On the hunt for polymer

Heather Millican (Swoondimples) beams and shows her dimples as she explains her methods in a free tell-all video tutorial on YouTube.

Heather reveals where she found the perfect brushes (makeup ones from Target), the best glue and wax, her choice for transfer paper and stamps. She leaves nothing out.

The polymer charms and pendants sell briskly on Heather’s Etsy shop not only because of the techniques that she’s developed but also because she brings gentle words and an openess to her pieces which make what she creates all the more irresistable.

You can see more of her on Facebook and Pinterest. You may end up like me saying, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Fantastic folded beads

Tanya Mayorova brings her own mokume gane colors and patterns to Helen Breil’s smart bead design. Ovals of polymer patterns fold over to become graceful beads. Helen offers a free tutorial that gets you started.

Tanya’s results blend into a five-strand boho gypsy necklace that’s assembled to reflect her own aesthetic. Here’s her work in a different color way and single strand design.

She shares her work on Instagram, Facebook and on Flickr.

Triple texture

Bugle and seed beads are embedded among the collaged areas of textures on Monica Rotta’s three-medallion necklace. The neutral colors make this piece both wearable and dramatic. Here’s a closeup of the textures.

A look at Monica’s Flickr and Facebook pages is like an instant vacation as you browse through her rustic northern Italian market stall and look at the glamourous women modeling her jewelry.

Want more? Here’s an earlier PCD post about Monica.

Winding homeward

Wiwat Kamolpornwijit admits that coming up with his new designs has been fun and finishing them, assembling them is not his favorite part of the process.

While he has folded and sculpted polymer in his art, this ribbon-like necklace and another spiraled link necklace point to a departure and new experiments.

Wiwat won top honors in the 2015 Niche Awards in the professional polymer category. He maintains a rigorous schedule of shows and also supplies a long list of galleries with his works. Here’s more of Wiwat’s work on Smith Galleries’ site.

You can follow along with his new developments on Facebook.

Summer vacation

Did you miss me? It was a long drive home from Minnesota with a stop to visit family in Chicago and seemed a good time to unplug for a couple days. I’m back! Hope you’re enjoying some down time and summer fun too.

Heads full of ideas

The gardens outside Maureen Carlson’s facility in Minnesota provide a testing ground for outdoor polymer sculptures. Some have decorated the landscape for up to seventeen years.

Student Jacqui Stratton’s head has sat with others in the studio window for years, a product of one of Maureen’s Faces on Stone classes. We could hardly detect where the stone ended and the polymer began.

Polymer survived the seasons nicely on any number of garden sprites tucked among the vegetation and faces hung on fences. You can see more examples on my Instagram page. Class is over. We’re headed home with heads full of ideas for decorating our own homes and gardens.

Collaged transfers

These glowing hollow beads from Claire Maunsell are patterned with collaged pieces of laser transfers. The elegant mix of patterns shine through dark and distressed surfaces. The combination lends her beads an aura of a rich and mysterious past.

Claire’s added a number of collaged and hollow beads on her Flickr pages. Go there for your first-of-the-week jolt of inspiration.

We happened to be working on laser transfers in our weekend class in Minnesota. See how Maureen Carlson turned the transfer of her sprite into a sculpture and see some of our class pictures on Instagram.

Giveaway and discounts from friends

You can count on polymer friends! The gang over at ilove2craft.com offered to distract you with a giveaway and a discount today. They know that dangling shiny tools and juicy books will keep you happy while I’m off traveling and teaching.

Their giveaway basket includes: A mini Swellegant Dealio, a Pretty Darn Nifty Tool, and Christi’s two new books about dogs and dragons. Leave a comment below or like the post on PCD’s Facebook and you’re automatically in the running to win. I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday.

In the meanwhile, you can shop Christi Friesen, Lisa Pavelka or ilove2craft and enjoy a 15% discount until 10/31/2015 by including the PCD2015 code. Let’s hope our weekends are filled with lots of shiny distractions.

Strong simplicity

Jayne Flanagan’s (nellsdottir) necklaces caught my eye and you’ll be surprised at who visited Nell’s booth in Sydney.

I’m on the road and weary so you’ll have to unravel this mystery yourself from Jayne’s Instagram page or from Facebook or Pinterest, Her painted polymer pieces like these Squiggly beads have a strong and fashionable simplicity.

I have a few more hours of podcasts to enjoy as I drive across the midwest. More news from the road when I arrive at my destination tomorrow.

From Skinner blend to sunset

It’s your week at the beach with polymer. Today JoAnne St. James replicates Connecticut sunsets and beach scenes. She translates the sky colors into beautiful Skinner blends. It’s a short step from a blend to landscape.

A handful of shells, some sand, sun touching the water – JoAnne gives the scenes finishing touches and then turns them into wearable summer memories.

You can witness her magic on Facebook and Etsy and catch more beach bits on Pinterest. Her about page tells you her story.

Polymer seahorse rodeo

Be careful! This Seahorse Rodeo from Utah’s MaryAnne Loveless may rope you in and drag you under with patterns and colors and shapes.

MaryAnne often creates her beads and sculptures in big groups. A look at her Flickr gallery (also Pinterest) shows the logic of repeating a design until you get the feel of it and have worked out all the challenges and rough spots. You also see what an impression a big collection can make.

A tip of the beach hat to MaryAnne for bringing us these 3″ tall polymer broncos.

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