Polymer Clay Daily

Bury your beads

Mayorova on PCDaily

As we approach our usual end-of-year studio pare down and purge period, we might take a hint from Spain’s Tanya Mayorova and bury our beads!

Tanya doodles with extruded strips of clay set on edge. Stacked against each other, the strips dip and bend and wind around an assortment of beads and baubles. They change color as they move along. The effect is like water flowing past pebbles in a stream.

Do you have some beads you love and can’t let go of? This collage of treasures might be just the thing. Look closely at Tanya’s methods on Etsy, Flickr, and Facebook (and in prior PCD features).

A tutorial under your tree

Lehocky on PCDaily

Dr. Ron Lehocky apologized for being late in sending PCD readers this free holiday tree tutorial. He explains that he’s been busy making over 1100 heart trees since November. He’s turned his signature heart upside down and added some bling in keeping with the season.

lehocky_frozen_blue_trees

Ron offers the tutorial as a thank you gift to the polymer community who have so wholeheartedly supported the heart project and the Fimo 50 effort which both benefit the Kids Center. He’s also celebrating having made 33,150 hearts. (Can you imagine?)

Ron extruded so much green polymer that he tired of the color and created a blue Frozen series of trees. They sold out quickly. Unwrap your present from Ron at this link. Follow him on Facebook where you can see his fans decked out fashionably in hearts.

Wearing ornaments

beuting_necklace

We haven’t visited Netherlands’ Patricia Beuting since last year’s holiday season. Her big beads are richly colored and heavily encrusted with cane slices. They look like they belong on a velvet holiday dress.

This one is part of Patricia’s Color Your Life series of necklaces that require a bold, color-loving wearers.

Study how she applies slices of stripes and flowers on solid backgrounds to make textured pattern combinations. There’s more to see on Flickr, Facebook and Patricia’s site.

Ornamental diversions

Miller on PCDaily

With no children visiting this holiday we’ve gone minimalist in our decorating. Maybe that’s why I find myself lingering over ornaments and admiring the neatly sculpted and brightly colored tree decorations from Missouri’s Kay Miller (JoyfulMoments).

If you haven’t hit holiday overload yet, take a look in her Etsy shop. No worry, her shop is closed so you can’t be tempted to buy,

Miller on PCDaily

Kay is a multi-media artist and you’ll find her cards and gifts equally compelling diversions. Take a moment to smile over her quaint visual treats.

 

Prototype polymer

Anderson on PCDaily

These two pieces from Jon Stuart Anderson fall into my ones-that-got-away category. Arlene Groch pounced on the 3-legged cup when Jon showed it to us during a demo in Bali. Then she posted a picture of her acquisition on Facebook as an eye-catching reminder for Clayathon. (Arlene was just showing off her purchase, Jon’s not going to be in Atlantic City.)

Anderson on PCDaily

This Buddha carved from a solid cane block is another one I missed when we were touring Jon’s studio looking at his experiments and one-offs.

Jon’s recovering from a bout of typhoid (the downside of the tropics) and PCDers will surely want to wish him well as we gaze at the astonishing work on his site and Facebook pages here and here.

Polymer ribbons

Neuwirth on PCDaily

In this season of ribbons and bows, Sharyn Neuwirth (NewEarthCraftWorks) demonstrates how you can shape ribbons of polymer. I’d guess the strips are extruded and dusted with metallics.

This Washington, D.C. artist bypasses social media pretty successfully but she offers quite a selection of variations on the ribbon theme on her Flickr pages.

 

 

Hard wired polymer

Sanders on PCDaily

This Baobob Trees pendant from Pam Sanders is suspended in Pam’s distinctive solid and rustic black steel wire frame with matching chain.

The roughly wrapped wire matches the feel of the roughly carved and painted polymer pendant. The combination brings the necklace together with distinctive style. Sample more of Pam’s style on Flickr and Facebook.

Polymer brushes

Wiggins on PCDaily

Yes, there’s still time to try your hand at unusual polymer gifts like these artist brushes from Angie Wiggins. A neighbor gave her some horsehair that she wanted to put to good use.

Add your handmade touch to keys, pens, bottles, utensil and tool handles, switchplates, card cases and such. If the basic item can withstand 275-300 degree temps, add polymer and you’re good to go.

Not sure? Put the undecorated item you wish to cover into the oven to test its ability to survive the heat.

Then go and be inspired by how Angie embellishes bowls and makes light pulls, business card holders and other items of delight. Time to get busy.

 

Tigertail in circles

bishoff_tiger_tail

Bonnie Bishoff coiled loops of tigertail (nylon coated wire) and embedded part of each coil in striped half-circles of polymer to make this light, bouncy necklace. It can be doubled into a short curly version.

Assembling it must have been tricky since the necklace would have to be constructed first and then baked. The wire adds to the graphic quality of the design. There’s another example on Bonnie’s Pinterest site.

This was Bonnie’s response to one of the Creators Art Challenges that’s traveling around online. See more of her challenge creations on Facebook and follow Bonnie on her site.