrigued, who might that be?! what is the arma secreta especial??!
I'm afraid for our little friend, hide Hoku Ili!
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mundotiki
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Clarita
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 26, 2006
Posts: 1234
From: BA Arg
| Posted: 2007-11-09 08:08 am Permalink
I interrupt this exiting story to introduce Tiki-O-Billy!
He is not finish yet,but you can already have an idea how he looks like...
I've started him in water based clay, but then the weather change to worm and he started cracking allover so I did a plastic surgery on him using epoxy clay,thats why he is a little messy,but I think he is going to survive well...
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mundotiki
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Babalu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2498
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2007-11-10 09:29 am Permalink
Clarita,
This clay work is really, really nice. I love your style. I think one off mugs in your own flavors like this would be a smokin hit.
That cracking problem can be fixed on future clay pieces for sure...I can clue you in if you like? Is this piece hollow?...has it been fired yet?
Your on to something here Clarita
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benella
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2006
Posts: 1423
From: Meudon, France
| Posted: 2007-11-10 10:06 am Permalink
Billy is superb. And he is a musician !!! Top cooool.
Ben
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little lost tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 7463
From: Orange,CA-right near the Circle!
| Posted: 2007-11-10 10:13 am Permalink
aVery cool Clarita!
Your style is so full of fun and whimsy!
the placement of the hands/the very recessed textural eye sockets and eyes/the corduroy like stripe on the pants-even the cuff rolled up! All of it fits perfectly! Tiki-O-Billy is a hit!
You need to do more lil "sidetracks" like him! Maybe he can get rid of the Tiki-Coppers!
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Clarita
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 26, 2006
Posts: 1234
From: BA Arg
| Posted: 2007-11-10 3:35 pm Permalink
Thanks Babalu!! He now has a epoxy skin all over, so I won't bake him at all (I never do, I let the water based clay dry very well, and then I finish it with varnish spray.To take a silicon mold of it, to fill with the paraffin...).
Yes he is hollow, I'm going to make him as Hoku Ili a candle holder, we'll see how the transparency works..
This is how he was when he was just water based clay
I think the problem was that I've made him to thin, I've didn't had that problem with the others I've made before. Thanks a lot for the help offer I really appreciate it!! Slowly the mug idea is getting into me, so I take your word on it...Thanks again!!
Thanks very much Ben!! I know after your tools issue you are stronger than ever!! Can't wait to see your new stuff!
LLT Thanks so much my friend !! yes I'm going to need reinforcement, I think, to help Hoku Ili, the tiki coopers are bad asses!
...But he is not ready yet, today he suddenly has grown a big quiff!!
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Tiki Candle Maker
[ This Message was edited by: Clarita 2007-11-10 17:10 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Clarita 2007-11-10 18:47 ]
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tok-tok
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 17, 2007
Posts: 148
From: somewhere in Germany
| Posted: 2007-11-11 4:03 pm Permalink
Hi clarita.
I didn´t show up in your thread till now.
Must say, that I salute your designs for the uniqueness. There is nothing comparable to this.
I like the tiki-o-billy the most, that is exactly my style.
What will it be? the 'one of' mug, a mini serie or candles? And what about the quiff?
Greetz from germany, tok-tok
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seeksurf
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2007
Posts: 2144
From: Buckley, WA
| Posted: 2007-11-11 5:01 pm Permalink
Great stuff, Clarita love it. You for sure have a style that people are gona love.
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Clarita
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 26, 2006
Posts: 1234
From: BA Arg
| Posted: 2007-11-12 3:34 pm Permalink
Hi tok-tok Thanks a lot!! it's going to be candle holder,like the ones I've made before
check it out
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=21408&forum=7&start=180
Maybe I'll try some mug experiment but I don't know yet.
And about the quiff, it has grown a lot and we are still in the hair salon (he is a star...)I'll post pics soon...
Thanks seeksurf! I appreciate it  !
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mundotiki
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10309
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2007-11-13 06:21 am Permalink
Lookin Good Clarita. Hurry up already and get that Tiki-O-Billy done, we WANT HIM! You too but you're too far away...
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jim3da
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Sep 05, 2007
Posts: 12
From: Milford, CT
| Posted: 2007-11-13 7:11 pm Permalink
Billy looks great. Totally original look to him.
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Babalu
Grand Member (5 years)
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2498
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2007-11-13 7:31 pm Permalink
Hello Clarita,
He doesn't look to thin to me. There could be a couple of reasons why this little master piece cracked.
One, might have been in the drying out of this little guy. When you have areas that are thinner than other areas, those thinner areas will dry faster. Clay shrinks a little as it dries, so cracks will form where the thin areas meet the thicker areas. to avoid this problem, dry the work more slowly. Wrap it in a plastic bag (garbage bag)...every day (or so) pull the work out of the bag a let it sit exposed to the air a little (hour or two). You will notice as you remove the plastic bag, that moisture has dissipated from the clay and is in the bag...after you have let him sit out for awhile, turn the bag inside out, and wrap the work back up. Just repeat this until you start to notice that not very much moisture is showing up inside the bag. At this point your clay work will be in a "leather hard' type of stage. At this stage you can start to let it sit out longer...it might even be ready to not have to be wrapped any longer. Just let it dry out. When you can touch the clay piece to your cheek and it feels about room temperature, the piece is dry and ready to be "fired" (it's not called cooked). In a leather hard stage the clay can be easily handled...when the clay is dry, it is in it's most fragile stage so be careful not to break it. When you have clay that is the same thickness in a piece, like all of these cast mugs you see people doing, it is very easy to dry. I don't cover my cast mugs at all after I have pulled them from a mold...I just let them air dry right away. Still, it is sooo much fun playing with clay, that these cast pieces just don't cut it somehow for me.
Two, you need to make sure all the air is out of your clay before you start to sculpt with it. When little air bubbles get trapped in the clay, and as the clay dries, and begins to shrink, the air will force it's way out to the surface causing a crack. this is easy to avoid by prepping the clay first. This action is called "wedging" the clay. Wedging is when you take a mass of clay and aggressively fold it into it's self many times over using both hands on a table top. It does not take long. If you Google "clay wedging" you will be able to see how this is done.
I hope this helps a little. Some of this information you might have already known? Clarita, you are a natural with clay. I think you will find it very enjoyable. You might consider taking a college type ceramics class, or a ceramics class anywhere for that matter just to clue you in on some of the basics of clay, but design wise...kiddo, your there...just keep on keeping on.
if you need anymore info, just let me know.
Peace.
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