Polymer Clay Daily

Going dotty

Cynthia Tinapple's all-polymer dot necklace on PolymerClayDaily.com

My dotted necklaces are all-polymer and fun to make. They’re so simple that I felt I needed to “up my game” for my Craftcast class this Saturday so I quickly (last night) made a Rex Ray, mid-century modern inspired version with colors I had on hand.

Cynthia Tinapple's all-polymer dot necklace on PolymerClayDaily.com

The design had been rolling around in my head. Do you have a design that needs to be brought to life?

Join us on Craftcast to learn my tricks and create your own look. For 30% off use the code: summer2020

You’ll note that I’m claiming a new hair color thanks to quarantine and mother nature. And I’ve adjusted cynthiatinapple.com to reflect my mentoring and class projects.

For more behind-the-scenes chatter, join us at StudioMojo for a weekly update each Saturday. 

Toying with polymer

Belinda Ashton makes easy, cheery links on PolymerClayDaily.com

UK’s Belinda Ashton appeals to the toddler in us with this necklace of multi-colored circles.

The tag should probably include a warning about not chewing on the luscious links. The big links are certainly something a wearer would twirl and play with.

What surprised me was how Belinda created this. My brain went directly to extruded clay. But I was wrong. Its construction was super simple.

In these complicated times, innocent, straightforward, cheery designs are important.

Simple, modern polymer

This simple “Commits” necklace from UK’s Caroline Casswell exudes summer fun and playfulness.

Caroline admits that her inspiration comes from the famous Kapitza Studio. Their sharp geometrics influence modern design and give us wake-up colors for a Monday.

No clasps, just bright beads spaced out on a buna cord. Simple becomes sophisticated.

 

Jewelry from the garden

Marina Merkulova's gardening necklace on PolymerClayDaily.com

Down on your knees outdoors in your favorite jeans, you’re brought up close to the beauty of the weeds in the garden by this necklace that’s a collage of textures and shapes by Moscow’s Marina Merkulova.

Marina is part of one of those “no explanations”, “no words” challenges that asks artists to simply share their work on Facebook.

These soft rectangles and dark textures stack up in a way that’s relaxed and comforting.  That’s plenty good for a summer Tuesday.

Lovely to experience the soothing effects of a few weeds pressed into clay.

Daring dots

Debbie Crothers takes dots to a new place on PolymerClayDaily.com

Last I talked with Australia’s Debbie Crothers she was going to lay low for a while.

If you check in with her Instagram, you’ll see she’s wasted no time and is coming up with hot new ideas like crazy. “I’ll be running an eight-week course in Geraldton next term so I’ve been busy preparing workshop content,” she reports.

I particularly like this dotted “stick” necklace that shifts between positive and negative dots on narrow strips of polymer. Some are painted on, some are cut out. The colors are muted with a  fashionable grungy feel.

Over at StudioMojo we’ll look at how our current situation has affected us. Some of us hunker down and others are kicked into high gear. There’s no right way, there’s only your way. Join us at StudioMojo.org

Wednesday rainbow

Clare Lloyd relies on spot-on color for her feel-good rainbow on PolymerClayDaily.com

UK’s Clare Lloyd doesn’t quite know why but she’s been making rainbows lately. “Somehow all the bright colors together seem to be necessary at the moment,” she says.

No fancy techniques here. Clare concentrates on color. The jolt of color is a tonic for me. Need more? Here’s her website.

Summer pistachio, slate, lilac, salmon

Angela Garrod takes a calm, subtle approach to summer on PolymerClayDaily.com

The UK’s Angela Garrod gears up for summer with these Sugar in the Air necklaces.

“Simplicity in itself for summer,” she says. Each necklace is 16″ long in pistachio and slate and lilac and salmon.

Similar streaks of white unite the colors and the soft summer vibe.

The sizes aren’t perfectly alike which emphasizes its handmade aura. We’re comforted by Angela’s sedated colors. No drama, no in-your-face, look-at-me attitude. Good for this Friday, right?

We’ll be looking at Conscious Creating and Creative Composting in polymer on StudioMojo this week. Things shifted in our lives this week. We’re connected. We know we have to work together. Once we get past the anxiety and panic, we can see the upside of this difficult time. 

Turning old into new

Bettina Welker shows how to mix old and new elements into modern marvels on PolymerClayDaily.com

Germany’s Bettina Welker arranges textured elements on a black spiral doodle of clay to form a thoroughly modern pendant/brooch.

Bettina is teaching this workshop in her hometown. Students bring favorite elements they’ve made or gathered. They evaluate and sort their finds and learn to arrange them into something new and better.

You can see more in this series on her Etsy site.

Upcycling and making old into new is another of the trends we’ll look at in this Saturday’s StudioMojo. It’s a heads-up for where our work may be headed in 2020 and beyond. We’d love to have you join us.

Jeff Dever’s winter blossom on display

Jeff Dever's blossom steals the show on PolymerClayDaily.com

Maryland’s Jeff Dever’s work gives us another mid-winter pick me up.

Jeff hand rolled over 150 petals in nine different hues and mounted them into the center blossom of his Eden’s Promise necklace. It’s surrounded by two dotted leaves and strung on a multi-strand cable.

The necklace was juried into the prestigious Wayne Art Center International Juried Exhibition of Fine Craft and will be on display in Wayne, PA until February 1.

See more of Jeff’s stunning signature works on his Facebook page.