Pompoms in Minneapolis

Lindsay Locatelli shakes her pompom rings on PolymerClayDaily

Lindsay Locatelli (wazodesigns) drums her polymer-draped fingers in anticipation of this Saturday’s ACC Holiday Craft Hop in NE Minneapolis.

Her Instagram spans her latest polymer and mixed media works. The carved look stems from Lindsay’s formal training in wood. Here she’s wearing her Pompom rings bunched up fashionably.

Her training translates so easily into polymer that it’s often hard to identify what media she’s using. That’s the next step forward for our craft, isn’t it?

Olive green with jealousy

Sliced stripes from Sandra Trachsel on PolymerClayDaily.com

Switzerland’s Sandra Trachsel says of her bracelet inspired by an Irish Quilt pattern, “It is actually not a cane, but striped patterns cut and burnished together.”

I was certainly fooled. You’ll have to read the descriptions on each of her photos on Flickr to be sure you’ve guessed the technique correctly.

Her olive green diamonds pendant may stump you too. She created the basic color pattern, positioned a silk screen over the color shapes and added paint in perfect register. Impressive, eh?

When my studio gets messy, you may note that PCD posts gravitate to neatniks and perfectionists who control the clay so well. The reason for my change in focus contains equal parts jealousy and admiration.

Wintry grungy polymer

Lela Todua's winter butterflies and dreadlock beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

The roughly striped big hole beads from Ukraine’s Lela Todua (LelandJewellery) are meant for dreadlocks but could be threaded on multi-strand leather (for those without adequate hair).

Her butterflies land lightly on a sweater and her palette feels toasty as the weather turns chilly here in the midwest.

Todua's dreadlock beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

On Etsy and Instagram, her works have a dark grungy edge with a unisex appeal that’s worth studying.

Applique meditation

Applique is meditation for Magdalena Pavlovic on PolymerClayDaily.com

“Making jewelry is the only thing that calms me down,” says Serbian sports coach Magdalena Pavlovic (storiesmadebyhands).Lena patiently adds minuscule pieces of indigo polymer in patterns that mimic porcelain.

Lena’s work doesn’t require much clay or many tools and there’s no waste. But it takes a very steady hand and lots of patience.

For these rectangular earrings, she prepares bits of many shades of blue and applies small pieces to the white base with a fine needle. See her results on Instagram, Etsy, and Facebook.

For most of us, this sort of intensity raises the blood pressure, but for others, it’s a calming meditation. You could try this applique technique and see how it makes you feel.

Thanksgiving house tour

Take Lindsay Black's tour of homes on PolymerClayDaily.com

Happy Thanksgiving! Nashville’s Lindsay Black (oddlyandcompany) will finish this season’s orders before December 1. Isn’t that impressive?

Her custom home ornaments, small replicas of houses are highly sought after and she limited her production this year to have more family time. Give her a hand for making a plan and sticking to it.

If you’re like me, you’re telling yourself that you’ll make yourself one of these someday. I think we’d all be surprised at the skill and dexterity required. But it is tempting to try.

On a lazy Thanksgiving afternoon, take the tour through Lindsay’s houses on her Instagram.

Simple pleasures

Rhonda Walker spells out pleasures on PolymerClayDaily.com

The Etsy site of Oregon’s Rhonda Walker (walkercrafts) is full of simple pleasures.

She bends strips of extruded polymer to spell a wish or a word, mounts that on a backing and surrounds it with small decorative embellishments.

Accents of paint and/or texture make for a dreamy message that becomes a hanging or a magnet or a dish. What word would you like to be reminded of each day?

Festive polymer

Shelley Atwood’s brooch is a festive combination of gold pods, gilded needles, and red leaves. Alien meets suburban Texas but in a good, friendly way.

I hadn’t checked on Shelley’s work lately and it felt like going home for the holidays. Her colors are muted and slightly dark and her shapes change. The clay leads and she follows in a curious, unforced way.

Shelley created a slew of earrings for her gallery’s ArtWalk. Her UK fan, Carrie Harvey pointed out what I’d been missing. Shelley demos on Facebook and shows her work on Flickr.

On a roll

Let’s ease into Monday with Oklahoma’s Katie Way (bullseyestudioart) rhythmically rolling polymer veneers for salad servers. At the top of the video, you can gaze at Katie’s supply of extruded circles just waiting to be sliced and applied to the next solid color backing.

Browse quickly through her Instagram and you’ll see how she covers switchplates, kitchen utensils, card cases – most anything that can take the heat. She works from her own distinct palette adding textures and paints to enhance the hand drawn effect.

Katie reminds us that polymer work can be rewarding even during Thanksgiving week. Go have some fun.

Cutting loose

Cover girl Doreen Gay Kassel rips and tears on PolymerClayDaily

Doreen Gay Kassel lets loose with some torn polymer and vivid color experiments. She rips and tears with an abandon that’s refreshing.

I’m guessing that Doreen is giving herself some playtime after months of hard work including her feature on the cover of Cloth Paper Scissors. The November/December issue is dedicated to creating gifts with meaning and you can preview it here.

Mojo working…

If you want to know what other artists are trying and how they chug through the winter doldrums, join us at StudioMojo on Saturday morning.

Finishing touches

Debbie Jackson adds polymer jewelry to ceramic sculptures on PolymerClayDaily.com

Debbie Jackson stands proudly beside a sculpture by master sculptor Woodrow Nash. He commissioned Debbie to add her necklaces as finishing touches to his tall ceramic tribal art.

The sculptures sold so quickly at the Columbus, Ohio King Arts Center that Debbie didn’t have time to photograph her newest imitative ivory African designs.

Integrating Debbie’s strong tribal jewelry with Nash’s striking Africa Nouveau figures has been a natural collaboration. As with most successful collaborations, each enhances and balances the other.

Who would you choose as your natural collaborator?

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