Weaving a mystery

Eliska Koliosova weave extruded strips into beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

A number of woven polymer beads have popped up online. Eliska Koliosova weaves extruded strips in this light summery choker. She alternates the colors under and over each other, perhaps creating a flat sheet that’s then cut up and rolled into a bead.

Or maybe Eliska is using the Mummy Bead technique that Emma Ralph outlines on her site. She starts by winding a base color on a wooden skewer and then layering on additional colors.

My brain doesn’t decode weaving very readily so rather than ponder this any longer, I’ll show you and hope that some enterprising PCD reader can unravel the mystery.

Whatever the method, the effect is eye-catching.

Thanks to Carrie Harvey for leading me to Emma’s tutorial.

Late summer blooms

Spain’s Cristina Garcia Alvarez (espiralarte) helps us remember to enjoy the last flowers of summer this weekend with her layered polymer bloom.

It’s a simple brooch made in watery blues that recur frequently in her work. Look at her Instagram and you’ll see samples of any number of techniques. The striking blues jump out as a recurring theme.

Look over your work and see what colors jump out or make your heart sing.

The file of tidbits for this weekend’s newsletter is bursting with juicy tips and stories we don’t have time for during the week. Join us on StudioMojo for the low down. I’m off to write!

Urban polymer

Sarah Wilbanks translucents with an urban vibe on PolymerClayDaily.com

Seattle’s Sarah Wilbanks distresses her translucent slices and turns thin concave polymer ovals into fashionable urban grunge earrings. They’re sold at the Seattle Art Museum in combination with the Yaoki Kusama exhibit which is full of color and repeated patterns.

Sarah’s workspace is surprisingly compact as she explains, “I create my polymer clay and silver jewelry in my cozy and colorful studio apartment in Seattle just a few blocks from the new Amazon campus. It’s amazing how little space you need to create jewelry. I have a jewelers bench in my hallway, a polymer work table in my kitchen and a soldering station in my hall closet.”

Translucent polymer lured Sarah back to polymer and she’s developed several variations of carved shapes that are both graphic and primitive in their appeal. You’ll find her work on Instagram, Etsy, and Facebook.

Polymer for gardeners

Celine Charuau contrasts flower petals against white stones on PolymerClayDaily.com

Celine Charuau turns Saxifraga petals into post earrings on PolymerClayDaily.com

The spiky red petals on this polymer and silver Saxifraga become dramatic post earrings from France’s Celine Charuau (GrisBleu).

She continues her garden interpretation with a few more blossoms protruding from two flat white polymer disks that she joins as a pendant.

Celine includes Octotilla, Erythrina, Snow Flowers and other unusual species in this year’s garden of mixed media jewels on Flickr. How does your garden grow?

Nurturing tangents

Lynn Yuhr let herself go off on a tangent on PolymerClayDaily

Lynn Yuhr (theFlyingSquirrelStudio) went off on a tangent and developed a new line of spontaneous jewelry.

“Tangents,” Lynn explains, “a completely different line of thought or action. When you least expect them, when you can’t afford the time for them, knowing you can’t control them, they happen anyway.”

This lovely gradient topped with succulent petals Lynn named Hazel. Read about how Lynn decided to nurture her tangents and follow wherever they led.

Do you allow yourself to go off on a tangent from time to time?

Step by step with Loretta Lam

Loretta Lam steps us through a necklace to start the week on PolymerClayDaily.com

There’s nothing juicier than a step-by-step from Loretta Lam to kick off the week. First, the sketchbook magic pulls us in. Then the jumble of companion canes brings color into the equation.

“I spend a lot of time on the palette. I know the feelings that I want to convey and it has to be just right. In this case – fresh, vibrant and youthful but still sophisticated,” says Loretta.

Loretta Lam steps us through a project to start the week on PolymerClayDaily.com

The naked bead forms seem dark before she brightens them with slices of patterns.

If you go to her Facebook page, you’ll find a slideshow in which she arranges and completes the necklace plus lots more pictures to encourage you to trot off to your workspace.

Loretta will be teaching her Designing with Distinction methods in Durfort, France in October and in Monza, Italy in September.

Beachwear for the cause

Randee Ketzel creates a polymer bra for the cause on PolymerClayDaily.com

Texas’ Randee Ketzel shows off her submission for the Breast Cancer Resource Center’s annual gala.

Randee made the flowers for Cancer, Don’t Bug Me in Carol Simmon’s class and added her own sculpted iridescent bugs. The creation will be modeled by Randee’s friend and cancer survivor Darla Breazle.

While it’s not exactly beachwear, a project like this gives you an opportunity to stretch your imagination for a good cause.

Join us as we cover more polymer finds and finery that will inspire you in this weekend’s edition of StudioMojo.

Polymer flattery

The UK’s Claire Wallis builds a cane pattern, backs it with white and shapes it into an imitation cone shell. A bit of weathering with paint and sand paper completes the effect.

Claire Wallis rolls polymer cane slices into shells

Claire loves to simulate nature. PCD has featured her water cane, her faux agate, her polymer knitting and now shells.

Mother Nature must be flattered with all Claire’s imitations.

Nicking polymer

Juliya Laukhina nicks a net of pattern on PolymerClayDaily.com

Moscow’s Juliya Laukhina refines her carving with this newest batch of beads on Instagram. Long nicks of clay dramatically reveal contrasting layers underneath in an almost net-like pattern.

On Etsy, you can see her trying other shapes and sizes as well.

Cuticle cutters are great for carving raw polymer. Could that be what she’s using? I’m adding one more must-try to my studio list. Yours too?

Terrazzo canes

Nikolina Otrzan's tutorial updates the spattered look with a new cane technique

Just as I was admiring the speckled heishi beads in yesterday’s post, Croatia’s Nikolina Otrzan unveiled her new terrazzo cane tutorial for what she calls a Pixie Cane.

Artists from Pier Voulkas to Angela Bahrenholtz to Alice Stroppel and others have come up with methods of making multicolor terrazzos.

Nikolina’s variation is tighter, neater, more intense. I ran to my studio to see if I could do it. My first effort was satisfying even though I was working with too-soft clay. These blocks will make great veneers. Nik is planning another tutorial that will cover projects made using the patterns.

Caners will be pleased to achieve a random pixelated look that goes beyond a surface effect. Yesterday’s spattered beads from Marina Rios were created with what I’m guessing were low-fire enamel powders. You know how it is when you hit upon a method that’s right up your alley? I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm.

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