Shape-shifter polymer

This pendant from Florence Minne-Khou (creationmyway) resembles the patriotic bunting that’s festooned around my neighborhood. It’s not likely that a U.S. holiday was her inspiration since Florence is French but still…

She swoops extruded flat ribbons of polymer from one side of a wire to the other, using holographic beads to hold everything in place and to add accent.

Shape-shifter designs have been jumping out at me (this one’s a year old) so we’ll declare that our theme. If you wander through her Pinterest page, you’ll see what speaks to Florence as she plays with shape. Admire more on Facebook.

Tweaking expectations

Milan’s Alessia Bodini tweaks regular shapes and surfaces in unexpected ways. Her tube beads are a bit off balance and threaded at unexpected angles. She uses colored pencils to color the polymer exteriors.

Alessia doesn’t like to travel the usual roads. Look at her Facebook and Flickr collections to see how she plays with our expectations.

Tidying for the summer weekend

If you breathe deeply you may catch a whiff of fresh, line-dried laundry as you study these silk-screened pendants from Spain’s Noelia Contreras Martin. Or at least that’s how they impress me – clean and crisp and summery.

Enjoy the rest of Noelia’s bounty on Instagram, Facebook and Flickr.

As we head into a sunny weekend, let me tidy my desk and share a couple of late-breaking news items with you.

Clearing my desk

Christi Friesen is test-driving the concept of using her Pinterest board to promote and sell (it’s all the rage). Take a look at her Sakura Pinterest page, a one-week art event that includes projects and tips and giveaways as well as art for sale. The online pop-up party continues into next week.

Speaking of parties, there’s one in the mountains of central Spain (Sierra de Gredos) this August 5-8 with teachers Robert Dancik, Natalia Garcia de Leaniz, and Olga Castuera. Sign up and get ready to add these new skills to your toolbox.

Rough and ready

This recent rough and colorful necklace from Enkhe Tserenbadam blends bright blue beads with rich gold nuggets. The irregular shapes are so pitted that they appear smooth and soft. The effect is both organic and other-worldly.

Enkhe has been playing with a number of designs infused with energy and ready to move in new directions. Born in Mongolia and now living in Switzerland, she has already come a long way. Browse through her small vessels and jewelry to see where she’s headed. She’s on Facebook, Instagram and her own site.

Working together in American Craft

The June/July 2016 issue of American Craft is all about teamwork: struggles, triumphs, and lessons from working together. Included in the highlighted partnerships are jewelers and polymer artists Steve Ford and David Forlano.

In this video trailer they explain how their 28-year, east/west partnership has survived and how their work has thrived.

The magazine article (and of course all the luscious photos of their work) make us very proud of the trail they have blazed for other polymer artists. Be sure to read the comments and see more work on Facebook.

Mixing your own recipe

Ukraine’s Lela Todua says her influences are bohemian, tribal, rustic, modern, gypsy, hippie. She remixes that stew of styles into her own look, refining and paring down her designs to a few strong pieces in a range of colors.

Lela makes all her jewelry elements in polymer which keeps the design cohesive and unmistakably Lela. See her work on Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.

Gold rush

Pennsylvania’s Staci Louise Smith created these latest crackled, rustic beads in a big hurry when she was asked to prepare an online course for CraftArtEdu.

Rather than carefully consider all that might be required, Staci said yes and jumped in. The result is gold…in a rush. Gold Rush!

She talks about her leap-before-you-look experience on the LoveMyArtJewelry blog. You can sample her class at CraftArtEdu. You’ll also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and her own site.

Staci has taught several popular classes on organic beads built on white clay. She takes the color and bling up a notch on this iteration and adds another variation to the crackle craze.

Class in a box

Inks, textures, metals – Anke Humpert’s Steampunk beads pull you in for a closer look. The cutouts and peek-a-boo details on the layered lentil shapes tell you how much thought and care Anke took as she built these muted beauties. She shows them assembled into a necklace on Flickr and Facebook.

These beads were part of the Steampunk Transformers jewellery set, a brooch, pendant, bracelet and beads that string together on a chain and come with their own matching storage container. It’s a class in a box that Anke devised for the Florida Fandango.

Join us on StudioMojo tomorrow for demos of tips and irresistible tools shared in Virginia.

Wearing the sunset

There’s great pleasure in finding a palette that resonates and mixing the colors in polymer.

Here France’s Laure Steele (Lor et Creations) built her palette from a photograph and then assembled components into a large kaleidoscope cane in Carol Simmons’ recent master class in La Crau, France.

See more stunning results from Laure’s Facebook and Carol’s page and site. And if you’re searching for color inspiration, don’t miss Carol’s Pinterest site.

Right on target

Alaska’s Katie Way readies these polymer magnets for her first spring show.

Katie uses a “cut out and replace” process then adds texture and color. You can get a better sense of her methods by looking at her latest studio shot.

Katie stacked thin silver and polymer disks onto earwires to beef up her jewelry inventory.

You can peek at the rest of her offerings on Flickr, Facebook, and Etsy.

Katie stays true to her Bullseye name and continues to find ways to expand and use her bright circles.

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