Polymer Clay Daily

Artists

Sahl’s polymer clay gingerbread houses

Nothing gets me more in the mood for the holidays than Sharon Sahl’s polymer clay gingerbread houses. She made only 10 for sale this year and there are just a couple left. Click on the large versions of her photos to see how detailed these beauties are.

“I buy and measure candies and cookies and gum and make them 1/4 sized with whatever clays best match their opacity. Trees are built from green star shapes, baked and then layered with white clay icing. For the cookies, I make an original with as much detail as I can fit onto a 1/2 inch disc, make a mold, and then pull every cookie from that mold. Gumdrops are coated with very fine glass beads and really look like gumdrops,” Sharon explains.

Her “Christmas Kids” ornaments are created with equal attention to detail. Sharon has moved back to Ohio and we’re happy she’s returned.

Brisk polymer clay holiday sales

Our local Winterfair was full of fine polymer clay work. Pat Bolgar uses micro glass marbles in innovative ways on elegant pieces, Kim Arden’s booth was full of eye-popping colors and Wiwat’s work was full of unusual shapes and hidden treasures.

There were others at the show (look for my small picture album here). Many were too busy for me to intrude. Even in our dismal economic times, the appeal of polymer clay’s authenticity and color are strong and sales were brisk.

Speaking of brisk sales! Did you notice that Ford and Forlano, Celie Fago and Susan Lomuto have joined the ranks of Etsy sellers? We’ve reached a tipping point, don’t you think? I hate to miss a party so I’m promising to fill my empty gallery this week. Are you on board?

French polymer clay connections

Poking through the polymer clay on the French PerleRouge site launched me into an afternoon at the computer. (I’ve streamlined the trip for you.)

I surfed from there to Crea’Sofimo (pendant at the left) who credits Mathilde Colas (the green necklace to the right) as her teacher and inspiration. Somehow I landed on the site of Cecilia Mabcrea, a French artist working in Xiamen, China.

This whirlwind web surfing made me marvel at how fast concepts travel and at the polymer clay community with its connections that span the globe.

Bankova’s clay sketches

The tags on the exotic, incised jewelry designs of Bulgarian artist Mariana Bankova read “synthetic ceramic” and “pâte polymère” so I’m guessing the material is polymer clay but they look very much like ceramic.

The washed colors and sketchy lines drawn around embedded seed beads give the pieces both a modern and romantic feel.

Reading about how the artists congregated in the small town adds to the mystique. Look at their gallery, Etsy shop and Flickr page to enjoy the full effect. (via Perlerouge)

Hunt’s stacking polymer trees

Australia’s Amanda Hunt has created cheery polymer clay ornaments/pendants made of graduated disks that will make a perfect pro

ject for the young artists in my neighborhood who stop by to make something for the holidays.

Creating simple yet sophisticated designs is quite a trick and Amanda’s done it well. The way she translates her doodles and drawings into polymer clay pieces is intriguing as well. Take a look here and here.

Real-looking polymer clay objects

This polymer clay lariat by Adams Schoolhouse reminds us that it’s time to break out the mittens. The variegated yarns look labor-intensive, very wooly, very real.

Speaking of looking real, check out the Australian “Making Sense” art exhibit that featured the work of artists who replicate benign objects and spaces.

Polymer artist Emma White explains that, “Sometimes the joke’s on me because people can’t tell the object is handmade (like the polymer clay post-it here), so they kind of don’t even see it.” Read more about Emma here.

Thanks to Susan Lomuto for the exhibit link and for making us start the week looking very carefully.

Tatana’s colors

Spain’s Natalia García de Leániz (Tatana) adds a colorful end to our week with these polymer clay slices sewn onto a braided leather necklace and, below, faux heishi strands.

I’ve banked lots of ideas this week and am anxious to get back into my studio right after I spend the weekend gabbing with my visiting siblings and children.

The Thanksgiving dishes are done, the turkey leftovers are ready for leisurely grazing. Have a great weekend.

Polymer clay for Thanksgiving

Christi Freisen’s “Face in the Crowd” polymer clay wall sculpture is my all-time Thanksgiving favorite because it epitomizes what my house looks like on this feast day (28 for turkey dinner) and makes me smile.

It also reminds me of what I’m thankful for…the polymer clay community. We’ve collected an interesting bunch of artists from around the world in three short years.

I’m thankful for your continued participation in this site and inspired by the work that you bring to it. Thank you. And happy Thanksgiving.

Cozzi and Dustin on winning and perservering

Louise Fischer Cozzi’s polymer clay “Wholely Necklace Belt” was awarded first place in the clay category of the Bead Society competition and is on display at The Bead Museum in Washington DC.

The piece can be worn as a double necklace (shown here), as a very long single necklace, or as a belt. The clasp is fun and almost impossible to find.

In addition, two “think” pieces appeared today to ponder as the turkey brines. The first from Kathleen Dustin on persevering in lean times and via Libby Mills, a link to an Alicia Tormey post on motivation.

Aharoni’s polymer floating effect

Valerie Aharoni recently updated her site and added a blog. In this post she talks about baking polymer clay beads right onto wire (or bead thread) to get that floating effect. No crimp beads! Such a simple, elegant solution. (I know that Valerie’s not the first to do this. It caught my eye.)

Look at the textured beads, like this globe, on her Flickr site as well.

Why is it that I discover things I’d like to try when I’m least able to get to the studio…what with preparations for T-day?

I’m also thinking about Lorrene Davis’ theory that the size of a woman’s jewelry is directly proportional to her age. I looked at my visiting daughter’s tiny delicate pieces and wondered if Lorrene was on to something.