Wendy Cevola - I've finished a Wish List Black Velvet. Time to post the steps. More each day.

Holy toothpick painting! What?!?!?!

Wow, I can't wait for my visit to the Cevola Tiki Jungle Room.... some day I hope to visit! :)

Sorry, I was on the wrong page when I hit the Reply button - hadn't made it to the end of the thread yet haha!

Love the finished bowl and the FOM fireplace painting is a great finishing touch.

Hang10 - mahalo for all the great Hawaii vacation photos!!

Toothpick painting
What's next? Making a Tiki Bob the size of a grain of rice
:)

Hula: :)

TikiAno come any time. For tiny paintings I have more control with a sharp tip than with a brush. I do all the Hot Tub Hula Girl faces with a skewer.

TikiHula oh good, I thought maybe I didn't put enough glaze on them. He thought up the FOM logo just before we shipped. He got it just in time.

hang10tiki You are the wood carver. How about doing the grain of rice. That should be super fun to see!

I glazed crawl mugs for 9 hours today so I'm taking the night off from posting. Be back tomorrow. Good Night. Wendy

Day 10
Last day :(

Very happy with these two finds
I've never seen either one before
Trader Vic's Honolulu

Time to go home

Now back to your regularly scheduled program
:)

Hang10 that glass and napkins are awesome - never seen them before either. Ten days in the islands = no complaints :)

hang10tiki we are crying too that the photo journey to Oahu has now ended. Thank you for sharing. Same as Tiki Hula, never have see those before!

TikiHula every time we go to El Jardine or On the Border we think of you. Sense Dan loves Mexican food that's very often.

================================

Tonight is Catch Up night with misc. photos.

Another batch of necklaces are out of the kiln, $15 each plus shipping, just like the last batch. I have put strings on them.

=============================

Dan bought me a scratcher as a surprise. I never had one like this before. I bet him they would all be tickets or dollars.

It doesn't pay to be right. I turned it in for another scratcher which was a total loser. At least the first one had the fun factor.

=============================

Last week we took a day off and went to Grass Valley with Dan's sister. I wasn't looking and I tripped on these rounded bricks. I didn't expect a tree in the middle of the sidewalk and I was looking across the street at a restaurant.

I was in so much pain after coming down onto the raised bricks that I had to lay on the ground for awhile. People walked right on past without comment. I have five lumps and bruises, one the size of my hand on my hip. I'm so lucky I didn't break anything. Yes I did take photos of my bruises, no I'm not going to share them, ha ha ha.

Because I hurt myself Dan posed for this photo without a moments hesitation.

==============================

I no longer have the HUGE Tiki Bob Hula Girl Monkey bowl. It has shipped to Owen in New York.

This is such a scary bowl to ship. We started with an inner box with peanuts on the bottom.

Once the bowl was in the inner box I put tissue over the areas that I had painted. Sometimes plastic peanuts can react with the enamel paint. I sent him one of my advertising buttons too.

Then we filled the rest of the box with peanuts.

Then after a layer of peanuts were placed in the bottom of the box we put the inner box inside the outer box and

filled it the rest of the way.

Pins and needles until it is safely in his hands.

==============================

The story of the wedding mugs has not yet ended. I fired five mugs that I had dremmeled to remove their runny noses and when they came out of the kiln two were now good but three had runny noses again.

So I dremmeled off the brown glaze and put new layers of white and clear

and fired them last Friday the 22nd.

I took them out of the kiln and all three had all THREE had runny noses AGAIN. There were even

drips coming off the bottom.

Today was 104 degrees but I still put on the face mask, eye and ear protection and spent an hour removing the glaze from these mugs in my hot garage.

Once again they are cleaned up. I even removed glaze from the noses. Eventually there shouldn't be enough glaze to run.

I got out the glazes I needed and

re-glazed them.

I did many coats of white.

This time I decided to cover the entire faces with clear. Maybe the glaze will prevent the other glaze from moving.

The kiln is firing right now. In two days I'll know if it worked this time or not. The wedding is October first so I still have time to remake these mugs.

