Polymer Clay Daily

Wiggins embroiders with polymer

Wiggins flat bowl

“I was taught to embroider at the age of five. I have been a detail freak ever since,” says Virginia polymer artist Angie Wiggins.

Wiggins embroidered vessel

Angie started in polymer in 1987 when she needed better beads to embellish her handmade paper and fiber bowls. The clay also satisifed her intense color needs. She’s added some new eye-popping pieces to her gallery that you’ll want to oggle.

PCDaily Giveaway

I’ll round up the judges and pick a winner Saturday afternoon. There’s still time to enter by leaving a comment (on yesterday’s post). Have a winning weekend.

Belcher and the first PCD giveaway

Belcher IPCA earrings

Judy Belcher reinterpreted the IPCA logo to make these totally cute polymer earrings. Look at the ad in the right hand column to see the logo.

The earrings are the first PCDaily giveaway! If you comment on this post, you could win Judy’s creations this Saturday and wear them at Synergy.

IPCA’s Synergy conference is only a month away. I’m working on an event at Synergy so that PCD readers can wear their work (I’ll post pictures) and greet their many online friends.

Let’s fill up those Synergy classes and don’t forget the hands-on events. You won’t find a more condensed gathering of master polymer artists than this. Now’s your chance.

Giveaways, events, social media….you might guess that I’m being coached by my savvy young daughter and niece, right? Here’s my reading assignment. I rarely promote non-polymer items but the book, How Not To Act Old, has me in stitches and is changing my behavior. You might enjoy the list.

Seeing spots – Brandon and Bohmer

Brandons polymer balloons

I’m seeing a rainbow of spots today. Arizona’s Anita Brandon (Melobeau) attaches glowing metallic orbs to a mesh backing to produce a festive balloon-like pendant.

Boehmers dots

Anita promised herself a web site this year and she just launched it. Welcome her to the neighborhood.

Germany’s Margit Bohmer pops shiny polymer clay dots on black lava beads and finishes off her necklace with some matching stacked discs.

Ehmeier designs with scraps

ehmeier carved polymer pendant

When you look through Eva Ehmeier’s (Hoedlgut) photos, you’ll note that her most carefree and attention-grabbing designs are made from what she calls “scrap” polymer clay.

ehmeier carved polymer pendant

She carved and combined this series of pastel polymer circles into linked pendants that look perfect for spring.

It’s a good reminder that when we stop seeing the material as precious and the project as important, we often free ourselves to do our best work. Enjoy Eva’s “scraps.”

Etsy features Tajvidi

Etsy’s featured seller is Afsaneh Tajvidi, a polymer clay artist from Toronto. Her story is a good Monday read and I especially like that, like me, she keeps a huge collection of inspirational photos on her hard drive.

“Whatever catches my eye I save it in that folder. I go through my treasure folder once in a while to feed my mind with colors, forms, textures or even the materials that I can use…it really helps my creativity,” she says.

Her color palette full of spring colors and she uses words like “innocent” and “dreamy” to describe her designs. She’s recently added cake toppers to her Etsy shop.

Afsaneh will have a giveaway of her fanciful polymer crabs next Saturday. Just leave a comment on her site and you might win.

Heart shrines from Gesing

One more little heart to end the week. Ohio’s Michele Gesing (Gabriel Studios) nestles hearts in wearable polymer shrines and niches. Using her own molds she turns lushly textured and painted pieces into buttons, beads, and buckles (great idea).

Her work has ancient air and very personal point of view. “I’m an acquired taste,” Michele says of herself. Read her charming profile to learn more….and have a charming weekend.

Chandler and MacLeod over and under construction

This polymer and paper bracelet, a Synergy2 exhibit entry by Sharon MacLeod, has intrigued me for days as I put the show catalog together. Her over/under construction is clever and full of possibility.

Then I came across a new bangle by Gera Scott Chandler. More over/under and inside/outside treatments in fabulous colors. I must back away from the computer and head for the studio to try a few new things.

The catalog (here’s the updated entry list) is nearly done and looks delicious. The Synergy conference will make your head spin with ideas. There are still some open classes (here, here and here). Check it out and sign up.

Corrie – What works

Sue Corrie’s latest polymer pieces with their edgy colors and layers of unexpected patterns are refreshing as they tweak our notions of what’s right.

Somehow, they work. Examining what works is a good way to start the week.

Sue lets her work speak for itself and doesn’t provide much information about herself on her Ghost Shift Flickr page. I think she’s part of the Euroclay gang.

Caroline Harvey sent the link along and Helen Cox mentioned Sue on her site too.