Monday mornings used to be so hard....

I remember dreading Mondays. It meant the start of the work week and getting up early to get ready for work. But these days I like Mondays cuz all days are like Saturday now! Retirement is great. Leaves you lots and lots of time to focus on the things you really love the most. My home, my doggies, my sweetie and my art!  So, here are a few more items that I finished yesterday. I just added them to my Etsy store. Making these birdhouses is just so much fun because each one is a little individual piece of art. No two are alike even if you try to make them alike (not that I've done that).

Copper and Bronze Birdhouses with Swarovski bling!

They are actually pretty easy to make once you get a feel for the clay, and once you have all your tools ready to go. I have a set of tools that makes cutting out the shapes pretty easy. There are always variations of course and sometimes the clay gets weird and doesn't want to cooperate. Metal clays tend to dry out pretty fast, so you have to have your plan and work quickly and efficiently. The copper, bronze and silver all feel a little different and each one behaves just a little differently. The silver seems to dry and crack the fastest and takes a little more time to rehydrate. The bronze seems to absorb added water quickly although firing it is a *****. If you know what I mean. The copper has been easy so far - fires like a dream and has a beautiful shine.  I love them all for different reasons.