I feel so fortunate that none of the glaze ran on the HUGE bowl Tiki Bob's. That would have been a horror!

Cheers, Wendy

Oh No
Sorry about the trip n fall
Hope you are ok
Bad place for a tree
I hope you heal up fast

hang10tiki the bruise continues to grow but the lump underneath is shrinking. It may be the largest bruise I've ever had and that makes it kind of fun. Thank you for your kind words.

================================

Too tired so good night, Wendy

Tell Dan-0 that cookies are good for bruises

Oh no! Wendy, so sorry you had a fall. Hopefully you'll feel better and be up and running in time for Oasis. Though I think Oasis will be pretty crowd-filled this year so if you fall you'll probably land on someone?!?! :wink:

Good luck with the Bobs, hope they turn out well. Man, your attention on focus to perfect is inspiring!

Thanks for posting, Jon, great pics as always.

TikiAno Thank you and thank you and more thank yous!

===========================

This mug is for Danno. He requested a Diamond Head Island mug with the addition of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tower.

I cast all of these blank mugs so I could do these for the next Wish List #7 but I decided that I would do some now so that I could use them for advertising. So Danno and a guy at the Alibi in Portland will get theirs now. All the rest can be ordered for the next Wish List.

Since these mugs are really blank I had to start by painting in glaze my information.

Next I glazed the inside in my favorite spotted blue glaze.

I decided to try a new technique of cutting out some of the picture with the blue painter's tape.

Then I painted the sky over this tape.

I did three layers drying each between coats.

Then I let it dry completely and then I peeled off the tape.

After I did this I glaze painted the water at the bottom. When it dried I used a carving tool to remove this paint. So now I have two ways to do this.

Why am I removing paint? I have had some times where this CN glaze by Duncan has spread out when layered.

Now I began to paint the palm trees.

Then I painted in Diamond Head Island and the buildings.

Next I began detailing the palm trees.

Here I used the backend of the paint brush to carve the paint.

Next I worked on the palm fronds.

I used three colors.

The tips were actually yellow.

I also added coconuts to each palm tree.

So here's how it looked at the end.

Here's the Hilton Tower.

Here's the little one done with a tooth pick.

Cliffhanger: It has gone into the kiln days ago so tomorrow you'll see if it turned out or did not...

Cheers, Wendy.

Yikes - hope you heal up fast and I'm so glad you didn't break anything :o

The diamond head mug looks great so far. Amazing what you can paint with a toothpick!

Wait, so you're painting mugs now?!
That Diamond Head mug looks like it's going to be a beauty. Keeping my fingers crossed when it goes into the kiln.

Get well soon Wendy!

Oh no Wendy, get well soon! Oasis is only a few weeks away and we need you in perfect health and happiness.

Who puts a tree in the middle of a walkway anyway?!?

So sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you heal up quickly, and BTW - the Diamond Head mug looks AWESOME, as usual!

Diggin the fog cutter painted mug
Awesome

Did a quick 2 day Portland trip
Only took a few pics
I'll post em if ya want em...

On 2016-07-27 08:35, hang10tiki wrote:
.....
Did a quick 2 day Portland trip
Only took a few pics
I'll post em if ya want em...

Did you stop by The Alibi?!!

Dixon- didn't have enough time on this trip
Next time for sure...

TikiHula I'm doing really well thank you. I like skewers even better than toothpicks but it depends on where I am and which is closer.

Philot thank you too. It came out just fine. See below. Yes I am painting pictures on those blank fogcutters for the next Wish List #7. I'll post two more examples of what I can do after today.

lunavideogames maybe it was planted during the gold rush so they have to leave it. I need to remember to look ahead as well as down! I'll be all mended by Oasis.

Danno I send you a PM. See below you mug is done.

hang10tiki thank you, sure do, let's see them.

DixonAlibi your mug will be shown tomorrow!

hang10tiki (;

================================

Sorry for the poor photos with the flash reflecting on the mug. I've been working 12 hour days on the Sacramento Crawl mug and I'm always exhausted.

