Phone to polymer

Colored laser transfers are popping up again on all kinds of shapes. France’s Sonya Girodon transferred some favorite image patterns onto square beads to create these fetching earrings.

Then Australia’s Wendy Jorre de st Jorre (who is a caner at heart) couldn’t resist putting her dogs on her arm using transfers draped over domed oval bases to create a graceful and heartfelt bracelet.

Wendy was following Debbie Crothers’ nicely presented CraftArtEdu tutorial which shows how to shape the beads and add spatters and bits of sparkle.

With all the images we’re accumulating on phones and cameras it’s great to come up with ways to put our photos to use.

See more of Sonya on Pinterest, Flickr and Facebook. Catch Wendy on Facebook, her site, Pinterest and in this interview on Blue Bottle Tree.

Transferred history

Since you may have some playtime this weekend, I’ll leave you with the UK’s Jon Burgess. His sites are mecca for those who like abstract, geometric, random, organic or fractal-based patterns.

Jon’s been a longtime writer, illustrator and designer. “I have been exploring the backwaters of the various bits of software I use for many years now but have only recently found practical outlets for the designs I produce,” he explains.

Of course polymer is one of the practical outlets he hit upon. His tiles, coasters and beads often contain his image transfers whose hard digital lines have been softened with elegant, distressed edges and thin washes of ink.

Sure, the 1-2-3 polymer transfer steps he shows are straightforward. When he gets to step 12, the fun begins. From this almost-a-tutorial you get the idea of how he batters his pieces to inject them with history and intrigue.

Start on his Pinterest site to understand his aesthetic. Try Tumblr, his blog, Flickr, Etsy and Facebook. Then luxuriate in the patterns.

Polymer clayhem

UK children’s book writer and illustrator Jon Burgess has been exploring patterns on the computer and following the fascination for some years. He hit upon polymer only recently and reserves one day each week for that work. He calls his disheveled Thursday studio clayhem and you can visit it here.

He says of his rustic organic beads, “I love using polymer clay for its ability to resemble or echo all kinds of natural materials. It allows unusual forms to emerge, creative trains of thought to be followed, and textures and surface treatments to be applied at will.”

Jon’s computer designs become image transfers that turn into tiles, coasters and beads. “I find it very satisfying to see something physical and tangible, like a ceramic tile with my design on it rather than it being a virtual idea on a screen. Somehow my designs make sense as tiles and coasters. It’s as if that is what they always wanted to be,” he explains.

You can see more of his work on Etsy, Flickr and Pinterest. Selena Anne Wells sent the link to Jon along.

Back in the saddle on PCD

PCD is back! It was good to take a travel break and I’m returning grateful and refreshed. Of course I took polymer with me.

If you look closely at these Tibetan villagers you’ll see that they’re all wearing small square gold pendants I made that feature an image transfer of the Dalai Lama.

Whenever travelers I met on the trail remarked on the pendants on satin cords that my husband and I were wearing, we would take ours off and give them away. My name is stamped into the textured pendant backs.

Images of the Dalai Lama are revered (and illegal on the Chinese side of the border). The ability to leave treasured bits of polymer art in this remote part of the world was a highlight of the trek.

You’ve been busy creating and posting and I look forward to catching up and bringing you your daily dose of inspiration starting today. I’m back in the saddle.

Refrigerator shrine

Amy Christie is a maker and a mom. She offers a quick free tutorial on how to transfer kids art to polymer, add magnets and make what I think of as a refrigerator shrine.

Darling doodles and sweet scribbles deserve to be kept as a reminder of innocence and pure play.

When I said that my grandson’s drawings looked like Willem de Kooning’s work, my daughter-in-law rightly said that the reverse was true. De Kooning worked hard to recapture the grace of children’s brushstrokes, color and composition. We’re all trying to get back to our unaffected, free selves.

Do you have drawings that you’d like to enshrine?