Thursday, July 24, 2008

Not A Pretty Picture - Waiting for a Dream

I'm going to be demonstrating polymer clay at a wonderful Fine Arts show this Sunday. I've begun to assemble my supplies and took a look at my pasta machine. It's no beauty is it? The motor attachment isn't holding properly so it's held in place with duct tape. The rollers are pitted as I frequently run sand, micro beads and other inclusions through them. I don't mind the pitting as I think it gives "tooth" to the clay for surface treatments. It's probably the most battered looking pasta machine in the world but it continues to serve me well now that I have positioned the duct tape do I can access the on and off switch! I want to retire it to a nice quiet polymer clay pasture when I get my hands on a 10" wide D.R.E.A.M machine but until the Dream is good to go- it sounds as if it's a waiting game. http://pce-artway.blogspot.com/2008/06/laura-come-on-down.html I'll have to continue with my dear little "beater". I think I'll treat it do a bit of a cleanup before the show and use the crank instead of the motor.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Gera

    I would recognize that pasta machine any where! and that's a good thing. What a loved machine.

    Vanessa

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  2. Hi Gera,

    Wow that machine has had a life!

    Lucky people who will see you "patamodeler" for them. I still remember our class at Georgia's .

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  3. Hey Gera,
    Now that's a real "beater" and as long as it still flattens, keep on fillin'er up.

    Good luck on your demo. Pâte à modeler FOR SURE!

    BTW, mine often looks like that on the outside. Makes me wonder what's on the INSIDE!

    Mine has fishgeckles in it.

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  4. Wow! No one could accuse you of buying tools you don't use! Is that paint all over it?

    The duct tape is priceless! Looks like it is ready for The Red Green Show! Made me giggle that such pristine work comes out of that crazy machine!

    BTW what are fishgeckles? I'm from the Canadian West Coast too and I've not heard of them!

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  5. I have NO clue what fishgeckles are- Pat is from Winnipeg so maybe it's a lake thing.... ;-)

    gera

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  6. Splaining...
    Fish geckles is a made up term for fish innards...My father made up the word to "splain" to me what was inside the cavity of the fish he was filleting. So, around our house we use the term 'geckles' to refer to any undefinable material inside something. Not to be confused with residue which would be far too correct, lol. It is just easier to use that than a specific term.
    Sorry for any confusion. Fishy

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  7. Sorry for the confusion.
    Fish Geckles is a term coined by my father to refer to the organs and stuff in the interior cavity of a fish. He used that to answer my many questions as he was filleting the fish he caught. It was a common term around our house (and still is) and is used to refer to the contents of anything unidentifiable. It's one of those "family words" that I guess I shouldn't have used in public, lol.
    Think I should notify Noah Webster?
    Fishy

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  8. ... lol Pat- the title for this post is very appropriate the contents of the innerd workings of your pm is NOT a pretty picture and how you have fishgeckles in your pm just better left unsaid.

    Hmmmm....you must have good ventilation in your studio

    g.

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  9. Ah yes, there's nothing quite like a beloved piece of machinery. It's actually beautiful because it's been so thoroughly used and enjoyed!

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  10. I -LOVE- seeing your.... um.... 'less than pristine' pasta machine. I've sometimes gotten so hung up on not having the perfect tool, or the flattest surface, or the most parallel rollers in my pasta machine. Now I see what you use to create your gorgeous art and I chuckle. Thanks for the light-bulb moment!

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  11. That's quite a machine. I love it. :o)

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  12. Sorry you have to wait for the DREAM... But, maybe we should have a 'Most Loved PM' contest?

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  13. For some reason yor PM was mentioned at our guild meeting a couple of months ago. Now that I have seen a pic of it, I know what they were talking about.As long as it works, and you have recently produced some great art with it.

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  14. I am so happy to finally see someone who actually beats me in the 'well used' pasta machine category! I LOVE that your pasta machine looks like it does....I always figure that's what tools are for and that we often get too hung up on keeping things 'pristine'. I get alotta crap for the condition of my machine...but it works for me :) Thanks for the smile...

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I always love to get comments!