Put on your sunglasses to enjoy Dusdee Chotipruk’s small sculptures, hangings and jewelry. This picture of her work area shows how she immerses herself in color.
Thailand’s popular Dichan magazine featured Dusdee in its June issue. “I am a very low profile person but my creations may be loud,” she says.
She mixes crocheted rounds, bright polymer canes and glass beads into an updated ’60s fashion statement.
Camille Allen’s polymer babies are not made of soap or marzipan or chocolate! They’ve been the subject of many internet myths and viral hoaxes. Camille uses her polymer originals to create a less expensive line of resin molded babies. The originals are rare and very pricey and most everything on her site is soldout.
It is extremely difficult to create a lifelike baby in polymer at micro size and Camille does it very well. Here’s an early PCD post about her. We’re expecting another grandchild in July and I gravitate to babies in preparation for our own tiny miracle.
When Carol Simmons gave herself time to play, she found some new ways to make use of her kaleidoscope cane pieces. “The lack of perfection adds a primitive charm to the necklace. To me it looks tribal,” she says. Read her post about how playtime helped her.
If you need some partytime/playtime, sign up for Wednesday’s live online Craftcast class with Tejae Floyde. Tejae’s romantic polymer Spinner Hearts combine elements of a wheel of fortune game with a pocket-sized memento. Sit down at your computer and join the group watching Tejae explain her methods live. You can download the video and review it again when you’re ready to play on your own.
Tejae is one of the 13 featured artists in the Polymer Clay Global Perspectives book coming to bookstores soon.
Illustrator Doreen Kassel’s usually squat, rotund polymer characters (made over glass ornaments) are sprouting skinny necks and spindly legs as she gets ready for for a busy schedule (scroll down her home page to see the dates).
These sculpted and painted Blended Beasts will make their class debut next year. Her preparations for teaching have unleashed a flurry of creature (plus totems and shrines) that must have been brewing in her brain.
Flickr’s new big format pictures makes Doreen’s animals brighter and more boldly bizarre. Go have a look on her blog, on Etsy, on Facebook – they’re everywhere! And she’s won another Niche Award this year!
Cornelia Brockstedt’s Morning Dew bracelet recalls the dew shimmering on spring moss. Her polymer clay and silver creation is part of a recent garden-themed series that includes City Garden, Shelter and Street Life and shows vegetation thriving unexpectedly in earrings and brooches.
Conny was trained as a goldsmith and has worked as a designer for years. Polymer allows her to combine her talents. “As much as I love black and white, I love all shades of green – and dots,” she says.
She likes to look at her subjects intensely and is fascinated by repeating forms. You begin to understand how her mind works as you flip through her Flickr photos and you will see why polymer fits her vision perfectly. Thanks to Donna Kato for the link.
Spain’s Ana Belchi celebrates 500 blog posts with a shower of new work. Her Industrial Disease series shows Ana’s efforts at oxidizing polymer clay. Wires appear and disappear in these rough pieces that were inspired by the work of Montserrat Lacomba.
Her Cuerda Seca (translates as dry rope?) group shows ragged edged brooches made of blocks of color divided by deep black channels. Explore all of this and more on her Flickr site.
Ana will teach her oxidation class at the August GredosClayFestival in Spain. Visit the site for all the class listings.
Helen Breil’s new free video tutorial is so clear and concise that it leaves you thinking, “Oh sure, I could do that!” It will start your week on positive note.
The first Folded Bead Tutorial shows you the basics. Part 2 shows you how to add a surface effect and Part 3 explores design possibilities. Simple and straightforward yet stunning.
A clean work surface, manicured nails, a calm voice – Helen presents a pleasant interlude and a thoughtful approach to clay even if you hadn’t considered folded beads previously. Here she is on Facebook.
Kazuri West (where Helen’s books and texture stamps are sold) is offering a free giveaway with purchase.
What are June brides choosing to top off their wedding cakes this year? There’s incredible variety! Like these polymer kissing fish from Indigotwin (Cortney Rector and Kirsten Arundt). The duo include birds, robots, whales, lobsters, apples and much more in their wedding toppers and favors.
For a more traditional approach, check out Spain’s Noemi Hurtado‘s Flickr page. She copies every ruffle and ringlet for her polymer toppers. Or try Dawn Stubitsch, or Elizabeth Bonura (she did a lifesized one), or Italy’s Mary Tempesta or Sophie Skein’s animals.
Polymer toppers have gotten so popular that you can launch yourself into a weekend’s worth of research by googling the term. I just wanted to put you in the mood for June!
No-fear polymer fashions from Moscow’s Oxana Volkova. Her love of color extends from a headband bubbling with colors, textures and patterns to makeup that continues the artistry. Are those mokume gane lips?
Why not wear summer? Here are her bracelets, her mixed media, more of her fashion shoots.
Looking for diversion? How about polymer headpins like these rustic, antiqued ones from Missouri’s Ginger Davis Allman?
Ginger even offers a tutorial for her headpins, connectors, charms and other beads if you want her insider tips. She moves between grungy and romantic looks, abusing the beads until they look just right.
Ginger gave a clear explanation and comparison of translucent clays in an earlier PCD post and you’ll want to catch up with her more recent faux glass experiments.
Be warned, she’s having so much fun and writes so well that you may end up spending more time on her pages than you anticipated. Of course you’ll want to check in on her Facebook and Etsy sites too. And best of all, her husband offers a handy photo template for that troublesome new Flickr layout.
