Polymer Clay Daily

Known by our marks

Genevieve Williamson leaves her distinctive mark on PolymerClayDaily.com

In this newest pendant from Pennsylvania’s Genevieve Williamson, she fuses all her carving, scratches, colors and shapes into one beautifully balanced pendant.

Funny, how we become known by our marks. Hers are spare, stony, weathered and worn. And sold!

I counted three polymer artists (Block Party Press, Sun Ah Blair Jewelry, and Genevieve) in last weekend’s Pile of Craft show in Baltimore. Nice to see polymer popping up in the trendy shows!

You can see more of Genevieve’s marks on Instagram.

Around the curve

Elizabeth Hamilton curves her design with tube beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

North Carolina’s Elizabeth Hamilton has restrung this necklace three times already in her attempt to find just the right look for her newest collection. “Brass beads, black cord, chunky brass chain?” she asks.

“I may still tear it apart and try again,” Elizabeth admits.

Here she combines vintage round painted cork beads with tube beads that she made after a surface treatment class with Claire Maunsell. She calls it her Nothing New collection even though her treatment gives the piece a very new and trendy look.

Curved tube beads are easy to create in polymer and this 3-strand approach is a new one to my eye.

When pigs…

What is Alice Stroppel telling us with her flying pigs on PolymerClayDaily.com?

Sometimes it’s clear what message polymer artists want to tell us.

What could Florida’s Alice Stroppel possibly be communicating with her latest edition of flower-covered pigs with wings?

Alice hints that “Serious fun happens when pigs fly.”  There’s no holding Alice back. Her pigs will happily fly whenever she wants them to. There’s a lot we could learn from the spunky, irreverent Alice.

Speaking of unexpected fun, come on over to this week’s StudioMojo where we follow Into the Forest exhibit creators Laura Tabakman, Julie Eakes and Emily Squires Levine. Teaching their polymer methods to incarcerated women was a more joyful experience than they ever anticipated. Come find out why. 

The attraction of ease

Barbara Baatz brings spontaneity to her beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

These beads from New Jersey’s Barbara Baatz (baatzbeads) are unpretentious and relaxed. They’re full of heart and devil-may-care attitude. They match but they’re not matchy-matchy.

It’s sometimes wise to step back, ease up and let that inner wild thing have some fun. Maybe it was taking yesterday off that has me appreciating simplicity.

Perfection is overrated and aiming for it sometimes sucks the energy out of our work. Do you need more spontaneity? See more on Instagram.

Sideways stripes

Meike Lucia Friemel lines up bright stripes into a horizontal pendant on PolymerClayDaily
Meike Lucia Friemel lines up bright stripes into a horizontal pendant on PolymerClayDaily

Germany’s Meike Lucia Friemel (Lucia Lucia) was trained as a metalsmith who delights in “…the difference between “slow” metalwork and “fast” clay work and also the contrast when the piece of jewelry is finished.”

These yellow and orange stripes were created for a challenge among friends. The horizontal stripes curl around the cord while the center beads have surprising open backs. It’s as if Lucia was showing her friends a couple of metalsmith tricks in polymer.

Here she is on Flickr and Facebook

Mosaic eggs

Klio Tsaliki ends the holiday with a basket of color on PolymerClayDaily.com

This basket of Easter eggs can’t wait until next year. Let’s keep the holiday going one more day to show off the bright lovelies from Greece’s Klio Tsaliki.

She’s wrapped the egg shapes in strips of clay covered with mosaic-like bits of sunny colors. File this idea away for next year’s decorations.

Wackadoodle bunnies

Nicole Johnson's Wackadoodle bunnies hop right out of her shop on PolymerClayDaily.com

New York’s Nichol Johnson (mealymonster) creates Wackadoodle bunnies that have scampered right out of her online store. They’re so cute that they’re hard to catch!

How can you not fall for a purple big-eyed polka-dotted creature that looks quite scared?

Watch them dance on Nichol’s Instagram.

Hop right over to StudioMojo if you want to catch up with this week’s polymer news. There are two more tutorials from Clayathon plus lots of spring creations. It’s the perfect remedy for your spring fever. Join us!

Blossoming beads

Juliya Laukhina's beads blossom with color on PolymerClayDaily

Moscow’s Juliya Laukhina covers her dark round beads with dense delicate dots of pastel colors. Is she using mokume gane off-cuts? Or has she taken another path?

It doesn’t matter, of course. She mostly uses round beads of this size as her canvas and every time I check, she’s trying another method to decorate them.

Juliya must have a science background since she’s methodical in her experimenting, only changing one variable at a time. These tight dots look like spring blossoms. She’s on Instagram and Etsy.

Some assembly required polymer

Ivy Niles sells raw cactus canes...some assembly required on PolymerClayDaily

Nebraska’s Ivy Niles (Ikandyclay) rolls a mighty fine cactus cane that can be arranged in any number of ways. They can also be planted in cane slice containers decorated with matching designs.

Ivy Niles sells raw cactus canes...some assembly required on PolymerClayDaily

To create the cane gradations and the spiky needles requires a lot of head scratching. For those who prefer, she sells her canes ready-made and raw on Etsy. Her designs are marvelously complex. Some assembly required.