Polymer Clay Daily

Polymer gifts

Petrocoin on PCDaily

From this angle you’d never guess that Beth Petrocoin’s polymer Christmas tree is built on a recycled beater from a discarded hand mixer. It’s easier to see the shape of the original below.

When the Etsy guild announced Recycled as their January design theme, Beth was all over it. She covered the beater with a thin layer of liquid polymer and applied strips of green polymer in a quilling style. Dots on the base are mirrored by red dots on the branches.

Petrocoin on PCDaily

Recycling is one of Beth’s passions as you’ll see on her Flickr page and her Etsy shops here and here.

Malta for Christmas?

Registration is open for EuroSynergy in Malta this spring. Now wouldn’t that be a lovely present? No shopping, no wrapping, no assembly required for this dream gift that will allow you to meet up with a few hundred of the world’s most passionate artists who speak your language – polymer! Give this link to your favorite Santa. There’s even a payment plan.

Secret Santa Giveaway

Want to be a Secret Santa? Send the name of someone you know who’d love a Beyond Belief or Cutting Edge book from Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes. For a chance to win, Email or Facebook (by private message) the name of your entry now.

Scroll down to the bottom of their latest newsletter or check Facebook for all the details of their Way2Give marathon. The entry deadline has been pushed back to midnight Tuesday…that’s tonight.

Bubbling polymer

Struncova on PCDaily

Lucie Struncova tantalizes us with these Bubbling Pebble polymer beads. This Czech Republic artist and entrepreneur alludes to an ebook but I couldn’t find it and I suspect that it hasn’t been released yet. (Let me know if you locate the tutorial.)

In these pebbles she combines unusual colors and patterns into a fresh graphic pattern. The yellows and grays update color combinations that you may remember from the ’50s. Lucie shows darker, distressed versions of her bubbles on sample beads here.

Still a teenager, Lucie (with the help of her father) has designed a new extruder and a slicer along with her own brand of clay for sale in her shop. All this in addition to an impressive collection of designs and tutorials. She brings an energetic youthful vision to our craft and you’ll want to keep your eye on her.

Her products are available through Kimberly Idalski here in the US.

Unsupervised polymer

Beal on PCDaily

Doesn’t the name, BeadUnsupervised, intrigue you? The thing is, Carol Beal’s work looks unsupervised in the most delightful way. She mixes her media (fiber, felt, glass, wire and more) with abandon and she isn’t shy about color. She uses whatever materials and colors strike her fancy.

Carol’s background is in illustration and design and she is able to make lots of unlikely colors and textures play together nicely even though you wouldn’t think they’d get along. She gathers her samples on her Flickr page and sells on Etsy.

Supervised shopping

Need some suggestions for your last-minute shopping? May I recommend some of the excellent polymer books that have come out this year? Like Polymer Clay Global Perspectives by Cynthia Tinapple – you knew I’d say that, right?

Some other newcomers that offer good work plus valuable tips and tricks include:

And they can be under your tree by Christmas!

Inspired polymer

Peraud on PCDaily

Inspired by a fabric bracelet she saw on Pinterest, Sylvie Peraud sketched out a similar design using polymer with a buna cord hinge and closure. She refined her design, trying varying color palettes and textures.

On this one Sylvie used extruded strings and roughly textured trims. She backs the piece with black polymer.

peraud on PCDaily

Sylvie generously documents her process on her blog. It’s reassuring to see how time spent on Pinterest can be the source of new ideas and works.

See more of Sylvie on Flickr and CraftArtEdu…and of course, on Pinterest.

Polymer pocket cat

Pajutee on PCDaily

To create this tiny Pocket Cat, Oregon miniature animal artist Kerri Pajutee blends polymer clay and wraps it over an armature of aluminum foil wrapped in masking tape and wire. Using tweezers and glue, she then methodically applies a permanent fiber coat layer by layer.

You can follow her step-by-step on her site where she even offers tutorials for her incredibly detailed work. Kerri limits her production of these 1:12 miniature sculptures to keep her life balanced.

Her Flickr site contains an unbelievable herd of tiny animals. Susan Lomuto featured them yesterday on DailyArtMuse (have you checked out her MAM newsletter) and I couldn’t resist the link.

Through the roof

[su_youtube url=”http://youtu.be/x6NX0Zsmo1o”]

Thanks to you, the Samunnat Raise the Roof project is building a second story for our Nepalese sisters! Since donations have come from around the world, it takes a while to transfer funds and reconcile currencies. Not to mention that PayPal decided to closely scrutinize the Nepal/Australia account that was suddenly receiving funds. That caused delay in the final tabulation (over $10,000).

But all is well. The builder has been given the go-ahead and the blocks and cement are on their way. You have provided a secure and safe base for Samunnat to flourish. In this 2-minute video, several of the women talk about themselves and express their gratitude as project administrator Kopila Basnet translates.

If you have a few last-minute gifts to purchase, pay it forward by making a donation and printing out a gift card to put under the tree. Fencing, furniture, maintenance and other items present continuing challenges and your donations are put to good use. Keep on clicking!

Thank you, PCD readers and friends. I’ll be traveling to Nepal after EuroSynergy in Malta this spring to bring you more first-hand reports.

Rubiks scrap

Pinklily on PCDaily

I bet you have a pile of holiday scrap mounting up in your studio waiting to be turned into something wonderful. France’s Pinklily (Sandrine Arevalo Zamora) has just the new trick you need and her pictures are so complete that you won’t need any translation. She calls it the Rubik’s Cube Effect.

Pinklily on PCDaily

No fancy tools or solutions required. Assemble your most colorful scrap, some screening, netting, or needlework canvas (she uses “gardening mesh”), black clay and you’re set.

Maggie Maggio first pointed this out to me and I take that as a stamp of approval. Enjoy! Here’s Pinklily on Facebook.

Rustic polymer

BungalowMoon on PCDaily

This rustic feather pendant from BungalowMoon shows how polymer can be used effectively as a canvas for painting with inks.

Shop owner Trina drew and painted the colorful stylized freeform feather directly onto the off-white cured 2″ long clay oval. She then distressed the rough cut sides and applied a clear sealer.

We don’t know much more about Trina. She lets her style tell her story and we’re sure to be seeing more. Thanks to Dede Leupold for sending the link.

Polymer fight cloud

Stevens on PCDaily

France’s Tracey Stevens (Polyflavour) launched an Indegogo campaign to help finance her booth at the Grand Marché de Noel de Créateurs show.

Her polymer canes are inspired by cartoons from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. “I want people to know the source of my inspiration and to watch the cartoons, look at the comics and learn more about them and hopefully share my fascination when they wear and display my work,” she explains.

Stevens on PCDaily

Tracey’s exciting and complex Fight Cloud bowl is one of the perks from her campaign. Cartoon characters tangle inside the bowl while on the outside, large versions of their features become abstract art.

I don’t know how PCD overlooked Polyflavour and thanks to a hint from reader Jody Newman, she’s now on board. Tracey’s videos show her making canes, she’s got an Etsy shop and a Facebook page to acquaint you with her comical art.