Briggs’ vehicle of choice

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Every day presents new ideas. Shall I work with metals, polymer clay, resin or felt and fiber, or do I want to stitch beads? Does my mood reflect cutting edge modern, vintage, or something in between? My creative world can change on a whim,” says jewelry artist Barbara Briggs.

She reflects the sentiment of a growing number of artists who move easily between other media and polymer as their vehicle of choice. This cross-pollenization is widening our circle of friends.

Barbara’s site is a treasure trove, including these polymer-handled makeup brushes and this Asian Influence pendant.

Niche Awards

The deadline for entries for the prestigious 2011 NICHE Awards competition has been extended to September 17. They’d like to encourage participation from our community.

There are new categories this year including: basketry, outdoor art, wedding jewelry, paper, and religious/inspirational art. If you meant to apply but forgot the date, jump on this second chance.

Integrating construction and design

This RoseBall polymer necklace from Italy’s Laura Bocchi is an elegant solution to jewelry construction. She embeds ball chain in polymer as a design element and bakes the entire necklace.

Laura has also used guitar strings to achieve the same effect.

I’ll be teaching a polymer sampler class at our new art center this fall (there’s still room!) and my eye is drawn to smart, simple designs as I think about class projects.