Polymer Clay Daily

Diffendaffer Updates

Take a peek at Grant Diffendaffer’s updated site where his new polymer clay work and upcoming book are featured. His blog is called Many Parts – the definition of poly-mer, get it?

Grant’s Polymer Clay Beads book will be out from Lark Books in January and it boasts twenty different beadmaking techniques and thirteen pieces of jewelry. "Learn my latest techniques for lathe turned and textured beads, mica beads, recursive molded beads, mandrel formed beads, hollow form beads and more," he promises.

His extruded and lathe-turned bead technique is simply a wonder to behold. If you’re itching to learn something completely different and can’t wait for the book, he’s got a class coming up in San Antonio in October.

And speaking of classes, Dan Cormier still has a few seats left in his October 13 "Form and Finish" class at the ArtWay in Maryland. The rest of his east coast tour is sold out.

Bambi Necklace from Finland

Oh to be this playful and to be making a polymer clay Bambi necklace like this one by Emmuzka of Helsinki, Finland. Make no mistake Emmuzka is a clay novice, but a novice with a sense of style and whimsy. Emmuzka’s experiment in making fairy wings for Barbie dolls is very sweet too.

If I were holiday crazy, I’d consider Santa and his reindeer for a necklace design sure to get grins. A quick cruise through Emmuzka’s Flickr site may remind you of your own early efforts and first successes.

It’s a little diversion as I ponder the past and the future of our community of fellow artists around the world. Note that the necklace was made for a swap with an American artist.

Art and Soul Doll


Washington’s Jessica Acosta pushes the idea of the polymer clay doll by combining figurative forms with unusual elements such as landscapes and building architecture. "Simple emotions and the small pleasures taken from life, such as sitting in the sun, or the feel of sand on bare feet are the inspiration for my dolls," she says.

I ran across Jessica as I was poring over the list of Art and Soul classes this October in Portland. Their roster of artists and classes is very tempting. Jessica teaches "Layered Dolls" and "Time Busted."

Her site contains a veritable who’s who of polymer clay doll links.

Haunani and Maggio Warm Up for Their Color Book

Polymer clay’s most famous color girls, Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio, have moved into writing mode as the deadlines for their new book loom. They’ve been exercising their writing skills by posting to their blogs.

Lindly’s running down her "top 100 tips" list and Maggie’s examining how the color blind experience color along with some great links to see how your web pages look. We’re in for treats as they warm up for book writing. They’re also looking for photos to illustrate their concepts. Submissions are due to them by November 1.

Details for submission are on Lindly’s site.

Felt and Polymer Clay

The Etsy wool felted beads on Polymer Clay Notes threw me right back into full autumn mode. I’ve been toying with the idea of combining polymer clay and felt ever since I saw Debra DeWolff’s (no web site yet) bracelets at Ravensdale. The flat rounds behind the seed beads are simple cane slices and the leaves and flowers provide real punch.

Why fight it? Polymer Clay Express sells some felt bracelet blanks (Savoir Faire Felts) and there are great colors of felt beads available through several Etsy artists. (The purists make their own.) Nothing like a little retail therapy to fix my seasonal disorder. Have a great weekend.

A last-minute note from Judy Dunn who sent along this new work by Louise Fischer Cozzi.

Polymer clay artists Louise, Judy, Loretta Lam and Karin Noyes will be at Crafts at Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown, NY (Westchester) this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This intriguing new work isn’t on Louise’s website yet but you could see it in NY. Thanks, Judy.

Here’s a bit more of Louise’s new work found on another of her show sites.

Fall Colors in Polymer Clay

The air is crisp and cool here and with the distinct feel of fall. Here are two sites that reflect the upcoming season in polymer clay.

Michigan’s Jan Ziozios creates transfer collages that look like heirlooms. Her treatment of birds is particularly appealing as the neotropicals migrate south.

Lesya Binkin has given up her day job as a graphic designer in Israel to concentrate on her polymer clay art. She combines layers of metal leaf, powders and liquid clay into lovely vibrant necklaces. To see her gallery page of pendants is to capture autumn in a glance.

DIY Heads New Directions at MakerFaire

One more plug for our own Leslie Blackford whose polymer clay covered nightlights will be featured in the October 20-21 Maker Faire in Austin, TX. Maker Faire is a two-day event that celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset.

The DIY movement is helping to revitalize the polymer clay community and Leslie Jo is our canary in this coal mine. Craft and Make magazines are dense quarterly magazines full of quirky and clever ideas. Want to know where young artists are headed? Take a look. Maybe we’ll even be making our own plastic in the future!

Heat Gun Inlays, Hot New Blogs

Those of you hankering for more details about how to fire polymer clay with a heat gun can see final pictures of my project, related links, and instructions here. Thanks for all the great comments.

Encourage Fellow Bloggers

Look at Lindly Haunani’s new blog here. And Sarah Shriver’s taken baby steps on her blog with a bit about her history and a picture of her backyard studio. I see Judy Belcher’s even put a toe in the blog water.

If you’ll send them some comments, it’ll reassure these techno-shy polymer artists that we’re watching and anxious to hear more.

Kathleen Dustin’s uploaded more samples of her new work (like these pod earrings) to her website as well. Thanks to Loretta Lam for spotting that one.

Finishing Touch

Wow, was I ever surprised by your response to my polymer clay wall art. You’ve encouraged me to add some finishing touches.

Using a drill and a set of forstner bits, I drilled small circles into the hardwood floor. Since the holes are perfect circles, I could have baked the cane slices first and glued them in (my husband’s suggestion).

I preferred to put a dab of liquid polymer in the holes, press the unbaked clay in, trim flush with the floor and then fire on location with a heat gun.

It’s fun to watch people try to pick up the cane slices thinking they’ve fallen off the wall. And I love the idea that it looks like the canes blew up through the floor vent. Thanks to master colorist Lindly Haunani for suggesting that I sprinkle solid orange canes slices among the patterned ones to give your eye a place to rest. That worked. Have a great weekend.

I’ll post a better picture of the finished project this weekend.