Polymer Clay Daily

Tribute to illustration

Veru Stevens makes a fashion statement in polymer

Hang onto summer with these Tribute Earrings from a new collection by Philadelphia’s Vee Stevens (Veru Designs).

Each of the designs in her series is inspired by illustrators. In this case, the designs at Deny Designs provided the push to pinks and peaches which Vee reinterpreted in layers of graphic cutouts.

“Don’t let the earrings’ simplicity deceive you! They were more time consuming to make than I thought,” Vee admits. And yes, they’re big. These are 2.75 inches long and 1.7 inches wide.

See more of what Vee is up to and what inspires her on Facebook and Pinterest.

Heishi how-to

Marina Rios gives you a heishi how-to on PolymerClayDaily

Who doesn’t like to start the week with a free tutorial? You showed such interest in the mid-July PCD post that featured chunky heishi beads by Marina Rios that she responded with a 1-minute video on Instagram.

Watch carefully! She bakes the round tubes before she cuts the facets. She paints them and then splatters the surfaces with alcohol inks. A second batch she covers with several colors of stained glass paints.

She cuts the tubes into disks when they’re baked and off the rods. Thanks for the tricks, Marina!

If cutting cooled clay into disks becomes difficult, you can pop them back into the oven to warm again. They cut like butter when warm.

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Monstera for a garden party

Switzerland’s Anouk Stettler (Habetrot) breezes into the weekend with a new flowery dress to complement her Monstera leaf earrings.  A simple flat polymer cutout is perfect for a garden party.

Breezy is Anouk’s style as you’ll see on her Instagram. “Jewelry alone is boring. Yes, honestly! Jewelry must be loved and worn. Underline a style, be a statement or subtly add an to an outfit,” she explains.

Go ahead, treat yourself to a quick polymer accessory that will spruce up your weekend wardrobe.

We’re gathering over at StudioMojo for the weekly roundup of ideas and inspirations. Come join us!

Tabletop polymer

Bridget Derc's step-by-step tabletop on PolymerClayDaily.com

Why is it that when you can’t actually get your hands on polymer for one reason or another, watching someone else complete a project is especially engrossing?

Bridget Derc's step-by-step tabletop on PolymerClayDaily.com

We’re all on the sidelines shouting, “You go, girl” to the UK’s Bridget Derc and her complex mandala tabletop.

She took photos of every cane, every measurement, every step of the way and uploaded them to Flickr for you to enjoy vicariously.

On a polymer bender

Mosaic artist Susan Crocenzi is on a polymer bender on PolymerClayDaily

Well-known California mosaic artist Susan Crocenzi says, “I am currently going through a major polymer clay bender. You wouldn’t believe how many tiles and doo-dads I’ve created over the past month!”

She sees polymer as an amazing material, especially for mosaic artists. “You can make tiles in the size, shape, and thickness you need! You can create super-flashy textured embellished colorific tiles, or quiet, flat, subtle ones. Seriously, this stuff’s flexibility will amaze you,” she gushes.

Here’s the info on her September 9 class in Portland, OR. Flip through her Instagram to see how she combines handmade polymer clay tiles with mosaic materials, most notably tempered glass.

If mixing media makes your heart sing, the flash and sparkle of mosaic might be just what your polymer muse yearns for.

A flock of beads

Rebecca Watkins' flock of bird beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

Rebecca Watkins turns bright beads into cheery birds. They’re 2-inches long from beak to tail and she whitewashed the newest batch to give them more flutter.

Rebecca is an experimenter and you can easily spend more time than you intended reading about the methods she’s come up with for embossing and metallics and etching and more.

Rebecca Watkins' flock of bird beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

She shares all the details (lots of videos) of her late night adventures in polymer. Track her down on her blog and Facebook and Etsy.

Weaving a mystery

Eliska Koliosova weave extruded strips into beads on PolymerClayDaily.com

A number of woven polymer beads have popped up online.  Eliska Koliosova weaves extruded strips in this light summery choker. She alternates the colors under and over each other, perhaps creating a flat sheet that’s then cut up and rolled into a bead.

Or maybe Eliska is using the Mummy Bead technique that Emma Ralph outlines on her site. She starts by winding a base color on a wooden skewer and then layering on additional colors.

My brain doesn’t decode weaving very readily so rather than ponder this any longer, I’ll show you and hope that some enterprising PCD reader can unravel the mystery.

Whatever the method, the effect is eye-catching.

Thanks to Carrie Harvey for leading me to Emma’s tutorial.

Late summer blooms

Spain’s Cristina Garcia Alvarez (espiralarte) helps us remember to enjoy the last flowers of summer this weekend with her layered polymer bloom.

It’s a simple brooch made in watery blues that recur frequently in her work. Look at her Instagram and you’ll see samples of any number of techniques. The striking blues jump out as a recurring theme.

Look over your work and see what colors jump out or make your heart sing.

The file of tidbits for this weekend’s newsletter is bursting with juicy tips and stories we don’t have time for during the week. Join us on StudioMojo for the low down. I’m off to write!

 

 

Urban polymer

Sarah Wilbanks translucents with an urban vibe on PolymerClayDaily.com

Seattle’s Sarah Wilbanks distresses her translucent slices and turns thin concave polymer ovals into fashionable urban grunge earrings. They’re sold at the Seattle Art Museum in combination with the Yaoki Kusama exhibit which is full of color and repeated patterns.

Sarah’s workspace is surprisingly compact as she explains, “I create my polymer clay and silver jewelry in my cozy and colorful studio apartment in Seattle just a few blocks from the new Amazon campus. It’s amazing how little space you need to create jewelry. I have a jewelers bench in my hallway, a polymer work table in my kitchen and a soldering station in my hall closet.”

Translucent polymer lured Sarah back to polymer and she’s developed several variations of carved shapes that are both graphic and primitive in their appeal. You’ll find her work on Instagram, Etsy, and Facebook.

Polymer for gardeners

Celine Charuau contrasts flower petals against white stones on PolymerClayDaily.com
Celine Charuau turns Saxifraga petals into post earrings on PolymerClayDaily.com

The spiky red petals on this polymer and silver Saxifraga become dramatic post earrings from France’s Celine Charuau (GrisBleu).

She continues her garden interpretation with a few more blossoms protruding from two flat white polymer disks that she joins as a pendant.

Celine includes Octotilla, Erythrina, Snow Flowers and other unusual species in this year’s garden of mixed media jewels on Flickr. How does your garden grow?