Polymer Clay Daily

Polymer street art

CityZenKane CZK's polymer works sprout on walls in the UK on PolymerClayDaily.com

Whenever I travel I train my eyes to scan for polymer. It sometimes appears in unlikely places.

In London, for instance, the elusive CityZenKane CZK on Instagram(not to be confused with the early business name of Ford & Forlano) mounts his guerrilla art on buildings and street corners.

Ten years ago CZK used polymer for the finished pieces but now he sculpts in polymer and then casts a silicone mold which he fills with resin. It’s educational (and somewhat trippy) to look at the videos of his work, his inspirations, and his installations.

This week I traveled to San Diego and my eyes spied several polymer artists in the studios at Spanish Village Art Center, a collection of galleries in Balboa Park adjacent to the city’s museums and its famous zoo. In StudioMojo I’ll share the photos and tips picked up from our West coast street artists. Join us for the rest of the story. 

Leather polymer

Del Roussel and others play with the new leather effect Fimo clay on PolymerClayDaily.com

France’s Del Roussel (EnRibambelle) has been experimenting with Fimo’s new Leather Effects clay on Instagram.

These 3-layer earrings make a lightweight feathery look for summer. I’m guessing the imitation leather is easy to cut and has some distinct characteristics that give it flexibility and texture.

Ginger Davis Allman (BlueBottleTree) reviewed it and Klio Tsaliki shows how she’s sewed it on Flickr. The EU artists and a few early adopters are whetting our appetites for this new variation of clay.

Polymer on demand

See how Christine Damm makes a successful design last and last on PolymerClayDaily.com

Vermont’s Christine Damm worked and re-worked strips of bright summery veneer with layers of paint and crackle and whatever media suited her fancy.

She liked the resulting sheet of designs so much that before she adhered the polymer to this brass cuff, she scanned the image into her computer so that she could print the successful design onto scarves, pillows or any number of other items.

Go to ShopVida.com to see how one veneer translates into many items on demand.

Service worthy of particular recognition

Wendy Moore receives a medal from the Queen on PolymerClayDaily.com

Australia’s Wendy Moore was honored with a Medal of the Order of Australia on the Queen’s birthday yesterday!

Wendy was a moving force behind the 2006 launch of the Samunnat project for abused women in Nepal. She was skeptical about the logistics of the project, but a vendor requested that she teach what she was wearing so she jumped in.

Read the news reports and listen to Wendy explain here. Here’s a .pdf of the brochure that chronicles Samunnat’s growth and achievements.

The saga of Samunnat’s success has come from many sources and they all lead back to Wendy whose involvement has been key. She richly deserves this honor.

Button, button

Carol Blackburn sparks new joy in her clothes with polymer buttons on PolymerClayDaily.com

Why settle for boring old buttons? UK’s Carol Blackburn brings her favorite jackets back to life with polymer buttons in one of her many distinctive geometric styles.

On her Instagram, she shows several items she’s brought back to life with updated additions. Don’t miss her shoes!

Rather than throw out tired clothing in your closet, why not give them a new spark of joy and color with polymer?

Speaking of updates, come on over to StudioMojo this Saturday to see what other tricks we’ve found to keep you looking arty and fashionable in our weekend behind-the-scenes newsletter.

Changing perspective in polymer

Susie Baim lets loose with an alcohol inks and mosaics tile on PolymerClayDaily.com

Enjoy the spirit of this 6×6-inch polymer clay mosaic mounted on MDF board by Illinois’ Susie Baim.

“I’m still having fun with Debbie Crothers‘ alcohol ink technique! I used it on the tiles and the heart,” says Susie.

Having fun with a technique and adding her own spin on it comes through delightfully.

This series of non-jewelry expressions shifts our thinking to polymer art.

From veneer to bead

Dan Cormier shows how to turn veneers into finely finished pieces in his June-July online class

Here’s a first look at one of Dan Cormier’s newest beads from his initial Matrix Canes online canework master class. But what does one do with beautiful veneers?

The sequel to the story is lodged in his second online adventure, Building Better Beads which runs from June 14 to July 14.

In this next step, Dan shows you how to turn a flat veneer into a finely finished piece. Registration closes Wednesday, June 5. Hop on over to the class site to read up on the details and register.

Hats off to polymer

Syndee Holt takes her hats up a notch with decoration on PolymerClayDaily.com

Today California’s Syndee Holt expands our world of embellishment with polymer to hat bands.

Syndee has an enviable collection of hats to protect her from the California sun made more striking with the addition of a dash of color on each brim. Read how Syndee has approached her stack of hats (these and others) on her blog and Instagram.

Surely you have a hat that could use a little sprucing up for summer.