Stencils and polymer

Watching how Laurie Mika applies stencils to polymer is mesmerizing. Even if your style is miles away from Laurie’s layered, collaged, jewel-encrusted shrines, you may find yourself considering how it would be to lavish color and pattern with such abandon. Or maybe just add pattern in a new way.

Truth is, stencils are a departure for Laurie too and she shares her first efforts. She’s a guest artist on Stencil Girl Talk and she shows a little step-by-step on their site. It’s an Indian-inspired mandala with mirrors and recycled glitz. The stencils are rolled into the clay to create an embossed pattern that’s later enhanced with paints.

Laurie used three of Stencil Girl’s patterns and she plans to add her designs to their line in 2015. Here she is on Facebook.

Decorating for the holidays

Cecilia Leonini’s necklace has a holiday air about it. Like a garland you might string around a tree.

The long Skinner blended tubes are matched by round beads of varying sizes. The balance appears haphazard but hangs in a most appealing way.

Cecelia has been working on balancing elements as you’ll see on Flickr and Facebook.

Dancing polymer

Susan Hyde’s madonnas and angels are part of my holiday attire. That’s an angel pin I bought years ago at the right. This year she added 4″ dancing women whose bright swirling colors add to their sense of movement. The round stands they dance on contribute more color. You can see them in her Bremerton, WA gallery and on Facebook.

My grandsons are coming for a visit so I’m getting myself in the mood for angels and movement and celebrating.

Mixed media melange

There’s nothing like reading about snowy Vermont to get you primed for the season–unless it’s an article about Celie Fago in snowy Vermont.

The online issue of Woodstock Magazine is free. Flip to page 54 and you’ll see Celie in her studio teaching a class how to make one of her polymer bangles that’s loaded with rings of stone and beaded wires.

The bracelet jangles with a collection of circles made from precious metal clays.

Celie mixes her media and I cheer when I find polymer holding its own in her rich melange of metals, beads and found objects. Browse her Etsy store, her blog and her Facebook page.

Cheers! Holiday polymer

Traditionally Staci Louise Smith makes small gifts for lots of friends and family at Christmas. This year, after three days playing in the studio, she had gifts and a new line of polymer wine stoppers.

These will definitely be added to next year’s show inventory she says. Of course, wine stoppers aren’t just for Christmas, in fact, these have a beach air about them.

Staci shares her method (and lots more pictures) on a blog post and on Facebook.

She joins the two elements by drilling a shallow hole in the top of the cork and the bottom of the bead. Then she inserts a 14g wire, joining bead and cork. She epoxys both ends of the wire.

The intense carving and soft shaping of these beads shows how much thought and effort she’s put into her small gifts. And sharing them with us is generous as well. Staci’s friend, Karen McGovern, sent the link along to make sure we wouldn’t miss it.

Polymer commas

These swooping Cernit brooches from Russia’s Olga Ledneva use beautiful blends and particularly graceful smooth shapes.

Think of them as punctuation, grace notes for the end of an otherwise hectic week. You’ll find more from Olga on Flickr and Facebook.

Anthropological polymer

The trendy Pennsylvania-based store, Anthropologie, asked Genevieve Williamson for a line sheet in July and samples in November. Her polymer pieces are rough hewn, carved, textured and faceted in soft heathered colors. The retailer loved the samples. Now she waits.

Can you imagine being nervous that they’d say no and petrified that they’d say yes? That’s 2000 pieces and exposure in over 185 stores!

How brave is Genevieve to share her samples and her anxiety in a blog post? Will we think she failed if they turn her down? Not me! That takes guts. You go, girl. You make us proud.

I’m happy to say that you can read more about Genevieve in my book, Polymer Clay Global Perspectives. You can catch more of her vibe on Pinterest.

If you’d like to say, “I knew her when”, you can shop in her Etsy store now.

Spun polymer

See what Kathrin Neumaier has been up to using liquid Fimo and chalks or inks. For this December batch she uses the polymer like spun sugar to achieve a blown glass translucency.

At least that’s what I’m guessing from her cryptic captions. One of these days we’ll find out what Kathrin’s learned but for now, admire her latest experiments.

The “like” numbers and social logos that have littered the PCD pages recently are the results of my own experiments.

Fingers crossed, I think I’ve about got it sorted out. Thank you for your patience with my mess. Experiments are like that.

Sculpted wood sprites

This haunting 5.5″ wall piece is sculpted polymer with bark and other inclusions. Wooden Spirit Amira was made by Tatjana Raum (Chopoli) in Germany. Her woodsprites bring with them bits of bark and leaves from the forest and smell slightly of moss.

Tatjana says she has always been fascinated by faces, painting and photographing them until she discovered sculpting. She creates art dolls and what she calls wooden spirits using either ceramic, paper or polymer clay.

See Tatjana’s whole cast of characters on Etsy and her site. ‘Tis the season for elves and sprites. Some have become ornaments.

Polymer contained

This all-polymer lidded round container is from Isabelle Bordelais (Lilaroz). By combining the hidden magic technique and Victoria James’ natural textures Isabelle developed this bark-like mokume gane pattern that resembles a map.

On her Flickr page you can see how she has moved from building small boxes to larger ones, perfecting kaleidoscope canes along the way.

Where will Isabelle head next? Even larger, perhaps? And where will your work take you this week?

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