Wow
That came out amazing
Another Wendy masterpiece

Portland
Had a few hrs after dark
So
Hale Pele via uber

Treasure brought back

Next morning I had 5 hours to hunt for tiki
Pics tomorrow

Wendy- hope you are feeling better

Found these hunting

Worst sound ever, slurp of an empty tiki mug through my straw!!!

[ Edited by: hang10tiki 2016-07-28 10:46 ]

Love the mug Wendy! It will bring back nice memories of my trip to Oahu and my stay at the Hilton Rainbow Tower! Thank you!!

Wendy, wow, the newest fogcutter is BEAUTIFUL! Holy glaze painting detail! Holy mini Hilton tower!! Holy moly!!!!!!!

Crazy I continue to get even MORE impressed watching you work. Jeez, really, time to stop showing off.

:wink: :wink: Just kidding, keep it coming!!!!!!!

Jon, glad to see your permanent vacation is... continuing.. ha! See you on your next one in a few weeks, I suppose?

Ano- :)
Yep, see you, Wendy and Dan-0 soon at Oasis

hang10tiki feeling great looking like a mess! Glazing hours on end. Wonderful photos. Brings back memories of Tiki Kon a few years back.

hang10tiki you need another tiki room. Time to branch out!!!

Danno you are so welcome. I need to go see that tower. I think I may make some Tiki Bob's with that design on the back! Thank you for the inspiration.

TikiAno AH I'm blushing. Thank you. The swap is coming up soon. It's going to be fun to see if we swap at Oasis or we all are shipping.

hang10tiki Oasis fun just around the corner.

=============================

The next blank fogcutter was glazed for DixonAlibi for a birthday gift for the daughter of the owner of the Alibi. Here are the steps which took more than a week to complete.

I always start with the inside of a mug. That way I don't mess up the outside with drips or runs.

I used to let the fancy glaze be on the top of the rim until I had some of the crystals pop off onto other tikis. So now I wipe the top clean.

A layer at a time

drying outside between each one.

I printed a photo of the sign and covered it with tape to make it strong.

Then I cut out the name to make a stencil.

I put it in place and used a pin to mark the name. Later on this post I will show you how I now use an under-glaze pencil. I try to keep figuring it out.

You can hardly see the scratch I've put on the glaze for the name but it's just enough to follow.

I got out the background color and went to work.

First of three layers. I dried each one outside before doing the next.

I used the pin to clean up the edges and

I then added a bit of blue glaze...just in case.

Trying to match shapes is really hard.

So when it's not right I use a craving tool to remove glaze and then I touch it up.

Red and then

the neon yellow.

I tried to match the neon lights and the

red and yellow colors of the sign. I hope it works out.

When I was asked to do this mug I was allowed to come up with the design. DixonAlibi mentioned adding a hula girl. I went to an old album from 2005 and found our photos of our trip to Portland. I used my own photos for the design.

Here's a new technique. This is an under-glaze pencil. Since it fires the same as black under-glaze I decided to use it to outline my drawing. It should disappear under the next layer of glaze when it is fired.

I cut out the Alibi hula girl and positioned her on the mug. Then I

traced around the photo. Here's what it looked like. Slightly larger than the photo.

Step by step I added the different colors of

glaze. 3 layers of each color.

I had to do the face several times. I would just wipe off the face with a wet paper towel. Any dark glaze left would show up so you have to remove it all.

Finally the glazing is done and

the mug is ready to

fire. Will the glaze stay put or move?

It moved. So after this first firing I decided to

risk the mug and to add some more layers to see what would happen.

The mug is much darker than it shows here in the sunlight. No matter how I photographed it the darkness doesn't show up well. It has the ambiance of the Alibi.

The words first fired a bit wavy and I tried to correct that problem but it remained the same.

She's as close as I could get to the hula girl in the bar.

As many hours as just one mug takes there is no way that I could ever support myself as an artist. I do it for the pure joy of creating tiki art.

Cheers, Wendy

PS DixonAlibi if it passes inspection send me your address

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2016-07-28 13:56 ]

It's so gorgeous!!!! Love love love it!

