One translucent polymer clay cane is all that was used to make this spacey, retro earring by Marla Frankenberg. Reduced to several sizes and overlaid on a Skinner blend base, the cane gives the bead a spacey, retro look.
Many of Marla’s beads remind me of batik and other luscious fabrics. She’ll be teaching at Bead and Button this weekend. Here are some pictures from an earlier class and she’ll be teaching her marlafiori at Arrowmont in October. We’ve got scouts out taking pictures at Bead and Button and I hope they snag some treats.
Barbara Forbes-Lyons ,
I was fortunate to take Marla’s workshop in December and she is an excellent teacher and an amazing artist.
If you’ll be in Milwaukee for the B&B Show, don’t forget to stop by the NPCG table and meet Judy Belcher and a host of other NPCG members, including Marla!
Jana Roberts Benzon ,
Wow…I hadn’t seen some of these photos of Marla’s (in Flickr)…breathtakingly beautiful stuff! I love the softness and flow of Marla’s work. She’s incredibly talented..
Melanie West ,
Brava, Marla! You’re work (as always) is stunning! Perhaps, in time, the new Maine guild can lure you up here for a class. I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk much at Shrine Mont. 🙁
Kim Cavender ,
Marla is one of my favorite artists, my favorite teachers, AND my favorite people. I’m glad that everyone who reads PCD will have a chance to enjoy her work now too.
Kristy ,
I’m kinda new to the cane stuff and one thing that I JUST dont understand is why do they have to be made SO BIG and then reduced. I’m talking about the ones that are the size of like plates. If anyone would be so kind to explain it, I’m at kristykellymail@yahoo.com thanks
Marla Frankenberg ,
I think it’s even nicer to see such kind comments while I’m away from home. Thank you all so much!
Kristy, the canes are made big so that you can get more detail in them. These don’t start out the size of plates. Most of my canes are about the diameter of a drinking glass & maybe three inches high. Not everybody works the same way (well, actually, everybody does this a little differently!), but this size is manageable for me to get the detail I want & still be able to reduce the cane.
Marla
(who is having fun in Milwaukee!)
Fergus Ray-Murray ,
Ooh, very nice effect indeed! Thanks for sharing that.
Tammi Groh ,
Amy
I am interested in taking one of your classes about making canes. Do you have one anytime soon.
Thanks
Tammi Groh