Challenge Day 7

So, I guess I'm hitting about 50% so far on these challenges. I am trying to also get my regular inventory up, including at least 60 pair of earrings (and I'm only half way on that, too!) and with all my "regular" duties it's been difficult to set aside the actual time to do the challenge.

I also have to admit I was a little intimidated by the challenge for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday which were all do 5 drawings spending no more than 5 minutes on each one. I still may try this somewhere along in the challenge.

Today's challenge was to use/create a tool that isn't a tool made for glass. Now this intrigues me. My challenge all along has been that I can't draw, so creating pictures is difficult for me. I love playing around with Celtic knots however, and mulled over what could I use that would help me draw knots? Someone had posted a video on the challenge Facebook page of some Tibetan monks making a sand drawing. It didn't show the tool they were using very clearly, but I wondered what kind of control I would get if I could roll up a piece of card stock and have the frit come out of a small hole in the bottom? While this may not technically be sgraffito style, I think it's what I need and it is still in the spirit of the challenge.

I am REALLY pleased with the results, because I think this is something I can use in the type of "drawings" that I like to do, more geometric shapes, etc. I really liked the control it gave me (just tapping on the side with my finger), and I used a toothpick to clean the spaces up a bit. I have a color shaper that I think will work maybe a little better for clean up, but I left this one like it was so the rules were followed. In looking at other posts on the wall I saw that someone carved/sharpened an eraser and used it. I may try something similar for tomorrow's challenge; I'm thinking something smaller and maybe skinnier than my color shaper to get into small spaces with. I've used a piece of card stock just folded in half before to get detail, but I think I like this MUCH better!

The lesson for me today was to go ahead and try to use this challenge along with MY style as much as I can, make it work for MY glass pieces. It is kind of fun! Three of my challenge pieces are firing away in the kiln right now so that I can make adjustments to thickness if needed. If they turn out I'll post pictures tomorrow.