Looks great Wendy. We are all very thankful that you love doing this. Your work is amazing. Everytime I look at the step by step, I ask myself, "could I do this?" The answer is always no. I could never be as precise and exact as you. You are a great artist even if you couldn't support yoursef doing it. I am sure that you will go down in history as one of the top tiki mug makers of all time!

DixonAlibi wonderful. It looks so much better in person. It really has a night feel that the photos do not show. Now I need your address so I can ship it.

lunavideogames you and DixonAlibi must made my day. Reading these comments just bring a huge smile to my face. Thank you so much.

Hugs, Wendy

OK, I expect to have a lot of funny comments about these necklaces.

When I made the last batch of Hot Tub Hula Girls I saved the feet and rear ends that I have to cut off to fit the girl inside the coconut.

I didn't squish them this time. Instead I saved them in a bag.

Then one day I had an instance of creative genus! I would make these into very special necklaces. I went to work.

On each one I would carve a TRAMP STAMP!

Since I would do tribal designs they would be called Hula Tramp Stamps!!! Brilliant, right?

I made 6 during a free time and added them with the squished head to the kiln. Once out of the kiln I started by glazing the backside, ha ha, of each one.

Next I filled in the carving with black and

then I glazed the front.

I did a bit of touch up with a pin and then

they were ready to fire.

Done.

I would like to hear comments on my super new, out to left field, most desirable necklace.

To anyone who is willing to wear one of these at Tiki Oasis 16 make a plea and I'll bring it to the event for you. There are only 6 and one head so the first 7 to post will win.

Cheers, Wendy

Haha awesome work Wendy. I would totally wear one or my wife. I think she would love to wear one. I think it is a super funny idea!

My wife and her friends all got matching tattoos on her bachelorette party. They were all small stars and they got them on their butts :wink:

lunavideogames
Which one do you choose and I'll bring it to the event. I think they will be a conversation piece at the very least! Post a photo of the star and I'll add it to the necklace.

Great Alibi mug
Love the pics of u guys at the Alibi

Those necklaces made me say: what what

If it was a mug I would wonder where the straw hole went
:)

Worst sound ever, slurp of an empty tiki mug through my straw!!!

[ Edited by: hang10tiki 2016-07-30 19:26 ]

hang10tiki don't give me any more ideas. Don't you want to wear one at Oasis? They are free.

===================================

The saga of the wedding mugs continues.

The glaze will not stop running. So it is time to give up trying to save these mugs.

They are dead to me so I'm turning them into zombie Bobs.

Out of the kiln. I will give these to Nate as a gift.

Now it's time to start over again and to make new Tiki Bob's for the wedding.

Now they need to dry be bisque fired, glazed and ... oh no... what will happen when I glaze these???

Wish me luck, Wendy

To anyone who is willing to wear one of these at Tiki Oasis 16 make a plea and I'll bring it to the event for you. There are only 6 and one head so the first 7 to post will win.

Oh heck yea I'm in Wendy! Plus that means I'll definitely have to run into you and Dan :wink:

Wendy, my fingers are crossed, hoping for clean and happy Wedding Bobs!

Still laughing over the "Butts" pendants. They turned out great- a bit risque for the Wendy and Dan show? Do we have to change the rating?!?!?

If they're not all accounted for, I think Tiki Ari would love to be photographed with the new racy pendant... :) :)

Look forward to seeing you and Dan in a few weeks!!!

I gotta say, those "Butt" Charms are PRICELESS!!!

I'm in
:)

Lotsa work on those mugs
Good luck

See u soon

[ Edited by: hang10tiki 2016-08-01 22:45 ]

Hi Wendy and Dan, Margi and I are going to Tiki Oasis, see you both there.

Hope we get a pendent, Roger. see you at Oasis Wendy

To anyone who is willing to wear one of these at Tiki Oasis 16 make a plea and I'll bring it to the event for you. There are only 6 and one head so the first 7 to post will win.

Here's the list of those who are attending Tiki Oasis and have signed up to wear a Tramp Stamp necklace at the event. There reward is to keep it.

lunavideogames

Loki-Tiki

TikiAno

slowhandtikiman

hang10tiki

HB TIKI

The only one left is the head rather than the G rated rear end. All the Tramp Stamps are now spoken for. Thank you all for signing up.

==========================================

I'm kind of tired tonight. Here's why.

When I was dremmeling the Wedding mugs I wore safety glasses. Not good enough. I should have worn safety goggles. I got something stuck in my eye. I've been going to Urgent Care since last week and today they sent me on to the eye doctor. Ever had a Q-tip rubbed on the inner side of your eye lid? I have had that five times. In a couple of days I'll know if it worked.

==============================================

Prior to this we had a couple of fun times. First we went to brunch with Tiki Hula. I had a coupon for a free desert. I passed it to him.

He didn't mess around.

Back home he gave us a present. Woo Hoo!!!

==================================

Then today we visited Bullet and I took his Wish List #6 Led Zeppelin mug to him.

====================================

Since my eye has been bad Dan's been taking care of me. He added a row of nails for glaze tests and

when he did the grocery shopping he bought me another winning ticket.

It doubled our money.

Now it's time to put the medicine in my eye and to go to bed. Cheers, Wendy

Sorry about your EYE
Hope u get better fast

Hula killed that yummie thang

Bullets collection looks killer...wow
Great Zepp edition

:)

thanks for bringing my new mug by. it's awesome! hope your eye is healing. see ya at oasis. thanks hang10!

[ Edited by: kingstiedye 2016-08-03 09:35 ]

Yikes, I hope your eye heals quickly, Wendy! So much new beautiful work.
But safety first! :)

Sorry to hear about your eye!
I know all too well when it comes to your eyes, go straight to the eye doctor and avoid urgent care.
Sometimes they can do more damage than good.
Take care and get well soon!

hang10tiki kingstiedye bamalamalu Heath thank you all for the well wishes. Just tonight it has started to feel better. If I wake up that way I'll be a happy camper.

Well the wedding mug saga continues...

I can't just make them out of thin air so the work to make the replacements begins. However I don't like to fire up my kiln with empty spaces so I decided to pour some extras. Of course if I had not sold the extras I would be in good shape. Oh well.

Here's what I started a few weeks ago when those noses started to run.

I decided that 20 mugs and two huge bowls would be enough. My Tiki Bob molds leak so to use them I plaster the bottoms with sticky clay.

The leaks are too big to just add a bit of slip and rock the mold so it would go into the cracks and seal it. Once this clay is in place I do that too.

I put a dry paper towel under each mold so that once it is upright the clay won't stick to the table and pull back out. Yes I learned the hard way.

If one side of the mold is higher than the other I just build a dam so I can pour slip up to the top.

Two hours later we poured out the slip and put them upside down.

A day later with the Bobs removed we did it again.

It took five days to cast the 20 Tiki Bob's. Four were failures with the slip too thick that it didn't all pour out. I will make four more lamp/torch Bobs.

We ran out of slip and went to Alpha Fired Arts for more. When we get home I add water and Dan stirs with a baseball bat.

Then he shakes the jugs for me.

Now we filled the mold for a HUGE bowl cast.

3 hours later we poured out the slip.

Then it went upside down.

The next day I removed it from the mold.

I put these cutting boards on it so I could flip it upside down. The bowl will not settle if there is air trapped inside for a couple of days.

I just wrap it with the boards in place and put it on a shelf.

More Tiki Bobs to carve is in my future. The wedding couple already said they needed an additional five so that' great.

Cheers, Wendy

More Bob's
Awesome...

Everyone needs one, or more :)

Ps- I actually think these look great!!!!!!!!
Makes me think "Tiki Bob- leaving Las Vegas"
:)

Wendy, EYE hope you're feeling better ASAP! So sorry but, as they say, "Safety is no accident."

I agree with Hang10, I kinda dig the teary eyed Bobs. Hopefully all turned out well with Bobs versions 2.0!

See you sooooooon!